Shapiro's budget proposal makes 'major investment' in SEPTA
HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said his administration is ready to make "a major investment in SEPTA" as part of an upcoming budget proposal.
Shapiro, a democrat, said the plan calls for $282.8M in funding for the state's public transportation networks, the first funding increase of its kind in over a decade.
"Ever since I was a State Representative and County Commissioner in Montgomery County, I have support SEPTA and the critical services it offers to hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians every day," Shapiro said in a release.
The Shapiro administration claims the plan would "deliver 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."
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During conversations with SEPTA, Shapiro urged leadership to address concerns about cleanliness and safety aboard the nation's sixth-largest transportation network.
"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 over a decade," SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie S. Richardson said.
To cull more support for the investment, Shapiro said his administration has reached out to leaders in the five counties that SEPTA serves about how they can help add funding to the transit system.
"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," Shapiro said.
The Shapiro administrations estimates the multi-million dollar investment in the state's public transit networks will generate more than $1B over five years.