PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia judge has ordered SEPTA to reverse all of its recent service cuts; however, the transit agency will be allowed to proceed with a proposed fare increase. Both are expected to take effect on Sept. 14.
Judge Sierra Thomas Street said SEPTA is not only prevented from imposing more service cuts, but it must roll back the ones it enforced in late August to address a $213 million shortfall. The planned 21.5% fare increase will go forward.
The ruling came after an injunction hearing on Thursday in a suit brought by attorney George Bochetto, which claimed the cuts would unfairly affect minorities. Bochetto says this ruling restores the status quo before SEPTA's cuts.
"We're ecstatic. We've won for the citizens of Philadelphia. We've reinstated all of the service routes. We've reinstated every ability for the students to get to school, for the disabled to get to their medical appointments," Bochetto said.
SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch couldn't say Thursday whether SEPTA planned to appeal the ruling. But on Friday afternoon, SEPTA asked PennDOT for permission to take money from the Public Transportation Trust Fund to balance its budget.
With legislative leaders still unable to reach a budget deal that would include mass transit increases, Sauer is seeking to take up to $394 million from state capital assistance funds to prevent service cuts for the next two years.
In a letter to state Transportation Secretary Michael Carroll, Sauer said that given the legislative delay and increasing fiscal pressures, SEPTA has no other option. Sauer said SEPTA does not believe this one-time deferral of capital projects will jeopardize safety.
Sauer says he expects a response from PennDOT early next week. If he gets the go-ahead, SEPTA is expected to restore full bus, train and trolley service on Sunday, Sept. 14. That's also when the 21.5% fare increase will take effect.
"This is not a solution. This is a Band-Aid. This will get us through a couple of years, but at the expense of future capital programming," Sauer said.
The cuts originally eliminated 32 bus routes, shortened 16 bus routes, and reduced 88 total routes.
Stay with KYW as this story develops.