Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) unveiled a plan on Tuesday for safe, reliable and accessible service.
Accelerate is the agency’s plan for where it is going over the coming years and highlights the improvements, projects and initiatives required to get there.
“After years of chronic underfunding, the moment to choose acceleration over managed decline is now,” SEPTA Board Chairman Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. said. “We recognize that if greater investment is the key to our future success, then SEPTA must demonstrate that we are worthy investment partners. We are proud to be one of the most efficient transit systems in the country, and while there remains more work to do, the evidence demonstrates that we are good stewards of the public funding we receive.”
The plan includes the purchase of 130 new low-floor trolleys, 200 subway cars and 230 Silverliner VI Regional Rail cars. The number of frequent bus routes will increase from eight to 29, and the agency will invest in new transit centers for bus riders and accessible streetcar stations. The new subway cars will begin delivery in 2029.
SEPTA is one of the largest transit systems in the United States, supporting five counties and carrying 800,000 daily riders.