Troubling revelations from last month’s SEPTA court battle.
This article is drawn from the excellent reporting and firsthand coverage of the Philadelphia Hall Monitor team, hosted by Larry McGlynn, Denise Clay-Murray, and Lance Haver. Their weekly program has closely tracked SEPTA’s service cut saga from inside the courtroom to the airwaves. You can follow their work at hallmonitor.org, on YouTube, and across social media (@HallMonitorWPPM).
Philadelphia riders got a rare bit of good news last month: a judge ordered SEPTA to restore bus, trolley, and train service that had been slashed at the start of the school year. Even bigger cuts planned for January were put on hold.
The case was brought by Lance Haver, a longtime consumer advocate and transit watchdog, along with other plaintiffs. Their lawsuit argued that SEPTA’s plan to eliminate routes and raise fares by 21% would disproportionately burden low-income residents who depend on public transit for work, school, and essential services.
WHAT THE COURT LEARNED
Hall Monitor host Larry McGlynn sat through the entire hearing in City Hall. He said some of the most damning moments “didn’t even make it into the coverage,” so here are some stand-outs:
- The “balanced budget” excuse: General Manager Scott Sauer admitted he had falsely told the public SEPTA was required by law to balance its budget. Under oath, he conceded that wasn’t true.
- Never read the law: Sauer acknowledged he had never read Act 44, the 2007 state law that created SEPTA’s Service Stabilization Fund, a rainy-day account specifically designed to keep transit running during budget delays.
- Author speaks out: Former State Senator Vincent Fumo, who wrote Act 44, testified that the fund was intended precisely to prevent cuts like these.
- CFO admits flexibility: SEPTA’s own chief financial officer finally conceded, under oath, that yes, the agency could use the fund to cover costs until the state budget was passed.
For McGlynn, it was shocking: “On two major budget issues, the general manager of SEPTA did not know the answer to either one.” The judge agreed, ruling SEPTA must restore service.
RIDERS USED AS PAWNS
Haver accused SEPTA of deliberately timing the first wave of cuts for the first day of school to maximize chaos. “Either they were too incompetent to know when school started — or they knew exactly what they were doing,” he said. “I don’t believe they’re stupid.”
McGlynn made the same connection: “Why August 24? Why not the first of the month? … Then it hit me: first day of school.”
One plaintiff testified that her commute had grown by an extra hour each way after her bus line was cut. Another worried about her grandson’s safety walking home later in the dark as fall set in.
A TALE OF TWO REACTIONS
After the hearing, McGlynn noticed a sharp divide in how people viewed the lawsuit.
Neighbors and everyday riders he spoke to were grateful: “Great, somebody’s trying to do something about this, to try to stop it,” was the typical response.
But among what McGlynn called the “political class” — elected officials, party insiders, and establishment voices — the sentiment was the opposite. Many opposed the suit outright, dismissing it as the wrong strategy. To McGlynn, their position was clear: they were comfortable allowing riders to be used as pawns in a budget fight with Harrisburg, even if that meant people losing jobs, missing school, or waiting in the dark for buses that never came.
SEPTA’S APPEAL
Despite restoring service, SEPTA is appealing the decision to Commonwealth Court. Haver says there’s no reason:
- Waste of money: Continuing the fight will cost riders “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in legal fees.
- No real deficit: SEPTA warned of a $213 million gap, but the governor flexed $394 million to the agency — more than enough to cover the shortfall.
- Fare hike may serve other interests: SEPTA still plans a 21% fare increase, the largest in its history. 😱
For Haver, it risks a “death spiral”: higher fares → fewer riders → less revenue → deeper cuts. He also revealed that SEPTA has internal projections on how many riders will leave — but refused to release them, which prompted him to file a Right-to-Know request.
In past writing, Haver has suggested that these hikes may not simply be about revenue shortfalls. They may pave the way for private ride-hailing companies to capture former transit riders. As he put it: “The Ubers of the world will get what their campaign contributions have sought: a weakened public system that lets them skim off riders, replacing affordable fares with surge pricing when folks are stuck without options.”
That warning gained new relevance when Uber launched a free ride program for seniors in West and Northwest Philadelphia in August (when SEPTA implemented the cuts), partnering with local nonprofits to fill transit gaps. While praised by some as a lifeline, the initiative also signaled how quickly private companies can step in—and potentially reshape public mobility—when public transit falters.
WHAT’S NEXT
For now, trains and buses are back on schedule. But fares may rise sharply unless SEPTA is forced to back down. And the deeper issue remains unsolved: Pennsylvania has no dedicated funding source for transit. Without a long-term fix, SEPTA and its riders could be back at the brink in just a couple of years.
Big thanks to the Hall Monitor for great reporting! Thoughts? Questions? Please leave them in the Comments below or email editor@nwlocalpaper.com.
ABOUT THE PHILADELPHIA HALL MONITOR: Since 2021, this small but mighty team of journalists and consumer advocates have been committed to addressing Philadelphia’s poverty epidemic, and challenging those who sustain it. PRO TIP: Watch their insightful PhillyCAM show every Wednesday evening at 6PM, where they provide critical (and entertaining) analysis of local politics and city government (also on 106.5FM).
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