by Alex Lloyd Gross
Governor Josh Shapiro held a news conference yesterday to announce that he brought $153 Million with him which will help the transportation agency as they neared a budget shortfall. This money was transferred from PennDOT. The Federal highway capital funds were sent to stave off a 21 percent fare increase and service cuts.
Those service cuts would have meant the elimination of some routes, or the curtailing of some that managed to stay off the chopping block. A ride would have cost just under $3.00. For now, that will not happen, officials said.
“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.
Three times, Shapiro has requested more money from the state budget for SEPTA and Three times the bill was approved by the house but the Pennsylvania State Senate failed to do anything with it.
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.
Alex Lloyd Gross Photo-Delaware Valley News.com Governor speaks during the media event.
The press conference was held in a bus bay where two freshly cleaned buses were used as a background.