New SEPTA GM Jeffrey Knueppel talks improvements and moving forward

 

Morning Edition host Jennifer Lynn spoke with new SEPTA general manager Jeffrey Knueppel, who took over on Oct. 1 for the retired Joe Casey. Knueppel has been with SEPTA since 1988 when he started as an entry-level engineer and he had spent the last three years as the deputy general manager.

He understands that he has big shoes to fill and is taking his own approach to moving SEPTA forward.

“Joe Casey had an incredible emphasis on customer service going all the way back to 1999,” Knueppel said. “In the engineering, maintenance, and construction division that I ran, I worked with our people to establish a very, strong customer service approach.” 

Knueppel takes over at a time when the transit authority is undergoing a number of changes including the long-awaited rollout of the key system which has been repeatedly delayed.

“We basically have what we call the pilot test,” he said. “Right now, we’re just right at the end. There have been a couple of areas that have taken longer to get through and make changes so that functions work properly. It’s absolutely vital that a fare-collection system for a transit agency work properly.

“So we know everybody wants it — and we want it as bad as everybody else — but it has to work properly.”

To hear the entire interview with new SEPTA GM Jeffery Knueppel, click Play button at the top of the page.