SEPTA parking fees returning – and rising – next month

Fees for SEPTA parking lots and garages will be reinstated beginning next month, and drivers will be paying more than they did before the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Tuesday.

More than four years ago, SEPTA decided to increase parking fees. But, before that hike went into effect, authority leaders implemented free parking in an attempt to attract riders during the early days of COVID-19.

Drivers this fall will be required to pay $2, up from $1, at 96 surface lots – nearly all of which are at Regional Rail stations – and $4, up from $2, at the Frankford, Norristown and Lansdale garages.

Paid parking will be phased in between Sept. 23 and Nov. 15, according to SEPTA. A complete schedule is posted online at septa.org.

“These fees will help offset parking lot maintenance costs as we continue to do our part to generate revenue in the midst of a funding crisis,” Leslie Richards, the authority’s general manager and CEO, said in a statement. “We understand how increasing fees could impact riders, but we hope they will still see public transit as an overall value – saving time and money compared to driving a vehicle.”

A recent effort in Harrisburg to help SEPTA handle its projected $240 million annual deficit failed, with lawmakers approving an $80.5 million one-time payment to transit agencies throughout the state as part of the budget process. Gov. Josh Shapiro has committed to revisiting the funding gap when the legislature returns in the coming months.

Parking fees generated $4.7 million in revenue in 2019, the last full year in which SEPTA collected the payments.

SEPTA’s board in June authorized a $12.3 million contract with Flowbird America Inc. for a modernized parking system. Previously, most lots had slot boxes where drivers had to insert quarters.

Officials said those boxes will be replaced by kiosks that will accept credit and debit cards, as well as coins. In addition, riders will be able to pay through a SEPTA Park mobile app or through text, according to the authority.

Detailed instructions will be posted at stations, and employees will be present to assist drivers, SEPTA said in a statement.

Lots will remain free on weekends and major holidays, authority officials said. Fees returned earlier at a handful of Philadelphia Parking Authority-run lots adjacent to SEPTA stops.

Regional Rail ridership remains down 34% compared to pre-pandemic numbers; however, the number of riders in June increased 14% compared to the year prior, according to SEPTA data.