SEPTA riders feel a ‘sense of loss’ as major cuts go into effect for Philadelphia’s transit system

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SEPTA has slashed its service as state budget delays — now nearly two months past the deadline — leave state transit funding unresolved and Philadelphia’s transportation network at risk.

The changes have Philadelphians adjusting to a new normal. As of Sunday, 32 bus routes have been eliminated and 16 bus routes have been shortened. Service has been reduced to the 88 bus, Metro and Regional Rail lines, and all special rail service, including the Sports Express, will be discontinued.

“It’s more than just ease of transportation; it’s autonomy for people who have health issues. It’s autonomy for people who are disabled,” resident Morgan Gallagher said Sunday while waiting at a Center City bus stop. “It is the fluidity with which we access our city. A city is life and having that kind of infrastructure is critical, not just for getting to work on time, but also for the health and safety of a community.”

Josh Powanda works in the restaurant industry and said cutting out service throughout the city could greatly disrupt his day-to-day travel, but also noted how many businesses run into the late evening hours.

“It kind of knocks out a large section of time that Center City and Old City and other parts of the city need people to be able to move freely,” Powanda said. “We all don’t want to spend the money on Ubers, because that’s going to get really expensive.”

By Jan. 1, 2026, more service cuts could be on the way, including a 9 p.m. curfew on all rail service and the elimination of five Regional Rail routes and the Broad-Ridge Spur.

“I just don’t want to see it completely fall off at like 8:50, you know, because I still have more than a few hours of work, so it’d be nice to have people be able to come in,” Powanda said. “It sucks that public service is a political thing because we need these public services.”

CJ Roseberry, who is a social worker, said the cuts will “definitely impact” the families they work with, especially with students in Philadelphia returning to school Monday.

“So many of the kids are getting to school on public transportation, and they’re not able to have their caregivers give them rides into school because they either don’t have a car or they have to to work themselves,” Roseberry said.

Of the school district’s 198,000 students, around 52,000 use SEPTA to get to and from school.

“It’s just going to be more difficult,” Roseberry said. “It is grief, in a sense. It’s a big sense of loss for a lot of our families.”

The bus routes that have been eliminated are: 1, 8, 12, 19, 30, 31, 35, 47M, 50, 62, 73, 78, 80, 88, 89, 91, 106, 120, 126, 133, 150, 201, 204 (Sept. 27, 2025), 206, 311, 452, 461, 462, 476, 478, 484, BLVD DIR and MANN LOOP. Starting Sept. 1, SEPTA will increase the base fare 21.5% to $2.90, up from $2.50.

More on how riders’ commutes are changing can be found on WHYY’s SEPTA cuts guide.

The budget situation could also jeopardize the state’s Amtrak service, as it would lose $71 million if the transit funding crisis persists.

Philadelphia is urging people to plan their commutes in advance and use other forms of public transit, such as the Philly PHLASH, PATCO and NJ Transit. Motorists are encouraged not to drive in Center City during rush hour. In addition, the Traffic Operations Center, which can adjust traffic signal times, will be staffed from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. during peak commute hours.

According to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, proposed service cuts to SEPTA could result in approximately 275,000 additional vehicles on local roadways, a number just shy of Pittsburgh’s population.