PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — SEPTA riders continued to navigate a new normal on Tuesday with eliminated or shortened bus routes and service reductions on the subway, El and trolleys.
Buses that previously stopped at the Wissahickon Transit Center, Routes 1 and 62, were among the 32 routes cut altogether. Several other routes were shortened or had reduced service, and riders at the hub were trying to figure out their new routines during the morning rush.
“I’m gonna be at least 30 minutes late for work and they don’t care, they’re still gonna mark us late!” said “Z,” a Philadelphia sanitation worker. “I tried yesterday — I was late. I’m about to be late again. I have to be there at 7 a.m. My bus doesn’t come till 6:49.”
Another rider, Lomax, from West Philadelphia, missed a bus on Monday. She wasn’t going to let that happen again. She got up a half hour earlier on Tuesday.
“Just made it to work by one minute, so I said no, I gotta get up earlier. Because [my employer] doesn’t care about no SEPTA!” she exclaimed.
Another rider, who did not want to share his name, said, “Everyone is less productive and less on time” due to “foolish politics.”
There is a stalemate in Harrisburg; the Republican-controlled state Senate and the Democratic-controlled House have been far apart on how mass transit in the commonwealth should be funded.
One of the sticking points is the GOP-approved plan to take $419 million this year and next year from the $2.4 billion Public Transportation Trust Fund (PTTF).
Democrats who control the House have been adamant that the money should not be touched because it is set aside for essential capital projects and critical maintenance to keep transit systems in the state updated and safe. They also reject the part of the proposal that would take an equal amount of money from the fund to pay for roads and bridges.
SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer has also criticized the plan, citing the agency’s $10 billion backlog in repairs and its aging rail cars and infrastructure.
While there is currently no transit deal, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro believes one could be close. In remarks on Monday, he said he was open to using some of that money for transit funding.
“I think utilizing the PTTF as part of a broader package is something we can do, but it’s got to be part of a broader package that focuses on recurring funding over a long period of time that funds mass transit in all 67 of our counties,” Shapiro said.
While he’s open to using some PTTF money, Shapiro doesn’t support the GOP plan that just taps into that money and diverts a portion of it to roads and bridges. He said that’s not why that money is set aside.
“There are projects that are currently earmarked for those funds or currently have shovels in the ground,” he said. “It’s time to get a holistic deal together that has recurring revenue. The Senate knows the path forward that I’m comfortable with, that the House is comfortable with. It’s time for them to close.”
In a statement on Tuesday, a SEPTA spokesperson did not address the governor’s remarks directly, but said: “SEPTA appreciates the ongoing efforts by Gov. Shapiro and legislative leaders to find common ground on a transit funding deal. Our hope is that an agreement will be reached soon to allow SEPTA to reverse the 20 percent service cut.”