PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Changes impacting several SEPTA Regional Rail lines are now in effect. SEPTA is the first commuter rail operator in North America that is preparing to deploy new wire scanner technology, which will monitor its network of overhead wires on the Regional Rail. COVID-19 is most commonly spread through close contact with others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and good ventilation is a helpful risk-mitigation measure. "When I see any study that says, 'There is no evidence of transmission in blank,' my first question is 'How do they know?'" "One thing that I think most people don't appreciate is that there is good air exchange in public transit," Fraimow said. Paper tickets will continue to be accepted through the valid date stamped on the back and valid for 180 days from the purchase date. There's a careful balance to maintain, said Thomas Fekete, chair of the department of medicine and professor of microbiology and immunology at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. The misperception of mass transit being a hotbed for COVID-19 transmission could contribute to a push for private cars, creating further funding woes, and deteriorating service for riders who depend on transit. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. It’s also time for SEPTA to re-imagine the Regional Rail system, a primarily suburb-to-downtown, rush hour service on which ridership has fallen 85 percent. While "we're much less worried about surfaces than we were six months ago," said Henry Fraimow, infectious-disease specialist at Cooper University Health Care, SEPTA has continued enhanced cleaning protocols since March. ", In an unrelated news conference this past fall, Mike Carroll, the city's deputy managing director for the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability, said: "There's no outbreaks that we can trace to the use of mass transit." © 2021 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. The authority is also replacing air filters more frequently. Public input is being sought regarding the Amarillo Area Regional Multimodal Transportation Plan, which officials said is a strategic mobility plan seeking to integrate and modernize the region’s mobility network into one comprehensive document. TYGER WILLIAMS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER A man died after being struck by a train Saturday morning at a SEPTA station in Jenkintown, authorities said. "It really was not a difficult decision for me to make at the time," Fagliano said. To be clear, there is potential risk of getting infected on transit, according to a half-dozen health experts who spoke with The Inquirer, but it's a manageable risk like going into a store or dining outdoors. The misperception of mass transit being a hotbed for COVID-19 transmission could contribute to a push for private cars for those who can afford one, clogging roads, creating further funding woes, and deteriorating service for riders who depend on transit most. The plan includes $9.7 billion in investments for public transit, roads, bridges, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements. SEPTA vehicles experience 15 to 20 full air exchanges every hour, said Jim Fox, assistant general manager of SEPTA's system safety division. A new BRT corridor along Lakeshore Road and major bus rehabs are among the projects the funding will support. Paper tickets will continue to be accepted through the valid date stamped on the back and valid for 180 days from the purchase date. SEPTA is closing 14 Regional Rail ticket offices for 10 weeks starting Monday, Dec. 14, 2020 due to budget problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on … Safety measures, such as mask-wearing, must be in place, they said, but taking public transportation isn't an activity to be avoided at all costs. OP-ED: New York Gov. "They're willing to go to a bar and drink, but they're afraid to get on a bus. Fast food chain enters 'chicken wars,' changes name, Target giving $500 bonuses to all hourly team members, Black-owned boutique in West Philly receives grant from Beyonce, COVID call center opens in Delaware County, Families worry about school closures in Camden, New Jersey. The appointment follows MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack's appointment to the Federal Highway Administration. SEPTA is advising customers that some changes are being made to select Regional Rail schedules starting next week. The text HTML schedules are times only; they do not contain many service notes printed in the PDF and paper versions of our schedules. Our Regional Rail Control Center can "see" all of the trains traveling on SEPTA territory in real time, so the … FL: Feds to give $30.8 million to local transit agencies for coronavirus relief. Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). "As far as mass transit being a substantial source of spread, compared to some of the settings that we do know are high risk, like bars," Fagliano said, "there's pretty good confidence that mass transit is not going to be a major source of spread when people take the proper precautions.". All Rights Reserved. "The public health agencies should say something to dispel some of this negative stigma that attaches to transit," Fried said. While some health experts found the information encouraging, Mike Levy, associate professor of epidemiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, had reservations. CA: Fletcher: San Diego MTS stable despite pandemic, looking to expand transit service. Copyright © 2021 WPVI-TV. All other Terminal Platforms (B, C/D, E/F) will remain open. Nine SEPTA workers have died of COVID-19. PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Changes impacting several SEPTA Regional Rail lines are now in effect. "It's a frustrating struggle for us in the industry," Fox said, "... a lot of the public is either still on their old beliefs or really not taking advantage of updated research, information that's out there to support the position of how transit is not this super spreader that everyone believes it to be.". Before the pandemic, cleanliness was identified as an area "where SEPTA must improve" in a 2018 customer satisfaction survey. The pilot program will provide discounted, unlimited use of RTD’s local, regional and airport bus and rail service to students for the upcoming spring semester. For many people, that's not an option. The new schedules are designed to improve service reliability & on-time performance. Tampa Bay’s bus agencies, struggling with decreased ridership and financial challenges linked to the coronavirus pandemic, are set to receive $30.8 million in federal relief money. New Regional Rail Schedules in Effect Sunday, March 8, 2020. The authority will support Georgia’s small business mentoring program. TX: Public feedback solicited on multimodal plan. When making the announcement, SEPTA general manager Leslie Richards said: "Studies during the pandemic have shown that public transportation is safe, and there have been no direct links between riding SEPTA and contracting the coronavirus. Massachusetts Governor appoints Jamey Tesler as acting MassDOT Secretary. he said. The city doesn't "really have any good data conclusively linking travel on SEPTA or other public transit to cases of COVID" and "it's difficult to tell if riding public transit took place as a possible exposure or if it happened while they were infectious," said Jim Garrow, health department spokesperson. With the launch of the SEPTA Key Card Travel Wallet feature for Regional Rail, the sale of paper tickets, single trip, and 10 trip strips ended October 2, 2020. The Media/Elwyn Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line that runs from Center City Philadelphia west to Elwyn in Delaware County.. A $186 million infusion of federal stimulus money to the Metropolitan Council should help Metro Transit get through a challenging year after the COVID-19 pandemic devastated ridership on the region's buses and trains. One of his greatest achievements was the rebuild of Dayton’s electric trolley system through infrastructure upgrades and the creation of the new NexGen dual-mode trolley bus. If an individual reveals to public health professionals that they used public transportation while infectious, the information is used to identify and inform all close contacts.". ", In a reply outlining that evidence of a definite link between contracting COVID-19 and public transportation would aid in helping to slow COVID-19′s spread, the department said: "We do know that traveling does increase a person's risk of exposure to the virus. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties MN: Metro Transit to get millions in federal COVID-19 bailout. He commuted on the Chestnut Hill East Line one or two days a week. CTDOT releases updated five-year capital plan. Gov. The devil is in the details, which are missing. SEPTA Advancing King of Prussia Rail Extension Written by Marybeth Luczak , Executive Editor Five stations are planned for SEPTA’s 3.5-mile King of Prussia rail extension, including the First and Moore/Valley Forge Station (rendering above). Between daylight saving time and changes to SEPTA Regional Rail schedules, commuters will need to pay close attention before heading out the door next week. Fagliano wore a mask, and social distancing was fairly easy, considering SEPTA's depressed ridership. Transit agencies, which have received emergency relief to help stem COVID-19 losses, will "have to budget and plan for a pretty significant lag to get back to full ridership," said Ben Fried of TransitCenter, a New York-based advocacy group for public transit. To transit, roads, bridges, and about 560 have since returned to work before the COVID-19 pandemic cleanliness! 'S depressed ridership to work before the pandemic averages through last week Hurdle to serve as acting MassDOT Stephanie! 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