In a statement that is sure to delight users of public transportation across the city, SEPTA announced that it has finally made progress on its plan to implement an electronic fare system.
It secured a loan to finance the project and currently predicts that it will take three years to complete.
Given SEPTA’s history of delays in completing such large-scale projects, it is imperative that it stays on schedule and does not miss its mark. Commuters have been waiting for many years for SEPTA to get rid of the cumbersome and outdated tokens it currently uses, and they deserve a modern transportation system.
The organization should be commended for the pragmatic method it used to finance this renovation. Unable to secure federal or state grants, it borrowed $175 million from the nonprofit Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation without straining its finances or having to increase its fare.
The next step of the process is to award a contract to a company to create the smart-card system — a measure that was meant to be taken in April 2009, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. SEPTA has now said that the contract will be awarded by May or June of this year — a promise that we hope it keeps.
SEPTA’s plan to finally establish an electronic fare system is a promising initiative that must not be derailed.
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