Committees and Councils
The Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) is an independent body that advocates on behalf of current and potential SEPTA riders throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and parts of Delaware and New Jersey. Established in 1967 by the Pennsylvania Urban Mass Transportation Law, the CAC is made up of dedicated volunteers who act as the “eyes and ears” of SEPTA’s customers.
The CAC provides rider insights for SEPTA leadership to consider when developing budgets, projects and programs that impact the customer experience. Although the CAC does not set regulations or policy, it does weigh in and comment on important documents including the annual operating and capital budgets, planning initiatives such as New Bus Network, Reimagining Regional Rail and the SEPTA Five-Year Strategic Plan.
There are currently open seats in Bucks, Chester and Philadelphia counties. To submit an application, read “How to Join” below.
The CAC is composed of an executive committee and two subcommittees: the Transit Subcommittee (buses, trolleys and metro) and the Regional Rail Subcommittee.
Their areas of interest include:
- Quality of service, including reliability and frequency, speed, cleanliness, safety and security
- Fares
- Policies
- Financing and planning
- Accountability of SEPTA and other agencies that affect public transportation in the SEPTA service area
The CAC includes representatives from the five counties served by SEPTA with members assigned by the commissioners of the counties and the mayor of Philadelphia. The SEPTA GM also appoints one member per county, for a total of up to 29 members.
- Bucks County, 2 members
- Chester County, 2 members
- Delaware County, 4 members
- Montgomery County, 3 members
- Philadelphia City and County, 18 members
Meet the Executive Committee
Chairperson: Joi Dariel Washington
County: Delaware
“I believe public transportation should be safe, clean and frequent, offering residents more options for jobs, homes and entertainment. I enjoy visiting Philadelphia, often taking Regional Rail to Old City and Center City.”
Vice Chairperson, Regional Rail Subcommittee: Steven Thorp
County: Delaware
“I’m excited and thrilled to serve on the CAC Executive Committee! I’m generally a weekday commuter on the Media/Wawa Line between Gladstone and Center City. Sometimes you’ll catch me on the 107 or 109 Bus and the 
.”
Transit Vice Chairperson: Jeff Maki
County: Philadelphia
“I love SEPTA because transit provides access to (and generates) economic opportunity, enables human-scale cities and in many cases, allows me to skip sitting in traffic. I am a resident of South Philadelphia and regular user of the 
.”
Secretary: Patrick Garraud
County: Bucks
Bucks County
- Patrick Garraud (Secretary)
Chester County
- Roberta Cosentino
Delaware County
- Alfred Achtert
- Joi Dariel Washington (Chairperson)
- Sean Black
- Steven Thorp (Vice Chairperson, Regional Rail subcommittee)
Montgomery County
- Kelly Devine
- Joseph Stern
- Michael Thompson
- Asia Warren Copeland
Philadelphia County
- Imani Badie
- Mike Bourg
- Annie Chernich
- Megan Eskuchen
- Michelle Fisher
- Jeff Friedman
- Latoya Maddox
- Jeff Maki (Vice Chairperson, Transit subcommittee)
- Lauren Montgomery-Cousineau
- Shawn Ralston
- Diamonique Robinson
- Michael Schwebel
- Kim Smith
Eligibility
- Applicants must regularly use a SEPTA service.
- Applicants must reside in the county they are applying to represent.
- Applicants for the City of Philadelphia cannot have outstanding taxes due.
- SEPTA employees, contractors and consultants are not eligible.
- Applicants must be available to attend at least 9 monthly plenary meetings (Tuesday evenings) and participate in at least one subcommittee.
- Membership is limited to three consecutive two-year terms.
- Previous members may reapply two years after the end of their last term.
There are currently committee member openings for Bucks, Chester and Philadelphia counties.
To apply for membership, read the by-laws and review the eligibility and responsibility information. Submit an application online (below) or download the Membership Application (PDF) and mail to:
SEPTA Communications: Engagement and Advocacy
1234 Market Street, 10th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Additional recommendations
- A working knowledge of the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
- Active interest in public transportation.
- Familiarity with public sector finance, business finance, transportation operations, regulatory governance, community volunteerism, disability advocacy and services or other public service topics.
- Attendance at local community meetings where issues related to transit are discussed. Members are encouraged to regularly make reports to SEPTA via its customer service comment form with observations, positive or negative, where action is needed to improve the customer experience.
The CAC holds hybrid meetings in-person and virtually via Microsoft Teams. Minutes and recordings for meetings are posted individually and can be found on the SEPTA Events page and clicking “Archived Events.”
Plenary meetings
The CAC meets from 5:30 pm – 7 pm on the fourth Tuesday of the month unless otherwise adjusted for holidays. There is no meeting in August.
Plenary meetings are open to the public. If you are interested in attending, send your name and organization (if applicable) to [email protected]. Specify if you will attend in-person or virtually.
In person:
- 1234 Market Street, Philadelphia PA 19107
- In-person meeting attendance requests must be received at least one day before the meeting.
- Attendees must bring Identification.
- Arrive no later than 15 minutes before the meeting start. Attendees who arrive after the meeting start may not be accommodated due to limited staff capacity.
Virtual:
- A meeting link will be provided upon request approximately one week before the meeting.
- Requests for a meeting link must be received no less than three hours before the meeting. Request sent later than that might not be accommodated due to limited staff capacity.
Subcommittee Meetings
Regional Rail – The Regional Rail Subcommittee focuses on regional rail service. Meetings are virtual on the first Tuesday of each month. Email [email protected] for more information.
Transit – The Transit Subcommittee focuses on buses, trolleys and subway/elevated services. Meetings are virtual on the third Tuesday of each month. Email [email protected] for more information.
Made up of young riders from Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties, the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is SEPTA’s primary outreach group to riders ages 14 to 22. The Youth Advisory Council advocates student needs to SEPTA leadership, assists SEPTA in creating promotions, provides outreach to the region’s youth and educates peers about services and special events. The YAC has committees to organize its members including SEPTA Affairs, Online Outreach, Student Outreach and Government Affairs.
The YAC was first convened in September 2009 after a competitive application process that drew interest from college and high school students across the Delaware Valley. Those serving on the YAC represent Philadelphia and suburban youth from a variety of universities and high schools.
Membership is open to those between 18 and 25 years of age who reside or attend school in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware or Montgomery counties.
Meetings
Plenary meetings typically occur during the third week of a month in the evening. Dates and times are subject to change. Visit the YAC welcome page for meeting information.
Membership information, bylaws, committee initiatives and additional details are available on the YAC website.
Contact
Website: https://www.septayac.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/septayac
Instagram: https://instagram.com/septayac
X: https://x.com/SEPTAYAC
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/septa-youth-advisory-council/
Email: [email protected]
SEPTA’s Advisory Committee for Accessible Transportation (SAC) is an independent, citizen-run, community advisory committee of customers with disabilities and disability advocates representing individual riders and about 50 different disability service organizations throughout the five-county SEPTA service area. The SAC sets its own agenda and policies. Founded in 1973, SAC is the oldest such organization in North America.
The SAC advocates with SEPTA on accessibility issues and policies. We are an effective voice with SEPTA management and SEPTA operations. Each month, SEPTA reports service information to SAC and solicits advice and information from it on current and future services, facilities and equipment for regular fixed-route and ADA paratransit transportation.
Meetings
See the schedule of posted meetings.
Meetings are held via Microsoft Teams on the second Tuesday of March, June, September and December from 2 to 4 pm. The meetings are public, but registration is required. Email [email protected] to register and receive a meeting link.
Subcommittee Meetings
Service Subcommittee – The Service Committee of the Advisory Committee for Accessible Transportation addresses issues related to SEPTA service. These meetings are also in Room 11C.
Attendee Accommodations
For an ASL interpreter or other accommodation, submit a request five business days before the meeting date. Please specify the type of accommodation needed, the meeting date and time and your contact information. Email your request to [email protected] or make a request by phone to SEPTA Customer Service at 215-580-7800.