SEPTA Strike Day 2 Updates: Dozens Of Delays, Shuttles Alleviate Jams

The second day of the SEPTA union strike on Wednesday came in the wake of a catastrophic Tuesday which included lengthy delays and cancellations on the Regional Rail, the only transit still operating within the city itself.

Crowds were shoulder to shoulder is center city stations like Jefferson and Suburban as rush hour approached. Delays ranged across the board from minutes to well over an hour. In some cases, protesters with the Transportation Workers Union Local 234 blockaded SEPTA workers from accessing the trains, so that dozens of scheduled departures had to be cancelled entirely.

There was no signal Tuesday that the dispute between SEPTA and its largest workers union was close to being resolved. The union had presented a variety of demands, but the key issues were better pensions and better working conditions. Specifically, the union did not want bus drivers who drove overnight to have to have shifts scheduled so closely to one another.

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Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams met with members of TWU 234 at two different locations on Wednesday afternoon, at 27th and Allegheny and at 59th and Callowhill.

Other local and state leaders urged the two sides to come to an agreement as soon as possible.

“Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania residents rely on SEPTA to travel each day to and from work and school and the inability of TWU and SEPTA to reach an agreement is devastating for many of these individuals and their families," Governor Wolf said on Tuesday. "This will create extreme hardships for the city and for businesses. I have spoken at length with both sides and I continue to urge them to come together and continue talking until a compromise is reached.”

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney echoed Wolf's sentiments.

“I urge both SEPTA and the Transport Workers Union to maintain communication despite the work stoppage," Kenney said. "Tens of thousands of Philadelphians rely on the buses, trolleys and subways, so it is vital for everyone that this situation be resolved as quickly as possible."

There is grave concern that the strike could impact the results of Election Day and prevent people from reaching their polling places, especially within the city of Philadelphia. The city has long been a Democratic stronghold and reduced voter turnout in the city would strongly favor Donald Trump and the Republican ticket in Pennsylvania.

Public opinion is split between those supporting the union and its causes and those who just want things to get back to normal as quickly as possible. Many expressed frustration that SEPTA workers, whom they disapproved of, would throw the city into such chaos.

Others, however, identified with the core issues that the union was striking over.

Patch file photo.