Kudos for SEPTA as it shows signs of getting back on track | Editorial

For SEPTA, praise has been hard to come by lately.

After ridership fell off during the pandemic, violent and antisocial behavior at SEPTA stations and on its vehicles skyrocketed. A federal reality check on funding forced the transportation authority to cancel its heavily promoted King of Prussia rail extension. And the planned Bus Revolution, a much-needed route overhaul, was derailed by what City Council Majority Leader Curtis Jones Jr. called “a counterrevolution,” as a vocal minority of transit system riders pushed for continuity over change.

This board has led the charge in holding SEPTA accountable, but sometimes, kudos are deserved.

There is evidence that SEPTA is listening to the complaints from riders and advocates, and making positive changes as a result. Continuing along this path is essential for making the case for the additional funding required to avert the agency’s upcoming fiscal cliff as federal COVID-19 relief dollars run out.

» READ MORE: SEPTA needs more money. It also needs to be smarter with what it has. | Editorial

One positive sign is SEPTA’s highly visible enhanced cleaning campaign. While the weekend station closures may be temporarily inconvenient, clean spaces are proven to literally make people happier. Research from physicians at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that cleaning up empty lots can also help reduce crime. Hopefully, this principle also applies to transit stations.

The agency is also deploying an additional 21 Transit Police officers next month. While 21 officers may not sound like a significant number, it represents an increase of over 10% for the Transit Police and an even bigger boost to its patrol ranks. The new officers can help tackle the quality-of-life issues, such as smoking and vaping, that have vexed riders and SEPTA’s workers.

In addition to hiring more officers, SEPTA should consider a messaging change. Currently, the public address system reminds riders that stations are meant to be smoke-free areas and asks them to smoke or vape outside. That doesn’t appear to be much of a deterrent.

Instead of merely asking, these messages should also include a warning of potential consequences. The legislation enabling SEPTA’s smoking ban, passed in 1991 and signed by Mayor W. Wilson Goode Sr., allows for $300 fines and up to 10 days imprisonment for offenders. No one should be going to jail for smoking, but neither should riders be forced to spend their commute in a smoky haze.

SEPTA made another welcome decision recently after it paused its proposal to build a massive parking garage next to Conshohocken station. SEPTA General Manager Leslie S. Richards initially defended the nearly $50 million garage project — and its cost of more than $100,000 per rider — as necessary due to constrained local parking options. However, a trip to the surrounding area suggests that if anything, an oversaturation of local parking is what is hurting local ridership.

Park and rides are a poor usage of limited transit dollars, and the Conshohocken parking garage project should join its fellow proposed garages in the agency’s list of suspended projects. Research shows that most transit riders, even those who utilize Regional Rail, do not drive to their stations and that most parking spots built by transit agencies sit empty. Providing regular maintenance to a parking garage isn’t free, meaning that the costs of building this station are significantly higher long term than the already exorbitant cost of construction.

» READ MORE: SEPTA made the right decision to stop its suburban plans. Here’s how it can best serve riders going forward. | Editorial

Wawa station, another project with a large parking garage, also cost the agency $200 million, a price tag of more than $200,000 per rider. That’s simply not a sustainable way to grow a cash-strapped agency.

A better way to grow ridership, in Conshohocken and elsewhere, would be to encourage better land usage near the station, rather than contributing to the current glut of empty parking spaces. SEPTA could also investigate renting spots from one of the nearby garages, as proposed by local Conshohocken outlet MoreThanTheCurve.

In 2012, SEPTA was called the best large transit agency by the American Public Transit Association. In the 11 years since, rideshare apps, a global pandemic, and the city’s ongoing struggles with gun violence have taken transit in Philadelphia down a notch or two. But with better decision-making and sufficient state and local support, SEPTA can once again achieve best-in-the-nation status.