Letters to Elected Officials RE: SEPTA
Dear Neighbors and Friends,
SEPTA funding is stalled in the state legislature, so now is the time to write our representatives to stop them from voting to decimate our public transport. With the help of some research using ChatGPT, I’ve crafted some letters: hardcopy, email, and “phonecall scripts” to reach out to reps.
I never used to write letters to elected officials, but in the current climate, it seems almost a requirement for modern living! Hope this helps. Let me know what you think.
Please feel free to use any or all of the content of these letters in your efforts to reach out to elected officials. My gut feeling from the SEPTA announcement below is that they want us to write and protest on their behalf. Good luck!
Warmest wishes,
Bonnie 🙂
SEPTA’s Press Announcement
[Click here for SEPTA’s Press Announcement]
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Letter/emails to State Representative Ben Waxman (HD-182)
Letter/emails to State Senator Nikil Saval
Letter/emails to Governor Shapiro
Representative Ben Waxman (HD-182)
1500 Walnut Street, Suite 1050
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Dear Representative Waxman,
I am writing as a 42–year resident of Center City and your constituent living at [MY ADDRESS]. I am deeply alarmed by the devastating SEPTA cuts and fare hikes that are scheduled to begin later this month, unless the legislature acts.
The announced changes—a 21.5% fare increase on September 1, followed by 20% service cuts on buses, metro, and Regional Rail beginning August 24–25, and deeper reductions thereafter—represent nothing less than the dismantling of Philadelphia’s public transit system. These are not minor adjustments; they are existential threats to the very idea of Philadelphia as a modern, functioning city.
Public transportation in Philadelphia has been continuous for more than 190 years, and as you know, state and local governments have provided funding for SEPTA since its creation in 1963. To suddenly starve the system of resources after more than six decades of continuous support is unthinkable. Do we really intend to roll back two centuries of civic progress and force our citizens into chaos with no practical way to get around?
I object strenuously to these cuts for several reasons:
1. We already pay taxes for this service. Those taxes are supposed to guarantee basic services—especially for lower-income Philadelphians who have no other way to get to work, to shopping, or to medical appointments. The cuts will devastate both the city and suburbs. Are people expected to buy cars they cannot afford (or find parking for!) or take Ubers that are prohibitively expensive?
2. No equity and public safety. Without reliable buses and trains, many Philadelphians—particularly seniors, students, and low-income workers—will be stranded, including late at night or in bad weather. This is not only unjust, it is unsafe.
3. A lack of transparency. SEPTA states the cuts are unavoidable because “new state funding has not yet been approved.” This explanation is maddeningly vague. Why has this funding not been approved and why has it come to light only now in August when most people are away on vacation? Are we really at the “point of no return.” Says who?! What has happened here?
I’ve admired your leadership to date on this issue; you were right to call the proposed service cuts a “catastrophe” for your constituents. You have consistently said “no” to the idea that the only path forward is fare hikes and reductions in service. And, you’ve shown leadership when you voted yes on Governor Shapiro’s sales-tax reallocation plan to fund public transit. Your statement — reminding us that previous transit funding bills died in the Senate, but that “this time, we’re getting it done” — gives me hope that Philadelphia’s riders still have a strong advocate in you.
Representative Waxman, I ask you to do the following:
• Use your role in the House to demand full state funding for SEPTA at the levels proposed by Governor Shapiro. We cannot balance the budget off the backs of working Philadelphians! If people can’t get to work, they cannot be employed nor pay taxes. Then how will you balance the budget? Do you see the Catch 22 here?
• Insist on transparency: constituents need a clear explanation of how and why SEPTA was left in this position. Who is responsible and what credible reason can they offer for crippling our society with no transportation? The implied cruelty of this funding cut reeks of the GOP!
• Ensure stable, dedicated funding sources for transit by working with the Senate, not one-time gimmicks or transfers that leave us in crisis again next year.
This is about more than a budget line. It is about the identity, accessibility, and future of Philadelphia itself. A major American city in the 21st century cannot function without public transportation. To allow SEPTA to collapse is to condemn our city to decline, hardship, and inequity.
Please keep fighting for SEPTA and for the people of Philadelphia until the job is done. We are counting on you.
Sincerely,
[MY NAME AND ADDRESS]
(back to the top . . .)
POSSIBLE EMAIL:
Script for Rep. Ben Waxman (House District 182)
Subject line (email): Urgent: Stop SEPTA Cuts and Fare Hikes
Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I live at [YOUR ADDRESS] in Center City. I’ve been a Philadelphia resident for over 40 years, and I am outraged at the looming SEPTA fare hikes and devastating service cuts.
We already pay high taxes for these services. Cutting transit now will leave low-income residents stranded, choke our city’s economy, and undo nearly 190 years of continuous public transportation in Philadelphia.
I urge you to:
1. Fully fund SEPTA at the levels proposed by Governor Shapiro.
2. Demand transparency on why funding was withheld.
3. Secure long-term, dedicated funding so this never happens again.
4. Halt the cuts and fare hikes before the August 14 deadline.
A modern city cannot function without transit. Please fight for your constituents and for Philadelphia’s future.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
(back to the top . . .)
**********************
Senator Nikil Saval
1835 South 19th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19145
Dear Senator Saval,
I am writing as a constituent from [MY ADDRESS]. I have lived in Philadelphia for over forty years, and I am horrified by the looming devastation to SEPTA’s bus, metro, and Regional Rail services if the legislature fails to act this month.
As you know, SEPTA has announced a 21.5% fare increase on September 1st, followed immediately by 20% service cuts beginning August 24–25, with far deeper reductions—including route eliminations and curfews—set to follow. These changes will upend the lives of hundreds of thousands of Philadelphians and suburban commuters. This is not budgetary fine-tuning; it is the dismantling of our public transit system.
Philadelphia has provided continuous public transit for more than 190 years, and, since the creation of SEPTA in 1963, state and local governments have sustained that service without interruption. To suddenly starve the system of funding after six decades is unthinkable. This is not only about trains and buses—it is about our city’s very ability to function.
Here are just a few of the consequences I fear:
1. Taxpayers left stranded. We already fund SEPTA with our taxes, and yet now the system is being gutted. Low-income Philadelphians who cannot afford cars or daily Ubers will lose access to jobs, doctors, schools, and basic necessities.
2. Economic harm. Regional Rail brings workers and shoppers into Philadelphia. Cutting these lifelines will weaken downtown businesses, drive up congestion, and choke commerce.
3. Equity and safety. Seniors, students, and late-night workers will be left exposed, waiting for buses and trains that no longer come. This is not just unfair; it is unsafe.
4. Lack of transparency. SEPTA blames “state funding not yet approved,” but that explanation is far too vague. The public deserves accountability: who is blocking this funding, and why? I smell a rat . . .
I’m glad that you co-lead the Transit for All PA Funding Package framing mobility as a matter of community vitality, equity, and justice. You are absolutely right that our legislature’s ongoing neglect of transit has brought us to the brink of disaster. I also know that you have been outspoken about Senate Republicans stalling the budget and holding transit funding “hostage.” That honesty and clarity are exactly what we need right now! When you stood with riders and chanted “No cuts. No way. We ride SEPTA every day,” you were speaking for all of us who rely on SEPTA to live and work in this city.
Senator Saval, I urge you to:
• Fight for immediate passage of the transit funding plan advanced by Governor Shapiro and the House, to fully support SEPTA and avoid fare hikes and cuts.
• Press for transparency in budget negotiations—Philadelphians deserve to know why such a vital service is being jeopardized.
• Secure long-term, sustainable funding sources for SEPTA, rather than temporary patches that will return us to crisis again and again.
• Prevent these service cuts from taking effect! Once implemented, they will cause irreparable harm to our city and region.
Philadelphia cannot function as a modern city without robust, reliable public transit.
The stakes are enormous — not only for Philadelphia, but for the health, economy, and future of our Commonwealth.
I urge you in the strongest terms possible: do everything in your power to ensure SEPTA is fully funded and these cuts averted. The people of Philadelphia—your constituents—are depending on you.
Sincerely,
[MY NAME AND ADDRESS]
**********************
(back to the top . . .)
**********************
POSSIBLE EMAIL
Script for Sen. Nikil Saval (Senate District 1)
Subject line (email): SEPTA Cuts Are a Disaster—Act Now
Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I live at [YOUR ADDRESS]. I am your constituent, and I am horrified by SEPTA’s planned 21.5% fare increase and 20% service cuts starting this month.
Public transit is a basic necessity. Without it, seniors, students, and working families will be stranded. Businesses will suffer, traffic will worsen, and Philadelphia will lose the very lifeblood of its economy and mobility.
I’m asking you to:
• Support Governor Shapiro’s transit funding plan.
• Block these fare hikes and cuts before they take effect.
• Push for sustainable, long-term SEPTA funding so this crisis never repeats.
Please act urgently—our city’s future depends on it.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
(back to the top . . .)
The Honorable Josh Shapiro
Governor of Pennsylvania
225 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Dear Governor Shapiro,
I am writing to you from [MY ADDRESS], right here in Center City Philadelphia, in utter dismay over the impending SEPTA crisis. The announced 21.5% fare increase and 20% service cuts set to take effect in late August and early September are nothing less than catastrophic. These measures threaten to unravel nearly two centuries of continuous public transit service in our city and would deliver an immeasurable blow to working people, businesses, students, seniors, and families across our Commonwealth.
Governor, I want you to know how deeply I appreciate your style of leadership. You have visited virtually every county, every town, every neighborhood, and you have consistently listened. That commitment to hearing and solving the concerns of Pennsylvanians is why I trust you to lead us through this crisis. We are depending on you.
But with these proposed SEPTA cuts, the consequences are chilling:
• Working people from the suburbs will be stranded or forced to drive into the city, worsening congestion, pollution, and safety risks.
• Seniors, low-income residents, and those without cars will lose access to doctors, shopping, and essential services.
• Businesses in Philadelphia and throughout the region will see reduced commerce as commuting becomes harder and more expensive.
• A proud, 190-year-old tradition of mass transit service—supported by state and local funding for over six decades—will be broken.
Public transportation is not a luxury! It is a public necessity as essential as schools, hospitals, and public safety. Taxpayers pay a lot for it, and many of us would gladly pay more in order to preserve full service. But, we cannot accept service being gutted in silence and communities being left without options.
Governor, I implore you: please act boldly and quickly. Do not let these cuts go through. Too much depends on SEPTA—for equity, for the environment, for commerce, for the very functioning of Philadelphia and the entire region.
Respectfully,
[MY NAME AND ADDRESS]
**********************
(back to the top . . .)
**********************
POSSIBLE EMAIL
Email / Online Form — Governor Josh Shapiro
Subject: Urgent: Fully Fund SEPTA Now
Dear Governor Shapiro,
I live at [MY ADDRESS] in Center City and am a daily SEPTA rider. I want to thank you for your tireless leadership across Pennsylvania and for listening to every community in our Commonwealth. Your dedication gives me confidence that you understand the stakes of this crisis.
SEPTA’s planned fare hikes and 20% service cuts would devastate riders, seniors, low-income residents, and our city’s economy. I trust your resolve to solve this problem and urge you to do everything in your power to secure full, sustainable funding for SEPTA before it is too late.
Philadelphia and all SEPTA riders are depending on you.
Sincerely,
[NAME]