GOP passes transit plan in Pa. Senate, but it faces Democratic opposition ahead

The Pennsylvania Senate approved a state budget and a transportation plan Tuesday, but the proposal has received pushback from Democrats as it moves to the House of Representatives.

The two-year, $1.2 billion transit plan, which passed the chamber with a 27-22 party-line vote, includes a new amendment that called for using $292 million of the Public Transportation Trust Fund to put toward operating costs. Approximately $160 million of that would go toward SEPTA.

MORE: Former Sen. Bob Casey takes on advisory roles at Philly law firm and University of Scranton

Critics of the legislation question the source of the funding, saying this plan would take away from other ongoing system and safety projects such as infrastructure repairs that the fund typically supports.

Last week, SEPTA gave lawmakers a deadline of Thursday before it planned to move forward with a 20% service reduction that was scheduled to begin Aug. 24. The Republican-backed amendment to House Bill 257, the transit funding plan, was proposed by GOP Sens. Joe Picozzi, who represents the Northeast Philly, and Frank Farry, who represents Bucks County.

"This proposal is the only viable plan to keep service running past the August deadline," Picozzi told 6ABC. "By enacting this legislation, it gives us the breathing room to design a better, safer, more accountable transit system for the next generation and the 21st century."

Sen. Nikil Saval, who represents a district in Philadelphia, said the plan "robs" transit agencies of dedicated repairs, safety and maintenance funding by reallocating that money for operating costs.

"This is, quite simply, service cuts by another name," Saval said in a statement.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, House Majority Leader Matt Bradford, who represents part of Montgomery County, and other Democrats also expressed their disapproval of the plan.

"Today, Senate Republicans had the opportunity to move the ball forward and take real steps towards solving some of Pennsylvania’s biggest problems," Sens. Jay Costa and Vince Hughes said in a joint statement. "Instead, we got ridiculous, unserious schemes that fail to meet the scale, scope, and urgency of the transit crisis facing our commonwealth."

The plan will now head to the state House of Representatives, where Democrats hold a one-seat majority.