HARRISBURG (AP) – Gov. Josh Shapiro says he’ll divert more than $150 million in federal highway funding to help Philadelphia’s mass transit system avoid near-term service cutbacks and delay fare increases. Shapiro’s announcement comes as many transit agencies are in a financial crunch. The nation’s sixth-largest mass transit system, the SEPTA says it’s facing an annual structural budget deficit of $240 million. Shapiro says shifting federal highway funding won’t jeopardize any ongoing highway projects. Shapiro acknowledges that the funding is a one-stop stopgap until he can come to an agreement on a wider transportation funding deal with state lawmakers. Republicans criticized the action saying that SEPTA has structural problems that it must fix and said the move will divert highway money from other areas of PA.
GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO