Image courtesy of SEPTA Facebook
The SEPTA Board of Directors on Thursday approved a $2.5 billion budget that will slash service by 45 percent and raise fares by 21.5 percent starting this summer.
The Fiscal Year 2026 budget of $2.5 billion was approved by the regional transit authority’s board Thursday. From Bucks County, Commissioner Bob Harvie and attorney John Cordisco are on the board.
The Fiscal Year 2026 budget takes effect July 1.
Starting later this summer, SEPTA will have to start cutting service across the region, including in Bucks County, with the planned closure of the Trenton Regional Rail line in 2026.
SEPTA plans to halt hiring and raise the fares this summer.
“This is a vote none of us wanted to take,” said SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth Lawrence. “We have worked hard as an Authority to prevent this day from coming because we understand the impact it will have on our customers and the communities we serve. To be clear, this does not have to happen – if state lawmakers can reach an agreement to deliver sufficient, new funding for public transit.”
The cuts will be implemented in phases.
Beginning with the fall schedule change on Aug. 24, 32 bus routes will be eliminated, and trips will be significantly reduced on all rail services, including the end of special services like Sports Express.
On Sept. 1, a fare increase averaging 21.5 percent will go into effect for all riders. The new base fare for bus and metro trips will be $2.90, tying New York’s MTA for the highest in the country. The agency will also freeze all hiring, including bus operators, to address the budget gap.
Deeper cuts are scheduled for Jan. 1, 2026, with the elimination of five Regional Rail lines, more bus routes and the implementation of a 9 p.m. curfew on all remaining rail services. The Trenton Regional Rail Line is set to be cut.
The approved budget also defers $2 billion worth of capital projects, including critical station accessibility improvements.
The financial crisis stems from the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funding combined with rising operational costs due to inflation and new expenses related to addressing crime and disorder.
“This budget will effectively dismantle SEPTA – leaving the city and region without the frequent, reliable transit service that has been an engine of economic growth, mobility, and opportunity,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer. “Once this dismantlement begins, it will be almost impossible to reverse, and the economic and social impacts will be immediate and long-lasting for all Pennsylvanians – whether they ride SEPTA or not.”
In an effort to close the deficit, SEPTA has implemented austerity measures, including freezing management pay and cutting third-party consultants, saving more than $30 million. The agency also enacted a 7.5 percent fare increase and resumed paid parking at Regional Rail lots to generate revenue. The efforts reduced the deficit to a forecasted $213 million for the upcoming fiscal year, according to SEPTA.
Lawmakers in the Pennsylvania House and Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro have supported a bill to provide $292 million in state funding for public transit by slightly increasing the amount of sales tax revenue allocated to transit. However, the legislation has stalled in the Republican-controlled state Senate.
Harvie has been vocal in his support for more funding and sent a letter to state senators from the Levittown area urging them to act.
“SEPTA is facing a financial cliff and without sustainable state funding, we’re being forced to make impossible choices,” Harvie said in a letter to the area’s state senators. “The Pennsylvania Senate must act to keep SEPTA funded.”
He added, “Public transit is not a luxury. It is a lifeline. If state leaders refuse to fund it, despite decades of legislative precedent, the burden will fall unfairly on riders and local governments, like Bucks County. Failing to fund SEPTA is an abdication of responsibility and sends a clear message to your constituents that you don’t believe public transportation should exist.”
