Restoration of SEPTA service in its entirety ordered by the judge, yet the hike in fares remains viable

The Philadelphia transit agency, SEPTA, is facing a significant turn of events following a court ruling that directs it to immediately reverse all service cuts and fare hikes imposed last month.

The order comes after a lawsuit filed by attorney George Bochetto on behalf of Lance Haver, a longtime consumer advocate, and two other riders. Haver, one of the plaintiffs, hailed this as a victory for SEPTA riders, particularly those who are Black, Latino, and low-income, as the cuts and fare hikes were argued to disproportionately burden these groups.

SEPTA officials did not immediately respond to the court's ruling. However, they have stated that the legislative inaction in Harrisburg forced them to enact the austerity plan, including fare hikes and system-wide reductions. The agency currently has a $100 million line of credit at PNC Bank, but projects having only $400 million at the end of this fiscal year, even if they don't get a penny of additional money from Harrisburg.

The path forward, according to Haver, is for the state legislature and the governor to pass a budget. Gov. Josh Shapiro stated that budget negotiations are continuing, but it remains unclear when a deal might be forthcoming. Haver suggested that SEPTA should draw from its stabilization fund as a stopgap until the governor and the state legislature pass a budget.

In response to the service cuts, Uber began offering free rides to Philadelphia seniors, while FanDuel announced a gameday sponsorship to resume the express trains and cover the cost of fares for fans after the Eagles home game tonight. Some SEPTA bus routes most used by students were restored last week by SEPTA spending its subsidy from the city sooner than planned.

The judge's ruling requires SEPTA to restore in full the services that were curtailed, including the 32 bus routes eliminated and 16 routes shortened. The order did not prohibit SEPTA from enacting a previously scheduled fare hike. However, based on the judge's ruling, there is no possible way that SEPTA will deplete the stabilization fund.

SEPTA had rejected the claims made in the lawsuit, pointing to an equity analysis and a public review process it said complied with federal requirements. Haver and the plaintiffs also accused SEPTA of misrepresenting its financial condition. The original lawsuit was filed by the attorney George Bochetto, who argued that the hold on new cuts prevents SEPTA from eliminating Sports Express Trains from the B Line for tonight's Eagles home game.

The state Senate is set to return from a break on Thursday, and it remains to be seen how this court ruling will influence the ongoing budget negotiations between the Pennsylvania State Parliament and Governor Josh Shapiro, and their impact on SEPTA funding.

Restoration of SEPTA service in its entirety ordered by the judge, yet the hike in fares remains viable