PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia's mass transit system has proposed an across-the-board 21.5% fare increase that would start New Year’s Day as well as severe service cuts that would take effect next summer.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority announced its plans on Tuesday and scheduled a Dec. 13 public hearing on them.
If approved by SEPTA's board, riders would pay the increase on top of a proposed separate interim average fare increase of 7.5% that the panel is due to consider later this month. If that is passed, it would take effect Dec. 1. If both increases take effect, the single fare cost of riding the city bus and subway would go from $2 to $2.90. SEPTA key fares for rail riders, which now range from $3.75 to $6.50, depending on the zone riders use, would range from $5 to $8.75 on Jan. 1.
SEPTA, which is facing a potential strike by thousands of its workers, has repeatedly said its financial health is uncertain. It last raised fares in 2017, and the proposed increase would be expected to bring in an additional $23 million for this fiscal year and $45 million per year starting in 2026.
The nation's sixth-largest mass transit system, SEPTA is facing an annual structural budget deficit of $240 million as federal pandemic aid phases out. It lost out on about $161 million in state aid since the Republican-controlled state Senate declined to hold a vote on Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposal for $283 million in new state aid to public transit. Instead, the lawmakers approved a one-time payment to the state trust fund for transit systems, of which SEPTA got $46 million.
SEPTA's board of directors could vote as early as Dec. 19 to approve the latest fare hike proposal. SEPTA is also looking at potential service cuts that could take effect July 1 and would include eliminating and shortening routes, and reducing the frequency of bus, trolley, subway, and Regional Rail service.
The cuts would save an estimated $92 million in the first year — an amount that could grow in future fiscal years as SEPTA begins to consider infrastructure cuts.
“This is painful and it’s going to be painful for our customers,” SEPTA”s chief operating officer, Scott Sauer, said Tuesday. ”This is the beginning of what we have been saying is the transit death spiral."
The proposal comes with SEPTA engaging in contract talks with Transport Workers Union Local 234, whose members voted to authorize a strike when their one-year contract expired last Friday. The union — which has about 5,000 members, including bus, subway, and trolley operators, mechanics, cashiers, maintenance people and custodians — eventually agreed to delay any job actions, saying some progress was being made in the negotiations.
Asked about SEPTA's situation during a Capitol news conference Wednesday, Republican leaders of the state said the transit system could get additional aid next year. But they suggested it would have to come packaged with aid for other transportation projects around the state, a new source of money to fund it, and SEPTA's follow-through on improving its operating efficiency.
“There could be compromise. There might be a compromise. Hopefully there is, but it’s going to have to come down to making sure that every area of this commonwealth for transportation is addressed, not just one sector,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward."
FILE - A Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) logo is shown, on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
FILE—Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) trains sit in the yard at Fern Rock Transportation Center in Philadelphia, in this file photo from Oct. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy was already an overwhelming favorite to win the European tour’s season-long Race to Dubai title.
He made his chances even better on Thursday.
McIlroy shot 5-under 67 and was tied for the lead with Tyrrell Hatton after the first round of the season-ending World Tour Championship.
A top-10 finish will guarantee McIlroy wins the year-long points race — formerly known as the Order of Merit — for the sixth time, tying with the late Seve Ballesteros and moving two behind Colin Montgomerie’s record haul.
Thriston Lawrence, the South African who is second in the Race to Dubai standings behind McIlroy, is the only player who can catch the Northern Irishman and opened with a 73, leaving him six strokes behind his rival already.
“I am under no illusions that that was probably Thriston’s worst day,” McIlroy said.
Lawrence has to win — nothing less is good enough — and then needs McIlroy to finish tied for 11th or lower.
Paul Waring, the winner in Abu Dhabi last week in the first event of the end-of-season playoffs, was alone in third place after a 68 and American golfer Billy Horschel was in a seven-way tie for fourth place, one stroke further back.
The No. 3-ranked McIlroy made six birdies, the highlight coming on the par-3 17th when he rolled in a 50-footer to join Hatton in the lead.
The par-5 last hole offered a good chance for McIlroy to take the outright lead, especially after he split the fairway with his drive. He leaked his approach right, failed to find the green with his third shot and narrowly missed his birdie attempt.
McIlroy was playing alongside Lawrence in the final group and said he was thinking of more than what the South African was doing.
“I want to go on from here and win the golf tournament,” McIlroy said. “I have opened with a really good score but I need to go out and play similarly over these next three days.”
Hatton, who plays on the LIV Golf circuit, finished two shots back in second place last week after a closing 64 and carried that form to Dubai, even though he didn't feel too comfortable around the Earth Course.
“To be honest, I feel like the score was better than it felt,” the No. 18-ranked Hatton said. “I felt I was tinkering over most tee shots and at times, I felt like my misses were bigger than perhaps they have been over the last month or so.”
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Billy Horschel of the United States hits off the first tee during the first round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Paul Waring of England hits off the first tee during the first round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Tyrell Hatton of England hits off the first tee during the first round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Thriston Lawrence of South Africa hits off the first tee during the first round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits off the first tee during the first round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, left, and Thriston Lawrence of South Africa wait before the first tee off during the first round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits off the first tee during the first round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
