Judge: SEPTA must restore all service cuts, halt future cuts

PHILADELPHIA (WPHL) — SEPTA is required to restore all service cuts that were eliminated or reduced in accordance with a Thursday court ruling.

“This is a victory for the riders,” George Bochetto said outside the courtroom after the hearing. Bochetto is the attorney who filed the lawsuit on behalf of three riders. “Students can get to school. Teachers can get to school. People that are disabled or have medical disabilities can get to their doctor’s appointment.”

In the court hearing on Thursday, the judge ruled in favor of the lawsuit that argued the SEPTA cuts implemented were inequitable. Bochetto said it put low-income riders and minorities at a disadvantage.

The ruling states that all cuts and reductions must be reinstated including bus, metro, regional rail services and special transit services, like trains before and after games at the Sports Complex in South Philadelphia. It also orders SEPTA to reopen stations that were closed to reduce bus regional rail lines and reverse the 9 p.m. curfew.

The judge is allowing SEPTA to move forward with its fare increases. On September 1, SEPTA planned to put into effect a 21.5% fare increase, but those plans were halted in accordance with an stoppage order from the judge, saying SEPTA must wait until Thursday’s court hearing. The raise in fare would’ve put the base fare at $2.90.

“I’m always glad that we have more public transportation,” Stephen Bronskill said on Action News at 10 on PHL17. Bronskill is a transit advocate with Transit Forward Philly. On Thursday ahead of the Eagles home opener, his organization rallied outside of the NRG Station at the Sports Complex. “We need to make sure we address SEPTA’s fiscal situation. It is why we’re in this situation in the first place: that the state needs to fund public transit.”

SEPTA continue to face a $213 million budget shortfall as state lawmakers are at a stalemate in approving additional funding for the transit agency. Reducing its service by 20% was SEPTA’s solution.

“We want to make sure that we’ve covered all our bases before we commit to a return date for our service,” said SEPTA Spokesperson Andrew Busch on Action News at 10 on PHL17. “So we’re working on some things to make sure that we’re prepared to do that.”

SEPTA said it needs time to smoothly transition state and operational systems. Before the cuts, SEPTA ambassadors who were preparing riders for the change in routes said that switching back would take a week.

In August, the City of Philadelphia supplemented funds for SEPTA using money from its existing $135 million transit subsidy. It took three days over the Labor Day weekend to restore several bus routes that serviced city school students that rely on SEPTA.

SEPTA restored ten express trains servicing sports fans before and after games, after FanDuel paid $80,000 the day before the Eagles game on September 4.

SEPTA has yet to release when it will restore service, or whether base fares will increase.