$153 Million Transferred 7 Highway Projects to Philly Public Transit by PA Governor

Governor Josh Shapiro announced he was using executive authority to transfer $153 million dollars from existing construction projects to give it to the public transit system of Philadelphia, called SEPTA (South East Public Transit Authority).

The money will be pulled from seven highway construction projects that have not yet started construction or been bid out. Shapiro said he was confident all 7 projects would still be built on time, and that there was no reason to leave money in the bank while the projects work through technical details, when the money could be used on an organization in need.

The move comes as SEPTA is facing financial crisis, and has announced plans for service cuts and increases to ticket prices in the near future.

Senate Republican leaders have sent out statements criticizing the move as a bailout for a system that needs reform. They also repeated that funding increases for public transit must include funding increases for roads and bridges needed across the state. President Pro Tempe Sen. Kim Ward said public transit increases were not larger for the 2024/25 budget because Democrats advocated for record breaking increases in education spending.

Democrats say they have a budget surplus that they should spend.

The Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office most recent report confirms that the surplus will be gone in about 2-3 years.

Both parties say regulating and taxing skill games could be a long term funding source for transportation at large. The skill game industry and the casino industry have fought tooth and nail over how little or how much skill games should pay in taxes.

Shapiro says the $153 million will only carry SEPTA through next summer, and he hopes the action will put pressure on solution finding for lawmakers. The Governor also said investing in SEPTA is investing in the state’s tourism economy. Philadelphia is slated to host several global events in the coming years, including the soccer world cup and the USA 250 celebrations in 2026.

“We've got to make sure SEPTA can serve our neighbors who rely on it every day, as well as the millions of visitors who come to Pennsylvania for their great American getaway over the course of the next several years,” Shapiro said. "I think we have a huge opportunity in front of us with USA 250 coming to Pennsylvania and we need SEPTA to be able to help support that. And I've made it clear. I will not let SEPTA fail.”

No funds are going to other transits systems across the state at this time.