SEPTA looks to the future with ambitious modernization plan
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SEPTA is swinging big with a new plan to revamp its entire transit system throughout the Philadelphia region.
Why it matters: In the age of remote work and ridership declines, SEPTA is betting people want more service rather than less.
Elephant in the room: Looming over the plan is a long-term funding shortfall that threatens to trigger a death spiral for the agency — route eliminations, reduced schedules, fare increases and likely mothballing improvement projects.
Driving the news: The vision for SEPTA's future — dubbed Accelerate — was unveiled on Tuesday by the agency officials and business leaders.
- The plan aims to modernize and upgrade trolleys, buses, train cars, tracks and stations.
- Goals: Service, frequency, accessibility and reliability would increase across all transit lines — and, hopefully, ridership.
Worth noting: The cost is TBD and timeline will depend on future state funding.
👀 1 notable thing: The plan hints that any expansion to the metro system — like a proposed Roosevelt Boulevard subway line through Northeast Philly — is not in the agency's future — for now.
- "Before we can consider expanding rail service beyond its current footprint, SEPTA must first advance the modernization of our existing system," per the report.
Between the lines: SEPTA's future depends on more and consistent funding from the state's divided government, which has so far been less than willing to come to the agency's rescue.
- SEPTA is facing a deficit in the coming fiscal year that's likely to reach $200 million.
- So, SEPTA's latest plan could serve as a pitch to state legislators of what the agency might become without the limitations of underinvestment.
What they're saying: "If we're going to truly transform SEPTA, modernization is only the beginning," Scott Sauer, the agency's general manager, said at the news conference.
- "Identifying a long-term funding solution to address SEPTA's structural deficit is essential to SEPTA's survival and the region's long-term success," he added.
Zoom in: Highlights of the plan include:
🚇 Metro: Major station renovations, including adding elevators.
- New subway vehicles for the B and M lines.
🚆 Regional Rail: Station upgrades, including making them all fully accessible.
- Rebuild aging tracks, bridges and other infrastructure in Center City.
- Scheduling changes and providing real-time info to better integrate with bus and metro lines to reduce wait times.
🚌 Bus: Expanding red bus lanes and signal upgrades.
Meanwhile, several system improvements are already in the works, including:
- A new trolley fleet of modern light rail vehicles set to arrive in the coming years.
- New subway cars for the Market-Frankford Line (L), coming in 2029.
- An ongoing bus system redesign.
- Regional Rail fleet replacement starting in 2030.