The Fare Hearings scheduled for Friday, December 13, 2024 have been canceled.
On Friday, November 22 Governor Josh Shapiro announced stop-gap funding that will help SEPTA fill its operating budget deficit for this year – Fiscal Year 2025 – which ends on June 30, 2025. This funding enabled SEPTA to postpone a major 21.5% fare increase that was proposed to start January 1, 2025.
The governor’s continued support for SEPTA and public transportation is greatly appreciated as it gives us a lifeline and allows us to focus on providing safe, clean, and reliable service. The Authority will also take steps to cut costs and enhance efficiency throughout the organization.
The $153 million being flexed to SEPTA at the direction of Governor Shapiro covers SEPTA’s projected operating budget gap through the current fiscal year however SEPTA still faces an annual, structural budget deficit of at least $240 million without a permanent solution to Pennsylvania’s public transportation funding crisis.
Like many other transit agencies across the nation – SEPTA has hit a fiscal cliff as a result of the
pandemic. One-time federal COVID relief funds were used to help cover the everyday expenses of
running the system, maintaining service during the pandemic, and supporting the post-pandemic
recovery. Those funds were exhausted in Spring 2024 creating a nearly quarter billion dollar
annual budget deficit in the current fiscal year and beyond.
SEPTA will continue to work with its funding partners in Harrisburg on a long-term funding solution in the coming months while also preparing for the possibility of large fare increases and service cuts starting in summer 2025 if new funding is not in place.