SEPTA outlines FY27 ask, safety gains and $10B state'of'repair backlog in wide-ranging council hearing

SEPTA leadership told a Philadelphia City Council committee on Wednesday that the transit authority's FY27 operating request and local commitments are essential to stabilize operations, expand fare and workforce programs, and help unlock significant state funding.

Scott Sauer, SEPTA general manager, said the city's proposed $134,000,000 contribution is vital to meeting a legislatively mandated local match that would unlock nearly $1,000,000,000 in state operating support. Sauer described the funding as critical to preserving programs the city values, including participation in SEPTA's Key Advantage employer program and an expanded zero-fare initiative for low-income residents.

Sauer and Charles Lawson, chief of SEPTA Transit Police, highlighted measurable safety and ridership improvements, including long-running year-over-year ridership gains and declines in serious crime. Lawson said transit police staffing has increased and is at about 96.5% of budgeted headcount, and he noted the police engaged with vulnerable riders more than 200,000 times last year while acknowledging that long-term behavioral-health solutions require broader…