PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- State lawmakers continue to negotiate a funding plan for SEPTA.
The mass transit agency is trying to close a $213 million budget deficit, and the stakes for people across the state are high
MORE | SEPTA service would be cut nearly in half under new budget proposal if more funding not secured
SEPTA says 50 bus routes would be eliminated, more than a dozen others shortened, and many would see a 20% reduction in service on weekdays and weekends. In addition, five Regional Rail lines and one metro line would be eliminated, including the cancellation of service after 9 p.m. Here is a link that would detail the possible reduction in services.
Donna Allie has been running the West Philadelphia commercial cleaning business, Team Clean, for 40 years. The proposed SEPTA service cuts are top of mind.
"It frightened me when I first heard about the cuts," Allie tells Action News.
She has more than 700 full and part-time employees, many of whom rely on SEPTA to get to and from work. Her staff cleans City Hall, police stations throughout the city, and other venues.
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The middle of the workday for her workers is when many people are calling it a night.
"So when SEPTA talks about curfews or just shutting down the system after 9 o'clock, it creates a disaster for us," she says.
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission says the proposed cuts amount to a 40% reduction in service for the 750,000 daily riders, and would add 275,000 vehicles to our region's roadways per day.
"It's the equivalent of taking everyone who lives in the City of Pittsburgh, including the kids, including the babies, putting them in their own vehicle, and having them descend on the roads of Philadelphia," says Ariella Maron, the executive director of the Delaware Regional Planning Commission.
That means longer commute times, especially along I-95 and the Schuylkill Expressway, delays in the delivery of products, increases in pollution, and parking issues among others
RELATED | Commuters being warned about impacts of SEPTA budget cuts if funding isn't secured
"SEPTA is the lifeblood, the lifeline, not just of the city, but really the commonwealth," said Shannon Miller, with the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.
The cuts are the number one issue for the chamber. Its largest members and sponsors are universities and hospitals here in the city.
"This is a huge issue for them. It's not just the workforce for them. It's the patients and the families that seek treatment, that have appointments," adds Miller.
Some state lawmakers in more rural areas worry about costs, the effectiveness of the agency, and whether taxpayers should be footing the bill for service that they believe largely serves Philadelphia.
Donna Allie is in the process of polling employees to learn how life-altering the proposed cuts would be. Most of her employees have limited means and income. She'll consider car pooling, and providing transportation, but it's an additional cost she can't afford.
"I'm just hoping and praying... that they don't do it."
If enacted, the cuts would go into effect in late August and January.