PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — SEPTA's planned service cuts next month would happen one day before the first day of school, so Philly students may be navigating different routes to class.
Without a funding solution, SEPTA's 20% service cut would take effect on Aug. 24. The first day of school in Philadelphia is Aug. 25. For many of the 55,000 district students who use SEPTA, it would mean longer walks and more delays.
Of the bus routes to be eliminated first, six are in SEPTA's 400 series, which consists of 26 routes that directly serve schools.
"People will have to get up earlier to get to school on time," SEPTA deputy chief planning officer Colin Foley told KYW Newsradio. "There will probably be longer waits, [and] more crowding."
"In the best case scenario they'll have to make a couple more transfers and depart a little bit earlier," Foley said. "In the worst case scenario, they may have longer walks."
While the inconvenience will be felt citywide, SEPTA said Northeast Philadelphia will be most affected because it's not as densely populated and more students there ride buses to school.
"Definitely the students in Northeast Philadelphia will have to make the most adjustments. Many of these Route 400 series operate in Northeast Philadelphia," said Melissa Silverman, SEPTA's director of schedules and support services.
"Lincoln High School, we've been in contact with them. Their students are going to have to begin using the 70 and 66 more because of the elimination of the Route 88."
Read more about impact of cuts here
SEPTA has posted a PDF file of the impacts of the cuts on individual schools. Foley said the agency will also post best and worst-case scenarios to its website in early August.
In the meantime, crews will be posting signs along the affected routes. "As soon as next week, our staff will be going out and placing temporary signage at any bus stop that will be impacted by route eliminations or truncations," said Foley.
Philadelphia students in grades 7 through 12 who live 1 1/2 miles or more from their school are eligible to receive student Key Cards to ride SEPTA to classes.