SEPTA was notified early this afternoon by Fraternal Order of Transit Police that SEPTA police officers would go out on strike as of 2:00 pm. This afternoon.
While SEPTA management was hoping to negotiate a new contract without a strike, we have implemented a contingency plan to deal with this situation.
We do not anticipate this labor action will affect any transit operations or service. SEPTA has hired a private firm to provide security at our major transit facilities, beginning tomorrow.
We have an agreement with the Philadelphia Police Department to immediately begin periodic checks of our stations and vehicles 24 hours a day, with an increase presence at our key stations during school dismissal between 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm and during rush hour.
We have also notified the area police departments who cover the SEPTA transit system region-wide — including Temple, Upper Darby, Amtrak, University of Pennsylvania and PATCO.