SEPTA

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
Overview
Area served	Philadelphia and the surrounding regions in Pennsylvania, as well as limited services in New Castle County, Delaware and Mercer County, New Jersey
Locale	Delaware Valley
Transit type	Commuter rail; light rail trolleys; rapid transit; trolleybus; transit bus;
Number of lines	196
Number of stations	290
Daily ridership	768,600 (weekdays, Q4 2024)
Annual ridership	223.5 million (2020)
Chief executive	Scott Sauer (Interim General Manager)
Headquarters	1234 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Website	septa.org
Operation
Began operation	November 1, 1965
Number of vehicles	2,897 (2018)
SEPTA system map
SEPTA system map
	Geographically-accurate map of SEPTA and connecting rail transit services as of 2005. Includes Regional Rail, rapid transit, and selected interurban and suburban trolley lines. Does not include SEPTA's subway-surface lines or Girard streetcar.

SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, is a regional public transportation authority^[5] that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people throughout five counties in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It also manages projects that maintain, replace, and expand its infrastructure, facilities, and vehicles.

SEPTA is the major transit provider for Philadelphia and four surrounding counties within the Philadelphia metropolitan area, including Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester counties. It is a state-created authority, with the majority of its board appointed by the five counties it serves.^[6] Several SEPTA commuter rail and bus services serve New Castle County, Delaware and Mercer County, New Jersey, although service to Philadelphia from South Jersey is provided by the PATCO Speedline, which is run by the Delaware River Port Authority, a bi-state agency, and NJ Transit, which operates many bus lines and a commuter rail line to Philadelphia.

SEPTA has the sixth-largest U.S. rapid transit system in the nation by ridership, and the fifth-largest overall transit system in the nation, with about 302 million annual unlinked trips as of 2018.^[7] It controls 290 active stations, over 450 miles (720 km) of track, 2,350 revenue vehicles, and 196 routes.^[8] It also oversees shared-ride services in Philadelphia and ADA services across the region, which are operated by third-party contractors, Amtrak, and NJ Transit.

SEPTA is the only U.S. transit authority that operates all five major types of terrestrial transit vehicles: regional commuter rail trains, rapid transit subway and elevated trains, light rail trolleys, trolleybuses, and motorbuses. This title was shared with Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which also ran ferryboat service, until trolleybuses in Greater Boston were discontinued in 2023, leaving SEPTA as the sole remaining U.S. transit authority operating all five terrestrial transit vehicle types.^[9]

^ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
^ Cite error: The named reference Fiscal Year 2021 Operating Budget was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b "SEPTA | Board Members". www.septa.org. June 16, 2023.
^ "Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority 2018 Agency Profile" (PDF). FTA National Transit Database (NTD). December 13, 2019. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 22, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
^ "SEPTA Enabling Legislation (74PaCS§ 1711)". Pennsylvania Legis website.
^ Cite error: The named reference crisis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "SEPTA Operating Facts Fiscal Year 2018" (PDF). SEPTA. 2019.
^ "Testimony of Thomas J. Nestel, III, Chief of Transit Police, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia, PA, before the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security "Securing Public Areas of Transportation Systems: Stakeholder Perspectives"" (PDF). docs.house.gov. November 28, 2017.
^ "SEPTA Facts". SEPTA. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008.

[APTAdaily-1] "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.

[Fiscal_Year_2021_Operating_Budget-2] Cite error: The named reference Fiscal Year 2021 Operating Budget was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[board-3] "SEPTA | Board Members". www.septa.org. June 16, 2023.

[FTA2018-4] "Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority 2018 Agency Profile" (PDF). FTA National Transit Database (NTD). December 13, 2019. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 22, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2020.

[:5-5] "SEPTA Enabling Legislation (74PaCS§ 1711)". Pennsylvania Legis website.

[crisis-6] Cite error: The named reference crisis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[7] "SEPTA Operating Facts Fiscal Year 2018" (PDF). SEPTA. 2019.

[8] "Testimony of Thomas J. Nestel, III, Chief of Transit Police, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia, PA, before the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security "Securing Public Areas of Transportation Systems: Stakeholder Perspectives"" (PDF). docs.house.gov. November 28, 2017.

[9] "SEPTA Facts". SEPTA. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008.

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