SEPTA Proposes Service Enhancements, New Customer Service Initiatives in FY 09 Operating Budget

Public Hearing Scheduled for Fiscal Year 2009 Operating Budget Proposal

March 26, 2008

Philadelphia, PA  — General Manager Joseph M. Casey announced the beginning of a new chapter for SEPTA customers with the Fiscal Year 2009 Operating Budget.When asked about the upcoming $1.080 Billion budget program, Casey said…“We recognize that public transit is a customer service business and we are now in a financial position to commit our resources to the issues that matter the most to our customers - service, cleanliness, convenience, courtesy, and communications.”

SEPTA has seen steady and significant ridership increases on all service modes.In the first seven months of the current fiscal year (FY’08), Transit ridership grew by 4% or 30,000 daily trips and 12% on Regional Rail, a 25 year high. Responding to this growth and with the aim to improve customer convenience, the proposed budget identifies 65 initiatives to enhance service by addressing overcrowding, expanding peak hour service, improving midday, evening, late night Transit service, and expanding late night, weekend service on Regional Rail.Many of these enhancements are designed to provide service to growing employment, retail, and residential markets, and to better serve riders employed at businesses with 24 hour operations.These improvements are the next phase of service enhancements already in place including the recent expansion of weekday AM peak and midday service on the Market Frankford El and the addition of express train service and 1200 additional seats on peak hour trains on the Warminster, Elwyn, West Trenton, and Lansdale/Doylestown Regional Rail Lines.

In addition to the service improvements, the FY ’09 Operating Budget proposal also includes initiatives to improve customer communications and station and vehicle cleaning.

The public hearings are scheduled for:

Monday, March 31, 2008, 2:00 p.m.
Delaware County Court House
201 W. Front Street
Media, PA 19062