The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recently approved Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s (SEPTA) one-time use of up to $394 million in state capital assistance to cover operations.
On Friday, SEPTA requested the assistance to reduce the impact of service cuts on riders. Cuts were the result of a prolonged state budget and statewide transit funding impasse. The agency made the cuts during the week of Aug. 25, and more than 4,400 people were affected. In addition, more than 26 percent of buses ran late compared to during normal conditions.
The assistance will allow SEPTA to restore full service on Sunday and to reinstate a 21.5 percent system-wide fare increase. It also will allow SEPTA to implement a new bus network in Philadelphia.
“This is not the long-term funding solution we need to address our $213 million budget deficit,” SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said. “But over the last two weeks, we have seen the devastating effects of the service cuts on our customers. Our riders deserve better, and they deserve stability.”
SEPTA is one of the largest transit systems in the country, serving five counties in the greater Philadelphia area and connecting to transit systems in Delaware and New Jersey.