By Richard L. Gaw
Staff Writer

The irony, and perhaps its placement, was nearly as intentional as it was palpable.

As SEPTA buses continued to exit the West Chester Transit Center on West Market Street on Aug. 7, a contingent of Pa. House Democratic representatives from Chester County gathered nearby to attack Republicans in the State Senate for their inaction on H.B. 1364, a transit finding plan that pledges to bolster public transportation and make repairs to bridges and roads throughout the Commonwealth. 

The act, which received 107 “Yes” votes and 96 “No” votes in a June 17 vote on the Pa. House floor, provides for public transportation trust fund transfers and increases; establishes the Road and Bridge Project Fund and the Road and Bridge Project Sinking Fund; authorizes the Commonwealth Financing Authority to issue bonds for road and bridge projects; provides for allocation adjustment; establishes the Transportation Funding Advisory Commission; and imposes duties on the Department of Transportation.

The bill closely aligns with a provision in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget plan for 2025-2026 that allocates an additional percentage of sales tax revenue to the Public Transportation Trust Fund from 4.4 percent to 6.15 percent, which if passed through the Republican-controlled Senate  would result in an increase of $292.5 million in funding next year and $1.5 billion over the next five years - a huge investment in the future of transportation services like SEPTA.

The deadline for the vote is Aug. 24.

‘17 days from catastrophic cuts to the lifeblood of our local economy’

“We’re here to remind everyone that time is up for all Pennsylvanians’ public transportation throughout the entire 67 counties in our Commonwealth and right here in Chester County,” said State Rep. Chris Pielli, who organized the press conference. “As we speak, we stand 17 days from catastrophic cuts to the lifeblood of our local economy, due to a lack of action from the Republican-controlled Senate, who remains missing in action to this day. This will affect not just the hundreds of thousands of SEPTA riders, not just the entire Philadelphia region, but the entire commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

“The GOP-controlled State Senate has fled Harrisburg, but I’m here to say that our state senators in the Democratic caucus are ready to vote on SEPTA funding today.”

As every speaker at the conference echoed, the potential windfall of a non-Republican vote on H.B. 1364 will result in SEPTA - which serves the Philadelphia metro area with trolleys, buses, subways and regional rail trains – being forced to reduce service on more than 100 lines across its system and the eventual loss of the county’s Route 104 and Route 92 bus service, in order to make up for a $213 million deficit.

“If the GOP State Senate continues to neglect this issue, regionally, we will face billions in lost property values, tens of thousands of lost jobs, in addition to an annual tax revenue loss of $674 million,” Pielli said. “Just saying ‘No” and doing nothing is not a responsible way to govern. Just saying “No” to the thousands who rely on paratransit, the students who need to get to school, the workers who need to get to work and don’t have cars and the sick who need to get medical care – that’s not governing.”

Pielli said that this inaction on behalf of the GOP-led State Senate has become a crisis they have manufactured, and he encouraged Pennsylvanians to urge their Republican Senators to pass H.B. 1364.

“This is not only an outrage. This is taxation without transportation and we will not stand for it anymore,” he said.

State Rep. Christina Sappey of the 158th District said that she is calling on the state’s Republican leadership “to get off the golf course and get back to work” to pass the legislation.

“We’ve heard in the [Pennsylvania] Senate that mass transit doesn’t impact rural areas or their districts, but as somebody who represents a largely suburban-rural area, I can tell you it does,” said. “Our parents in Chester County need to understand that when their students commute to Temple, Penn and Drexel using SEPTA, we’re looking at a 40 to 45 percent reduction in services starting in just a few weeks. If we don’t fund it, we’re looking at the elimination of services as of January 1. 

“This means goals and accomplishments delayed for our kids. This means workers are not getting to work in rural areas of Pennsylvania. This means folks with disabilities and senior citizens are not getting to their doctor. This impacts every single one of us in Pennsylvania, no matter where you live – urban, suburban or rural. 

“This is a shared priority,” Sappey added. “Listen to what we’re saying and understand what’s at stake, because once it is gone, it will not come back. [Not passing H.B. 1364] will cripple [southeastern Pennsylvania] and cripple our state’s economy.” 

As SEPTA buses hissed on their departure from the transit center, Chester County Commissioner Marian Moskowtiz called public transportation “the great equalizer,” one that drives the economy, protects the environment and strengthens communities.

“This is more about people at this moment,” she said. “In Chester County, SEPA is a lifeline. It connects our rural areas to jobs in King of Prussia and Philadelphia. It gets our seniors to their doctors. It gives our students a path to college and our workers a path to stability.

“This isn’t about transit. It’s about dignity, about opportunity, about whether we will invest in a Pennsylvania that works for everyone, not just those who can afford a car or live near a train station.”

‘Minimum system performance criteria’

While the sentiment to pass H.B. 1364 gains ground in House Democratic circles, Pennsylvania Senate Republicans say they are reluctant to commit to the proposed funding, stating that transit systems in the Commonwealth first need to prove their efficiency first before receiving any money. Recently, legislation proposed by State Sen. Joe Picozzi (R-Philadelphia) would if passed require SEPTA to release biennial performance reports detailing its progress toward financial stability and its use of state funding. It would also ask the State to set “minimum system performance criteria” that will be directed at addressing fare evasion, enhancing public-private partnerships and optimizing bus routes. The legislation also proposes that if SEPTA does not achieve these benchmarks, it would be placed under a state-mandated improvement plan. 

“I believe that not only does our mass transit system need to be sustained – but it also needs to be re-imagined so that it is financially viable far into the future,” Picozzi wrote in a June 4 memo. “SEPTA can be better, and should be better, than it is now. This vision for the future of mass transit is multi-faceted, utilizing public private partnerships, known as P3’s, requiring efficient rail time coordination with Amtrak and regional rail, reviewing outdated bus routes and adjusting to better align with current ridership trends, and providing for creative advertising and naming rights on mass transit. 

 “My proposal will meet these goals by setting metrics and timelines for SEPTA to meet necessary benchmarks and do the hard work of re-imagining what its services look like, making them better for everyone who utilizes the services. 

“Additionally, it is imperative for the future health of SEPTA to create greater transparency, accountability and oversight so that the fiscal health of SEPTA is never in doubt. This goal can be achieved through increased oversight of SEPTA through state fiscal oversight measures.” 

Other speakers at the Aug. 7 press conference included State Reps. Katie Muth, Paul Friel, Kristine Howard, Danielle Friel Otten, Melissa Shusterman, Dan Williams and West Chester University Vice President Dr. Zebulun Davenport.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].