Neilson applauds Gov. Shapiro for redirecting federal funding to SEPTA

Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus    November 22, 2024 | 1:52 PM

House Transportation Committee Chair, state Rep. Ed Neilson made the following statement on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s redirection of $153 million in federal highway capital funds to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority to allow for continued service, avoid immediate service cuts and delay more significant fare increases until July 1, 2025:

“I want to thank Governor Shapiro for his leadership and support of Pennsylvania’s most complex and robust transit authority. SEPTA is a lifeline for people in Philadelphia and the outlying counties, providing almost 800,000 people daily with transportation that they might not otherwise have.

“We have been sounding the alarm around public transit funding for months. On our statewide tour about the transportation needs of urban, suburban and rural Pennsylvania, we heard from countless experts who spoke of the dire consequences that would come without action from the General Assembly.

“The PA House Democrats took that input seriously, passing bipartisan legislation to properly fund public transit in all 67 counties on three different occasions, which was never brought up for consideration in the Senate.

“This isn’t just about buses; this is about jobs. This is about making sure that our businesses can still get their employees to work. Transit is an investment, not an expense. For every dollar invested in transit, we generate $5 in economic activity.

“While I’m grateful to Gov. Shapiro’s willingness to make hard decisions such as this, our work on the House Transportation Committee is not finished. We need a long-term solution to this crisis and the governor’s leadership has bought the House and Senate six months to find that solution through a comprehensive transportation funding plan.

“SEPTA is just the first of our public transit agencies to be affected by these fiscal challenges. Without additional long-term funding, the rest of the state’s public transit agencies in rural, suburban, and urban communities will soon be faced with the same hard choices about service cuts and fare increases.

“I was hopeful that we would not be in today’s position and that the House and Senate could come together and reach an agreement before the end of the year. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

“Both chambers must now quickly come together to provide a steady stream of funding for transportation needs in all communities and to ensure that the projects affected by today’s announcement can get back on schedule.

“By enacting a comprehensive plan for transportation funding, we have a chance to ensure that future governors will not have to make the same tough decisions that Governor Shapiro has made today. The House Transportation Committee stands ready and willing to do its part.”