On Monday, July 15, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority publicly responded to the results of the Federal Transit Administration’s latest Safety Management Inspection which took place from August 2023 to January 2024.
Following the inspections, interviews and the evaluation of SEPTA documents that took place during the SMI, the FTA released several Special Directives that report their findings of concern. These documents comment on three distinct categories: “Transit Worker Safety,” the “Capacity of SEPTA’s System Safety Division and Control Center to Ensure Safe Operations” and “Bus and Rail Transit Safety Issues Contributing to Safety Events.” In each category, the FTA provides several findings and required actions, including further FTA enforcement if SEPTA fails to follow.
SEPTA has confirmed they will enact several corrective action plans in response to the SMI. The primary focus of SEPTA’s efforts in response to the FTA’s evaluations will be on expanding the safety and staffing of the transportation system. Prior to the release of the SMIs, there had already been an elevated effort to combat the issues of insufficient staffing and on-board crime, seen in expansions such as the addition of audio recording in bus operator surveillance videos and staff in the System Safety Division. SEPTA has already experienced a 37 percent decrease in crime in their systems within the first half of 2024 when compared to the first half of 2023.
This announcement comes amidst one of SEPTA’s consistent safety procedures: the annual SEPTA Trolley Blitz, which began on July 12. During this time, SEPTA’s Trolley Tunnel remains closed so that workers may clean and provide maintenance in areas that would otherwise be dangerous to maneuver around during operation hours. Procedures include track replacements and overhead contact wire replacements. Regular operation will resume on Monday, July 29.
As they continue to respond to the FTA’s evaluation, SEPTA’s monthly plenary meeting, hosted by the Citizen Advisory Committee, is planned for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30. The organization plans to gather in person, but the meeting is open to the public via WebEx.