Governor Shapiro Takes Decisive Action to Provide Critical Funding for SEPTA to Maintain Service Levels, Stop Harmful Price Hikes, and Deliver for Pennsylvanians

Governor Shapiro’s action to deliver for SEPTA will ensure continuity of service across Southeastern PA and create a window of opportunity for the General Assembly to keep working toward a permanent funding solution for mass transit.

The Governor also secured commitments from the five counties that fund SEPTA to increase their local share, delivering millions in additional funding for the transit agency.

Philadelphia, PA — On Nov 22nd, Governor Josh Shapiro made a critical announcement to ensure Pennsylvanians who rely on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) can continue to access safe, reliable, and affordable public transportation.

With SEPTA facing a significant funding shortfall due to the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds, Governor Shapiro directed PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll to begin the process of transferring $153 million in federal highway capital funds to SEPTA. This action will prevent immediate service cuts and a planned 21 percent fare increase, allowing the transit agency – which serves 800,000 people across Southeastern Pennsylvania every day – to maintain critical operations through at least July 2025.

The flexing of federal highway capital funds — a standard practice in Pennsylvania and across the nation — temporarily reallocates funds from projects not yet underway. Critically, the Governor’s announcement does not jeopardize or halt any ongoing infrastructure projects already underway across the Commonwealth. The projects are not yet under construction or have been put out to bid.

Governor Shapiro was joined by Secretary Carroll to make this announcement at SEPTA’s Frankford Transportation Center alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, state, local, and federal leaders from Philadelphia and Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, as well as SEPTA leadership, transportation workers, and more.

“As Governor, I have a responsibility to serve every region of our Commonwealth — rural, suburban, and urban,” said Governor Shapiro. “Over the past two years, we’ve come together on a bipartisan basis to invest $330.5 million in additional funding for Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges, repairing more poor-condition bridges than any other state and improving more miles of roadway than at any time in the past decade. But while we’ve made great progress on our roadways, we must also address the needs of mass transit riders, particularly those in Southeastern Pennsylvania who rely on SEPTA every day to get to work, school, medical appointments, and more.

“While the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed bipartisan legislation – modeled off my budget proposal – three times in 2024 to increase funding to SEPTA and other public transit agencies statewide, the State Senate did not act on those bills or their own version of funding for mass transit,” said Governor Shapiro. “In order to prevent critically damaging service cuts and fare increases ahead of our next state budget, I have directed PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll to begin the process of flexing $153 million of federal highway capital funds to SEPTA. This action allows for continued service and for SEPTA to avoid immediate service cuts and delay more significant fare increases until July 1, 2025.”

Governor Shapiro’s announcement on Nov 22nd, reflects his commitment to delivering on mass transit for communities all across Pennsylvania. Earlier this year, his 2024-25 budget proposal included $1.5 billion in new statewide mass transit funding over the next five years — $282.8 million in recurring annual revenue — without raising taxes on Pennsylvanians.

Governor Shapiro is focused on getting stuff done for every community in Pennsylvania – rural, urban, and suburban — and has a responsibility to serve every region of Pennsylvania. In his first two years, Governor Shapiro has delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure funding for our roads and bridges. He has brought Democrats and Republicans together to invest $330.5 million in additional state funding in our roads and bridges on a bipartisan basis.

Thanks in part to those investments, the Shapiro Administration repaired more poor-condition bridges than any other state in the nation last year and improved more miles of roadway than anytime in the past decade. Governor Shapiro is proud of the progress Pennsylvania has made to improve the commutes of our rural and suburban residents, but he knows more needs to be done to address the needs of Pennsylvanians who ride mass transit every day.  

Delivering for Pennsylvania’s Economy and Commuters

SEPTA is critical to Pennsylvania’s economy – serving 800,000 people across Southeastern Pennsylvania every day who depend on the agency to get to where they need to go. Without this critical funding, SEPTA would have been forced to enact harmful service cuts and fare increases that would hurt commuters, local businesses, and the regional economy.

Governor Shapiro also secured commitments from the five counties that fund SEPTA to increase their local share, delivering millions in additional funding for the transit agency. These combined efforts will allow SEPTA to maintain current operations, continue investments in safety and cleanliness, and prepare for high-profile events in the coming years, including America’s 250th anniversary, the FIFA World Cup, and the MLB All-Star Game in 2026.

While this funding shift provides immediate relief, Governor Shapiro knows it is not a long-term solution. While the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed bipartisan legislation three times to increase funding to SEPTA and other public transit agencies statewide – modeled off the Governor’s budget proposal – the Senate has not acted to do the same. The Governor will continue working to bring leaders in both parties together to deliver a long-term solution for mass transit funding in our Commonwealth.

Governor Shapiro’s action reflects his ongoing commitment to delivering results for Pennsylvanians in every corner of the Commonwealth. From historic investments in roads and bridges to safeguarding mass transit for the future, his leadership is ensuring that Pennsylvania’s infrastructure serves the needs of communities all across our Commonwealth and continues to drive our economy forward.