PHILADELPHIA (November 21, 2024) – The SEPTA Board today approved the first of two proposed fare increases, as the Authority faces a $240 million annual budget deficit with the exhaustion of federal COVID relief funds.
SEPTA held public hearings last month regarding the 7.5% fare increase, which will go into effect on December 1. The Travel Wallet fare on buses, subways, and trolleys will be $2.50, which is the same as the cash fare. Most single-trip fares on Regional Rail will increase to align Travel Wallet and Quick Trip pricing.
“For two years, we have been warning about the dire consequences facing SEPTA – and our region – due to the looming fiscal cliff,” said SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence, Jr. “With no prospect of a statewide solution to help fund the everyday operating expenses of public transportation systems, we have no choice but to continue plans to confront this stark reality.”
Earlier this month, SEPTA announced a second fare increase proposal that would increase fares an additional 21.5%. Coupled with the fare increase approved by the Board today, beginning on January 1, SEPTA customers would pay an average of 29% more to travel on SEPTA across all modes and payment methods. The Authority will hold public hearings regarding the second proposal on December 13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The SEPTA Board could vote on that second proposal at its next meeting on December 19.
This historically high fare increase would be paired with major service cuts, which SEPTA expects to announce and hold public hearings on in early 2025. While some details of the service reduction plan are still being finalized, it would result in an overall 20% cut in service across all modes.
“This is not a position we ever wanted to be in,” said SEPTA Chief Operating Officer Scott Sauer. “We have been investing carefully in service enhancements and customer and employee safety initiatives to improve service and bring more riders back to the system, and those efforts are paying off. We need a funding solution that will ensure SEPTA can provide the level of service our region needs and deserves.”
Combined, these two fare proposals would generate nearly $50 million in new revenue annually – although with ridership losses likely due to the combined effect of higher fares and declining service levels, that number could be lower.
SEPTA’s last fare increase was in 2017. Planned fare increases in 2020 were deferred due to the pandemic.
For more information about SEPTA, visit septa.org, follow @SEPTA, or download the official SEPTA app.
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