West Central PA News

HARRISBURG – Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-41) issued a statement regarding SEPTA’s potential fare changes aimed at addressing their budget deficit.

“Asking Pennsylvanians to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into mass transit is a challenging argument to make to constituents in rural areas of the commonwealth. SEPTA’s proposal to take steps forward and address their financial issues is a positive development," Pittman stated. He emphasized the importance of local government involvement, noting that substantial state investments have already been made for SEPTA in the current and previous state budgets.

Pittman further remarked, “I have made it clear that any transit discussion at the state level cannot occur without consideration of transportation infrastructure investment. We have never addressed transit or infrastructure without the other, and the harsh reality is that if we’re going to deal with both issues, we need a new revenue stream which will not place additional pressure on the General Fund.”

He also highlighted public safety concerns for SEPTA users and staff, expressing that much of the information released raises more questions than answers. “I look forward to a better understanding of SEPTA’s planned rate changes and ways they look to further address safety concerns at their planned hearings,” Pittman concluded.