Four Regional Rail Lines serving residents of Northeast Philadelphia and the suburbs saw ridership bumps Monday and Tuesday – the first weekday commutes with I-95 closed at Cottman Avenue.
Nearly 1,000 more people boarded Trenton, Warminster, West Trenton and Fox Chase line trains on Tuesday compared to the prior week, an increase of 14%, according to information provided by SEPTA.
On Monday, ridership was up a combined 12% on the Trenton, West Trenton and Fox Chase lines.
Following the interstate collapse, the authority added three morning and three afternoon trips to the Trenton Line, which runs along I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia and Bucks County. More cars were added to trains on the Trenton, West Trenton and Fox Chase lines to increase capacity. No changes were made to the Warminster Line.
Busch said the agency is also monitoring for potential “ripple effects” across the system, with people avoiding roadways altogether for fear of increased congestion.
SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards said Tuesday that her team is analyzing ridership to determine if additional shifts are needed. The increased service is currently being provided “until further notice,” based on the timeline for repairing the interstate, which remains unknown.
Staffing constraints limit the ability of SEPTA to significantly ramp up Regional Rail service, Busch said. The added trains were pulled from the Cynwyd Line, which is now running with shuttle buses to and from Overbrook Station.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman took time during a hearing Wednesday to ask transportation officials whether the authority may be able to receive financial support for their operations while I-95 is shut down. SEPTA and the Biden administration are discussing possible reimbursements.
Meanwhile, City Councilmember Mike Driscoll, whose district includes the collapse site, is planning to introduce a resolution Thursday to hold hearings studying the impact of building a subway along Roosevelt Boulevard.
“The incident sent countless residents scrambling with limited viable alternative options to get from the Northeast to Center City,” Driscoll said in a statement. “We need to re-examine the proposed Roosevelt Boulevard extension from every angle and leave no stone unturned to find a viable transportation alternative.”
Long proposed but never built, a Roosevelt Boulevard Subway has received renewed interest in recent months. A majority of lawmakers have signed on to co-sponsor the resolution, Driscoll’s office said, meaning it is likely to pass.
