The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) board recently voted to transfer $394 million of federal, state, and local capital funds to the operating budget.
In September, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation approved SEPTA’s emergency request. The request avoided service cuts for the next two years, but will require the postponement of multiple projects.
The agency will postpone the retrofitting of existing hybrid buses to run exclusively on electric power, the purchase of 247 new hybrid diesel-electric buses, the purchase of hydrogen and electric-powered buses for the zero-emission pilot program, the Frazer Railroad Facility final phase, and a project to bring Bristol Station on the Trenton Line into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
SEPTA previously paused 44 planned infrastructure projects to eliminate a $1.8 billion gap between the costs of the work and available funding.
“Using capital funds for operations keeps us moving today, but it pushes those critical investments further down the road,” SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said. “We stand ready to continue working with leaders in Harrisburg to develop a long-term solution that addresses both our operating needs and the capital investment so critical to our future.”
SEPTA is one of the largest transit systems in the country.