SEPTA may reduce some proposed fare hikes
By Paul Nussbaum
Philly.com, May 21, 2010
With bus, subway, and train ridership starting to recover from the economic slump, SEPTA Thursday moved to reduce slightly some of the fare hikes it wants to impose on July 1.
Most of the reductions would be for rail commuters, who were hit hardest by the initial fare-hike proposals.
The changes would mean an average fare increase for rail riders of about 8 percent, down from the original proposal of more than 9 percent.
The proposed fare hike for bus and subway riders will remain at about 6 percent.
The SEPTA board will vote on the fare hikes next Thursday. If approved, they will take effect on July 1.
Rail passenger advocates said the changes were too small and too narrowly focused.
"They didn't make the policy changes that a lot of people wanted, and as a result, a lot of riders are facing double fare increases," said Matthew Mitchell of the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers.
Mitchell said SEPTA's plan to eliminate off-peak train fares before 7 p.m. on weekdays means that many midday riders will have to pay peak fares as well as the fare increase.
(Currently, passengers pay peak fares only on trains arriving at Center City stations before 9:30 a.m. and departing Center City between 4 and 6:30 p.m.)
The revised fare proposal would price weekly and monthly rail passes and 10-trip ticket purchases slightly lower than originally proposed in March.
For instance, a weekly pass for a Zone 3 rail passenger would cost $42, up from the current $39 but down from the original proposal of $42.75. A monthly rail pass for Zone 3 would cost $155, up from the current $142.50 but $2 less than initially proposed.
SEPTA's proposal would still increase the cost of a bus or subway token to $1.55 from the current $1.45. The cost of a transfer would rise to $1 from the current 75 cents. The base cash fare, used by only about 13 percent of bus and subway riders, would remain at $2.
The agency also wants to combine some rail zones.
At a board committee meeting on the proposed changes on Thursday, SEPTA board member Tom Babcock, of Delaware County, questioned the wisdom of holding the line on the cash fare.
"It seems counterintuitive to keep the cash fare at $2 while we're trying to get people to use tokens or passes," said Babcock. "Why not raise it to $3 to further reduce the number of people who use it?"
SEPTA chief financial officer Richard Burnfield said the latest fare proposals would cost SEPTA about $700,000 in lost revenue. But he said increasing ridership might make up for that.
Ridership was up 5.5 percent in April, compared with the same month in 2009, Burnfield said. SEPTA carried 26.7 million riders last month, compared to 25.3 million a year earlier.
The increase was greatest on buses, subways and trolleys in Philadelphia. Smaller increases were tallied on suburban bus routes and on regional rail lines.
The proposed fare increases and other changes are excessive, said Mitchell of the rail passengers' group.
Most of the reductions would be for rail commuters, who were hit hardest by the initial fare-hike proposals.
The changes would mean an average fare increase for rail riders of about 8 percent, down from the original proposal of more than 9 percent.
The proposed fare hike for bus and subway riders will remain at about 6 percent.
The SEPTA board will vote on the fare hikes next Thursday. If approved, they will take effect on July 1.
Rail passenger advocates said the changes were too small and too narrowly focused.
"They didn't make the policy changes that a lot of people wanted, and as a result, a lot of riders are facing double fare increases," said Matthew Mitchell of the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers.
Mitchell said SEPTA's plan to eliminate off-peak train fares before 7 p.m. on weekdays means that many midday riders will have to pay peak fares as well as the fare increase.
(Currently, passengers pay peak fares only on trains arriving at Center City stations before 9:30 a.m. and departing Center City between 4 and 6:30 p.m.)
The revised fare proposal would price weekly and monthly rail passes and 10-trip ticket purchases slightly lower than originally proposed in March.
For instance, a weekly pass for a Zone 3 rail passenger would cost $42, up from the current $39 but down from the original proposal of $42.75. A monthly rail pass for Zone 3 would cost $155, up from the current $142.50 but $2 less than initially proposed.
SEPTA's proposal would still increase the cost of a bus or subway token to $1.55 from the current $1.45. The cost of a transfer would rise to $1 from the current 75 cents. The base cash fare, used by only about 13 percent of bus and subway riders, would remain at $2.
The agency also wants to combine some rail zones.
At a board committee meeting on the proposed changes on Thursday, SEPTA board member Tom Babcock, of Delaware County, questioned the wisdom of holding the line on the cash fare.
"It seems counterintuitive to keep the cash fare at $2 while we're trying to get people to use tokens or passes," said Babcock. "Why not raise it to $3 to further reduce the number of people who use it?"
SEPTA chief financial officer Richard Burnfield said the latest fare proposals would cost SEPTA about $700,000 in lost revenue. But he said increasing ridership might make up for that.
Ridership was up 5.5 percent in April, compared with the same month in 2009, Burnfield said. SEPTA carried 26.7 million riders last month, compared to 25.3 million a year earlier.
The increase was greatest on buses, subways and trolleys in Philadelphia. Smaller increases were tallied on suburban bus routes and on regional rail lines.
The proposed fare increases and other changes are excessive, said Mitchell of the rail passengers' group.