SEPTA Ordered To Bring Back Cut Services, Fare Increases Get Go Ahead

PHILADELPHIA — SEPTA has been legally ordered to restore its reduced services after a lawsuit challenged those very reductions.

Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Sierra Thomas-Street ruled Thursday that SEPTA must not implement service cuts and restore cuts that it has already made.

SEPTA said services will return on Sept. 14 is PennDOT gives SEPTA approval to use $394 million in capital funds to support its operations over two years.

See details on the previously implemented service cuts here.

SEPTA earlier this week was set to impose even more cuts, as well as a fare increase.

However, a lawsuit filed against SEPTA that alleges the transit authority has manufactured the funding crisis led a judge to pause the cuts.

While Thomas-Street's ruling puts the kibosh on service reductions, it still allows SEPTA to implement fare increases.

That means SEPTA will increase fares by 21.5 percent. This increase will affect riders across all SEPTA modes of transportation.

The new base fare for bus and metro trips will be $2.90 – tying New York's MTA for the highest in the country, SEPTA said.