PA: With transit cuts looming, Pa. lawmakers propose regional system for Pittsburgh and privatization for SEPTA

With the state budget deadline two months away and public transit cuts on the table in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, lawmakers have unleashed a burst of ideas to raise money for transit or overhaul it in some way.

Democratic Sen. Jay Costa of Allegheny County proposes a consolidated, regional transit system including Allegheny and nearby counties — much as the Legislature created the Philadelphia area's SEPTA system more than 60 years ago. Other lawmakers want to put a 6% excise fee on companies like Uber and Lyft; increase car rental fees and car lease fees; privatize part of SEPTA; or support Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposal to direct some Sales and Use Tax proceeds to give transit statewide an additional $292.5 million.

The proposals are in the form of legislative memos that could become bills. They come after months of discussion in Harrisburg on getting more money to public transit — and to road and bridge projects — have produced no public agreement.

Ridership at Pittsburgh Regional Transit and other systems across the state plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many, it has never returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Late last year, Mr. Shapiro approved a shift of federal highway money to give SEPTA a one-time, $153 million cash injection, but since then the agency has said it will cut nearly half its service if it doesn't get more money on a recurring basis. PRT envisions a 35% cut in services with a worst-case scenario of 41 routes being eliminated, unless it receives more money.

Mr. Shapiro's budget proposal calls for transferring more Sales and Use Tax proceeds into the Public Transportation Trust Fund, helping transit agencies across the state. But Republicans question the efficiency of some transit agencies, and they want any transit money to be coupled with more money for road and bridge projects.

Among ideas floated by lawmakers in recent days:

• Mr. Costa said the concept of consolidating many local transit agencies in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas has been dubbed Southwestern Pennsylvania Transit Authority, or "SWEPTA," by some. He described it as "a regional transit authority with a larger board and multi-county representation" that would not require a merger. Instead, he said, it would "provide incentives to merge mass transit administration, management and planning functions into a single body."
• Sen. Lindsey Williams, D- Allegheny, wants to build on Mr. Shapiro's proposal by putting a 6% fee on companies like Lyft and Uber, as well as make "nominal" increases to the car rental fee and car lease fee. Sen. Nikil Saval, D- Philadelphia, joined her in circulating the memo, and a similar one was issued by Allegheny County Democratic Reps. Aerion Abney and Jessica Benham. The Abney-Behnam memo said the state's car rental fee would go from the current $2 a day to $6.50 a day; while the lease fee would go from 3% to 5%.
• Rep. Jesse Topper of Bedford County, the top Republican in the House, and Republican Rep. Tim O'Neal of Washington County said in their memo SEPTA got $773 million in state money in 2023. They said, "We cannot continue to put Pennsylvania taxpayers on the hook for filling the budget hole of a transit system in crisis." They plans to file a bill requiring SEPTA to enter into a public-private partnership that would "at minimum" operate the SEPTA buses.

* Rep. Ed Neilson, D- Philadelphia, said he will file a bill that creates the legislative platform for Mr. Shapiro's proposed $292.5 million transit funding increase. Mr. Neilson said it would let agencies avoid many of the proposed service cuts.

© 2025 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Visit www.post-gazette.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.