Gov. Shapiro helped keep SEPTA going, but a long-term solution is needed | Editorial

Last year, this board challenged Gov. Josh Shapiro to treat SEPTA’s looming fiscal cliff with the same urgency and resolve he brought to the swift repair efforts after the temporary closure of I-95. Last week, Shapiro showed decisive leadership in redirecting $153 million of federal infrastructure grants toward vital public transportation funding.

The governor earned his kudos after a penny-wise and pound-foolish Senate Republican majority stymied a series of legislative budget solutions that would have helped fund public transportation across Pennsylvania, and ensure SEPTA’s continued viability for its almost 800,000 daily users.

The GOP predictably lambasted Shapiro’s decision, presenting the move as favoring public transportation in the Philadelphia area over roads in rural Pennsylvania. That’s a politically convenient yarn, but it isn’t true. The governor has kept up maintenance for the commonwealth’s roads and bridges and was willing to increase funding for roadway infrastructure alongside transit.

» READ MORE: Properly funding SEPTA is essential to Philadelphia’s economic future | Editorial

Shapiro took measures into his own hands after Senate Republicans scuttled his proposal to increase the percentage of sales tax revenue dedicated to public transit, insisting that despite the state’s $10 billion surplus, the projected $250 million yearly outlay was unsustainable without new revenue. Republicans considered using so-called skill games as a potential funding source, yet they rebuffed all proposals to legalize and tax the gaming machines.

SEPTA’s budget shortfall comes as the last of the COVID-19 pandemic federal funds end, but ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels. Allowing the transit agency to fall into what officials call a “death spiral” — with progressive service cuts and fare increases eventually killing the system — is an untenable position for anyone who cares about the future of Philadelphia and the region’s critical role in the commonwealth’s economy.

And yet, Republicans held fast even as the stakes could not be clearer. Reliable and affordable transit is not only an economic driver, but it also keeps more cars off the roads and helps ease gridlock.

When faced with the GOP’s intransigence, an effective advocacy campaign from transit activists, the business community, including the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, and local officials aided the governor’s decision. At a City Council hearing in favor of redirecting highway funds, SEPTA riders from across the region came to City Hall to talk about how public transit makes life better for themselves and their neighbors. Under the direction of Council President Kenyatta Johnson, City Council unanimously requested that Shapiro act to save SEPTA.

At a news conference announcing the shift in funds, Shapiro and other Democratic leaders promised that securing a long-term solution for SEPTA and other transit agencies would be their top priority in 2025.

» READ MORE: Gov. Shapiro gets it right with his public transit funding push. But more is needed. | Editorial

Good. While the governor’s decision to redirect funding is the smart move, it is more “hoagie of steel” — the patchwork refurbishing holding together the old trains on the Market-Frankford Line — than any sort of permanent solution.

Without reaching a lasting settlement in next spring’s budget negotiations, the death spiral stay for the state’s largest transit agency will expire — if not next July, then shortly after Philadelphia celebrates America’s 250th anniversary. It is doubtful that hearing about the impending closure of much of the city’s rail network will inspire many visitors to return to or invest in the city.

SEPTA, its workers, and its riders also deserve better than the constant uncertainty caused by annual budget crises. How can anyone plan for the future without knowing if there will be enough money to maintain the transit system we have?

By crafting a permanent funding solution, with support from both Harrisburg and the region, SEPTA can move forward from being a system focused on reacting to problems into one that proactively provides solutions.