Weekly transpasses are being replaced by fare cards for Philadelphia public school students, the School District of Philadelphia and SEPTA have announced. About 65,000 eligible students in Philadelphia will receive a SEPTA Student Fare Card – a contact-free, reusable chip card that students can use to get to and from school during the 2021-2022 school year.

Here’s how the card will work for students:

Students can use the fare card up to eight times per day between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. on any bus, trolley or subway on school days. If a student needs to use regional rail, they can upgrade their student fare card at designated SEPTA stations for about $10 per 5-day school week. Continue Reading

SEPTA is ending vehicle capacity restrictions imposed at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Beginning Tuesday, June 1, there will be no limits on the number of riders on all SEPTA vehicles.

The decision to lift vehicle capacity restrictions was made due to the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases in the Philadelphia region, as more people are getting vaccinated, and the recent decision by Philadelphia authorities to ease indoor capacity-related restrictions.

SEPTA customers will still be required to wear face masks on all vehicles and in stations.

The annual SEPTA trolley tunnel repair and maintenance project, “Trolley Tunnel Blitz” has begun. The tunnel will be closed until Monday, July 20 and all trolleys will be on diversion to 40th and Market Streets where passengers can board the Market-Frankford Line to continue their travel to Center City. No additional fare is required when you switch to/from the Market-Frankford Line.

SEPTA crews will work around the clock during the Blitz to tackle track and power maintenance in the tunnel. This summer the focus will also be on intensive cleaning at all stations.

This is the eight consecutive year SEPTA has held the Trolley Tunnel Blitz. It is usually scheduled during summer months when ridership is traditionally lower.

Regular trolley service through the tunnel is expected to resume at 5 a.m. on Monday, July 20.

Image courtesy of SEPTA.

As Philadelphia has moved into the Yellow coronavirus re-opening phase and ridership is expected to grow, all SEPTA riders will now be required to wear a mask or facial covering. The new requirement goes into effect on Monday, June 8. In April, SEPTA asked riders to wear a facial covering to help spread COVID-19 on public transportation, but it wasn’t a requirement. SEPTA employees will “engage customers to remind them about the requirement starting Monday,” according to an announcement by SEPTA released Friday.

SEPTA returned to regular transit service on May 17, with rider limits for buses and trolleys still in effect. This will continue throughout the Yellow Phase. There are also signs marking off seats to indicate where passengers should sit to maintain a safe space.  Continue Reading

After a temporary switch to Saturday schedules and limited (“Lifeline”) service due to the COVID-19 crisis, SEPTA will return to regular service on Sunday, May 17. Regular service will resume on all trolley, Market Frankford, Broad Street and Norristown High Speed Line routes. Market Frankford and Broad Street Owl service will also resume.

Bus routes will also return to regular service, with the following exceptions:

Routes 204, 310, 311, and LUCY Gold and Green routes will continue to operate on a reduced schedule. Route 91 remains suspended.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (4/15/2020): SEPTA began offering free surgical masks to riders on some buses and subway trains and at 69th Street, 15th Street, Suburban and Jefferson stations, according to reports. This is a temporary initiative intended for riders who have not yet secured their own masks or facial coverings. It will only be available while supplies last, according to CBS Philly.

4/14/2020: SEPTA’s “Lifeline Service Schedule,” designed for safer traveling for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, went into effect on April 9th. The new schedule includes suspended select trolley lines and bus routes and also closed select trolley and train stops/stations.

The original Lifeline Service Schedule, published last Wednesday, has been updated. Some El stations in West Philadelphia that SEPTA had planned to close, including the 46th Street station, remain in operation.  Continue Reading