The state has not offered a sustainable source of funding to meet the transit agency’s $240 million budget gap.
Officials from Philadelphia’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) are warning that the agency will have to make steep fare hikes and service cuts as it faces a $240 million budget shortfall.
As Joe Brandt reports for CBS News, SEPTA COO Scott Sauer made a dire prediction: “Service cuts and fare increases resulting from fewer riders, lead to more service cuts and more fare increases, resulting in fewer riders. Until ultimately public transit is no longer relevant.”
Even before the pandemic, the agency relied heavily on state, local, and federal subsidies to make up the gap between fare revenue and its operating expenses.
Under the agency’s plan, fares will increase by almost 30 percent in 2025, while service will be cut by 20 percent across the board. SEPTA has already reinstated parking fees at agency-owned lots and eliminated rider discounts.
FULL STORY: How is SEPTA funded? Inside the Philadelphia transit agency's budget – and what's behind the "death spiral"
SEPTA to Cut 1/5 of Service Starting Aug 24
The Philadelphia transit agency is eliminating 32 bus lines and slashing service on dozens of others after the state legislature failed to come to an agreement over funding.
SEPTA Proposes $400M From State Fund to Delay Service Cuts
The plan would stave off service cuts for two years, but even if approved, the agency plans to go ahead with fare hikes on September 14.
Sports Gambling Company Sponsors Suspended Philly Stadium Train Amidst SEPTA Cuts
After SEPTA announced it would have to cut the subway line that leads to Lincoln Field, FanDuel offered $80k to keep the train running for the season opener.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Mamdani overhauls NYC's Vision Zero plan with 100 new policy goals
The overhaul aims to reduce traffic deaths and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through lower speed limits, new safety infrastructure and more.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association