It's time to pass a budget that funds transit for all!
"Strong families, neighborhoods, and schools should support and help prepare persons for livelihood. Churches, businesses, financial institutions, government, and civil society
also play key roles. Through these relationships people can be enabled and obligated to pursue their livelihoods as they are able. When these infrastructures for livelihood are
absent, weak, or threatened (as they are for many today), people are more likely to be impoverished materially, emotionally, or spiritually." ELCA Social Statement on Economic Life: A Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All
Pennsylvania lawmakers have failed to pass a budget for FY26, and as negotiations continue to be drawn out, funds to many services and programs are at risk. Notably, a centerpiece of the negotiations are different proposals to fund public transit agencies across the state - SEPTA, PRT, and others. Public transportation is an issue that impacts rural and urban communities alike. In all 67 counties of the Commonwealth, public transportation provides critical access for our elders, youth, disabled community members, and households without access to a personal vehicle. Transit systems statewide are hitting a funding “cliff,” which would devastate communities already suffering.
If a budget deal is not reached, devastating service cuts and fare hikes will begin to take effect on August 24, the day before schools begin in Philadelphia. The impact on public transportation across the state will mean kids won't be able to get to school, people won't get to work, and seniors and vulnerable populations won't be able to get to places like food ministries or the grocery store. It is time for the General Assembly to reach a just and sustainable agreement that funds our public transit systems across the Commonwealth.
Fill out our form and be taken to an editable letter that will be sent to your state senator and representative, encouraging them to include sufficient public transportation funding in the final budget to be able to promote sustainable livelihoods in Pennsylvania.
Please personalize your letter with your own stories and experiences from your communities. Does your hunger ministry serve people who rely on transit? What will these cuts mean for them? What stories and worries are you hearing from people who rely on transit to get to school and work? Share those stories! It really does make a difference! You can also email them to us at [email protected] for us to use in our direct advocacy.
[Posted 8/20/2025]
