The 4-percent increase in ridership that
SEPTA announced last week isn't surprising considering it follows national trends and that gas prices have surged higher.
However, considering fare increases and little improvement in area unemployment, the increase of 13 million trips in the last fiscal year (July 1-June 30) is encouraging. The total of 334 million trips on SEPTA's buses, trains and trolleys were the Authority's highest yearly total since 1989.
SEPTA had cut its capital budget by 25 percent last year, keeping some improvement plans on ice. SEPTA General Manager Joseph M. Casey cited an increased focus on SEPTA's aging infrastructure and customer-service initiatives as reasons for the positive report.
"We look forward to the possibilities ahead as these conditions improve," he said in a news release.
Regional Rail trips increased by nearly 500,000 and nearly broke a ridership record set in 2008. In addition, passenger revenue exceeded budget projections by $22 million, or 5 percent. A list of all SEPTA's recent reports is
here.
Source: SEPTA
Writer: Joe Petrucci