PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — SEPTA is no longer limiting the number of passengers allowed on any of its vehicles starting on Tuesday, because COVID-19 cases are down sharply and more people have become vaccinated.
SEPTA’s mask requirement is still in effect until further notice, because the transit agency is following CDC guidance that masks should still be worn while taking public transportation.
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Most restrictions were lifted in Pennsylvania on Memorial Day. And the transit agency says it’s ready to play a key role moving Philadelphia forward when the city follows suit on Wednesday.
A grand reopening and ribbon-cutting at the renovated 5th Street Station at Independence Mall on Tuesday morning was used as a symbol.
"We just want to let everybody know: We’re ready when you’re ready," SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards said.
Last Friday was SEPTA's busiest day since March 2020, she said, but there's a long way to go to reach pre-pandemic levels of ridership. A SEPTA spokesperson told KYW Newsradio in May that city transit is up to about 40% of pre-pandemic levels. Regional Rail is farther behind, however, Busch said ridership is about 20% of where it had been in early 2020.
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So, SEPTA is making a push to get more people on the trains, buses and trolleys again. For one thing, Richards says, they are safe and even exceed the CDC recommendations for indoor settings.
"Air is being refreshed every two to three minutes. That’s in our stations and on our vehicles. That’s cleaner than many buildings that many people have been in and restaurants that people have visited," she said.
Mayor Jim Kenney says he hopes the city gets a lot more of those visits as more companies get employees back in the workplace, restaurants and theaters can seat more patrons, and the Phillies and Sixers have full houses again. A lot more people may need a ride to get to where they want to go, and SEPTA says ridership is slowly rebounding.
He recalled the difficult decisions he had to make over the last 14 months, saying ultimately they’ll prove to be worth it.
"When you see these lines of tourists and everyone around here, eating in restaurants, walking our streets and shopping and doing the things we want them to do, we’ll all look back and say, ‘Thank God that’s over.’”