PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — SEPTA riders would largely be on their own to find transportation options if service cuts go into effect. But one transit agency in Delaware is considering some supplemental service.
It wouldn’t happen with the first round of SEPTA cuts planned for Aug. 24. But if the Wilmington/Newark Regional Rail line is eliminated in January, DART First State is considering running buses along the line from Newark to 30th Street Station.
The idea has received overwhelming support from riders who were surveyed, according to Albert Loyola, chief customer experience officer for Delaware Transit Corporation, which runs DART First State. He says the preference would be for a budget agreement that averts the cuts.
“We’re hoping that that will avoid the whole situation, and we can go back to a normal service. But if it doesn't for any reason, we’re prepared to work with SEPTA and try to see what we can do,” Loyola said.
PATCO plans no operational changes if the SEPTA service reductions go into effect, but a spokesman says in Philadelphia, PATCO remains a travel option between Franklin and Rittenhouse Square.
On Monday, the Democratic-led Pennsylvania House passed the transportation funding bill 108-95, over the objection of nearly every Republican in the chamber.
The nearly $1 billion bill has the support of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and includes funding for highways, too. But it faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled Senate, where the GOP majority has resisted increasing aid for transit.
The Senate is expected to convene over the bill on Tuesday.