SEPTA Board update: Agency posts ridership gains in January; annual officer elections

Meet the new SEPTA Board, same as the old SEPTA board (pretty much).

The SEPTA Board met Thursday for its regular and annual meeting, electing its officers for the year, welcoming a new member and saying goodbye to another. The Board also handled routine matters, including a monthly ridership report and approval of a handful of standard procurement contracts.

In an absolute non-stunner, Bucks County’s Pasquale T. Deon, Sr. was re-elected Chair and Delaware County’s Thomas Babcock Vice-Chair. The closest anyone got to disputing that decision came when numerous directors attempted to second the nomination at the same time.

Thursday was also the first meeting for Governor Tom Wolf’s appointee on the Board, Representative Dwight Evans (D-203). Rep. Evans represents Philadelphia’s West Oak Lane and Lawncrest neighborhoods. He is replacing former Governor Corbett’s appointee, Thomas Jay Ellis, a public finance attorney at Duane Morris. Before sitting as Corbett’s appointee, Ellis sat on the board as a Montgomery County representative for ten years.

In January, ridership on regional rail increased by 4 percent compared to January 2014. Suburban transit ridership, meaning buses and the Norristown High Speed Line, also rose 5 percent. City transit ridership was level with last year. Last January, the region was socked with a ton of snow, which reduced ridership. This year’s bitterly cold January was relatively snow free.  

Year-to-date passenger revenues for the seven-month period ending January were $1.6 million better than budget, but operating expenses were $1.9 million worse than budget. Still, for the 2015 fiscal year-to-date SEPTA is running a $307,000 surplus after operating subsidies