Commuters and students in Philadelphia say they're waking up earlier and scrambling to avoid being late as they navigate service reductions by the region’s public transit agency.

A budget shortfall has led the city’s transit authority to cut its bus and rail services by 20 percent. Commuters and students in Philadelphia braced for longer travel times and more crowded trains and buses on Monday, as the city entered its first workday following heavy cuts in transit service.

SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, warned us for two years. Some people stopped listening because impoverishment has been the perpetual soundtrack of the transit system, and salvation always seemed to arrive at the last minute.