Judge orders restoration of all SEPTA services, but allows fare increases

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A judge ruled Thursday that SEPTA must restore all services that were cut last month, and halt any plans for new cuts.

The decision stems from a lawsuit filed against SEPTA. It argued that the cuts SEPTA implemented were not equitable and put low-income riders and minorities at a disadvantage.

George Bochetto, the attorney who filed the lawsuit against SEPTA, said, "This is a victory for the citizens of Philadelphia. Students can get to school. Teachers can get to school. People that are disabled or have medical disabilities can get to their doctor's appointments."

The order applies to bus routes, Regional Rail and special services like the Sports Express.

SEPTA must also stop station closures, along with any Paratransit route eliminations or reductions.

While Bochetto and his team told Action News the services that were cut should be restored immediately, SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said it will take time.

"We want to make sure we've covered all our bases before we commit to a return date for our service," he said. "So, we're working on some things to make sure we're prepared to do that."

Busch said SEPTA plans to comply with the court order, but he said the agency's legal team is currently weighing its options and looking for clarity.

"We did make very clear that there are certain baseline things we need to do to make sure we're doing this safely. That's safety for our workforce and safety for our riders, so immediately was never going to be tomorrow morning," Busch explained.

Despite Thursday's ruling, the judge is allowing SEPTA to move ahead with a fare hike of 21.5%. That increase was supposed to go into effect earlier this week, but was postponed pending the hearing.

SEPTA says it plans to move forward with the fare increase, but the agency is still working to determine a timeline for implementation.

Bochetto said he and his team plan to fight the increase at some point.

Meanwhile, talks continue in Harrisburg to find a permanent funding solution for SEPTA's $213 million budget deficit.

The news came as many Eagles fans packed the Sports Express trains on the Broad Street Line.

As transit advocates rallied in South Philadelphia Thursday ahead of the Eagles game, they told Action News they're hopeful state lawmakers will find a permanent funding solution for SEPTA's budget deficit.

Stephen Bronskill, the coalition manager for Transit Forward Philly, said, "I'm always glad we have more public transportation, but we need to address the fiscal situation. It is why we're in this situation in the first place. The state needs to fund public transit."