After SEPTA’s summer success, riders fear momentum could stall

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After a summer that showcased SEPTA’s ability to move record crowds, advocates worry the momentum could be threatened because the new state budget again failed to provide dedicated transit funding.

SEPTA transported more than 155,000 riders to and from FIFA World Cup matches in June and July, a total about 60% higher than the average Philadelphia Eagles game in 2025, according to the agency.

Hours after Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Pennsylvania’s 2026-27 budget into law on July 12 without additional funding for public transit, Studio 34 in West Philadelphia hosted “Doors Are Opening: A SEPTA Healing,” a live community performance event where transit riders were invited to express their SEPTA experiences through stories, poetry and music.

Community gathers around transit

At the event, organized by Philadelphia physician Michal Pearl Waldfogel and advocacy group Transit Forward Philadelphia, participants came together over their successes and failures with SEPTA — a common ground shared by countless Philadelphians.

“When you ride transit, you are figuratively and literally along for the ride — so you have to be flexible,” said Rebecca Lopez Kriss, who performed at the event.

After living in the city for 15 years, having come from an area with fewer public transportation options, she said she is proud to be a transit enthusiast and admires the culture that comes with riding SEPTA.

“People who don’t know Philadelphia don’t know how special it is here,” she said. “People really care.”

Waldfogel, a fourth-generation Philadelphian, said she wrote a song in 2012 as a way to channel her frustration with transit while making light of SEPTA’s slogan at the time: “We’re Getting There.”

“’We’re Getting There’ speaks to the honesty of Philadelphia, that we’re not trying to be something that we’re not,” Waldfogel said. “It’s saying, ‘There is room for improvement, but at least we’re being honest about it.’”

In response to her song, she found a community of similarly frustrated riders who wanted to reach out to share their experiences, too. As a naturopathic doctor, Waldfogel said she believes that transit is a public health issue, and without adequate funding, high-population areas such as Southeastern Pennsylvania are put at risk.

Stephen Bronskill, a representative for Transit Forward Philadelphia, told the Studio 34 audience that the newly signed state budget again omitted additional transit funding. Bronskill said SEPTA was forced to restore service that had been slated for cuts by relying on its own budget after lawmakers failed to provide additional funding. That stopgap funding will expire in July 2027, leaving the agency to face another fiscal cliff unless the state acts.

“It does not look like they got to a position where those cuts would be averted in the future,” Bronskill said.

Building on momentum

SEPTA officials, meanwhile, struck an optimistic tone during Thursday’s regular board meeting. The board recognized employees for keeping the system running smoothly during the summer’s major events, including six FIFA World Cup matches, the MLB All-Star Game and the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Agency leaders pointed to strong performance beyond the headline events. Average weekday ridership climbed to 733,000 trips in June, up 4% from a year earlier. Revenue finished the fiscal year 4.9% above budget.

“We aren’t going to stop now that it is over. We understand that the bar has now been raised,” said General Manager and CEO Scott Sauer.

Sauer said the agency intends to build on this summer’s success despite continued uncertainty over state funding.

“I’m confident we can build on our positive momentum, and clearly demonstrate why SEPTA is worthy of further investment,” he said.

The board recently approved a budget that advances SEPTA’s Bus Revolution system redesign, which aims to improve service to growing job centers while eliminating underused routes.

During public comment, several riders urged SEPTA to carefully balance system modernization with preserving the service patterns that longtime Philadelphians have come to depend on.

Among them was Yejide Fagoroye, a rising senior at Temple University and Transit Forward Philadelphia intern. Fagoroye recalled struggling to navigate SEPTA after moving to Philadelphia from out of state.

“One of my first times taking the bus, there were cars blocking the bus stop, and as a result, the bus passed me by,” Fagoroye said. She urged SEPTA to make the system more predictable and give riders the same peace of mind they expect from ride-hailing services.

Alex Wilson said a large part of his graduate studies at Drexel University is focused on an ever-changing, labyrinthine transit landscape.

“I think it’s great that FIFA has impacted things, but I do wonder about the impact where it seems people who are from out of town are receiving benefit,” Wilson said. “It takes something like FIFA to impact change for people who have lived in the city their entire lives.”

As the city transitions into its more normal rhythms and routines, Philadelphia is left with proof that SEPTA can surpass expectations and operate through stresses to the system. Organizers of the “Doors Are Opening” event said they hope SEPTA will in fact “get there.”

“We have less than a year to get our elected officials to make this a bipartisan priority, but we really need them to do their job so we can get to ours,” Bronskill said.