On July 11, Governor Shapiro signed the 2024-25 Pennsylvania Budget, which included critical and historic funding for our public schools, community safety programs, healthcare, and economic development. However, there was one big area that still requires more work: public transit.
Public transit benefits everyone. From workers to students to seniors to tourists and beyond, reliable public transportation is crucial infrastructure to make sure we all get where we’re going. While providing essential services to riders, public transit also fuels our region’s economy by connecting workers to workplaces, improving access to family-sustaining jobs and providing workforce needs for employers.
While we were able to secure $80 million for statewide public transit, this is not enough to prevent service cuts and rate hikes, which will have far-reaching effects.
The Governor proposed, and we support, increasing the dedicated funding from the sales tax to transit from 4.4% to 6.15%, which comes to about a $270 million increase to public transportation statewide.
PA Senate Democrats will continue to fight for the funding our public transit programs need to serve every Pennsylvanian in every county, and we look forward to getting it done.
Transit Workers Rally for Funding
- Fight for $280 million increase in mass transit funding
- Establish the Pennsylvania Occupational Safety and Health Review Board
- Ensure safe fixed rail public transit maintenance and operation
- Focus on job creation
- Provide additional safeties for public transit employees
- Provide heightened penalties for offenses committed against public transportation employees
- Ensure safe and accessible public transit for every Pennsylvanian
In Pennsylvania, almost one million people rely on public transit every day.
In the U.S., every $1 invested in public transportation generates $5 in economic returns, every $1 billion invested supports and creates approximately 50,000 jobs.
Home values are up to 24% higher near public transportation than in other areas.
Traveling by public transportation is over 10 times safer per mile than traveling by automobile.
The average American household can save over $13,000 by taking public transportation and living with one less car.
In the U.S., public transportation saves 6 billion gallons of gasoline every year.
Communities that invest in public transit reduce the U.S.’s carbon footprint by 63 million metric tons every year.
87% of public transit trips have a direct impact on the local economy.
Americans create 55% less carbon emissions when they use public transit as opposed to a car.
Seniors depend on shared ride services for 2.1 million trips a year – especially in rural communities.