Why SEPTA Must Be Protected: A Lifelong Rider’s Call for Investment, Not Cuts
As a lifelong Philadelphian raised by a hard-working single father, public transit wasn’t just how I got around. It was how I got through life.
SEPTA was more than transportation. It was freedom. It was possibility. It was the bridge between where I was and where I hoped to be.
From getting to school and my first job to community events and personal milestones, SEPTA was there, reliably, affordably, and consistently. In a city where not every family has a car or a flexible schedule, SEPTA allowed me and so many others to show up: to work, to grow, and to connect.
And now, as an adult who owes much of her personal and professional journey to this very system, I find myself heartbroken by the growing uncertainty surrounding its future. The idea that young people, families, and essential workers might lose or have limited access to this vital public service is not just disappointing. It is dangerous.
This week, I had the opportunity to give public testimony in support of increased and sustained funding for SEPTA. My message was simple: SEPTA sustains more than communities. It is community. And its decline would send devastating ripple effects across our entire region.
This problem cuts across more than just transit. This is also a workforce issue, a public safety issue, an equity issue, and an environmental issue.
Without strong investment, we will face:
Worsened traffic congestion, air quality, and environmental degradation as more people are forced to drive
Increased barriers for families without vehicles trying to access groceries, healthcare, schools, or jobs
Disruptions to the labor market as workers struggle to commute
Greater public safety risks, from overcrowded streets to longer and more dangerous walking routes
These are outcomes we can’t afford.
SEPTA is one of the most essential institutions in our region. It connects people across class, culture, profession, and belief. It doesn’t ask who you are before letting you on board. Whether you ride it daily or once a month, you benefit from its presence.
And let's not forget the people behind the system, the operators who learn their routes like lifelines, the drivers who wave to regulars, the riders who recognize each other after countless shared commutes. These are the unspoken relationships that quietly bind a city together.
Public transit is a great equalizer, and we have a choice: invest in it, or risk unraveling the very fabric that keeps our cities and counties connected.
Now is not the time for cuts. Now is the time to meet the moment with investment, imagination, and urgency. To ensure SEPTA doesn't just survive, but thrives.
I urge our leaders and community members alike: let’s treat SEPTA like the critical infrastructure it is. Let’s protect the workers who operate it, the children who rely on it, and the future it helps us all access.
Everyone deserves a thriving community. Everyone deserves to know that they or someone they love can get where they need to go, safely, affordably, and reliably.