SEPTA update

GUESTS: Jeff KNUEPPEL & STEPHEN J. BRUNO

If you use Philadelphia’s public transportation system, you’re in for a higher-priced ride. As of July 1^st, SEPTA fares will go up, and in September the first phase of new so-called ‘smart card’ payment collection will be rolled out on bus, trolley and subway transit. JEFF KNUEPPEL, Deputy General Manager of SEPTA, will explain the $129.5 million ‘new payment technology’ upgrade that will involve installing the smart card vending machines. Station attendants will no longer be handling cash and tokens will be phased out by July 2014. And as of last year, SEPTA ridership was at a 23-year high. But recently service on some regional lines has been limited as there are not enough engineers available. We’ll talk to former SEPTA locomotive engineer STEPHEN J. BRUNO about what it takes to be one of the 194 people responsible for 339.3 million SEPTA passengers. Bruno is currently a National Vice President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.