Commuters being warned about impacts of SEPTA budget cuts if funding isn't secured

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. (WPVI) -- Commuters in Conshohocken are being warned of the devastating implications of SEPTA's funding crisis.

The mayor and county commissioner chair were at the regional rail station Wednesday morning to greet riders and tell them how their commutes would be impacted.

RELATED: Pennsylvania lawmakers push for funding for SEPTA amid budget crisis

About 600 people use the Conshohocken stop on the Manayunk/Norristown Line every day.

While the Regional Rail route will continue to exist, SEPTA says it will be forced to cut nearly half of its service and increase fares more than 20% if it does not get funding to address its budget deficit. Starting in August, trains will operate every two hours instead of every hour, and there will be no service after 9 p.m.

This comes as the transit agency deals with a $213 million budget shortfall.

While SEPTA says it is trying -- touting $91 million in new revenue and savings in 2024 -- the agency says those savings do not impact the budget deficit.

That's why officials are calling on Harrisburg to fund SEPTA.

"Let them know that there are serious cuts that are slated for the service here and across the region that would be devastating, but we need people to call their state senators and speak out so that Harrisburg fully funds SEPTA," said Neil Makhija, who is the chairman for the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, as well as a SEPTA board member.

SEPTA also says it needs the critical funding before the new fiscal year that begins on July 1.