HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has approved the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s request to use up to $394 million in future capital funding to continue operators.
In a brief press release today (Sept. 8, 2025), the Shapiro administration said the funds will be used to maintain transit service for two years, using future capital funding from fiscal 2025-26. No already-committed money from the Public Transportation Trust Fund will be redirected.
SEPTA requested the ability to cap the capital funds after a Philadelphia judge blocked further service cuts to address the agency’s $213 million deficit, and rolled back cuts that had already occurred [see “Judge orders SEPTA …,” Trains.com, Sept. 5, 2025]. The transit agency said last week it was working to restore all service by Sept. 14 if it received approval to use the capital funding; that same day, a 21.5% fare increase permitted by the judge will take effect [see “SEPTA aims to restore service cuts …,” Trains.com, Sept. 5, 2025].
Use of the Public Transportation Trust Fund for SEPTA operations is part of the ongoing legislative impasse that has left Pennsylvania without a state budget — more than two months after the budget deadline — as well as without a solution to transit funding issues in Philadelphia and elsewhere. The state Senate passed a bill calling for the redirection of PTTF money for both transit operating funds and road and bridge repairs, while a House bill would provide money for both areas from an increased percentage of state sales tax.
Share this article
