PHILADELPHIA – The City of Philadelphia has announced that starting next week, some SEPTA bus routes will be restored in an effort to help children get to and from school.
Restored/affected routes
What we know:
On Thursday, a spokesperson for Philly’s Managing Director’s Office announced that the city is using a portion of an existing $135 million transit subsidy to make this happen.
Bus routes 84, 88, 452, 462, 476, 478 and 484 will be restored starting September 2. Service on the 14, 20, 23, 26, 47, 63, 67, 70, 82, T2, and T5 will increase. Service on the 31 bus will also be restored from Overbrook Park to 63rd and Market streets.
What they’re saying:
“We are proud that our City teams moved quickly with SEPTA to find a way to restore transit services in the areas where students are most affected by the cutbacks that started on the first day of school this week,” Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a statement.
“Making sure that all of our city’s children and youth can get to school on time and safely is one of our top priorities,” she added. “We need our students – Philadelphia’s future – to be at school learning and participating in extracurricular activities without interruption or challenges.”
“SEPTA is grateful for Mayor Parker’s support and advocacy,” SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch wrote in response to Thursday’s announcement. “This is an innovative solution that will greatly enhance service for students amid these challenging circumstances.”
SEPTA’s other service cuts that went into effect on Aug. 24 will remain in place after Labor Day, however, as Pennsylvania lawmakers continue to try and find the funding needed to cover the transit system’s $213 million budget deficit.
If lawmakers fail to reach a consensus over the next few months, more service cuts and fair hikes will go into place.
The other side:
The service restoration comes after a lawsuit was filed against SEPTA by a group of riders who claim the transit authority has millions in reserve funds that can be used to avoid the ongoing service cuts.
SEPTA did not directly respond to the lawsuit’s claim about reserve funds, but called the service cuts “a necessary part of a larger plan to balance the budget.”
The Source: Information provided in the article above came from previous FOX 29 reporting and Philadelphia’s Managing Director’s Office.