Everything we know about how SEPTA could change on Aug. 24 [UPDATED]
SEPTA warns of possible overcrowding on buses as a result of the cuts in routes. Less frequent trips for buses, subway, trolley, and Regional Rail also could affect reliability.
SEPTA’s austerity version is set to launch in the early hours of Sunday, Aug. 24.
The following Monday morning, the enormity of a 20% cut in transit service will hit most SEPTA riders for the first time, including thousands of Philadelphia students on their first day of school.
A week later, a fare increase will take effect and on Sept. 2, midday service will be trimmed on all Regional Rail lines.
SEPTA warns of possible overcrowding on buses, leading to more bypassed stops. Reduced subway and trolley runs could bring crush-level crowds. Buses, subways, trolleys, and Regional Rail trains would come less frequently during off-peak times.
SEPTA has a $213 million operating deficit for the 2026 fiscal year, which began July 1.
SEPTA has posted new schedules for all impacted bus and Metro routes, as well as Regional Rail trains on its website.
“We didn’t want this to happen, that’s clear,” said Lex Powers, a SEPTA executive in charge of developing better communications to improve the customer experience. “We’ve been preparing for more than a few months, to make sure that we took this seriously, as if it were inevitable.”
Here’s what we know so far:
Quick look
Sunday, Aug. 24: Most of the Bus/Metro service cuts go into effect.
Monday, Aug. 25: (First day of school): Remaining Bus/Metro service cuts go into effect.
Monday, Sept. 1: (Labor Day): Fare increase goes into effect.
Tuesday, Sept. 2: Regional Rail service cuts go into effect.
Fares
SEPTA will raise fares 21.5% across the board on all its services, including weekly and monthly passes. The one-way base price is set to rise from $2.50 to $2.90.
The fare increase takes effect on Sept. 1.
Bus
The vast bus network, which carries more passengers than any other SEPTA service, would see some of the biggest cuts.
In all, 32 bus routes are scheduled to be eliminated. They are routes 1, 8, 12, 19, 30, 31, 35, 47M, 50, 62, 73, 78, 80, 88, 89, 91, 106, 120, 126, 133, 150, 201, 204, 206, 311, 452, 461, 462, 476, 478, 484, and BLVDDIR.
Also being cut are special routes, such as the Mann Loop for concerts at the Mann Center in Fairmount Park, as well as those for sports and other events.
Routes will be shortened on 16 bus lines: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 17, 27, 43, 61, 84, 115, 124, 125, 433, 441, and 495.
On the remaining routes the time between buses, known as headways, would lengthen, particularly during the midday hours. That means fewer trips and fewer buses running each route.
Buses currently scheduled to run at 10-minute intervals in the midday would instead arrive every 15 minutes. Twenty-minute headways would turn into 30 minutes. Routes with midday intervals of 40, 45, 50, and 60 minutes would remain the same.
» READ MORE: A day on SEPTA’s 31 bus, one of dozens that may soon be cut
Regional Rail
A normal schedule has 1,414 weekly trips spread across SEPTA’s 13 Regional Rail lines, SEPTA says.
Under the cuts, service will drop to 960 weekly trips, about one-third fewer.
Most midday riders during the workweek will see intervals between Regional Rail trains increase from one hour to two hours.
Some peak-travel trips may be cut, but planners have tried to preserve as many of those as possible, spokesperson Andrew Busch said. That means midday trips were cut significantly.
The Airport line would change from half-hour to hourly service throughout the day.
Regional Rail service cuts take effect on Sept. 2.
SEPTA plans to enact a 20% cut in all service and a major fare increase, beginning Aug. 24, to close a $213 million operating deficit. Here’s information that can help you navigate the new public transit landscape:
- Everything we know about how SEPTA could change on Aug. 24
- Use our interactive tool to see how SEPTA’s cuts will change routes in your area
- Red sign at your SEPTA bus stop? It’s an alert about the route’s future.
- How SEPTA cuts will impact Philly sports fans
- Here are the best commuting alternatives to SEPTA
- How much could your commute increase? Use this tool to get an estimate.
Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines
Fewer trains would run during midday periods.
On the El, trains will be scheduled to arrive every eight minutes in the midday, vs. the current six minutes.
BSL trains will arrive every nine minutes, compared with the current seven-minute intervals.
Trolleys
Headways for the T2 (Route 34), T3 (Route 13), and T5 (Route 36) trolleys will be increased to every 15 minutes, from 10 minutes, in the midday hours.
The midday frequency of trolleys on T1 (formerly Route 10) and T4 (formerly Route 11) will drop to every 12 minutes from 10 minutes.
The two trolley lines in Delco (new designation D) will see 25-minute headways, up from 20, during the midday.
The G line (a.k.a. the Route 15) will continue to run along Girard Avenue after Aug. 24, with the same mix of restored 1947 cream-and-green trolleys and buses that it uses now.
But its midday frequency would decrease to every 10 minutes from eight minutes. If proposed deeper Jan. 1 cuts are necessary, the G (15) would be served entirely by buses, SEPTA says.
Norristown High Speed Line
The light-rail Norristown High Speed Line (now known as M) will keep its rate of 15 minutes between trips.
Paratransit
A small percentage of riders will lose SEPTA paratransit service because they’ll be pushed outside the service boundary by the transit agency’s deep cuts, said Cassandra West, chief of Access, SEPTA’s department for paratransit and the separate shared-ride program for seniors.
On Sept. 1, the $4.25 on-way base fare for both ADA paratransit and shared-ride services is scheduled to increase to $5.75.
Philadelphia is so dense with transit routes that it’s likely most will still be eligible for paratransit, SEPTA believes.
In the four collar counties, where routes are farther apart and there are rural areas, current SEPTA customers will be able to use county-level People With Disabilities (PWD) rides as an alternative.
Ward said there may be new demand for paratransit rides in Philadelphia as some customers with disabilities who have been using fixed service to get around may find alternate routes difficult to reach.
Why is SEPTA making cuts?
SEPTA says it must make the service cuts and hike fares because the state has underfunded it and other transit systems for years, as operating costs have jumped.
If needed, a deeper round of service reductions would begin Jan. 1, bringing the total to 45% less service than today’s.
Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed $292 million a year for five years, raised by increasing the share of the sales tax devoted to public transit. SEPTA would get an estimated $168 million.
The state budget, which would include any new mass transit dollars, is more than 30 days overdue. Lawmakers and the administration are negotiating a budget, and a number of issues, not just transportation, remain sticking points.
See how your commute will change
SEPTA has built an interactive widget on septa.org’s home page to help riders navigate changes. Just make sure to enter a date beyond Aug. 24 to calculate a a trip based on the changes. Here’s another SEPTA trip planner.
SEPTA also has similar information on its official mobile app.
The third-party Transit app has information on the route and schedule pages, SEPTA says.
This PDF includes instructions how to use the widget, the SEPTA app and other transit apps to find your way. It also has a summary of cuts.
In the non-digital world, SEPTA has started distributing printed schedules to transportation centers and some Metro rail and Regional Rail Stations. Look for the timetables with the red line across the top – those are ones with the cuts. PDFs are available on septa.org.
Beginning Aug. 18, SEPTA employees trained as ambassadors will staff about a dozen locations affected most by disruptions, such as transit centers and other hubs. They can help face-to-face and step by step.
And not least, SEPTA’s customer-service call center is ready to help: 215-580-7800.
Other ways to get around
From bike sharing to taxi cabs, The Inquirer rounded up a list of alternative ways to traverse the city and region.
What it means for public schools
SEPTA cuts will impact thousands, Watlington says, as more than 50,000 rely on public transit to get to school
More than 50,000 district students rely on public transit to get to school daily.
Students who are late because of SEPTA issues will get grace from their schools, Superintendent Tony B. Watlington said at a school board meeting Thursday night.
“We are not going to penalize our children, our young people, because of no problem of their own making,” he said.
The superintendent also encouraged families to carpool, and those who are able to do so to take advantage of the district’s offer to drive children to school for a $300 stipend.