ICYMI 2025 was a pretty momentous year for SEPTA. We marked some highs including new fare gates, dedicated bus lanes, and contactless on Regional Rail and some lows including no dedicated funding for public transportation and equipment issues on Regional Rail but through it all we delivered an average of 732,972 trips (and counting) EVERY SINGLE WEEKDAY! Here’s a look back at the top 25 moments in 2025.
1. SEPTA kicked off 2025 strong with new data showing a 33% decrease in serious crimes on the system through 2024 compared to 2023.
Transit Police marked the largest one-year drop in serious crimes in its 43-year history with approximately 350 fewer incidents reported over the last year.
SEPTA remains laser-focused on improving safety and security on the system. Crime in most categories held steady during the first quarter of 2025. Transit Police reported a 10% reduction in serious crimes in October 2025 compared to the same period last year. There were reductions in seven of the eight serious crime categories including aggravated assaults and thefts.
SEPTA Transit Police Chief Charles Lawson swore in thirteen (13) new police officers in June and in December swore in another nine (9) officers.
2. We served a record number of fans for the Eagles playoff run in January including a record 31,087 fans on the B for the NFC Championship game and festivities around it. And we did this while providing a safe and welcoming environment for our customers.
And SEPTA continued to fly high in February thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl win! SEPTA provided free Rides on the B and L thanks to sponsorships from Kevin Hart’s Gran Coramino Tequila, Nike, and Duracell for the Eagles Championship Parade on February 14! Estimates put parade attendance at over one million and ridership data showed hundreds of thousands of fans relied on SEPTA to transport them safely and reliably to and from parade route proving how vital SEPTA is to keeping our region moving. Go Birds!
3. SEPTA Board members voted unanimously on Thursday, February 27 to reelect Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. as Board Chair and Chester County Commissioner Marian D. Moskowitz as Vice Chair.
Lawrence joined the SEPTA Board in September 2011 and had served as the SEPTA Board Vice Chair since February 2021. He is also a former member of the SEPTA Citizens Advisory Committee.
Commissioner Moskowitz joined the SEPTA Board in February 2022 and serves as Vice Chair of the Chester County Board of Commissioners.
4. SEPTA launched a new initiative in March 2025 that added designated stroller areas to select buses on six routes that operate across the City of Philadelphia. The effort was designed to make travel on SEPTA more accommodating to families. Buses with a stroller area are marked with a special decal on the bus exterior above the boarding door. The space inside is also identified with blue signage.
5. SEPTA expanded contactless payment options to Regional Rail in April 2025. This means customers on all modes can easily tap on using their credit or debit card, or mobile wallet. SEPTA is the first commuter rail network in the country to accept contactless payments.
6. The Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) and SEPTA teamed up with the City’s OTIS (Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Systems) to fight congestion and improve safety on city streets with an Automated Bus Camera Enforcement Initiative that uses camera-mounted computer vision technology to enforce violations for blocking bus lanes, bus stops, and trolley zones.
Vehicles parked or stopped illegally in designated no stopping lanes, bus stops, or double parked in Center City (on select streets) received warning notices via mail beginning in April. Citations with fines started in May.
7. SEPTA’s Airport Line was established on April 28, 1985 which made Monday, April 28, 2025 its 40th birthday!
The Airport Line runs every 30 minutes from 5AM to midnight on weekdays and weekends. Philadelphia is fortunate to have a rail line that connects directly to PHL terminals. Only a handful of major airports in the United States offer this service to its customers.
SEPTA’s Airport Line is a key differentiator for Philadelphia. It helps to attract major conferences, sporting events, and international gatherings to the City including the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
It also brings nearly 18,000 total badged airport employees to work including operations, security, concessions, and logistics.
8. The Authority is committed to becoming a more cost effective, nimble, and healthy organization while still delivering the safest, cleanest and most reliable service for customers.
Our Efficiency & Accountability (E&A) Program recognized $91.4 million in annual recurring new revenue and cost savings in May. Employees from across the organization created and implemented 140 cost-saving initiatives to make SEPTA even more efficient.
9. The SEPTA Board voted in June 2025 to appoint Scott A. Sauer as the Authority’s General Manager. He received a unanimous vote from the Board following a nationwide search for candidates and review process. Sauer had been serving as Interim General Manager since November 2024.
Sauer started his career with SEPTA in 1990 as a Surface Train Operator and over the years has progressed through roles as a Subway/Elevated Train Operator, Transportation Manager, and Safety Officer. He was appointed Assistant General Manager of System Safety in 2013 where he developed and implemented critical safety initiatives and in 2017 was promoted to Assistant General Manager of Operations where he oversaw all operational aspects of SEPTA including Transportation, Control Center, Vehicle Maintenance, and Station Cleaning. Sauer was named Chief Operating Officer in 2022—expanding his oversight to include the Engineering, Maintenance, and Construction Division; Transit Police; and Capital Programs.
10. SEPTA launched a project in June 2025 to rehabilitate five bridges along the Chestnut Hill East Regional Rail Line. This project included the following bridges: Wayne Avenue Bridge, Logan Street Bridge, Chew Avenue Bridge, Mt. Pleasant Avenue Bridge, and Cresheim Valley Drive Bridges.
SEPTA owns and maintains more than 350 bridges. Many of the structures were constructed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Chestnut Hill East Bridge Rehabilitation Program was part of SEPTA’s Capital Program and consists of restoring the bridges to a state of good repair and extending their useful life.
Crews also made structural repairs to SEPTA’s bridge over Easton Rd between Mount Carmel Av and Glenside Av in Summer 2025.
11. The SEPTA Board voted in June to approve the Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget which included 45% service cuts and raised fares 21.5% to fill a $213 million recurring budget deficit.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) approved SEPTA’s request in September for the one-time use of its state capital assistance to cover operations and so SEPTA could roll back the service cuts that were implemented as part of the FY26 Operating Budget. This was not the long-term funding solution we need to address our $213 million budget deficit but it was decided our riders deserve better and they deserve stability.
Governor Shapiro authorized nearly $220 million in November to be made available to SEPTA so that we can make necessary safety repairs to over 200 Silverliner IV rail cars, upgrade trolley infrastructure, keep riders safe, and continue to deliver reliable, on-time service. SEPTA is appreciative of Governor Shapiro’s continued support for SEPTA and public transportation as a whole. This money is earmarked for projects that can begin quickly and enhance safety and reliability on the system.
12. SEPTA began charging for parking on weekends and holidays beginning in July at all SEPTA-owned lots and garages including 35 additional locations. Collecting parking fees 24/7 is another example of how we are doing everything we can to generate revenue. We are committed to finding innovative ways to make this organization more efficient without compromising safety or reliability for our customers.
13. SEPTA reported its highest-ever customer satisfaction scores in July 2025 according to new data. Overall satisfaction of the transit system was a 3.5 out of 5—the highest ranking to date!
14. Installation of new fare gates at 13th St Station was completed in September.
The full-length gates are designed to deter fare evaders from jumping over, sipping through, or crawling under the turnstiles. ICYMI fare evasion is a crime. It is a theft of service subject to fines up to $300.
The gates are equipped with 3D imaging technology to distinguish between adults, children, and objects including wheelchairs, luggage, and strollers. The system is also able to accurately count fare evaders who try to piggyback or force their way through the gates.
Fare evasion is down at 69th St Transit Center thanks to the full-length gates.
The full length gates were also installed at 15th St/City Hall Station, 52nd St Station, and Somerset Station with more to come in 2026.
15. In October SEPTA received the 2025 Annual Award for a Project, Program, or Practice from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association for our Transit Oriented Communities Guidelines. The award was presented at the APA PA Annual Conference in Harrisburg.
The APA PA cited SEPTA’s Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) Guidelines as a groundbreaking planning document for the Authority that redefines how SEPTA engages with communities, local governments, and regional stakeholders to promote equitable, walkable, and transit-supportive development. The Guidelines provide the foundation for SEPTA’s TOC program and justify SEPTA’s participation in land use, zoning, and development as a stakeholder, landowners, developer, and advocate. SEPTA’s TOC program is about more than just real estate—it’s about reimagining how public land can serve the public good. This award is a testament to the innovative spirit driving that mission forward.
16. SEPTA along with city and state officials and accessibility advocates held a ribbon cutting in September to celebrate the completion of a new accessibility project at Tasker-Morris Station on the B. A key element of the $19 million project was providing elevator access from street level to the mezzanine level and a second elevator to the platform below. The station is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) thanks to these upgrades.
Tasker-Morris serves approximately 3,000 riders daily.
17. SEPTA was honored to recognize the outstanding career of Ed Sinclair who retired from SEPTA on October 31, 2025 after 54 years of service! Fun fact. Ed was our longest-tenured employee since our founding in 1964!
Ed joined SEPTA right out of high school as a cleaner in 1971. After a year he was called to serve his country and was drafted into the U.S. Army but he knew SEPTA would be waiting for him when he returned from duty. He came back to SEPTA as a mechanic and was here ever since.
What’s next? Ed plans to spend much of his newfound free time enjoying life and his family.
18. The City of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), and SEPTA announced in November that red-painted bus-only lanes will be installed on three critical transit corridors in Center City and South Philadelphia on sections of Chestnut Street, Walnut Street, and Oregon Avenue.
All three corridors were identified in the 2021 Philadelphia Transit Plan as “Tier 1” priority corridors for improvements to bus service. Corridors were identified and prioritized based on ridership, bus speeds, service hours, geographic and economic equity and connections, among other factors.
Philadelphia has seen success in implementing red-painted bus lanes on Chestnut Street from Broad Street to 2nd Street and more recently, on Market Street from 20th Street to 15th Street and on Erie Avenue from Germantown Avenue to Old York Road.
19. SEPTA marked the completion the point-by-point inspections of its Silverliner IV Regional Rail trains ahead of the November 14 deadline set by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
The FRA outlined 14 safety-related requirements in an Emergency Order issued on October 1 in response to recent fires involving the Silverliner IV fleet.
20. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced in November $2 billion in grants for 165 transit projects in 45 states and Washington, D.C. The funds will deliver 2,400 buses built with American parts and labor. SEPTA received $43,000,000 to buy new hybrid buses to replace older buses that have reached their useful life. Expected delivery of the buses is 2028 at which point SEPTA will no longer have any diesel-burning buses left in its fleet.
21. The first-ever SEPTA Store Holiday Pop-Up opened Wednesday, November 26. The shop is located directly off Market St adjacent to SEPTA Headquarters making it easy for shoppers and commuters to stop in during the busiest season of the year for festive, transit-inspired gifts for dedicated railroad or transit fans. To date the Holiday Pop-Up has grossed over $100,000!
22. Teams of SEPTA employees from Comly, Frankford, Midvale, Southern, and Victory bus districts along with colleagues at Callowhill, Elmwood, and Woodland trolley districts worked for weeks to deck out buses and trolleys in festive decor as part of an annual tradition at the Authority.
The vehicles were decorated for the annual SEPTA Holiday Vehicle Competition which returned for its 11th year at Frankford District in December. Midvale’s “National Lampoon’s Holiday” won the competition with their homage to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. The bus welcomed judges with a with a cutout of Clark Griswold and a faux-desiccated Christmas turkey as the center of a holiday spread along with an electrified Griswold wrapped in holidays lights bidding viewers goodbye on the back.
The buses had their public debut on December 6 and 7 at LOVE Park for a People’s Choice Vote— where Comly District’s “Christmas and Wonderland” was crowned the winner.
23. SEPTA received 10 leased rail coach cars from Maryland Area Regional Commuter Rail (MARC) in early December. The cars came from Brunswick, Maryland and made a quick stop at Union Station in Washington, DC before arriving at Amtrak William H. Gray III 30th St Station.
SEPTA signed the one-year agreement with MARC in November to provide some relief and added capacity on Regional Rail. The lease is being funded as part of the nearly $220 million in additional capital dollars allocated by Governor Josh Shapiro on November 24 to support urgent safety upgrades and infrastructure improvements.
SEPTA will use the MARC cars to provide service where needed across our Regional Rail network.
This is the third time SEPTA has leased cars from MARC. The first time was in 2016 and the second time in 2019.
24. SEPTA announced in December that it had reached a contract agreement with TWU Local 234 for employees the union represents in the City, Suburban, and Frontier Divisions. The agreement was reached following discussions mediated by Governor Josh Shapiro. The agreement was finalized pending ratification by union members and approval by the SEPTA Board. The contract is for two years. It includes wage increases and a temporary pension enhancement for TWU members who retire during the term of the contract while maintaining healthcare and other benefits. It also adds a program designed to improve absence management and increases the pay differential for night shifts.
25. SEPTA gathered with elected officials and other stakeholders on a very cold day in December to cut the ribbon at the new Wissahickon Transit Center in northwest Philadelphia. Service to the state-of-the-art transit hub located at 5000 Ridge Av began on Sunday, December 14. Construction on the approximately $50 million project began in the spring of 2023.
Wissahickon Transit Center is located within walking distance of Wissahickon Station, is bordered by some of the region’s most heavily traveled roadways, and is an anchor for Manayunk’s Main Street business corridor.
The new Wissahickon Transit Center is more than six times the size of the former facility, fully ADA accessible, and boasts significant safety upgrades with improved lighting, signage, and security cameras.
Other customer amenities include weather-protected waiting areas, benches, and bicycle racks; improved crosswalks for pedestrians; and new ADA-compliant boarding areas for each bus route.
Over 5,000 riders use Wissahickon Transit Center on weekdays. Nearly three-quarters of riders passengers who board at Wissahickon are transferring to or from other SEPTA services.
Thanks for revisiting 2025 with us! SEPTA’s leadership remains committed to doing our part—upholding strict fiscal discipline, strengthening accountability, and continuing to improve safety and security, service reliability, and customer experience. But we need a sustainable long-term transit funding solution that will help all Pennsylvania transit agencies.
We stand ready in the new year to work toward passage of a transportation funding solution that meets the needs of our region and Commonwealth—today and for generations to come.