‘We need SEPTA’: Montgomery County residents, elected officials call for public transit funding

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At a rally outside of Republican state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick’s North Wales office, Montgomery County residents and Democratic elected officials lamented SEPTA cuts that went into effect Sunday, and called on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to fund mass transit.

“This crisis is not about numbers on a spreadsheet,” County Commissioner Jamila Winder told the gathering, organized by advocacy group Transit for All PA! “This is not about a minor inconvenience. This crisis is about people’s lives and their livelihoods. This is about the server working a double shift, closing up at 11 o’clock, only to find the last bus home has stopped at 9 p.m.”

Winder said the service cuts are a result of the “gross negligence” of Senate Republicans, who rejected the Democratic-led House’s proposal to fund SEPTA and other mass transit throughout the state through sales tax revenue.

Pennycuick, who represents the 24th state district, told WHYY News in a statement that she believes legislators “are making progress on a sustainable funding solution that will end this crisis.”

“I want to be clear that I fully recognize the importance of SEPTA to communities across my district,” she said. “Service cuts will have far-reaching impacts on our regional transportation network, workforce, economy, and disrupt students as they travel to and from school.”

Pennycuick said the budget approved by the Senate would dedicate $600 million to public transit, including $320 million for SEPTA, over the next two years.

Gov. Josh Shapiro and House Democrats initially rejected the bill, which drew dollars from the Public Transportation Trust Fund to address SEPTA’s more than $200 million budget shortfall. They argued that those funds are already dedicated to system upgrades and maintenance.

But on Monday, Shapiro said he is open to using the money earmarked for capital projects as “part of a broader package that focuses on recurring funding over a long period of time that funds mass transit in each of our 67 counties.”

On Tuesday, Lucinda Reichely, a county resident, described her frustration with the recent cuts. She moved to North Wales 25 years ago, in part because the Regional Rail allowed for an easy commute to work.

She’s retired now, and “celebrated” when she received her senior fare card.

“I take the train to medical appointments, to events I want to go to,” Reichely said. “I’ve taken the train to the airport. There are so many things that the train is important for … And we need SEPTA. We need more SEPTA services, not less.”