Bus, train, subway and trolley commuters might soon have to pay more to ride SEPTA.
As reported throughout the year, the transit agency faces a $240 million budget deficit after running out of federal COVID relief funds.
There was a lot of hope that the state budget would help the transit agency avoid a financial crisis, but what they are getting is not even close to what they hoped for.
SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie S. Richards and Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr . held a news conference Thursday to discuss proposed fare adjustments.
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“The SEPTA Board has worked tirelessly to advocate for transit funding,” said Lawrence. “We are optimistic about an agreement on funding in Harrisburg; however, we need to act now to ensure that SEPTA is best positioned to provide reliable service to the city and region.”
The new proposal would bring the Travel Wallet fare on buses, subways, and trolleys to $2.50, which is the same as cash fare, officials said. Free transfers would remain, but SEPTA would eliminate restrictions on direction for travel transfers, which includes allowing for more roundtrips on a single fare.
Officials said the proposal would increase most single-trip fares on Regional Rail and align Travel Wallet and Quick Trip pricing. All daily, weekly, and monthly passes would remain the same price.
Transportation and Transit
Another big change will be the fact that SEPTA has plans to reinstate parking fees at the transit agency-owned surface lots.
Surface lots at Frankford Transportation Center, Norristown, and Lansdale will increase to $2 from $1 and to $4 from $2. Officials said these new fees would help offset parking lot maintenance costs.
“We worked hard to make sure this fare proposal is equitable,” said Richards. “We know that no one wants to pay more for anything, but we are pulling out all the stops to try to avoid devastating service cuts. Without new state transit funding, we will have to consider additional fare increases in the spring. What we are announcing today is an initial step toward planning for our uncertain future.”
Officials note that SEPTA's last fare increase was in 2017, and planned fare increases in 2020 were deferred due to the pandemic.
Public hearings regarding the proposed fare adjustments will be held on Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Members of the public are encouraged to join in person at SEPTA headquarters or remotely via WebEx.
The proposed changes still need to be approved by the board, but that vote will not be until late Nov., and then changes could happen at the beginning of Dec.
Visit www.septa.org to see the full proposal and public hearing schedule.
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