PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Transit advocates are breathing a sigh of relief after Mayor Cherelle Parker announced her $6.967 billion budget proposal would include funding for two programs that provide free SEPTA rides.
The mayor’s budget includes $25 million for the Zero Fare program, which provides free SEPTA passes for low-income residents, and $10 million more to pay for the Key Advantage program, allowing municipal employees to ride free.
Transit advocates were concerned that the mayor wouldn’t budget money for the programs, but their fears were put to rest on Thursday.
“Economic mobility starts with something very simple, and guess what that is? A reliable ride to work,” said Parker.
“That’s over 60,000 people on the Zero Fare program, over 13,000 municipal workers that have that certainty that their ride to work is not going to be taken away,” said Stephen Bronskill, coalition manager for the group Transit Forward Philadelphia.
While he appreciates the funding, Bronskill said he’s continuing to push for dedicated money for the free rides, avoiding the annual budget angst.
“We are really grateful that the city is listening to the voices of transit riders. So we can build on that, again, through establishing a Transit Access Fund,” he said.
Bronskill said the city is doing its part to support transit. Now, he’s turning his attention to the state.