FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2025

Philadelphia's nationally-acclaimed low-income fare program left unfunded in a last-minute betrayal.

PHILADELPHIA — “5th Square Advocacy condemns in the strongest possible terms the disgraceful, last-minute decision by the Parker Administration to abandon their public commitment to fully fund Philadelphia’s Zero Fare program. This is not just a policy failure, it is a gutless, inexcusable betrayal of our city’s poorest and most vulnerable residents.

“For months, both the Mayor and Councilmembers signaled strong support for fully funding the Zero Fare program, which provides free SEPTA passes to thousands of our city’s most vulnerable residents. The program has been hailed across the country as a model for equitable transit access, dramatically improving access to jobs, food, healthcare, and education while restoring dignity to those struggling to make ends meet. Instead of building on this nationally recognized success, the city’s leadership has now chosen to abandon it.

“This decision is a massive betrayal of Philadelphia’s low-income and working-class communities and families who rely on this program every single day to survive. It is a shameful reversal that directly undermines the well-being of the very residents our city claims to support. For elected officials to promise this investment in equity and then pull back behind closed doors at the last minute is not only cowardly—it’s cruel.

“A city budget without full funding for the City's Zero Fares Program sends the absolute wrong message to Harrisburg on the importance of transit to our region. 

“This is not just a missed opportunity, It’s an active choice to make life harder for those who already face the greatest barriers in our city. The Mayor and City Council had the chance to lead with vision and compassion. Instead, they’ve chosen austerity and abandonment.

“We are calling on the Mayor and City Council to immediately reverse course and deliver the full, permanent funding commitment that Philadelphia’s neediest residents were promised – and deserve,” says Alex Milone, Transportation Committee Co-Chair of 5th Square.

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5th Square Advocacy is an all-volunteer grassroots advocacy organization focused on creating a more accessible, sustainable and equitable Philadelphia.

Volunteers can be reached at [email protected]