The first of SEPTA’s service cuts are set to occur in 19 days

The Pennsylvania state budget is more than a month overdue: here’s what it means for people who take SEPTA.

The transit company, which provides 800,000 daily trips to Philadelphia area residents, plans to cut nearly half of its service and raise fares by more than 20 percent due to its steep budget deficit. 

In July, SEPTA’s board approved the unpopular budget and said it will go forward unless it receives aid from Harrisburg. Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed $168 million for mass transit funding in his most recent budget proposal, yet the measure has not yet passed in the Republican-led Senate. 

In the thick of ongoing turmoil over the state budget, SEPTA’s first wave of service cuts will begin in 20 days — just one day before the School District of Philadelphia’s first day of school on August 25. About 55,000 students in the Philadelphia region depend on SEPTA to get to and from school. 

Starting on August 24:

• 32 Bus routes eliminated
• 16 Bus routes shortened
• Service reduced on 88 Bus, Metro, and Regional Rail lines
• End of all special services (Sports Express, etc.)

In September 2025: 

• Complete hiring freeze (including operators)
• Base fare increased to $2.90 — a 21.5 percent fare increase

Beginning January 1, 2026:

• 5 Regional Rail routes eliminated: Cynwyd Line, Chestnut Hill West Line, Paoli/Thorndale Line, Trenton Line, Wilmington/Newark Line
• 18 additional bus routes eliminated
• Broad-Ridge Spur [B3] eliminated
• Routes 10 [T1] and 15 [G1] trolleys converted to buses
• 9 pm curfew on all remaining Metro and Regional Rail services

Last week, a trio of Republican Senators introduced legislation that would provide oversight over SEPTA, but lacked funding. Sen. Joe Picozzi (R-Philadelphia) sponsored the package and said in a memo that the transit system’s future health relied on accountability.

“This goal can be achieved through increased oversight of SEPTA through state fiscal oversight measures,” Picozzi said. 

On Monday, Philadelphia Democratic lawmakers rallied in Northeast Philly — home to Picozzi’s district — to call for concrete state funding. Even if every state Senate Democrat voted for a transit funding package, in order for it to pass, two Republicans would have to vote in favor. Pro-funding lawmakers have pressured Picozzi to join their ranks. 

Gov. Shapiro said, “If that person lives in Northeast Philadelphia, call Senator [Joe] Picozzi, who’s a Republican in the state Senate, and tell him to go back to Harrisburg and vote to pass transit funding the way the House Democrats did.”

Olivia Prusky is a rising junior at Duke University studying Journalism and Political Science. She has written for The Chronicle, Duke’s primary newspaper, covering campus arts and broader pop culture news.

This article originally appeared in Philly Daily.