SEPTA service cuts could add 275,000 vehicles to local roads, experts warn

This story originally appeared on 6abc.

Transit experts are warning that proposed service cuts to SEPTA could result in approximately 275,000 additional vehicles on local roadways, a number just shy of Pittsburgh’s population.

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission analyzed the potential impact and found that already congested roads across the region would see significant increases in travel times and decreases in average speeds.

Viewers have expressed concern about the possible changes. One Instagram user, Sean Walter, wrote, “95 is already difficult. What will traffic be like if people are forced to drive into the city?”

According to Action News traffic anchor Matt Pellman, the commission’s data shows that commute times on major corridors could rise sharply.

For example, southbound travel on I-95 from Northeast Philadelphia to Center City could increase by 18%. That means a 40-minute drive from Academy Road to the Vine Street Expressway would take 47 minutes.

On the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76), the commute between King of Prussia and Girard Avenue could take 20% longer – from 35 minutes to 42 minutes.

Suburban routes would also be affected.

Speeds on the Blue Route (I-476) are expected to drop by more than five miles per hour, from 37.1 mph to 32.5 mph.