Gov. Josh Shapiro is asking Bucks County and the other counties in the Philadelphia area to increase their SEPTA funding, writes Tom Sofield for Levittown Now.

The Democratic governor called for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties in his proposed budget to contribute more towards the regional public transit system.

He proposed an additional $161 million contribution from the state to SEPTA, which has been having issues ranging from safety and cleanliness to service problems in recent years.

“This will trigger an automatic match of 15 percent from local counties, raising another $24 million for the system this year,” Shapiro said during his February budget address.

If that number is split evenly, it comes to just under $5 million more from each county per year.

Bucks County has allocated $5.3 million for SEPTA in its 2024 budget, which is a 7.9 percent increase over the previous year.

“The county has had brief talks with SEPTA about extra funding, but it is not something the commissioners have had the opportunity to consider,” said James O’Malley, the deputy communications director for Bucks County.

Read more about the call for more SEPTA funding in Levittown Now.

Officials call for more SEPTA funding to prevent service cuts