1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

SEPTA is facing a dire funding crisis that threatens the future of public transit in our region. After the state legislature failed to increase funding for SEPTA, the agency announced plans for drastic fare hikes of nearly 30% and service cuts eliminating dozens of routes. This will cause a projected 23% drop in ridership and push SEPTA into a death spiral of further hikes and cuts that could make the system irrelevant. Public transit is essential infrastructure that powers our economy and provides mobility for residents. Allowing SEPTA to decline will hurt our region's productivity, equity, and sustainability. We cannot allow short-sighted policies to undermine a vital public good that has served our communities for decades. Reliable and affordable transit access expands opportunities for all. I urge you to make funding SEPTA a top priority to avoid devastating fare increases and service reductions that will impact riders across the region. Transit agencies in peer cities are expanding while we risk losing what we have built over generations. We need a solution to put SEPTA on stable financial footing and allow it to modernize infrastructure to meet future needs. Public transit benefits all residents by reducing congestion, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. You must act now to protect this invaluable public asset before it's too late. Please take action to stabilize SEPTA's finances. Flex federal transportation dollars to allow for continued SEPTA operations at current levels before this crisis spirals further out of control.