Transit advocates have pressed Pennsylvania lawmakers to include transit funding in the 2026–27 state budget, while SEPTA’s proposed FY2027 materials described a major state-of-good-repair backlog and capital funding pressures. The dispute is whether state funding should prioritize avoiding fare hikes and service cuts, fixing aging assets, supporting rural and disabled riders, or forcing governance and efficiency reforms before adding money. Transit funding is not just a city issue if workers, disabled riders, students, and older adults rely on it across the state.