Transit can play a role in helping to stop human trafficking, considering the number of people using it 24 hours a day. SEPTA Police Chief Thomas Nestel was recently joined by representatives from local social service agencies and a former human trafficking victim to discuss signs of the crime, law enforcement efforts and how the public can help.
Jobs in the transportation industry can be highly specialized, requiring employees to have very specific training and numerous certifications. Transit systems can ensure that the workers they are hiring are well-prepared for open positions by partnering with technical schools to collaborate on curriculum and create a pipeline of qualified job candidates.
When the frigid weather makes it too hazardous to stay outside, many homeless seek shelter in train stations, bus depots and other public facilities. SEPTA has partnered with an organization that works to end homelessness to create the "Hub of Hope," which offers a variety of services and housing, especially for those experiencing long-term street homelessness.
For some public transit riders, the first mode of travel they take every day is not a transit authority’s trains or buses, but rather the elevators and escalators to get to a station’s platforms or vehicles. And to keep them moving, elevators and escalators require as much attention as an organization’s fleet.
Across the country, transit is experiencing record ridership growth. The increase in commuters is not only good for transit organizations’ revenue; proximity to train stations and transportation centers can boost property values for surrounding communities and spur new construction of transit-oriented developments, shopping centers and other businesses. But what happens to communities when the “T” in the TODs is no longer there?
SEPTA transports approximately 58,000 of 134,000 public school students from a variety of grade levels every day, many using more than one mode of transit. The transit system launched its online School Trip Planner to help students who are moving to new institutions as a result of school closures look up their previous schools to find routes that service their new institution.
SEPTA’s service planners collaborated with developers of a new retail center to ensure that public transportation was incorporated into the site’s plans. Additionally, the agency’s planners worked with the public to add a bus route that provides safer access to a playground.
How does a town handle a daily influx of 25,000 spectators all headed to the USGA’s 2013 U.S. Open? With streets surrounding the venue closed to traffic and no on-site parking, Ardmore, Penn. - a suburb of Philadelphia and home of Merion Golf Club -had a major ally to help move the masses — the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.
An explosive device concealed in a travel bag was detonated on a packed SEPTA subway car. Agency officials and Philadelphia first responders raced to the location to rescue passengers trapped in the subway tunnel and prevent further destruction. While the tense and scary situation seemed authentic, the May 19 terrorist attack was simulated.
Rail fatalities, accidental and intentional, are a national problem. To combat the rise in fatalities and remind the public of the dangers of walking along, playing by or cutting across its train and trolley tracks and through its rail yards and depots, SEPTA held its first-ever Safety Awareness Day on May 1.
For the month of April, the agency, the Free Library of Philadelphia and Dunkin’ Donuts have “opened” at SEPTA’s Suburban Station what is believed to be the first virtual library at a U.S. train station.
Every city has its “hot spots” — places where many gather to “hang out” around the clock. Unfortunately, sometimes these locations aren’t places one should go for a safe, fun time and often the illegal activities that occur there have a negative impact on the community. When Chief Thomas Nestel III re-joined the SEPTA Police Department in 2012, he set out to identify the top “hot spot” served by the agency.
This is the third year of SEPTA’s formal Sustainability Program and its pursuit of a "triple bottom-line" strategy: becoming environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. The agency’s Sustainability Annual Report demonstrates how previously untapped assets are making a difference in the agency’s daily operations.
In this age of smartphones, tablets, Twitter, Facebook and other social media, rapid transit has taken on a new meaning. Passengers not only want to get to their destinations fast, they want information about their trips in an instant. To answer customers’ demands of immediacy, transportation organizations across the country have taken to using a variety of methods to disseminate details as quickly as possible.
As public service institutions, transit organizations’ involvement in their communities should extend beyond bus routes and train stations. SEPTA demonstrates good citizenship collectively as an organization and through its employees’ individual community service activities.