Shapiro, feds, continue chirping over SEPTA

Another week brings more transit turmoil. 

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy on Thursday called out “gross mismanagement” at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, saying the transit agency faces a number of growing safety and financial issues that are making its services more dangerous for the public. 

“The gross mismanagement and neglect of Pennsylvania’s rail and bus systems is alarming,” Duffy said in a statement, warning that his department could force SEPTA to stop using its aging fleet of rail cars due to fire risks. “As the head of the state, I’m calling on Josh Shapiro to oversee the safety of riders and transit workers. It’s time to get SEPTA’s fiscal house in order.” 

Duffy’s statement comes following an Oct. 1 warning issued by the National Transportation Safety Board telling SEPTA to take immediate action to address fire risks in its fleet of Silverliner IV railcars. SEPTA leadership said earlier this month that the transit agency developed a comprehensive set of 40 mitigation measures in cooperation with the FRA and NTSB, including additional notifications and safety checks, and audible alarms for fault lights and personnel. 

Despite the call to suspend the Silverliner IV fleet – railcars that make up more than half of the Regional Rail vehicles – SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said he’s confident the railcars are safe. It also comes at a time when SEPTA’s fiscal future remains bleak, less than a month after the SEPTA board voted to transfer $394 million of capital funds to the operating budget to restore full service. 

Shapiro clapped back at Duffy with a social media post, claiming that Harrisburg Republicans continue to get in the way of proper transit funding. 

“I secured $46 million for SEPTA last year. I flexed $153 million from highway projects to keep SEPTA from going under,” Shapiro’s post read. “And I called for $165 million in new sustainable funding for SEPTA in my budget plan this year – but Harrisburg Republicans refuse to get it done.”

Philadelphia’s state House Delegation also had something to say about SEPTA. In response to Duffy’s statement, the Philly Dems said he’s “three months too late expressing his concerns, placing blame in the wrong direction and playing political games without offering any real solution. 

“We have been sounding the alarm for years about the need to find a long-term, sustainable funding solution for SEPTA, and the Pennsylvania House has passed numerous bills to provide that funding for SEPTA and all mass transit systems in Pennsylvania, without raising taxes,” the statement reads. “Yet Senate Republicans put up roadblocks every time and even urged SEPTA to use their own capital funds to fill the gap.”

In the Thursday release, Duffy pointed to the “numerous failures on SEPTA’s part that the state has failed to provide proper oversight for, including SEPTA’s ever-spiraling $213 million debt, which earned them a negative rating from Moody’s Ratings.”

As of Thursday night, just 82 of the 223 Silverliner IV rail cars had been inspected, with eight days until the deadline.