Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

Board of directors voted to increase fares for all vanpool users by $2 instead of its initial plan to cut 40 vanpools that start and end outside the agency’s service area.

Although ridership is at a 23-year high, SEPTA's budget is at a 15-year low, so it cannot replace the 231 Silverliner IVs which are 36 to 38 years old.

Will extend night service on light rail and nine major bus routes and increase frequency on highly-utilized bus routes. Along with the Green Line light rail extension, which opened in June, these improvements represent the first time RT added service since budget cuts forced major service reductions in June 2010.

Prompted by a $64 million deficit projected for the Fiscal Year 2013 operating budget. The fare increase would go into effect on July 1 and the service reduction would go into effect September 2. About 46 routes would be eliminated with service scaled back on all remaining routes. The ACCESS paratransit program would see deep cuts.

To close its $12 million to $17 million shortfall, plans to move from fare zones to a flat fare system, eliminate its free rail zone, sell ads on its website, and reconfigure bus routes.

Targeted $12 million in cuts and changes, which will take effect in September 2012. Changes include enacting internal efficiencies, providing $1.2 million in savings. The original proposal from February called for $500,000 in savings.

Part of a plan to eliminate approximately $11 million in costs. The city reports that .5% of DDOT’s daily riders use bus service between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. and make up 6% of its daily costs.

The agency is working to bring the union contract in line with revenue growth and make it financially sustainable. It is also proposing to increase fares and change the overall fare structure, eliminating the Free Rail Zone, and cut service. Any changes to fares and service would take effect in September 2012.

The state Republican House and Senate agreed to provide $78 million for regional transit in the next two years, about halfway between the $129 million approved for the previous two years and the $20 million they originally approved.

The Lakeland Area Mass Transit District may close 500 of its 1,000 stops because it is too costly to make the stops ADA compliant. Waits on certain routes will increase from 30 minutes to an hour.