Earlier this year, SEPTA’s board approved nearly $91,000 to buy additional handheld devices used to sell and validate fare for Regional Rail conductors to use on-board. It’s also time for SEPTA to re-imagine the Regional Rail system, a primarily suburb-to-downtown, rush hour service on which ridership has fallen 85 percent. Gov. The misperception of mass transit being a hotbed for COVID-19 transmission could contribute to a push for private cars, creating further funding woes, and deteriorating service for riders who depend on transit. The list includes familiar names; many with USDOT experience in previous administrations. SEPTA has seen a dip in transit ridership this week amid the coronavirus, though it’s unclear if that’s because people are avoiding public transportation, are directed to work from home, or if mounting event cancellations are keeping them inside. Tampa Bay’s bus agencies, struggling with decreased ridership and financial challenges linked to the coronavirus pandemic, are set to receive $30.8 million in federal relief money. While some health experts found the information encouraging, Mike Levy, associate professor of epidemiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, had reservations. The authority is also replacing air filters more frequently. The city doesn't "really have any good data conclusively linking travel on SEPTA or other public transit to cases of COVID" and "it's difficult to tell if riding public transit took place as a possible exposure or if it happened while they were infectious," said Jim Garrow, health department spokesperson. A report commissioned by the American Public Transportation Association "based on a comprehensive review of United States and global research regarding COVID-19 transmission and public transit" found "no direct correlation.". The agency plans to continue pursuing an expansion of its rail and bus network while overhauling its approach to public safety. The Terminal A closure will be in … Last month, SEPTA announced a partnership with Drexel to research COVID-19 on mass transit, including the effects of mask-wearing, ventilation, and cleaning. OP-ED: New York Gov. "The whole problem with all this is everybody's afraid of stuff they shouldn't be afraid of and not afraid of things they should be afraid of," he said. Service Advisory Beginning Tuesday, September 15 2020, the Philadelphia International Airport Terminal A stop - center and baggage claim platforms – will be closed to customer and train travel. © 2021 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. So, something in the middle is probably the sweet spot for right now.". He commuted on the Chestnut Hill East Line one or two days a week. Find out which schools are closed in your district. Timetables are available in two formats - PDF and text HTML. Fagliano wore a mask, and social distancing was fairly easy, considering SEPTA's depressed ridership. The devil is in the details, which are missing. Asked whether the Pennsylvania Department of Health's contact tracing efforts have linked any COVID-19 cases with the use of public transportation in Pennsylvania, a spokesperson said: "Information collected during the case investigation process is not shared publicly unless doing so would help the department in its efforts to stop the spread on a broader scale. PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio)-- SEPTA is making a number of changes starting today on the regional rails that could affect your trip.Six lines are affected. Paper tickets will continue to be accepted through the valid date stamped on the back and valid for 180 days from the purchase date. Cuomo promised a $306-billion infrastructure plan that included new air, road and rail systems, upstate and downstate. SEPTA Regional Rail lines will begin some much-needed reconstruction work. If an individual reveals to public health professionals that they used public transportation while infectious, the information is used to identify and inform all close contacts.". New Regional Rail Schedules in Effect Sunday, March 8, 2020. More recently, a SEPTA COVID-19 Travel Survey released in September showed riders felt safer going to a grocery store or visiting family than riding SEPTA. SEPTA is advising customers that some changes are being made to select Regional Rail schedules starting next week. Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), USDOT personnel named; Lana Hurdle to serve as acting secretary. Between daylight saving time and changes to SEPTA Regional Rail schedules, commuters will need to pay close attention before heading out the door next week. COVID-19 is most commonly spread through close contact with others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and good ventilation is a helpful risk-mitigation measure. "When I see any study that says, 'There is no evidence of transmission in blank,' my first question is 'How do they know?'" Transit agencies, which have received emergency relief to help stem COVID-19 losses, will "have to budget and plan for a pretty significant lag to get back to full ridership," said Ben Fried of TransitCenter, a New York-based advocacy group for public transit. The plan includes $9.7 billion in investments for public transit, roads, bridges, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements. Before the pandemic, cleanliness was identified as an area "where SEPTA must improve" in a 2018 customer satisfaction survey. SEPTA said that they are currently offering about 57 percent of pre-pandemic regional rail service, but ridership is only about 15 percent of what it was in early March 2020. SEPTA is closing 14 Regional Rail ticket offices for 10 weeks starting Monday, Dec. 14, 2020 due to budget problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on … With the launch of the SEPTA Key Card Travel Wallet feature for Regional Rail, the sale of paper tickets, single trip, and 10 trip strips ended October 2, 2020. TYGER WILLIAMS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER A man died after being struck by a train Saturday morning at a SEPTA station in Jenkintown, authorities said. Mask enforcement was listed as the top concern. A file photo of a SEPTA Regional Rail train heading toward Center City. Our Regional Rail Control Center can "see" all of the trains traveling on SEPTA territory in real time, so the … The pilot program will provide discounted, unlimited use of RTD’s local, regional and airport bus and rail service to students for the upcoming spring semester. New details revealed after family found dead in Chester Co. Fire erupts at Victory Brewing Company in Kennett Square, Nashville Market? Public input is being sought regarding the Amarillo Area Regional Multimodal Transportation Plan, which officials said is a strategic mobility plan seeking to integrate and modernize the region’s mobility network into one comprehensive document. Six lines are affected. A $186 million infusion of federal stimulus money to the Metropolitan Council should help Metro Transit get through a challenging year after the COVID-19 pandemic devastated ridership on the region's buses and trains. All rights reserved. Jan. 11—Through the fall, Jerry Fagliano, associate clinical professor and chair at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health, was one of SEPTA Regional Rail's lone riders. PA: Study looks at the intersection of transit and land use planning, WA: Seattle's 'Transit Fairy' beautifies bus stops during the COVID-19 pandemic, CA: SMART plans for future after coronavirus pandemic, Denver RTD calls all bus and rail operators back to work, Valley Metro, city of Phoenix launch first small business financial assistance program, Mississauga secures C$113.5 million in federal and provincial funding for a dozen transit projects. he said. As of January 24, 2021, SEPTA will be operating 463 weekday trains and 218 weekend trains, which is approximately 57 percent of pre-pandemic Regional Rail service levels. Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), Denver RTD, Auraria Campus negotiate pilot program for spring semester. Safety measures, such as mask-wearing, must be in place, they said, but taking public transportation isn't an activity to be avoided at all costs. These updates will impact the Chestnut Hill East, Fox Chase, Lansdale/Doylestown, Manayunk/Norristown, Trenton, and Wilmington/Newark Lines. Ron Goren, who specializes in infectious diseases at Nazareth Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia, concurs. A new BRT corridor along Lakeshore Road and major bus rehabs are among the projects the funding will support. PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Changes impacting several SEPTA Regional Rail lines are now in effect. Cuomo is the king of transit deficit financing. It's also on track to start service this fall on the roughly $2 billion Blue Line trolley extension. Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). Paper tickets will continue to be accepted through the valid date stamped on the back and valid for 180 days from the purchase date. ... ON YOUR PHONE: Users of the official SEPTA App for iPhone and Android devices should download the new schedules the day of the schedule change (Sunday, March 8, 2020). 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