As SEPTA gears up for potential cuts to bus and train services next month, commuters across Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs are raising alarms about the impending loss of essential transportation services.
Riders like Janice Tosto from Germantown are particularly anxious about the potential cuts, which threaten the routes they rely on daily.
“It’s really scary checking your alerts and seeing these advisories,” said Tosto.
She specifically highlighted the K line and the Chestnut Hill West Regional Rail, both of which are facing significant service reductions if new funding from Pennsylvania lawmakers does not materialize by the deadline.
“The advisory is saying that service is going to be reduced by 20% on Route K on Aug. 24, 2025, if new state funding is not approved,” Tosto explained.
This situation is not new; SEPTA has repeatedly proposed cuts and fare increases due to ongoing financial difficulties stemming from a lack of state funding.
SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch emphasized the necessity of a balanced budget, which compels the agency to contemplate cuts that will adversely affect riders.
“If the funding is not there, we don’t see an alternative but to go ahead with those cuts to start, and that would be to start on Aug. 24,” Busch stated.
The proposed cuts include significant reductions in service, such as a 20% decrease across the board and the elimination of three dozen bus lines.
The agency also plans additional cuts on Jan. 1, which would include discontinuing five Regional Rail lines and cutting all rail service by 9:00 p.m., leading to nearly half of all service being eliminated.
The pressing question remains: Is there an alternative to these cuts?
Longtime consumer activist Lance Haver believes that drastic measures are not the only path forward for SEPTA.
In a recent commentary for the Philadelphia Hall Monitor website, he called for the transit agency to take a more proactive stance.
Haver has urged SEPTA to utilize its existing funds more effectively to maintain service levels until a long-term solution is established.
“But yet, rather than stand up and do what’s right, they’re using the fact that the law says they have to go ahead and pass a balanced budget as an excuse to harm the people that they swear they care about, their own riders,” Haver asserted during an online town hall meeting.
In contrast, Busch responded that this approach is not practical due to the constraints imposed by the current financial structure.
He pointed out that the state’s one-time funding injections had previously saved SEPTA from what he described as a “fiscal cliff,” but such measures are not a sustainable solution.
“The cliff is very real, and it would have hit last year if not for the one-time funding that the governor flexed to us,” Busch noted.
He emphasized that relying on short-term funding is not viable and that SEPTA is anticipating these cutbacks, preparing by distributing updated schedules at bus stops across the system.
“There isn’t a way for us to kick this down the road any further,” he stressed.
Like Tosto, other riders remain hopeful for a resolution. Many commuters want officials to prioritize finding solutions that ensure reliable service.
“I want them to resolve this funding issue now, not just for this moment, but I really need them to dig in and to start thinking about how to fund SEPTA, how to fund all transportation systems in Pennsylvania permanently,” Tosto remarked, urging all stakeholders to take action.
Riders are calling for a permanent solution to the funding dilemma, emphasizing that the current cycle of reliance on temporary fixes is not sustainable.
Busch concurred with the need for a stable funding source, indicating that SEPTA would gladly accept consistent funding from the state to avoid annual struggles for financial support.
“Right now, budget negotiations are still going on, and we expect that that’s going to continue at least for the coming weeks through this month,” Busch commented.
He expressed hope for a timely resolution, noting that the budget bill had already passed through the House and is pending further deliberation in the Senate.
SEPTA officials continue to advocate for a more reliable funding source while awaiting the outcome of these critical budget negotiations.
The concerns of local riders have prompted WHYY News to engage with the community, collecting feedback during their recent pop-up newsroom event at City Hall.
image source from：whyy
