Latest news with #SEPTA
CBS News
a day ago
- Business
- CBS News
For Philadelphia's Strawberry Mansion neighborhood, potential SEPTA cuts would be devastating
In Philadelphia's Strawberry Mansion neighborhood, half the residents don't own cars. For them, public transportation is essential, not a choice. Neighbors like Marcella Bevins rely on SEPTA to get to doctor's appointments several times a month. "I got to my oncologist, that's the 49 bus to go to Civic Center ... I catch the 49 to go to 30th Street Station to catch the El," said Bevins, a Strawberry Mansion resident. But SEPTA's $213 million budget deficit is pushing the agency to shrink the system. It plans to cut 50 bus routes and five Regional Rail lines and reduce service across the board. Strawberry Mansion will be hit especially hard. Nine routes through the neighborhood could be discontinued or reduced by up to 20%. "I don't know what SEPTA is doing; they raised the fare, and then they want to cut routes. That doesn't make sense," Bevins said. "They feel like it's an attack on them and their life. It's a food desert. Not a lot of places to get groceries, and they've got relatives across the city they want to visit," Jalon Alexander, an attorney and community advocate, said. Alexander hosted a meeting on Monday at Garden of Prayer Church, bringing neighbors, SEPTA officials and lawmakers together. "Candidly, SEPTA's the victim here. SEPTA needs funding to thrive," Alexander said. Right now, SEPTA funding depends on lawmakers in Harrisburg, who have until June 30 to include SEPTA in the state budget, just ahead of the transit agency's own deadline. "The money that needs to be spent is nothing compared to the money that will be lost if we do not fund SEPTA," state Sen. Sharif Street said. When service cuts go into effect beginning Aug. 24, SEPTA said affected riders will still be able to use alternate routes to get to their destinations. However, that could include more transfers, and most people's commutes may be longer and more complicated. "If I've got to catch another bus when I've been catching the same bus for 25 years to get to and from work, that's going to cost me more. That affects my budget," Tyrone Williams, of Strawberry Mansion Community Development, said. It also affects their jobs, health, families and daily survival. The Strawberry Mansion community said decisions about service cuts shouldn't be made without their voices at the table. "I think SEPTA attending the meeting today reflects their commitment to work with the community as a team because they're an integral part of our lives," Alexander said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Battle over SEPTA funding continues in Harrisburg: This Week in Pennsylvania
(WHTM) – The fight over funding SEPTA continues to brew in the State Capitol with the budget deadline looming. The transportation authority has thousands of stops across five southeastern counties. However, some lawmakers in Harrisburg say if funding keeps going toward SEPTA, there needs to be more funding for roads statewide where residents don't ride SEPTA. Scott Sauer, General Manager for SEPTA, joins This Week in Pennsylvania to discuss the ongoing structural deficit, SEPTA's biggest needs, and how SEPTA impacts all of Pennsylvania. Every week, This Week in Pennsylvania gives a comprehensive look at the week's biggest news events in Pennsylvania, provided by the abc27 News team, along with the latest updates on local stories. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Check your local listings for weekly air times. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Cause of massive fire at SEPTA bus depot found: officials
The Brief SEPTA says a battery on one of the electric buses sparked the huge blaze at the SEPTA bus depot in Nicetown. A massive fire erupted at SEPTA's largest bus depot on Thursday, damaging 40 decommissioned buses. NICETOWN - After a huge fire broke out at SEPTA's largest bus depot in Nicetown on Thursday, officials have determined a cause for the fire. What we know A spokesperson for SEPTA stated that the Philadelphia Fire Department said a battery in one of the electric buses set off the massive fire Thursday at their largest bus depot, in Philly's Nicetown neighborhood. Residents living near the bus depot were urged to stay indoors while firefighters fought the blaze, due to air quality concerns. Philly's Health Department gave the all-clear for air quality on Friday. The backstory Firefighters were called to the Midvale SEPTA Bus Depot around 6 a.m. after employees reported a fire in the decommissioned bus lot. Investigators said the fire reached 3-alarms and torched about 40 buses, many that haven't been used in years, including former electric buses. SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said the lot is used to store 100 buses that have been or are in the process of being decommissioned. He provided some insight into the decommission process, saying the buses' batteries are disconnected, and the mechanical fluid is drained. 16 of the burned buses are electric, made by the Proterra Company. SEPTA is battling in court in part over an earlier fire. SEPTA said the nine remaining electric buses at the depot are going away. Big picture view Meanwhile, the Health Dept. said the fire caused a rise in the amount of particulate matter, both PM 2.5 and PM 10, and released benzene, ethylbenzene, and carbon monoxide into the air. The levels of those pollutants were recorded at their highest point in the early morning on Thursday, June 5, while the fire was still burning. Those levels were reduced once the fire was brought under control, though residents were not advised to resume normal activities until Friday afternoon. No other details were released about the battery.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Trans woman burned with unknown chemical in Philadelphia; police looking to ID three juveniles
The Brief Philadelphia police have released video of three juveniles they're looking to identify after they say a trans woman was burned with acid over the weekend. The 25-year-old victim suffered severe burns to her face and leg as a result of the attack. Police have not yet made any arrests in the case. PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police have released surveillance video showing three juveniles they're looking to identify and speak with after a trans woman was attacked and left with severe burns from an unknown substance. The incident happened on Sunday, June 1, in the unit block of South 51st Street around 1:40 p.m. The victim was left with severe burns on her face and leg as a result of the incident. What we know On Sunday afternoon, police responded to a call for an assault in West Philadelphia. When officers arrived on scene, they met with the 25-year-old victim who informed them that a group of juveniles threw an unknown caustic substance on her face and body. She told police she had been wearing headphones at the time of the attack, and was unsure if the juveniles said anything to her prior to the attack. She was treated at Temple University Hospital's Burn Center for second and third degree burns on her face and leg. On Friday, police released surveillance video of three juveniles they were looking to identify in connection with the assault. Police say they blurred the faces of two of the juveniles because they are believed to be tender-aged. Following the incident, video shows the juveniles boarding SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line at 52nd Street and getting off at 60t Street. Investigators also added on Friday that the substance used in the attack could possibly have been battery acid. What they're saying Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta released a statement on the attack Friday, pointing out that the attack on trans victim occurred on the day of the city's Pride march. "What happened to this young woman in West Philly is horrific—and even more so because the suspects are kids, just 8 to 12 years old. Pride is supposed to be a celebration. Instead, we're starting with a hate-fueled attack that will leave this 25-year-old woman scarred for life," the statement began. "This is what happens when bigotry is left unchecked—when hate spreads online, in our communities, and into the hands of children." Kenyatta went on to add that parents 'need to step up.' "We all have a role to play in teaching our kids dignity, empathy and basic humanity. When you stop teaching respect, you start seeing violence. I'm praying for her recovery. And I want her to know we see her, we love her, and we're not letting this go."
USA Today
5 days ago
- General
- USA Today
At least 40 city buses catch fire at Philadelphia SEPTA facility
At least 40 city buses catch fire at Philadelphia SEPTA facility Show Caption Hide Caption Blaze burns through SEPTA buses at depot A huge fire erupted at a SEPTA bus depot in Philadelphia's Nicetown neighborhood Thursday morning. Fox - Fox 29 More than 150 firefighters in Eastern Pennsylvania battled a massive blaze at a major Philadelphia transportation depot yard after dozens of buses went up in flames at the yard in the early hours of June 5. The fire broke out sometime around 6 a.m. ET at Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's (SEPTA) facility in the 2400 block of Roberts Avenue near Pulaski Avenue, the Philadelphia Fire Department reported. The facility is in the city's Nicetown-Tioga neighborhood, about seven miles north of downtown. Shortly before 6:30 a.m. ET, firefighters responded to the depot for a report of multiple buses on fire, SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer told CBS News. At the scene, SEPTA worked to pull out unaffected buses to facilitate better access for firefighters, PFD said. Initially reported as a two-alarm fire at 6:30 a.m., the number of vehicles on fire, coupled with large plumes of black smoke, quickly escalated the situation to a three-alarm fire. Firefighters confirmed that they had the scene under control by 8:10 a.m. What caused the Philadelphia bus fire? The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation by the Fire Marshal's Office. The fire destroyed approximately 40 buses, including 15 decommissioned electric buses, which Sauer suggested could explain how the fire started. A similar electric bus caught fire in 2022 at a separate SEPTA depot, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The buses that caught fire were "getting ready to go to the scrap heap," said Andrew Busch, SEPTA's director of communication. What is SEPTA? SEPTA is a public transportation authority servicing five counties in and around Philadelphia. It was created by the state's legislature in 1963 and is one of two transit authorities in the United States that operates all five major types of terrestrial transit vehicles: regional rail, buses, trolleys, subways and a high-speed line. According to its website, the authority connects to transit systems in New Jersey and Delaware. This story has been updated to include new information. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
