the Transit for All PA! Coalition issued the following statement (November 22, 2024)
Today the Transit for All PA! statewide coalition celebrates an important step for transit, with Governor Shapiro’s announcement of an immediate allocation of $153 million from federal highway funds towards transit. The additional $153 million dollars in operations funding is long overdue and will stave off the most imminent funding cliff for SEPTA, Pennsylvania’s largest transit system, which was projected to receive 20% service cuts and 30% fare increases in early 2025 if no action was taken. We are appreciative of Governor Shapiro’s leadership and decisive action to ensure that millions of transit riders, businesses in the Philadelphia region, manufacturers of transit parts across the Commonwealth, and PA residents continue to experience the critical economic and social benefit of a stable, robust transportation network in our state’s largest urban area.
It is important to remember that this is a stopgap measure, to manage the state legislature’s irresponsible delay in developing a sustainable, dedicated transit funding solution. Pennsylvania’s residents will still need the legislature and the governor to pass a long term funding solution in the Spring of 2025.
The Governor’s decision to “flex” highway funding to transit isn’t something that should only happen in an emergency. Other states take advantage of this mechanism in order to keep transit on track- and even expand it- and not merely keep buses, trains, and shared-ride service from the brink of collapse every two decades. It’s also smart policy to allocate a more equitable share of transportation funding to transit. By contrast, the disproportionate amount of funding that our federal government and PennDOT allocates to highway expansion compared to funding transit worsens our infrastructure maintenance debts, deepens our climate crisis, and makes our roads more congested, not less.
Fortunately, the Transit for All PA! coalition is strong and growing, and we will continue to organize for transit funding across the Commonwealth that will keep seniors connected to healthcare, families connected to grocery stores, and neighbors connected to each other.
Our coalition of transit riders and transit workers of Transit for All PA! was key to the Governor’s decision to flex highway funds. Since June’s State Budget negotiations, the coalition has sent more than 6500 emails to legislators and the Governor, 3000 of those were since Monday, November 12th. Our volunteers made 2500 calls to riders all across the SEPTA region not only activating them but educating riders who depend on SEPTA the most. On November 21st, Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed a resolution asking the Governor to flex highway funds to prevent a doom spiral and we turned out 25 people for public comment. We showed up to Harrisburg multiple times with hundreds of supporters calling for action. And we delivered our message to every single lawmaker to ensure our voice was heard. The tireless efforts of rider unions and transit advocates, transit workers, environmental organizations, business interests, disability groups, and more ensured that the importance of transit to our state could not be ignored.
We recognize the importance of this milestone, while also being acutely aware that the fight continues to truly fulfill public transit service in Pennsylvania that meets the needs of 21st century communities, one that reduces congestion and protects our environment, one that advances equity in transportation, and one that is frequent, reliable, affordable, clean, and accessible.
Send a Thank-you to Governor Shapiro. Lend your support in reaching a full transit funding solution.
Transit for All PA! is a statewide coalition of transit riders, transit workers, and transit-supportive organizations and businesses. Together, we are working to expand Pennsylvania’s public transit systems to grow our economy and connect more Pennsylvanians to jobs, healthcare, and essential needs. transitforallpa.org
Today the Transit for All PA! statewide coalition celebrates an important step for transit, with Governor Shapiro’s announcement of an immediate allocation of $153 million from federal highway funds towards transit. The additional $153 million dollars in operations funding is long overdue and will stave off the most imminent funding cliff for SEPTA, Pennsylvania’s largest transit system, which was projected to receive 20% service cuts and 30% fare increases in early 2025 if no action was taken. We are appreciative of Governor Shapiro’s leadership and decisive action to ensure that millions of transit riders, businesses in the Philadelphia region, manufacturers of transit parts across the Commonwealth, and PA residents continue to experience the critical economic and social benefit of a stable, robust transportation network in our state’s largest urban area.
It is important to remember that this is a stopgap measure, to manage the state legislature’s irresponsible delay in developing a sustainable, dedicated transit funding solution. Pennsylvania’s residents will still need the legislature and the governor to pass a long term funding solution in the Spring of 2025.
The Governor’s decision to “flex” highway funding to transit isn’t something that should only happen in an emergency. Other states take advantage of this mechanism in order to keep transit on track- and even expand it- and not merely keep buses, trains, and shared-ride service from the brink of collapse every two decades. It’s also smart policy to allocate a more equitable share of transportation funding to transit. By contrast, the disproportionate amount of funding that our federal government and PennDOT allocates to highway expansion compared to funding transit worsens our infrastructure maintenance debts, deepens our climate crisis, and makes our roads more congested, not less.
Fortunately, the Transit for All PA! coalition is strong and growing, and we will continue to organize for transit funding across the Commonwealth that will keep seniors connected to healthcare, families connected to grocery stores, and neighbors connected to each other.
Our coalition of transit riders and transit workers of Transit for All PA! was key to the Governor’s decision to flex highway funds. Since June’s State Budget negotiations, the coalition has sent more than 6500 emails to legislators and the Governor, 3000 of those were since Monday, November 12th. Our volunteers made 2500 calls to riders all across the SEPTA region not only activating them but educating riders who depend on SEPTA the most. On November 21st, Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed a resolution asking the Governor to flex highway funds to prevent a doom spiral and we turned out 25 people for public comment. We showed up to Harrisburg multiple times with hundreds of supporters calling for action. And we delivered our message to every single lawmaker to ensure our voice was heard. The tireless efforts of rider unions and transit advocates, transit workers, environmental organizations, business interests, disability groups, and more ensured that the importance of transit to our state could not be ignored.
We recognize the importance of this milestone, while also being acutely aware that the fight continues to truly fulfill public transit service in Pennsylvania that meets the needs of 21st century communities, one that reduces congestion and protects our environment, one that advances equity in transportation, and one that is frequent, reliable, affordable, clean, and accessible.
Send a Thank-you to Governor Shapiro. Lend your support in reaching a full transit funding solution.
Transit for All PA! is a statewide coalition of transit riders, transit workers, and transit-supportive organizations and businesses. Together, we are working to expand Pennsylvania’s public transit systems to grow our economy and connect more Pennsylvanians to jobs, healthcare, and essential needs. transitforallpa.org
