SEPTA Reports Reduced Crime, Happier Riders

PHILADELPHIA — Crime is down on SEPTA, and customer satisfaction is at a record high, according to the transit authority.

SEPTA this week released details on crime reduction and rider satisfaction, highlighting significant positive trends in both metrics.

Serious crimes continued to drop in most categories while enforcement of fare evasion, smoking and other quality-of-ride offenses has increased significantly, according to the first-half 2025 crime report from the SEPTA Transit Police Department.

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Overall enforcement of fare evasion and quality-of-ride offenses increased by 27 percent compared to the first quarter of 2024.

For the first half of 2025, SEPTA Transit Police issued 4,366 citations for fare evasion, a 74 percent increase over the same six months in 2024. Additionally, 1,189 tickets were issued for smoking – a 6 percent increase – and 253 for marijuana use, up 19 percent.

Meanwhile, reports by customers to the SEPTA Transit Watch App over fare evasion declined 46.7 percent, and reports of smoking declined 13.6 percent.

SEPTA's Customer Satisfaction Survey seeking feedback from riders about safety, cleanliness, reliability, and other key performance indicators showed in the first quarter of 2025, more than 3,500 SEPTA customers ranked their overall satisfaction of the transit system, with the average score being a 3.5 out of 5 – the highest ranking to date.

Officials credit that to increased enforcement of violations, the work by its more than 700 cleaners and maintenance personnel, and increased reliability on modes such as the Regional Rail, which has an 87 percent on-time performance for this schedule period on all lines.

See full details on crime statistics online here and rider satisfaction online here.