HARRISBURG (AP) – The PA House has passed transportation funding legislation in an effort to stave off service cuts at the Philadelphia region’s public transit agency. The Democrat-backed bill passed the chamber on Monday over the objection of nearly every Republican in the chamber. SEPTA has said it can’t keep waiting for more aid before making what it calls cuts more drastic than any undertaken by any major transit agency in the U.S. Democrats say shoring up public transit agencies around the state is critical to the economy and making sure people can get to work, school, and medical appointments. Republicans say that transit agencies need to become more efficient, highways need more state funding, and transit riders should pay higher fares since they use the system. House Bill 1788 now goes to the PA Senate for consideration.
