Philadelphia protesters stage sit-in at Republican State Sen. Joe Picozzi's office as SEPTA cuts loom
With less than a week until the first phase of major service cuts , SEPTA riders are expressing outrage over the lack of a legislative solution.
On Monday, a group of demonstrators staged a sit-in at the office of Republican State Sen. Joe Picozzi, chanting for hours. Protesters say they're frustrated with Picozzi and his Republican colleagues over what they deem a lack of funding for SEPTA and mass transit.
Service cuts are set to begin Aug. 24 after lawmakers failed to close a $213 million gap in SEPTA's budget.
MORE | SEPTA urges riders to start planning now for upcoming service cuts that begin on Aug. 24
"People trying to get to doctor's appointments, people trying to visit family - Joe Picozzi's constituency will be affected by these SEPTA cuts," said David Brown of Fox Chase.
"I think sometimes Joe gets confused about who he's representing - Philadelphia or Bucks County," added Marion Brown, also of Fox Chase.
Earlier Monday, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle held a virtual press briefing to warn about the ripple effects of SEPTA's proposed cuts, particularly the five Regional Rail lines slated for elimination.
SEPTA currently pays Amtrak about $70 million to lease rail lines. According to Boyle's office, that funding could be slashed by at least $50 million.
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Amtrak has warned that the lost revenue could force it to eliminate the Keystone Service line between Harrisburg and Philadelphia, as well as the line to New York.
"This is a very serious situation," Boyle said.
While Amtrak has not announced a timeline for such action, SEPTA's lease payments are scheduled to end Jan. 1, when service on the five Regional Rail lines would cease.
In a statement, Picozzi said, "My focus remains on delivering a solution that ensures safe, reliable SEPTA service with real accountability and transparency. I will continue to fight for a deal that serves the best interests of the people of Northeast Philadelphia and our city as a whole."
You can learn more about the planned cuts at SEPTA.org
