Hearings On SEPTA Fare Increases Planned For Wednesday

PHILADELPHIA — With potential fare increases coming to SEPTA, the transit authority is hosting public hearings this week and customers and weigh in.

The hearings will be held at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday at SEPTA Headquarters or remotely via WebEx.

Those who wish to speak must register by the start time of the hearing. Register for the 10 a.m. hearing here and the 4 p.m. hearing here

Fare increases aim to address a $240 million annual budget deficit. SEPTA said the proposed fare adjustments would generate an additional $14.4 million in annual revenue.

This proposal would bring the Travel Wallet fare on buses, subways, and trolleys to $2.50, which is the same as the cash fare.

Free transfers on Transit would remain, and SEPTA would eliminate restrictions on direction of travel for transfers – introducing new flexibility that would allow for more roundtrips on a single fare.

The proposal would also increase most single-trip fares on Regional Rail and align Travel Wallet and Quick Trip pricing.

All daily, weekly, and monthly passes would remain the same price. In addition, three Zone 2 stations would become Zone 1 stations. Customers with weekly or monthly TransPass+ would have access to Regional Rail services at Overbrook, Wissahickon, and Tulpehocken stations at no additional cost – bringing the total number of Zone 1 stations to 18.

SEPTA’s last fare increase was in 2017. Planned fare increases in 2020 were deferred due to the pandemic.

Pending approval by the SEPTA Board on Nov. 21, these proposed fare adjustments would go into effect on Dec. 1.

See the full proposal online here.