SEPTA riders fear budget shortfall could end Chestnut Hill West Line

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- SEPTA's Board of Directors sounded the alarm on potential service cuts and fare increases that could be coming if the transit authority isn't able to find funding to fill a multi-million dollar budget gap.

At a public meeting on Thursday, the board said that SEPTA was facing a $240 million shortfall after pandemic relief funds were exhausted. As a result, SEPTA is considering a 20% cut to service and a 30% fare increase to fill the budget deficit.

Andrew Busch, SEPTA spokesperson, said the transit authority was working with partners in Harrisburg to see what, if anything, could come from the state to avoid the drastic measures. However, he also noted that SEPTA was running up against a tight timeline.

"There's a limited amount of time that we have," Busch said. "We need a solution soon."

That is concerning news to SEPTA customers in Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy and Germantown, who said they were worried about what is planned for the Chestnut Hill West Regional Rail Line. According to SEPTA data, it ranks among the bottom in terms of Regional Rail ridership, averaging 1,756 riders daily.

Despite that, folks like Mary Pat Walsh said she relies on the line every day for her commute into Center City.

She said she and other riders she knows have been in a panic thinking about what they would do if SEPTA cut service to Chestnut Hill West or eliminated it permanently.

"I take it every day to and from work," Walsh said. "It is transportation for so many of us, including students, including disabled people, including seniors, and the threat of that is dreadful."

There are other nearby routes, including the Chestnut Hill East Line and the 23 bus route, but Anne Dicker, president of West Mt. Airy Neighbors, said they are a bit of a distance away.

She also expressed concerns about an increase in traffic if the Chestnut Hill West Line was shuttered.

"Without that lifeline, so many people without cars wouldn't have a way to get into work, wouldn't have a way to get to their doctor's appointments," said Dicker.

She and more than a dozen civic organizations have joined forces to create the "Save the Train Coalition" to try to put pressure on lawmakers in Harrisburg and Governor Josh Shapiro to get SEPTA the money it needs to properly maintain its system.

They've created a petition and Dicker said they've gotten thousands of signatures so far. They're hoping to collect enough to get Governor Shapiro's attention before he delivers his budget address next month.

"We hope to get through to him," Dicker said. "We've got 4,000 petition signatures signed. We're aiming for 25,000 and I hope he reaches out."

SEPTA said it hasn't made any decisions yet but it expects to have a detailed plan in place by March. If any cuts or fare increases are implemented, they could be in place as soon as the fall.