SEPTA looks to new logo to honor employees who died of coronavirus

SEPTA is looking to pay tribute to its employees who have died from the coronavirus by way of an updated logo.

The transportation authority intends to hold a memorial later, but a change to its branding is being considered as a short-term homage while social distancing measures prevent a larger gathering, said SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards.

“This is something we were hoping would mean something to our SEPTA family members," she said, "a way for us to show respect."

SEPTA is collecting feedback on three different options through an employee survey that’s collected more than 400 votes, she said. It’s not clear exactly how a new logo would be used, but it could be seen in employee email signatures and SEPTA’s social media accounts by next week.

Three maintenance employees have died from the coronavirus: Phillip Williams, Ted Nixon, and Michael Holt. SEPTA has more than 100 confirmed employee coronavirus cases. Absenteeism related to the coronavirus has cut SEPTA’s workforce by 10 to 15%.

Though shared internally, the link to the survey is live online, and found some criticism on Twitter.

“Working on this logo is not taking away one second from what we are doing to protect our customers and our employees,” Richards said.

SEPTA is distributing protective equipment for staff, including masks and sanitizers. It’s operating buses and trolleys with protective barriers, and recently implemented rear-door boarding and rider limits to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Thursday was the first day of SEPTA’s new “lifeline” schedule that’s closed stations, limited bus and trolley service, and suspended some Regional Rail lines.

Transport Workers Union Local 234, representing thousands of SEPTA employees, continues to advocate for safe and sanitary working conditions and believes the authority has been slow to act.