PHILADELPHIA — Four SEPTA Regional Rail lines saw a ridership increase of 14% on Tuesday, the second day of commuting following the collapse of a bridge on Interstate 95, according to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.
The Metro Philadelphia news site reports the Trenton, West Trenton, Fox Chase, and Warminster lines had an increase of almost 1,000 riders over the previous Tuesday, according to SEPTA figures. That followed an increase of 12%, or 547 riders, on three lines — Trenton, West Trenton, and Fox Chase — on Monday [see “SEPTA sees 12% ridership increase …,” Trains News Wire, June 13, 2023]. Those three lines had seen capacity expanded with cars added to existing trains, while the Trenton line also had three round trips added in the morning and evening rush hours.
SEPTA officials had expected ridership to grow from Monday to Tuesday, given that Tuesday-through-Thursday ridership has been about 65% of pre-COVID levels. On Mondays, it has been only about 40%.
SEPTA had announced plans on Sunday to increase service and offer free parking on some routes after a fire involving a gasoline tank truck led to the bridge collapse on the East Coast’s primary north-south Interstate route. Initial estimates said replacing the bridge could take months, but officials now plan to build a temporary road on backfill to close the gap, the Washington Post reports. There’s no estimate when the route might reopen as a result.
SEPTA got what amounts to free (albeit forced) advertising and a boost in passenger counts; they need to aggressively pursue hanging onto that increase and growing it. The reports indicate that they’re already doing some of that, but they gotta keep at it. Carpe Ridershipem! (…or something…)