Without a robust public transit system, Philadelphia just doesn’t work
Absent additional funding from the state, the proposed cuts to SEPTA service would be devastating to the region's post-pandemic recovery.
Five years after the pandemic, Center City steadily continues its remarkable comeback as Philadelphia’s heart of commerce, culture, and connection, generating opportunity and prosperity for the entire city and region. Center City has recaptured 90% of its foot traffic, with workers steadily returning to offices, and patrons filling restaurants and cultural venues.
Perhaps most telling is that residential numbers have actually grown beyond pre-pandemic levels, with more people than ever now choosing to make downtown their home.
If Center City is the heart of the region, public transportation is its lifeblood, efficiently moving more than 400,000 people riding its subways, buses, and trains every day.
The compact, walkable development that defines every thriving downtown in the world can only exist because transit allows visitors, residents, and employees to be concentrated in a small geographic footprint that would be physically impossible to serve with private vehicles alone.
But now that progress is threatened by drastic service cuts coupled with significant fare increases to balance SEPTA’s budget in the absence of additional state funding. In Philadelphia, the proposed cuts are dire: the elimination of five Regional Rail lines — including my own train, the Chestnut Hill West line — and approximately 50 bus routes.
Center City is the region’s most concentrated employment hub, with 42% of city jobs, more than half of which do not require a degree.
For lower-income Philadelphians, public transit is the only affordable way to access these jobs, making SEPTA a critical lifeline for thousands of families. Without adequate transit service, these opportunities disappear.
SEPTA’s planned 9 p.m. cutoff for all rail service would strand thousands of evening visitors who take transit into and out of Center City or would force them to skip their downtown trips altogether.
Philadelphia’s growing nighttime economy relies on transit to connect hospitality workers with jobs and to safely transport patrons to restaurants, theaters, and entertainment venues, supporting thousands of small businesses.
For thousands of lower-income Philadelphians, public transit is the only affordable way to access their jobs.
Nighttime jobs make up 13% of all jobs in Philadelphia, so the elimination of evening service would create cost and complexity for a huge segment of the workforce, as well.
As Philadelphia retakes the global stage to host national and international events in 2026, including the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, robust transit service will be critical for the millions of visitors anticipated for the World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game, and other events. Without SEPTA, parking would be impossible, and traffic gridlock would prevent many regional residents from enjoying these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
The cuts would also have a significant impact on home values near transit. A recent Econsult Solutions study reveals that residential property values in Philadelphia would lose a combined $7.7 billion in value, or about $10,500 per household, without the premium they enjoy from their proximity to SEPTA service.
And the tax consequences are staggering: Econsult projects that in Philadelphia, the cuts would cost more than $226 million a year.
The impact of the proposed cuts on Center City’s office market is also alarming. The office occupancy rate downtown has been climbing steadily and now stands at about 80%.
But in 2025, we anticipate the number of expiring office leases will be the largest since the pandemic. Businesses increasingly select locations based on transit accessibility as a key amenity for attracting and retaining skilled workers, particularly younger talent who prefer urban lifestyles with reduced car dependency.
The financial burden of inaction far outweighs the investment needed to address this transit challenge. When transit systems fail, people inevitably turn to cars, creating more congestion on city and suburban streets already at capacity. We can all agree that the last thing Greater Philadelphia needs is more traffic.
» READ MORE: Harrisburg must properly fund public transportation — SEPTA is too important to fail | Editorial
SEPTA has seen ridership climb by more than 88 million rides since its low point in 2021, with subway and trolley ridership up 23% in the last year alone. People are returning to transit. With proper funding from the commonwealth, we can propel this trend forward, putting money back into the system and reducing time wasted in traffic across our region.
This is about more than recovery. It’s an opportunity to continue building the downtown Philadelphia truly needs, one that’s more competitive, connected, livable, equitable, joyful, resilient, and inclusive — for the entire region.
Prema Katari Gupta is the president and CEO of the Center City District and the executive director of the Central Philadelphia Development Corp.