SEPTA Fares Going Up 7.5 Percent Next Month

PHILADELPHIA — SEPTA fares will be going up next month, the transit authority said. SEPTA's Board Thursday approved the first of two proposed fare increases. The fare hike will go into effect Sunday, Dec. 1.

The 7.5 percent fare increase translates to $2.50 Travel Wallet fare on buses, subways, and trolleys. This price is the same as the cash fare. Most single-trip fares on Regional Rail will increase to align Travel Wallet and Quick Trip pricing.

"For two years, we have been warning about the dire consequences facing SEPTA – and our region – due to the looming fiscal cliff," SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. said. "With no prospect of a statewide solution to help fund the everyday operating expenses of public transportation systems, we have no choice but to continue plans to confront this stark reality."

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Earlier this month, SEPTA announced a second fare increase proposal that would increase fares an additional 21.5 percent. Coupled with the fare increase approved by the board today, beginning on Jan. 1, 2025, SEPTA customers would pay an average of 29 percent more to travel on SEPTA across all modes and payment methods.

SEPTA will hold public hearings regarding the second proposal on Dec. 13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, with a vote on the second proposal likely being held on Dec. 19.

This historically high fare increase would be paired with major service cuts, which SEPTA expects to announce and hold public hearings on in early 2025. While some details of the service reduction plan are still being finalized, it would result in an overall 20 percent cut in service across all modes.

"This is not a position we ever wanted to be in," SEPTA Chief Operating Officer Scott Sauer said. "We have been investing carefully in service enhancements and customer and employee safety initiatives to improve service and bring more riders back to the system, and those efforts are paying off. We need a funding solution that will ensure SEPTA can provide the level of service our region needs and deserves."

Combined, these two fare proposals would generate nearly $50 million in new revenue annually.

Although, with ridership losses likely due to the combined effect of higher fares and declining service levels, that number could be lower.

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