Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), one of the largest transit systems in the United States, recently announced a proposal to increase fare rates by more than 20 percent for all modes and methods of payment.
The SEPTA board of directors also recently considered adopting a fare proposal that would bring the Travel Wallet fare on buses, subways, and trolleys to $2.50 and would increase most single-trip fares on Regional Rail. If approved, fares would be nearly 30 percent higher starting Jan. 1, a move that would generate nearly $50 million in new revenue annually.
“For the last two years, we have urged action in Harrisburg so that we could avoid these draconian measures,” Scott Sauer, SEPTA chief operating officer, said. “We were hopeful a solution would come this fall, but it has not materialized. We now have no choice but to move forward with a proposal for major fare increases and service cuts. This is going to be painful for all of our riders and will have major economic and social impacts on our city, region and the commonwealth as a whole.”
SEPTA has faced financial difficulty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The authority has already announced measures such as hiring freezes for certain administrative positions to help control expenses, and additional steps will be taken in the coming months to cut costs further.