Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro raises state share of public transit funding in 2024-2025 budget proposal

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2024-25 budget proposal will increase the state share of public transit funding by 1.75 percent, equaling a total investment of $282.8 million. The investment marks the first time the state share of public transit funding has been raised in more than a decade. The plan also includes nearly $1.5 billion in new state transit funding during the next five years.  

“Hundreds of thousands of people across our commonwealth rely on public transit every day to commute to work, go to school and get to where they need to go – and Pennsylvanians deserve clean, safe, cost-effective ways to travel throughout our cities and towns,” said Gov. Shapiro. “That’s true all across our commonwealth, whether you’re traveling to work in Philadelphia on SEPTA or you’re a student in Pittsburgh using PRT to get to school. Investing in and improving our public transit systems is a commonsense way to create good-paying jobs, spur economic development and help Pennsylvanians reach their destinations safely. For months, my Administration has worked with local public transit leadership and elected officials to understand their needs and I now call on the General Assembly to join me in making the first significant investment in Pennsylvania’s public transit systems in more than a decade.” 

The increase in funding towards transit comes at a critical time for Pennsylvania, as the state will be hosting critical events during the next few years, including Pennsylvania for America’s 250th anniversary, the FIFA World Cup and the MLB All-Star Game.   

“As the son of a union bus driver, I know firsthand how public transit connects our communities, opens up doors of opportunity for working families, and drives economic growth,” said Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis. “Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) helps thousands of people in southwest Pennsylvania every day and I’m proud the Shapiro-Davis plan would enable PRT and other public transit systems to better serve their riders and communities.” 

During the past several months, Gov. Shapiro and his administration have been working closely with Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), the General Assembly, local leadership and public transit partners to assess their needs and prepare a serious proposal to address them.  

As part of the discussions around this proposal, Gov. Shapiro wanted SEPTA to address concerns about cleanliness and safety on the system and he has asked local counties in southeastern Pennsylvania whose residents benefit from the system to meet the moment with additional support. 

“Ever since I was a state representative and county commissioner in Montgomery County, I have supported SEPTA and the critical services it offers to hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians every day. SEPTA has presented plans to address safety and cleanliness throughout their system and county officials have entertained a willingness to step up to the plate and increase their support. As a result, my Administration is prepared to make a major investment in SEPTA,” Gov. Shapiro said. 

Gov. Shapiro and his administration have orchestrated conversations between SEPTA and the five counties that rely on and benefit from SEPTA service to discuss how they can also contribute to the system’s funding needs and they have entertained a willingness to meet this moment with additional financial support. 

Gov. Shapiro’s plan would deliver the funding needed to avoid immediate service cuts or fare increases on SEPTA and would create a more balanced and stable funding structure for SEPTA for the future. 

“I want to thank Gov. Shapiro – who has been proactively engaged with SEPTA and our partners for months in order to construct this strong funding proposal to address our most pressing needs and enable SEPTA to continue serving our communities. The governor knows how critical public transit is for southeastern Pennsylvania and his proposal would deliver the critical funding we need – providing additional support for SEPTA for the first time in more than a decade,” said SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie S. Richards. “In these discussions, the governor has also made clear his expectations that we at SEPTA step up to address our community’s serious concerns about cleanliness and safety. We are committed to addressing these concerns so that all SEPTA riders can feel safe as they travel where they need to go. I appreciate the governor’s hard work of bringing people together to forge a proposal that delivers real solutions – and I look forward to working with the General Assembly and local leaders to get this done.”