SEPTA continues to unlock Key: Riders can now replace tokens without buying a pass first, available at 69th Street

For SEPTA token lovers, winter is coming.

Just as a wintry snowstorm is expected to blanket the region and make getting around more difficult, SEPTA will take another step in its slow trudge to full SEPTA Key deployment.

Starting Thursday, passengers will be able to pick up cards from SEPTA Key kiosks at 69th Street Station. This is the first new purchase location expansion for the rollout, adding a second location in addition to SEPTA’s headquarters at 1234 Market Street.

Also starting Thursday, riders will be able to pick up a SEPTA Key card and use it to replace tokens (using its Travel Wallet) without needing to buy a weekly or monthly pass first, but only at 69th Street Station. Before, in order to enjoy sweet tokenless freedom, riders needed to pony up for a weekly or monthly pass on their Key Card first.

Riders will be able to use SEPTA Key kiosks located at other stations to reload their cards with new passes or by adding money to the Travel Wallet, but new cards aren’t available there yet. In the coming weeks, SEPTA will activate those locations for new card purchases, although most of the newly activated locations will require new cardholders to purchase a weekly or monthly pass initially.

If you are like this reporter and just want SEPTA Key to replace tokens (and don’t have one yet), you’ll want to brave the white stuff tomorrow and go to 69th Street Station.*

CORRECTION: Despite confirming with SEPTA’s spokesperson prior to publication that riders would be able to buy a SEPTA Key Card without needing to also purchase a weekly or monthly pass at 1234 Market Street, that was incorrect. If you want to purchase a SEPTA Key card without a weekly or monthly pass, you will need to go to 69th Street Station.