DELAWARE COUNTY, PA – April 17, 2025 – With 74 days until a new state budget must be passed and negotiations ongoing, several members of the Delaware County Legislative Delegation— including Senators Tim Kearney and John Kane, Representatives Carol Kazeem, David Delloso, and Heather Boyd—rallied today to urge the Pennsylvania General Assembly to allocate critical funding for SEPTA.
They were joined by Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, Chester City Mayor Stefan Roots, Delaware County Vice Chair Richard Womack, Delaware County Councilwoman Christine Reuther, Sharon Hill Borough Council President Tanya Allen, Media Borough Councilwoman Joi Washington, General Chairman of SMART 1594, Anthony Petty, Associate Vice President of Campus Services at Swarthmore College, Anthony Coschignano, and Pennsylvania Institute of Technology’s Assistant Dean of Nursing, Corey Glavin-Dennis, as well as several local officials from surrounding municipalities, dozens of transit advocates, business leaders, union members, and community members. The group gathered in solidarity in front of the Chester Transportation Center to voice concerns over SEPTA’s recent announcement of proposed service cuts, warning that if implemented, it would have a devastating impact on Delaware County, Philadelphia, and surrounding counties in the region, as well as compromise the economic health of the entire Commonwealth.
“SEPTA supports the economic health of our entire Commonwealth, but the brunt of these proposed service cuts and fare hikes would fall directly on the families, workers, and communities who rely on it every day,” said Senator Kearney. “We’re standing up to protect the riders who keep this system moving, and to demand the investment our region and Commonwealth deserves. We will not vote for a budget that does not fully fund public transit.”
“The massive cuts SEPTA announced will be a trickle-down effect in the 159th district and across Delaware County,” said Rep. Kazeem. “Some of those effects will include the capital initiative that has been discussed, such as customer accessibility and the renovation of the Chester Transportation Center. Almost 35% of workers in the 159th district are employed by Fair Acres, White Horse, Riddle Village and Riddle Hospital, Rose Tree Place, and a few other healthcare entities are riders of SEPTA. This cut will impact their mobility to work. In addition to this, there are patients who need to be serviced by their primary care physicians, which almost all are outside of the 159th district.”
Last week, SEPTA announced that without state funding, it would need to cut services by 45%, implement a 20% fare increase, and eliminate more than 50 bus routes and regional rail lines, including the Wilmington line, which runs through Delaware County.
“The pending disruption to SEPTA’s mass transportation system will be devastating for Delaware County and our region,” said Trish McFarland, President of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce. “Reliable public transit is the backbone of our workforce — it connects employees to job opportunities and keeps our local economy moving. Our Chamber Members, from small businesses to major employers, rely on SEPTA to ensure their teams can get to work safely and on time. Without it, employers face a crippling ripple effect: staffing shortages, reduced productivity, and ultimately, economic disruption. The business community cannot thrive if our workforce cannot get to work.”
Delaware County is home to several institutions of higher learning, which are some of the county’s largest employers and where many students depend on SEPTA to commute to internships and build connections to the city and region outside of campus. Coschignano emphasized SEPTA’s importance to Swarthmore College’s faculty and workforce in addition to student life.
“We are proud that Swarthmore was the first college or university to sign up for SEPTA’s Key Advantage UPass Program,” said Coschignano. “Our students take SEPTA to Philadelphia every day for courses and internships, and to enjoy the city’s vibrant artistic, cultural, and culinary scene. SEPTA makes living, learning, and working in this region possible. The proposed cuts would be more than devastating. They would bring us to a literal standstill. We urgently call for SEPTA to receive the funding it needs to continue delivering on its mission.”
With Philadelphia set to host six FIFA World Cup matches in 2026, including the Round of 16 match on July 4, the region is preparing for a major influx of visitors. This uptick in tourism and hospitality will place increased demand on SEPTA, making reliable transit more important than ever.
“Septa and mass transit is critically important to Chester residents and the absence of it would have a significant negative impact on our community,” said Tim McDermott, Philadelphia Union President. “With the massive events being hosted in Philadelphia next year, including the FIFA 2026 World Cup, access to reliable public transportation from all counties and cities is vital for our tourism to flourish.”
In the coming weeks, state legislators plan to hold additional rallies throughout the region and in Harrisburg to demand full funding for state transit agencies and highlight the critical role of SEPTA to Pennsylvania’s economic future.
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