Neilson responds to SEPTA’s announced fare increases

Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus    September 5, 2024 | 1:06 PM

State Rep. Ed Neilson, majority chair of the PA House Transportation Committee, released the following statement regarding proposed fare increases by SEPTA:

“This is the exact scenario we wanted to avoid while we were negotiating the state budget. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania use public transit as a tool to survive. It connects them with important medical appointments, they rely on it to get their groceries, and many people rely on public transit to attend school or work.

“SEPTA is not the only agency that will be affected by the budget shortfall in public transit funding; it will trickle down to all of them and have disastrous consequences for Pennsylvanians in both rural and urban communities, not to mention the damage it will do to our state’s economy.

“If people do not have access to their only mode of travel and they cannot get to school or work, it sets the commonwealth up for a perilous future, where our constituents have trouble meeting their basic needs and obligations.

“We’ve heard from many experts in the public transit sector during the Moving PA Forward by Investing in Roads, Bridges and Transit tour, and our tour will continue throughout the month.

“My hope is that after listening to the experts on the significant impact public transit has on the entire state, we can come together and implement a solution for this funding crisis. Pennsylvanians deserve the freedom of movement, and some can only use that freedom via public transit.”

The PA House Transportation Committee plans to hold informational meetings with SEPTA in the Southeast region and Philadelphia the week of Sept.16. Details for these events will soon be available on the committee’s public website.