SEPTA facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
| Info | |||
| Locale | Delaware Valley | ||
| Transit type |
|
||
| Number of lines | 196 | ||
| Number of stations | 290 | ||
| Chief executive | Leslie Richards (General Manager) | ||
| Headquarters | 1234 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | November 1, 1965 | ||
| Number of vehicles | 2,897 (2018) | ||
|
|||
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a big public transportation system. It helps almost four million people get around. SEPTA runs buses, subways, trains, trolleys, and electric trolleybuses. These services cover Philadelphia and five nearby counties in Pennsylvania. SEPTA also works on keeping its system in good shape. This includes fixing tracks, stations, and vehicles.
SEPTA is the main way people travel in Philadelphia and the four counties around it: Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester. It's a special organization created by the state. Most of its leaders are chosen by the counties it serves. Some SEPTA trains go into Delaware and New Jersey. But other companies like PATCO, NJ Transit, and DART First State also provide service to Philadelphia from those states.
SEPTA has one of the largest transit systems in the U.S. It's the sixth biggest for subway ridership. In 2018, about 302 million trips were taken on SEPTA. It has 290 active stations and over 450 miles (724 km) of track. SEPTA also has 2,350 vehicles and 196 different routes. It helps manage special ride services for people with disabilities too.
SEPTA is special because it's the only transit system in the U.S. that uses all five main types of land-based public transport. These are commuter trains, subway and elevated trains, light rail trolleys, electric trolleybuses, and regular buses.
Contents
How SEPTA Started
A Look Back in Time
SEPTA was created by Pennsylvania's government on August 17, 1963. Its goal was to help fund different transit and railroad companies. SEPTA officially started on February 18, 1964.
On November 1, 1965, SEPTA took over two older groups. One was the Passenger Service Improvement Corporation (PSIC). It helped improve train service. The other was the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Compact (SEPACT). This group helped plan transportation for the region.
By 1966, SEPTA was paying the Reading Company and Pennsylvania Railroad to run their commuter trains. Later, in 1983, SEPTA took over these train operations completely. It bought the tracks, trains, and other equipment. This created SEPTA's Railroad Division.
Growing the System
On September 30, 1968, SEPTA bought the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC). This company ran buses, trolleys, and the Market–Frankford and Broad Street subway lines. This became SEPTA's City Transit Division.
Later, SEPTA also bought the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company in 1970. This company was known as the Red Arrow Lines. It included the Norristown High-Speed Line and the Media and Sharon Hill trolley lines.
Over time, SEPTA took over more train services. They tried to make the different train lines work better together. There have been ideas to bring back train service to places like Allentown and West Chester. There are also plans to extend the Broad Street Line and the Norristown High Speed Line.
In 2021, SEPTA suggested a new name for its rail services: "SEPTA Metro." This would make the system easier to understand. New maps and signs would be made. For example, the Market–Frankford Line might be called "the L" and be blue.
How SEPTA is Managed
SEPTA is run by a group of 15 people called a board of directors. These people are chosen by different parts of the government.
- The Mayor of Philadelphia and the City Council President choose two members. These two can stop decisions if they don't like them.
- Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties each choose two members.
- Leaders from the Pennsylvania State Legislature choose four members.
- The Governor of Pennsylvania chooses one member.
The board members work together to make decisions for SEPTA.
The daily operations of SEPTA are handled by a General Manager. This person is hired by the board. The current General Manager is Leslie Richards.
How Many People Ride SEPTA
In 2020, people took 223.5 million rides on SEPTA. About 180.1 million of these rides were on city buses and subways.
Ridership went down between 2014 and 2019. SEPTA said this was because of more competition and lower gas prices. The big drop in 2020 was mostly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people stayed home due to lockdowns.
SEPTA's Routes
SEPTA has three main types of services: SEPTA Metro, bus services, and regional rail.
SEPTA Metro
As of 2024, SEPTA is changing its city rail services to a new name: SEPTA Metro. This includes subways, trolleys, and interurban lines. SEPTA has the biggest trolley system in the United States.
| Line | Train | Old Name | What it is | Type of Transit | West / North End | East / South End | Hours | Daily Riders (Fall 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
Market–Frankford Line | Market Street Elevated and Subway | Rapid transit | 69th Street Transit Center | Frankford Transit Center | 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. (buses run overnight) | 107,651 |
 |
 |
Broad Street Line | Broad Street Subway Local | Fern Rock Transit Center | NRG | 79,155 | ||
 |
Broad Street Subway Express | Walnut–Locust
NRG (some trips) |
Weekdays: 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. | |||||
 |
Broad–Ridge Spur | Fern Rock Transit Center
Olney Transit Center (some trips) |
8th–Market | Weekdays: 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturdays: 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
||||
 |
 |
Route 10 | Lancaster Avenue trolley | Trolley (subway-surface) | 63rd–Malvern / Overbrook | 13th Street | 24 hours per day | 8,302 |
 |
Route 34 | Baltimore Avenue trolley | 61st–Baltimore / Angora | 4:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. | 8,800 | |||
 |
Route 13 | Chester Avenue trolley | Yeadon
Darby Transit Center (some trips) |
24 hours per day | 8,739 | |||
 |
Route 11 | Woodland Avenue trolley | Darby Transit Center | 4:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. | 9,381 | |||
 |
Route 36 | Elmwood Avenue trolley | 80th and Eastwick or Elmwood Depot (Owl Service) | 24 hours per day | 9,465 | |||
 |
 |
Route 15 | Girard Avenue trolley | Trolley (surface) | 63rd–Girard | Richmond–Westmoreland | 24 hours per day | 4,762 |
 |
 |
Route 101 | Media trolley | Light rail | Orange Street / Media | 69th Street Transit Center | Weekdays: 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Weekends: 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. |
2,275 |
 |
Route 102 | Sharon Hill trolley | Chester Pike / Sharon Hill | 2,718 | ||||
 |
 |
Route 100 | Norristown High Speed Line | Interurban/Light rapid transit | Norristown Transit Center | 4:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. | 4,510 |
Buses
SEPTA has 115 bus routes. Most of these are in Philadelphia. Bus routes have different numbering systems. For example, city routes often have one or two digits. Suburban routes use 90-series or 100-series numbers.
Electric Trolleybuses
Trolleybuses are also called trackless trolleys by SEPTA. They run on routes 59, 66, and 75. These buses get their power from overhead electric wires. Service on these routes started again in 2008 after being stopped for a few years. SEPTA bought new electric trolleybuses to replace older ones. Some routes, like 29 and 79, used to have trolleybuses but now use regular buses.
Regional Rail
On January 1, 1983, SEPTA took over the commuter train services. These trains became known as Regional Rail. There are 13 lines that serve over 150 stations. They cover most of southeastern Pennsylvania. These trains also go to Wilmington and Newark in Delaware. They also go to Trenton and West Trenton in New Jersey.
Most of the trains used on these lines were built between 1976 and 2013. New Silverliner V cars were added starting in 2010. These new cars make up about one-third of the 400-car fleet. In 2016, a problem was found with the Silverliner V cars. Many had cracks, which caused delays and fewer trains running.
How SEPTA Works
SEPTA has three main parts that run its services: City Transit, Suburban, and Regional Rail. SEPTA also offers a special service called CCT Connect for people who need extra help.
City Transit Division
The City Transit Division runs routes mostly within Philadelphia. This includes buses, subway-surface trolleys, one surface trolley line, the Market–Frankford Line, and the Broad Street Line. Some city routes also go into Delaware, Montgomery, and Bucks counties. This division came from the old Philadelphia Transportation Company.
Suburban Division
Victory District
The Victory District runs suburban buses and light rail lines. These services are based at the 69th Street Transportation Center. Its light rail lines include the Norristown High Speed Line (Route 100) and the Media and Sharon Hill Lines (Routes 101 and 102). This district used to be called the Red Arrow Lines.
Frontier District
The Frontier District runs suburban bus routes from the Norristown Transportation Center. It also covers bus lines in eastern Bucks County.
Contract Operations
Some bus lines are run by other companies under contract with SEPTA. For example, Krapf Transit runs Route 204 in Chester County. They also operate free shuttle buses in Center City and the Navy Yard.
Regional Rail Division
The Railroad Division runs 13 commuter train routes. These routes start in Center City Philadelphia and go outwards. They reach places within the city, in the suburbs, and even in other states.
These lines used to be run by different railroad companies. In 1984, a new tunnel called the Center City Commuter Connection Tunnel opened. This connected the different lines. Now, trains can go from one end of the system, through Center City, and out to another distant station.
These trains connect with other transportation systems. For example, the Trenton Line connects with NJ Transit and Amtrak trains to New York City. The Wilmington/Newark Line connects with DART First State buses in Delaware.
CCT Connect
CCT Connect is a special service from SEPTA. It offers rides for senior citizens and people with disabilities. The Shared-Ride Program helps seniors aged 65 or older get around Philadelphia. The ADA Paratransit Service helps people with disabilities travel throughout the SEPTA service area. These services are run by other companies that work with SEPTA.
How SEPTA is Funded
SEPTA is a non-profit organization. It gets money from passenger fares, investments, and government agencies. This money helps cover its operating costs.
Operating Costs
In 2021, SEPTA's total operating costs were over $1.5 billion. Most of this money (71.1%) goes to paying its employees. Other costs include materials, services, power for trains, fuel for buses, and insurance.
Operating Revenue
SEPTA gets about $541 million from its operations. Most of this (88.7%) comes from the fares people pay. Some money also comes from the Shared Ride Program and other income.
Government Funding
To cover the rest of its costs, SEPTA gets a lot of money from the government. In 2021, 65% of its income came from federal, state, and local governments. This money comes from direct funding, grants, sales tax, and state bond programs.
Fares
Riding SEPTA's buses, subways, and trolleys costs $2.50 if you pay with cash. You need exact change. If you use an electronic payment method, a single ride costs $2. You also get two free transfers to other SEPTA services.
Fares for Regional Rail trains depend on how far you travel from Center City Philadelphia. Fares are usually higher during busy weekday hours. They are lower in the evenings and on weekends.
CCT Connect service costs $4.25 per ride.
Passes
SEPTA offers different passes that let you take a certain number of trips for a set time. These passes are loaded onto a SEPTA Key card. Paper passes are no longer used.
- The TransPass can be used for all transit rides. It also works on Regional Rail for short trips or on weekends.
- The TrailPass works for Regional Rail trips up to a certain zone and for all transit rides.
- The Cross County Pass is for transit rides and Regional Rail trips outside Center City.
- The One-Day Anywhere FleX Pass lets you take up to 10 trips in one day on transit and Regional Rail.
- The One-Day Neighborhood FleX Pass is for transit and Regional Rail trips between Zone 2 and Center City.
- The One-Day Convenience Pass and Three-Day Convenience Pass are for transit rides only.
SEPTA also has a special SEPTA Key University Pass for college students.
Reduced Fares
Senior citizens can get a Senior Fare Card. This lets them ride transit services and Regional Rail trains in Pennsylvania for free. Disabled persons can get a Reduced Fare Card. This gives them half-price fares on transit and Regional Rail.
Children under 12 can ride for free with an adult who pays a fare. Students in K-12 schools can get a SEPTA Key Student Fare Card. This allows them to take up to 8 trips per school day.
SEPTA is also working with the City of Philadelphia on a program. It will allow 25,000 people with lower incomes to ride for free.
How to Pay
SEPTA stations and vehicles have machines to accept different ways to pay. You can use a SEPTA Key card, Key Tix (on your phone), Quick Trips, cash (on buses and trolleys), and even contactless credit cards or phone payments (on transit). On Regional Rail, you can pay the conductor with cash or a credit card, but it costs more than using a Key card.
SEPTA stations have Fare Kiosks. You can buy Key cards and Quick Trips there. You can also add money to your Key card.
SEPTA Key
The SEPTA Key card is a smart card. It replaced old tokens and paper tickets. It's now the best way to pay on SEPTA. You can load passes or money onto the card.
Key Tix
In August 2022, SEPTA started Key Tix. You can buy electronic tickets through the SEPTA mobile app. The app shows a QR code that you scan to pay. You can use one ticket for multiple people.
Quick Trip
Quick Trips are paper cards with a magnetic strip. You can use them for one ride from subway stations or Regional Rail stations in Center City. They cost $2.50 for transit. They don't allow free transfers, except at certain stations in Center City.
NFC Payments
In July 2023, SEPTA started testing a way to pay with contactless credit cards or phones. This means you can tap your card or phone to pay for transit rides. It became available to everyone for transit rides in September 2023. It will be available on Regional Rail in 2024.
Other Payment Methods
The Freedom Share Card from PATCO Speedline can be used on most SEPTA services, except Regional Rail.
Old paper tickets for Regional Rail and SEPTA tokens are no longer accepted.
Transit Police
SEPTA has its own police department, started in 1981. It has about 260 officers. They patrol in cars, on bicycles, and with police dogs. They also have a special team for difficult situations.
Vehicles SEPTA Uses
Buses
SEPTA has bought many different types of buses over the years. In the 1980s, they bought a lot of buses from a company called Neoplan USA. These buses were used all over the SEPTA area.
Later, SEPTA started buying low-floor buses. These buses are easier for everyone to get on and off. They also bought hybrid buses, which use both diesel and electric power.
In 2016, SEPTA tried out electric buses. These buses don't use gasoline. They were meant for routes 29 and 79. However, these buses had some problems and are currently not in service.
SEPTA is replacing older buses with new ones. They are also changing cloth seats to plastic seats on some buses. This helps keep the buses cleaner.
| Model | Thumbnail | Power Type | Length | Year | Fleet Series (Number of Units) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Flyer E40LFR |  |
Electric trolleybus | 40 ft (12 m) | 2008 | 800-837 (38) | |
| New Flyer DE40LF |  |
Diesel-electric hybrid | 40 ft (12 m) | 2008 | 8120-8219 ( 86 units remaining ) |
|
| 2009 | 8220-8339 (80 units remaining) |
|
||||
| New Flyer DE40LFR |  |
40 ft (12 m) | 2010 | 8340-8459 (107 currently in service) |
|
|
| 2011 | 8460-8559 (99 currently in service) |
|
||||
| Nova Bus LFSA HEV |  |
62 ft
(18.9 m) |
2013 | 7300-7484 (185) |
|
|
| Nova Bus LFS HEV |  |
40 ft (12 m) | 8600-8689 (90) |
|
||
| New Flyer MiDi |  |
Diesel | 30 ft (9.1 m) | 2016 | 4600-4634 (35) | |
| Proterra Catalyst BE40 |  |
Battery-electric | 40 ft (12 m) | 2017 | 900-924 (25) |
|
| New Flyer XDE40 |  |
Diesel-electric hybrid | 40 ft (12 m) | 2017 | 3000-3089 (90) | |
| 2018 | 3090-3194 (105) | |||||
| 2019 | 3195-3294 (100) | |||||
| 2020 | 3295-3409 (115) | |||||
| 2021 | 3410-3524 (115) | |||||
| 2022 | 3525-3744 (220) |
|
Subway Trains
The Broad Street Line uses trains built between 1982 and 1984. These trains are made of stainless steel. Some have controls at both ends, others at only one.
The Market–Frankford Line uses trains built from 1997 to 1999. These trains are also made of metal. In 2017 and 2020, some of these trains needed repairs for cracks.
Trolleys
SEPTA has three types of trolleys.
The trolleys on the SEPTA subway–surface trolley lines (Routes 10, 11, 13, 34, and 36) were built starting in 1981. They are called "K-cars." They are 50 feet long and can go up to 40 mph (64 km/h).
The suburban trolley lines (Routes 101 and 102) use 29 trolleys. These are similar to the city trolleys but a bit bigger. They can go up to 50 mph (80 km/h). They have controls at both ends because they don't have loops to turn around.
SEPTA Route 15 (Girard Avenue Line) uses older PCC cars. These cars were built in 1947 but were rebuilt in 2003. They were updated to have air conditioning and wheelchair lifts. These cars are being rebuilt again and will have plastic seats.
SEPTA is ordering 130 new low-floor streetcars. They will be built by ALSTOM and should start service between 2027 and 2030. These new cars will be used on the Subway-Surface trolleys, Route 15, and the suburban trolleys.
Regional Rail Trains
SEPTA's regional rail services mainly use "Silverliner" electric trains. During busy times, they also use passenger cars pulled by electric locomotives.
Interurban Trains
The Norristown High Speed Line uses a special type of train called N-5s. These 26 trains were delivered in 1993. They get their power from a third rail. They can go up to 70 mph (113 km/h).
Accessibility
All of SEPTA's buses are accessible for people with disabilities. This means they meet the rules of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, only about 46% of SEPTA's subway and commuter rail stations are accessible. This is one of the lowest rates in the country.
The older trolley vehicles are not accessible for people with disabilities. This means no trolley stop can meet ADA rules.
Maintenance Areas
SEPTA has many places where it keeps and fixes its vehicles.
- For Buses, Subways, and Trolleys
- 69th Street Yard (for Market–Frankford Line)
- Allegheny Depot (for buses)
- Berridge Shops (for bus maintenance)
- Bridge Street Yard (for Market–Frankford Line)
- Callowhill Depot (for buses and streetcars)
- Comly Depot (for buses)
- Elmwood Depot (for streetcars)
- Fern Rock Yard (for Broad Street Line)
- Frankford Depot (for buses and trackless trolleys)
- Frontier Depot (for suburban buses)
- Midvale Depot (for buses)
- Southern Depot (for buses)
- Victory Depot (for suburban buses and light rail)
- Woodland Maintenance Facility (for streetcar repairs)
- For Regional Rail
Connecting Transit in the Philadelphia Area
Local Services
The PATCO Speedline is a subway line that goes from Center City Philadelphia to Camden, New Jersey. You can transfer to SEPTA's Market–Frankford Line and Broad Street Line at some stations.
Other companies also run local buses. Krapf's Transit runs buses in western Philadelphia suburbs. The Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association runs a shuttle in King of Prussia. Pottstown Area Rapid Transit (PART) runs buses in Pottstown.
Regional Services
NJ Transit runs buses from Philadelphia to different places in New Jersey. Many of these buses stop near SEPTA's Jefferson Station. NJ Transit also has train lines that connect with SEPTA's Regional Rail.
DART First State provides bus service in Delaware. These buses connect with SEPTA's Wilmington/Newark Line Regional Rail service.
National and International Services
Amtrak provides train service from 30th Street Station to many cities across the U.S. and even to Montreal, Canada. Many SEPTA Regional Rail lines share tracks with Amtrak. Amtrak is faster than SEPTA but costs more.
Greyhound and other bus companies also stop at the Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal. This terminal is close to SEPTA's Jefferson Station and 11th Street subway station.
SEPTA also serves Philadelphia International Airport. You can take local buses or the Airport Line from Center City to the airport.
See also
In Spanish: Autoridad de Transporte del Sureste de Pensilvania para niños
- Doe v. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
- List of metro systems
- List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership
- Commuter rail in North America
- List of suburban and commuter rail systems
- List of United States commuter rail systems by ridership
- List of light rail transit systems
- List of United States light rail systems by ridership
- List of United States local bus agencies by ridership
