Comments on: SEPTA Fares To Jump And Become Weird Prices That No One Will Ever Have The Exact Amount Of

By: ryangibbonshr

ryangibbonshr — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:57:53 +0000

*maybe

By: ryangibbonshr

ryangibbonshr — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:55:12 +0000

I rarely use Septa but occasionally I’ll take the bus from Center City because it drops me off right at my front door step in Manayunk. Every time I hop on the bus, I never have a token and wind up putting $2.00 in to pay my fare. I’m sure Septa brings in a significant amount annually from the occasional rider like myself. If this makes any sense (and I may be reaching far on this one), people most likely throw $1.50 into the bus meter and Septa makes $0.05 in pure profit. If they hike up the fair to $1.53, people are more likely to throw in $1.60+ and now Septa is making an extra $.07 in profit. I doubt that anyone will have exactly $1.53 on them for the bus. So…let’s say

- Septa services 30,000 commuters daily (on average)
- Of those 30,000, 25% throw in extra money because they don’t have a token (let’s say, $1.60 for the $1.53 fare).
- That’s 7,500 people.
- Daily, they’re giving Septa an extra $525.00 in pure profit.
- Over the course of a year, that’s $191,625.00.

If the fare stayed at $1.45 and 25% of people put in $1.50 for the fare, that’s $136,875.00 annually in pure profit. The difference is $52,750 and that could mean a job or two that they’re saving (or putting into the higher-up’s budgets).

Again, that’s a very big “what-if” but it’s just another way to look at it.

By: ThePhilthyLife

ThePhilthyLife — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:13:47 +0000

Yes but you forget that you still need to buy tokens in 2s, so the price will be the much more round $3.06, which when paid for with $4 will leave you with 94 cents that will make an awkward and embarrassing bulge in your skinny jeans. Do you ride septa or are you just…happy to see me?

By: Jon Goff

Jon Goff — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:54:26 +0000

Everyone who rides SEPTA always gets beaten with a hammer. Always.

By: barryg

barryg — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:42:17 +0000

If the cash fare does not increase, there are no scrambling for change issues.

Anyway the sad thing about SEPTA is that in the roaring naughties it had the 8th largest transit project in the country. What do we have to show for it? Well, the El hasn’t collapsed, but that’s about it. There is just no money for service improvements, everything goes towards keeping the system from falling apart.

http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/03/11/the-decades-top-hits-2/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thetransportpolitic+%28The+Transport+Politic%29

By: OhNoNotAgain

OhNoNotAgain — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:38:45 +0000

At least if you’re jammed in a subway car like it’s a cattle chute, you can’t get beat to death by hammer wielding flash mobs.

Unless I guess you’re going northbound from the Sports Complex on a game night.

By: PhillyChitChat

PhillyChitChat — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:13:43 +0000

If only the Philly subway could be as safe as NYC.

By: amc4232

amc4232 — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:04:53 +0000

It goes smoothly for NYC? Last I checked, the base fare to ride the subway there was $2.25 and the MTA, in the face of going completely broke, has proposed “punishing” service cuts and massive layoffs for 2010: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/nyregion/17mta.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=mta%20approves%20big%20service%20cuts%20in%20mass%20transit&st=cse

And have you ever tried to ride the subway at rush hour? It’s like a cattle chute, except much hotter. Or on the weekend when half of the lines are shut down for maintenance? Yeah, they’ve got swipe cards, which is nice, but Philadelphians should be careful what they wish for if they start pining for NYC’s transit system.

By: codapop

codapop — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:04:07 +0000

The press release says $1.55 not $1.53

http://static.cbslocal.com/station/kyw/SEPTA_Fares.pdf

By: A Feculent Rainbow

A Feculent Rainbow — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:03:28 +0000

Better coverage here: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20100312_SEPTA_seeks_first_fare_hike_in_3_years.html

“SEPTA’s proposal, which requires approval by the agency’s board, would increase the cost of a bus or subway token to $1.55, from the current $1.45. The cost of a transfer would rise to $1, from the current 75 cents.”

“For bus and subway riders, a weekly pass would cost $22, up from the current $20.75. A monthly pass would cost $83, instead of the current $78.

For Regional Rail passengers, a Zone 3 monthly pass would cost $157, up from the current $142.50. A Zone 2 monthly pass would cost $128, instead of the current $116.”

And, apparently, SmartCard hinges upon success of the the proposed toll on I-80 – so you;re probably right.