Calling on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to secure $161 million in funding for SEPTA.

Calling on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to secure $161 million in funding for SEPTA. WHEREAS, On July 11th, 2024, the General Assembly passed a $47.6 billion budget; and WHEREAS, That budget deal included only around $50 million in stopgap funding for SEPTA, which is facing a recurring $240 million fiscal deficit due to federal COVID relief funds exhausting in April 2024, before ridership and farebox revenues fully returned. SEPTA riders could face fare hikes and service cuts if adequate funding is not secured; and WHEREAS, SEPTA, which recently proposed a $2.6 billion budget that funds cleaning and safety initiatives on transit property; new railcars for the Market-Frankford Line; and SEPTA Trolley Modernization, is dependent on those state appropriations; and WHEREAS, Without legislative action on new state funding, SEPTA could be forced to reduce service by as much as 20 percent. This will lead to fewer buses and trains, longer wait times, and understaffed stations. People will be less inclined to take transit exhausting our City’s roadways and drive jobs out of region; and WHEREAS, SEPTA is the 6th largest mass transit in the U.S., employing over 9,000 people. Service reductions mean that fewer workers are needed, triggering job cuts, layoffs, hiring freezes, and furloughs; and WHEREAS, Without SEPTA, $254.7 million in tax revenue will evaporate from state and local coffers as property values will decline, jobs will disappear, and the region will become more congested…