It’s no secret that many Penn students don’t ride SEPTA. The reasons students don’t frequent Philadelphia’s subway typically revolve around the state of the system’s infrastructure — whether they find it outdated or simply dirty — but a portion of it is misconceptions about public transportation and unfamiliarity with SEPTA’s services. That’s why we’re heartened to see the development of the SEPTA Youth Advisory Council and the inclusion of several Penn students.
SEPTA sees the Youth Advisory Council as an arm of outreach to the large student population in Philadelphia, a tacit acknowledgement that many students simply don’t use the mass transit system. We’re glad to see the commitment to increasing awareness of the availability of the system, and similarly happy to see that Penn students have taken on a leadership role in promoting SEPTA. SEPTA is easily accessible to campus and a cheaper and environmentally-conscious alternative to the often-used taxicabs, and the more students who become comfortable with SEPTA, the better.
Still, SEPTA’s problems are broader than simply fighting an entrenched stereotype. The technology running SEPTA is years behind that of systems in Boston, Washington and New York; SEPTA’s funding has been curtailed in recent years; SEPTA’s unionized workers are on the brink of a strike. We don’t have an easy solution for these problems, but we do know that they need to be addressed before the SEPTA YAC can reasonably hope to see an increase in student ridership. That being said, we do hope that, long-term, the YAC will be an active agent in increasing awareness of the benefits of mass transit.
