SEPTA has introduced tap to exit to customers at Jefferson and Suburban Stations over the last month, as part of the SEPTA Key rollout on Regional Rail. Over the next two weeks, tap to exit will expand to include the three remaining Center City Regional Rail stations.
Starting on Wednesday, Feb. 19, tap to exit will begin at Penn Medicine Station (formerly University City Station. Temple University Station will follow on Wednesday, Feb. 26, with 30th Street Station scheduled for Wednesday, March 4.
When tap to exit begins at these stations, customers with Key Cards, senior citizen passes and magnetic stripe passes can tap or swipe to exit at designated turnstiles. Customers who use paper tickets or cash can continue to use turnstiles that are not designated for tap to exit.
Similar to the rollouts at Jefferson and Suburban stations, the program will start with a small number of turnstiles designated for tap to exit at each station, and will grow as customers become accustomed to using them. There will be signage directing customers to the tap-to-exit turnstiles, and SEPTA Key Ambassadors will be on-hand to assist customers and answer questions. While customers will not be required to use tap to exit during this phase of the program, SEPTA is encouraging riders to try this option so they can get familiar with the system as the Key implementation moves forward.
When the Key is fully implemented on Regional Rail, tapping in and out will be required at the gated Center City stations. It will also be important for customers to tap in and out at their home stations to open and close their trips. This ensures they are paying the correct fare, consistent with the TrailPass they have purchased, and eventually, for single-ride fares paid for with their Travel Wallet.
The tap-to-exit rollout is designed to help customers prepare for the full implementation of the SEPTA Key on Regional Rail, including the introduction of Travel Wallet this spring. More details about Travel Wallet for Regional Rail will be announced in the near future.
For more information about the SEPTA Key, visit https://www.septa.org/key/index.html.
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