The clock is ticking. We have fewer than 500 days to secure the future of public transit in Philly before the next funding crisis hits.
Last summer, SEPTA was forced to implement sweeping service cuts. With the elimination of 32 bus lines including many school routes on the first day of school and sports express service during the Eagles home opener.
Packed buses and trains made daily life harder for hundreds of thousands of Philadelphians who depend on transit to get to work, school, the doctor, and home again. Those cuts devastated riders. Riders shared that it felt “horrible” when the bus lines they had taken for decades were suddenly cut.
Governor Shapiro's proposed budget called out the need for transit funding as ‘unfinished business.’ But the Governor's plan won't kick in until 2027, and even then, it doesn't fully address what our transit system actually needs. The emergency actions he took late last year bought us time. They did not buy us a long term solution.
SEPTA cuts will be back in summer 2027 unless the Pennsylvania's legislature finally acts with the urgency this crisis demands.
So what do we do in the meantime?
First, the honest truth: SEPTA needs to earn back trust it has lost. Riders who stuck with the system through years of pandemic disruption and service cuts deserve reliable, safe transportation across the region. That means trolleys, trains, and buses that stay safe and in service. The long planned New Bus Network must speed up travel times for the nearly half million SEPTA bus rides taken every day.
It means being ready for the world's eyes to turn to Philadelphia. The FIFA World Cup and other major events in 2026 will bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to our city. How we move them will say a great deal about who we are. SEPTA must meet the moment.
We need our state leaders to act. That means sustained pressure on legislators from both parties and the Governor to support dedicated, sustainable transit revenue. Transit funding bills passed the state house five times last session with bipartisan support. Within the next 15 months, we have to get it done.
While we fight for that larger fix, the city of Philadelphia can lead a movement to grow ridership and make transit more affordable.
It starts with continuing two vital city initiatives. The nationally recognized Zero Fare program currently gives more than 60,000 low income Philadelphians access to public transit. The municipal Key Advantage program gives over 13,000 city employees a ride to work. Mayor Parker has proposed continuing to fund these programs through 2027. We appreciate Mayor Parker’s leadership and urge members of the Philadelphia City Council to follow through on her budget request to ensure that we don’t take away the freedom of mobility from the people who keep Philly moving.
After securing funding for these initiatives, we should make them permanent. The Transit Access Fund, championed by Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke , would permanently fund Zero Fare, ensuring that low-income riders are never priced off the system. And it would expand and match Key Advantage, SEPTA's successful employer, college, and residential transit pass program to give more people access to public transit.
As the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection, these programs do right by our neighbors. They take cars off congested streets, clean our air, and make life more affordable. They also build the case that Philly is committed to investing in transit to encourage state leaders to do the same.
The state legislature may be gridlocked. Federal transit support faces uncertainty. But Philadelphia has shown before that we can lead the way.
Funding Zero Fare and municipal Key Advantage as well as passing the Transit Access Fund are ways we can improve transit in Philly now while the larger state fight continues.
Five hundred days sounds like a long time. It isn't. We have to start now. We can build the transit Philadelphia deserves. But we have to fight for it, together, starting today.
Transit Forward Philadelphia is a coalition of 37 organizations supporting a safe, accessible, and sustainable transit network in the Philadelphia region. Learn more at transitforwardphilly.org.
