PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — SEPTA’s severe service cuts are set to take effect in one month unless critical funding is approved by the state. The transit agency is ramping up outreach efforts, particularly to students and their families, about what they can expect when school starts just one day after the scheduled cuts.
SEPTA crews were expected to put up signs at bus stops around Philadelphia on Thursday to let riders know about the potential cuts and alternatives they could take if the cuts were to occur as planned on August 24.
If SEPTA’s “doomsday budget” scenario plays out, 32 bus routes will be cut and 16 will be shortened on that day. There would also be reduced service on 88 bus routes, metro, and regional rail lines.
In all, 55,000 school district of Philadelphia students take SEPTA to school. Many of them are in the Northeast, the transit agency said.
One of the bus routes that would go away would be the 88. Students and staff who rely on that route at Lincoln High School, Father Judge High School, and Baldi Middle School would be affected.
Following the late August cuts, SEPTA would raise fares by 21.5% and start a complete hiring freeze in September. An additional 25% in service cuts would go into place in January, which would include the elimination of five regional rail lines and 18 bus routes.
The drastic changes are due to SEPTA’s $213 million budget hole. The agency, along with transit advocates and public officials in the city, is waiting on lawmakers in Harrisburg to act and approve funding.