Providing unrestricted transit passes to all city students could cost an extra $64 million a year, SEPTA and School District of Philadelphia leaders estimate.
School and SEPTA representatives were called to testify Tuesday afternoon before City Council about the possibility of introducing universal student fare cards, a proposal that is primarily being explored by at-large member Rue Landau.
As it stands, students in grades 7 through 12 who live at least a mile and a half away from their school are eligible for fare cards that can be used up to eight times between 5:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. at no cost to families. The cards are not valid on weekends, holidays or over the summer.
“Today’s hearing isn’t about getting kids to and from school,” Landau said. “This is about Philadelphia being their school. This is about their education, not as teenagers, but as people.”
The program has previously been expanded. Several years ago, when fare cards replaced disposable weekly passes, the nightly cap was extended from 6 to 8 p.m. and Regional Rail trips were added.
However, removing fares entirely for youth would come with a hefty price tag, officials said. SEPTA and the district modeled a scenario where eligibility was opened for 5th through 12th students 24/7, year-round and determined that such a program may require nearly $94 million in annual funding.
Currently, the district pays the transit authority about $30 million a year for more than 59,000 public, charter and private school students. Almost all of the money is reimbursed by the state, which refunds districts providing free transportation for pupils outside a 1.5-mile radius.
“The district is unable to absorb these costs within its existing budget without taking resources away from other vital education services,” Superintendent Tony Watlington Sr. told lawmakers. He added that the district would support the initiative if it was accompanied by a dependable funding source.
SEPTA charges the district about $89 a month for every student fare card that is tapped at least once over that time period and nothing for those that go unused. District and authority representatives acknowledged that there has historically been underpayment due to fare evasion.
“That is ludicrous,” Landau responded. “You can’t do accounting on assumptions.”
Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr., noting recent teen takeovers at Dilworth Park, suggested a function that would allow SEPTA or the district to suspend cards when a young person uses transit to engage in negative behavior.
“All young people aren’t created equal,” he added. “The important part of this hearing is to make sure that those who are doing the right thing get more access and opportunity. But for those who are doing the wrong thing, we need to have some checks and balances involved.”
Landau later replied that rowdy youth was a “fully different issue,” and Councilmember Jeffrey Young Jr. said the body would be holding a separate hearing about juvenile safety on SEPTA.
Councilmember Anthony Phillips discussed piloting universal fare cards for students enrolled in verified extracurricular programs or jobs. Landau indicated that she did not want to dictate reasons for travel.
“What we’re looking at is expanding access to all Philadelphia has to offer,” she said. “I want to really caution us from making this too narrow, even in our advocacy.”
Youth and transportation advocates who testified said fare cost can be a significant barrier in accessing opportunities.
“What you see on the news is the few bad apples that have fallen through the cracks of a system that has not previously invested in and paid attention to us,” said Yania Strawberry, a student at Walter B. Saul High School. “I think it costs us more to not consider this.”
MORE: Philadelphia school selection process delayed a month over test results
