SEPTA has long had its problems, and its quality pales in comparison to public transportation systems in other cities such as New York, Boston and Washington, D.C.
Among SEPTA’s biggest issues is its inconvenient payment system. Since many stations don’t have token machines on site, infrequent riders must either have cash available or remember to purchase tokens ahead of time, and the tokens are easy to lose.
It’s no wonder, then, that we find SEPTA’s plans to expand and modernize payment methods promising. Potential options such as replacing tokens with pre-paid cards, paying with credit and debit cards on buses and trains and paying via cell phone would increase SEPTA’s convenience and make public transportation a more appealing option for students. As an added bonus, the remodeling would give the city bragging rights as having one of the nation’s most advanced public transportation system.
That being said, we’re disheartened that there is not yet funding for the project. All too often, good plans like this one get delayed multiple times and fall by the wayside. SEPTA needs to solve its funding problems as quickly as possible and make implementing new payment options a top priority. Though Philadelphia has financial issues, modernizing payment options could ultimately increase use of SEPTA and thereby improve the city’s economy.
