SEPTA service cuts will happen if state money isn’t secured next week
The transit agency says it needs to know about funding by Aug. 14.
SEPTA needs new state funding by Aug. 14 to prevent a planned round of deep service cuts from taking effect near the end of the month, transit agency officials said.
The agency plans to announce the deadline at a news conference Wednesday morning, along with online posting of new fall schedules that reflect a 20% overall cut in transit service.
If the state money doesn’t come through, 32 bus routes will be eliminated and 16 others shortened beginning Aug. 24, along with reductions in the frequency of bus, trolley, subway and Regional Rail trips.
Fares would also rise by 21.5% on Sept. 1.
The deadline, in theory, might spur progress in state-budget negotiations in Harrisburg, but SEPTA officials said their motivation was to provide clarity to thousands of riders now looking to make travel plans.
“We just want to be transparent,” said Jody Holton, chief planning and strategy officer at SEPTA. “People might assume Aug. 24 is our deadline, but it’s not. It takes at least 10 days …to implement the systems.”
Among other things, new schedule information needs to be programmed into SEPTA’s rail signal system and control room, and to update the GPS tracks where buses are supposed to be, along with signage identifying buses, she said.
» READ MORE: From alerting riders to changing Google Maps, here’s how SEPTA is preparing for service cuts
Earlier, SEPTA had figured it would take up to three weeks to make the necessary changes before cutting.
“We pared down the time frame to be as short as possible,” Holton said.
The state budget is more than a month overdue. Transit funding is one of the issues holding up a deal between Senate Republicans, House Democrats, and Gov. Josh Shapiro. Senate Republicans hold the balance of power.
Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) and most Senate GOP members have resisted giving more to SEPTA, saying they see the transit authority as mismanaged and needs to be held accountable for fare evasion and public safety.
SEPTA already receives $1 billion from the state annually, 67% of its operating budget.
The planned cuts will be paused if enough money is received before midnight Aug. 14, SEPTA says.
The transit agency faces a $213 million recurring deficit in its operating budget, and other transit agencies around the state face their own fiscal crises.
Shapiro has proposed $292 million in new money for mass transit over five years. SEPTA estimates it would get about $168 million, which would, with other measures, enable it to close the gap and get by.
If state money comes or is assured after Aug. 24, it will take at least 10 days to rewind the cuts and get normal service running again, officials said.