PA: Red Rose Transit may look at service cuts if state funding doesn't increase in 2026
For Jennifer Eaton's blind and vision-impaired clients at VisionCorps in downtown Lancaster, Red Rose Transit is key to the independence that the nonprofit seeks to provide.
"They want to be part of the community, they want to be part of society, and they cannot do that if they don't have proper transportation," said Eaton, a Lancaster city resident who also relies on public transit because of low vision.
Transit advocates say the cost of providing service is outgrowing the state funding agencies rely upon to provide it. The list of counties with transit agencies facing budget shortfalls is no longer limited to Philadelphia and Allegheny, and could soon include Lancaster.
On Tuesday, during a rally in downtown Lancaster held by the statewide advocacy group Transit For All PA!, Eaton and other local transit riders spoke about how they rely on public transit, and urged lawmakers to increase funding. Speakers included commuters and older adults who use public transit by choice or necessity.
Red Rose serves about 1.2 million riders per year, a number that has increased each of the last three years. But without additional funding, it will struggle to cover operating costs that increase by about 4% per year, executive director Greg Downing said during the rally. That could force the agency to run fewer buses or increase fares for riders, possibly as soon as 2027.
"Without an increase in funding, we will have to start looking at cutting service," Downing said.
In addition to preventing cuts, funding is needed to increase the frequency of existing bus routes and expand service, which will help ensure that riders get to their destinations on time, said Patricia McKenna, President of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1241, which represents the agency's bus drivers and mechanics.
"We need to improve it and expand it, we need transit funding now," McKenna said.
During the 2025 state budget process, Gov. Josh Shapiro and his fellow Democrats unsuccessfully pushed to increase state transit funding by $292 million by taking a larger share of sales tax revenue.
Several agencies faced budget cuts without the additional funds, most notably Philadelphia's Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, which faced a $213 million budget deficit this year. Others included Susquehanna Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees public transit in 11 Central Pennsylvania counties including York and Dauphin.
Republicans who control the state Senate, including Republican state Sen. Scott Martin of Martic Township, favored using money from a fund designated for transit capital improvements instead, arguing that committing to using sales tax long-term would increase the state's budget deficit. Ultimately, Shapiro released $220 million from the capital improvement fund to keep SEPTA afloat.
Democratic state Rep. Nikki Rivera of Manheim Township, who voted in favor of increasing funding for transit, said that a goal of Tuesday's rally was to educate leaders about who will be affected if public transit isn't adequately funded.
"Unfortunately a lot of people don't realize what the effect is until it hits their wallet," she said.
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