SEPTA projects no fare hike in proposed budget

CENTER CITY -- The Philadelphia-area transit agency's proposed new budget includes no fare increase for the period running through the middle of next year.

SEPTA plans hearings throughout the five-county region on the budget for the fiscal year from July 2016 through the end of June 2017.

SEPTA's budget proposes a 3 percent increase over the previous spending plan and maintains current SEPTA service levels. Officials said it reflects the agency's efforts to control costs, including replacing aging buses with more fuel-efficient diesel-electric hybrids and reduced costs for injuries and damages due to the increased role of video evidence from surveillance cameras.

Two hearings are planned in late April in each county in the five-county region, which is made up of Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties.