Pennsylvania House again approves SEPTA funding as transit agency inches closer to funding package

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The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has approved a funding bill that would prevent major SEPTA cuts, but the big question is whether the state Senate will follow suit.

The House approved the legislation, which would increase the share of sales tax revenue used for both roads and mass transit funding in the state.

State Rep. Sean Dougherty, D-Philadelphia, said the bill is important for the survival of SEPTA.

“This is a bill that not only funds mass transit throughout the commonwealth, but it also provides for funding for roads and bridges in our rural communities in the state as well,” he said. “So, this does numerous things such as, you know, funds transit without raising taxes, provides the most significant transit funding increase in over 10 years.”

This is the fifth time the House has passed a funding bill, but Dougherty said it’s the only time it’s included specific language the state Senate has requested on roads and bridges.

“The reason the Senate has never taken it up is because they said they wanted certain language in the bill. And this bill, my bill, House Bill 1788, takes all the language that they want and puts that in with the funding,” he said.

Dougherty said some of his Republican colleagues in the House don’t believe the bill will be approved in the Senate, but he remains hopeful.

SEPTA’s Andrew Busch said the agency’s staff are ready to offer any information to the state Senate so that they can properly consider the legislation.

Busch added that the House approval has not stopped SEPTA’s countdown to an Aug. 14 deadline to start implementing service cuts. That’s the date SEPTA will begin reprogramming train switches and perform other mandatory changes necessary to implement the cuts on Aug. 24.

“We just can’t wait any longer than that to get everything in motion to ensure that that goes off as smoothly as possible, and as safely as possible, for our customers and our workforce,” Busch said.

Without more funding from the state, SEPTA’s cuts, including the elimination of 32 bus routes and other significant reductions on rail service, are only the beginning. Starting Sept. 1, fares will rise by 21.5%. On Jan. 1, 2026, 24 more bus routes will be cut, a rail curfew takes effect and two trolley lines will be converted to bus lines.

SEPTA officials are hoping for permanent funding; this compromise would only provide about two years of guaranteed money.