SEPTA begins warning riders a month out from significant service cuts
A three-man crew in neon-yellow vests made their way down Hawthorne Street in Northeast Philadelphia on Thursday, halting at each stop for the Route 88 SEPTA bus. On each pole, they attached a sign warning riders that the Route 88 bus was going away.
"We still have reason to be optimistic, I think," Lex Powers, the deputy chief communications officer for the transit agency, said. "But that can't stop us from preparing."
On Aug. 24, SEPTA plans to initiate the first round of massive cuts to its system, as the agency grapples with a . The first wave includes eliminating 32 bus routes, shortening another 16 bus routes and reducing service on 88 bus, subway and regional rail lines.
"This is not something we want to be doing," Powers said.
SEPTA also has plans to raise fares by 21.5% in September.
If the budget shortfall remains unfilled in January, the transit authority will eliminate another 24 routes, including five regional rail lines. SEPTA would also impose a 9 p.m. curfew on all subway and regional rail lines.
More funding for SEPTA has been a contentious issue in Harrisburg for the past two years. In 2024, the agency faced a similar budget shortfall and planned drastic cuts as state lawmakers failed to pass any additional funding. Gov. Josh Shapiro stepped in and flexed federal highway funds to prop up the agency for the year.
The governor has warned that it is unlikely to be possible this time around. While Shapiro proposed new SEPTA funding in his budget request, money for public transit has once again stalled in the state Senate.
SEPTA leaders say that if new funding doesn't come from Harrisburg before the planned August cuts, it's unclear whether they will be able to reverse them.
"It's difficult to say. I think we're taking it a day at a time for now," Powers said. "What happens when we pass that date is kind of uncharted territory."
The uncertainty has left riders of many of these routes facing challenges. Kayla lives in North Philadelphia and rides the 50 bus to Bensalem every day for work.
"Starting to plan," she said. "If not, I'm going to have to Uber, and that's a lot of money. From where I live all the way to Bensalem, that's like $30."
Denise Green was waiting to catch the 73 bus at the Frankford Transportation Center on Thursday. It's another bus on the chopping block.
"I go to Temple and different other doctors' appointments that get me on this route. And that's going to affect me a lot, you understand. People's health is a concern," Green said. "It's either walking or don't go. And if I don't go certain places, it's going to take me from my doctor's appointments."
The planned August SEPTA cuts also take effect one day before the School District of Philadelphia is slated to welcome students back to the classroom. District officials say around 52,000 of their students use SEPTA student fare cards to get to and from school. While not all of them won't be impacted, many will.
"We understand the anxiety, we understand the concerns. We're doing everything we can to make sure getting to and from school is done safely," Monique Braxton, a spokesperson for the district, said.
District officials say they plan to meet with SEPTA leadership next week to discuss the planned service cuts further. But leaders say they can't run more buses in the area, and have not addressed the possibility of remote learning for students who rely on SEPTA buses that will be eliminated. Currently, they're urging parents to have a plan in place.
"We're going to work with parents. Should students be late, we're asking students provide a written note from their mom, dad or guardian," Braxton said.
