SEPTA service fully restored with fare increases after service cuts in Philadelphia region
SEPTA service in the Philadelphia region was restored on Sunday, and everything that had been cut is now back on schedule.
However, passengers are paying more for those rides with a 21.5% fare hike in effect.
Commuters were thrilled to see their rides restored after weeks of seeing dozens of routes eliminated and even more running less frequently. SEPTA put the final touches on restoring full service on Monday.
"Full regular service, so everything's running," SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said. "All the school trips were out this morning … high frequencies on Broad Street and Market Frankford line, so everything's back out."
But that comes with a catch, as riders were forced to pay more.
On Sunday, SEPTA instituted a 21.5% fare increase across its system. For bus and metro riders, a single trip went from $2.50 to $2.90. On Regional Rail, fares go up by $1 to $2, depending on where you get on the train. The fare hike drew mixed reviews from riders.
"I understand it's a hard time economically for everyone," Kenn Perry, a SEPTA rider, said. "But the reality is, it costs money to provide services."
"It wouldn't be that way if more people would pay," Jeff McAuley, another SEPTA rider, said.
While SEPTA leaders say they're cracking down on fare evasion with more enforcement and new full-length gates, they say it's not related to the fare hikes. They say the increases were born out of the fiscal crisis and the months-long political debate over new funding.
"We do have to generate more revenue here ourselves," Busch said. "That's one thing we heard very clearly these last six months in Harrisburg."
Despite the fare hikes, Monday brings an end to a challenging few weeks for riders who had to navigate new routes and changing schedules. SEPTA says staff are looking forward to bringing stability back to the system.
"We're able to guarantee that we going to keep our service levels this way through the next two fiscal years," Busch said.
SEPTA is funding its operations for the next two years with future capital dollars — something leaders say does not solve the long-term financial issues facing the transit system.
They again warned Monday that without new and consistent funding from Harrisburg, the transit system could be right back in this situation in 2027.