After Democrats won both houses of the Pennsylvania Legislature and Gov. Josh Shapiro cruised to reelection on Tuesday night, it took less than 24 hours for LANTA and the state’s other transit agencies to receive the words they’ve been waiting to hear.

“We will fund mass transit,” Shapiro said at a news conference Wednesday.

Transit funding played a big role during a contentious state budget debate in 2025, when rural lawmakers questioned why agencies such as SEPTA deserved additional money. With additional funding left out in 2026, LANTA spokesperson Darryl Lightner said it was good to hear from Shapiro that support will be coming from Harrisburg next year.

“We have been working with other transit agencies throughout the state to advocate for transit funding legislation at the state level for the past three years,” Lightner told The Morning Call on Friday morning. “That advocacy will continue in the new legislative session.

“We are highly appreciative of the support for transit funding among the Lehigh Valley’s legislative delegation over the past few years and are highly encouraged by Gov. Shapiro’s remarks … that transit funding is one of his top and immediate priorities for his new term,” Lightner said.

According to LANTA’s website, more than 5.6 million rides are taken annually on public transit in the Lehigh Valley, with about 4 million using the agency’s fixed bus routes.

Funding has been harder to come by in recent years for LANTA and agencies across the state after Act 89, which dedicated hundreds of millions into transit, expired in 2023 and additional funding that came during the COVID pandemic dried up.

Over the last year, LANTA has reduced routes by 7% and raised fares — including a 50-cent increase on single rides. Also on the table is a possible fare increase for the Shared Ride of Seniors program in January.

State Sen. Nick Miller said public transit must be part of the conversation about investments in the Lehigh Valley’s transportation infrastructure.

“I am committed to working with my colleagues and transit leaders to identify solutions that strengthen our transportation system and serve the needs of Lehigh Valley,” said Miller, D- Lehigh, who won reelection Tuesday in the 14th District.

“Over the next couple of months, we will work diligently through the details of our legislative priorities for the 2026-2027 session and identify opportunities to make Pennsylvania more affordable, accessible and connected,” Miller said. “LANTA serves our residents every single day, and I will continue fighting to ensure our region has the reliable transportation options it needs to grow and thrive.”

By picking up four seats, Democrats will have a 26-24 majority in the Senate. They also solidified their majority in the House of Representatives with at least 111 seats in the 203-seat body.

Transit advocates argue that it’s time to step up and go beyond traditional requests.

Connor Descheemaker, Transit For All PA!’s statewide campaign manager, said advocates should not settle for just maintaining the status quo, which currently equals service loss. Instead, agencies should push for major, transformative funding investments.

“We don’t need to be hounded by the old ways of doing things,” Descheemaker said. “We need to think transformatively.”

Transit For All PA! is advocating for its legislative package — which Descheemaker said is supported by more than 40 co-sponsors in the House and Senate — to create dedicated, long-term funding for transit across all 67 counties.

The organization is also urging state and local leaders to grant agencies greater flexibility to raise local matching funds, which would allow LANTA to unlock additional state and federal capital for expansion efforts such as Bus Rapid Transit.

“Now is the time to think big,” Descheemaker said. “Freedom of mobility is of paramount importance to the Lehigh Valley for sure.”

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