HARRISBURG — A leading Republican in the Pennsylvania Senate criticized Gov. Josh Shapiro and legislative Democrats on Thursday, saying the governor has unilateral power to directly fund public mass transit and end service cuts occurring in Philadelphia while accusing his political party of manufacturing the crisis.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Scott Martin, R-Berks/Lancaster, said Shapiro and Democrats must “stop playing politics on the mass transit issue.”
Citing a section of the Pennsylvania Code, Martin said Shapiro has the authority to immediately transfer funding from the Public Transportation Trust Fund (PTTF) to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The transit system continues to struggle with operating deficits and resulting service cuts.
The trust fund has a balance exceeding $2.4 billion, with funding tabbed for capital improvement projects, while Shapiro has requested an additional $292.5 million in mass transit funding for 2025-26, Martin said. Those funds would benefit systems operating in all 67 counties but SEPTA would be a primary recipient.
“Governor Shapiro has authority to get money to SEPTA immediately — without any further legislative action — but has so far shown no willingness to do so,” Martin said, adding that PTTF is replenished annually with approximately $500 million.
In the midst of a $213 million deficit and without a state budget in place with additional transit funding, the Philadelphia Area’s SEPTA enacted a 20% service reduction on Sunday, eliminating 32 bus routes and reducing trips on all metro rail lines, including the Sports Express, popular for traveling in the city to Phillies and Eagles games.
Fare increases averaging 21.5% for all riders go into effect Sept. 1, raising the base fare for Bus and Metro trips to $2.90. Cuts to regional rail lines begin Sept. 2, and additional cuts of up to a combined 45% could begin in January.
The transit issue is one of several at the heart of the ongoing budget stalemate between the Democratic majority in the state House and the state Senate’s Republican majority. The leaders of the respective caucuses, along with Shapiro, are the primary negotiators of this year’s budget, which was due June 30.
Initially opposed to using PTTF funds and desiring a final resolution on a long-term funding stream for mass transit across Pennsylvania, Shapiro told Capitol reporters that he was now open to using trust funds.
House Majority Leader Matt Bradford, D-Montgomery, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he also shifted toward favoring the idea following Shapiro’s remarks.
“This is part of what we mean when we say the SEPTA cuts are a manufactured crisis,” Martin said. “The governor already flexed $153 million in federal funding away from scheduled road and bridge projects to support SEPTA last year because he said they needed the money. Why would he not use his authority now to allow mass transit agencies to utilize unused funding that is specifically dedicated to mass transit? That doesn’t sound like someone who wants to get stuff done.”
Shapiro brushed off Martin’s comments when asked for a response during an event on Thursday in Washington County.
“I have no idea what Senator Martin is talking about,” Shapiro said. “Here’s the deal: We need to fund mass transit in each of our 67 counties. Both the House and the Senate have shown a desire to do that. The House has passed a responsible measure five different times.”
“I said this before, it is time for the leaders in both chambers to understand this is the moment where they need to make tough choices, and if they make those tough choices, they know that there is a way forward to fund our schools, to fund supports for people with intellectual disabilities, to fund the hiring of more police, to fund all kinds of important things, including mass transit, and our road and bridge construction that is necessary,” he continued. “They know what they need to do. It’s time they stop firing off press releases and playing political games, come back to Harrisburg and do their jobs.”
Shapiro’s office didn’t respond to a question about the code cited by Martin as to whether the governor had considered unilaterally shifting the funding.
In the interview with Capitol reporters on Monday, Shapiro accused Senate Republicans of playing politics and purposefully slowing the budget process to make some measure of political gain, which he said wouldn’t work.
Martin accused Shapiro and Democrats of doing the same, referring to press conferences in the Philadelphia area in which Republicans were chided, specifically three Senate Republicans who represent areas served by SEPTA.
House Democrats had offered a $50.6 billion budget proposal and a transit package that would include an initial $292 million for transit as part of a five-year funding plan, plus $600 million for road and bridge work. The funds would come from a greater share of the state’s existing sales tax. Both were rejected in the Senate.
Senate Republicans advanced a flat-funded budget at $47.6 billion plus a two-year $1.2 billion package split evenly for public mass transit plus road and bridge infrastructure, pulling from the PTTF as well as funds from the existing tax on interactive gaming. Both were rejected in the House.
Shapiro initially put forward a $51.5 billion proposal with the $292 million ask for transit. On Thursday, Spotlight PA reported that the governor privately offered a new budget totaling $49.9 billion.