SEPTA releases reduced fall schedule in anticipation of transit cuts due to budget deficit
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has released its new transit schedule that is scheduled to begin on Aug. 24 if new state transit funding is not secured by Aug. 14 to fill a $213 million recurring budget deficit. According to the agency, the new schedule represents a 20 percent cut to all services, including the elimination of 32 bus routes and significant reductions in trips on rail modes, and an end to all special service, including the Sports Express.
SEPTA says the implementation deadline must be set in order for the agency to have time to complete a series of critical pre-schedule change tasks, including finalizing work schedules for frontline workers and other staff, and ensuring equipment is in place and ready for service. The agency notes time is also needed to prepare data feeds for the SEPTA App, external feeds, digital signage, platform announcements and bus and train marquees to ensure service information is accurate. According to the agency, these processes typically take a minimum of three weeks to complete for routine schedule changes, but these schedule changes will be compressed to less than 10 days to ensure all facets of SEPTA’s operation are ready for new schedules on Aug. 24.
“Our planning and operations staff have worked hard to compress the timeline for pre-schedule change work, but we cannot push it beyond Aug. 14,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer. “If funding is not secured by then, these painful service cuts will go into effect on Aug. 24.”
The agency says the Aug. 24 service cuts would be the first of several steps SEPTA will take this year to fill the budget deficit, absent a legislative solution. Additional measures will quickly follow, including a 21.5 percent fare increase on Sept. 1 and a complete hiring freeze later in that month. A second wave of service cuts on Jan. 1 will include the elimination of five Regional Rail Lines, a 9:00 p.m. curfew on all rail services and the elimination of 18 additional bus routes to achieve an overall 45 percent reduction in service. SEPTA notes additional cuts would follow in subsequent years.
“At that point, we will be left with no other choice but to begin dismantling the SEPTA system,” Sauer said. “Tens of thousands of people or more will be left with no viable public transportation options.”
SEPTA says it has worked to create two sets of schedules for all service modes: one set of schedules based on current service levels and another set reflecting the 20 percent cuts. The agency has also put up signs at the 3,000 bus stops across the system that will be eliminated as of Aug. 24 and has met with officials at the School District of Philadelphia, where thousands of students need to find other ways to get to school, which begins the next day on Aug. 25.
“We remain optimistic that a funding agreement can be reached by Aug. 14,” Sauer said. “We will continue working with lawmakers in any way we can to help get this over the finish line.”