SEPTA is preparing to launch an institutional pass program that will help bolster an inclusive recovery for the region.

“SEPTA Key Advantage” will allow participating institutions to acquire SEPTA Key cards directly from the authority and distribute them to employees. Phase I of the program will be a six-month pilot with three introductory partners — Drexel University, Penn Medicine, and Wawa stores in the city of Philadelphia. These partners are ideal to help SEPTA launch this program, as they all have multi-site facilities and represent a broad range of organizational types, including retail, medical, and higher education.

Drexel, Penn Medicine, and Wawa will be reaching out to employees with information on how to register for the program in the coming weeks. The passes will be ready for their employees to use starting on May 1.

Participants can use a new or existing SEPTA Key card for their pass. Just like the Monthly Anywhere TrailPass, SEPTA Key Advantage passes can be used on all SEPTA modes, including Regional Rail, Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, Norristown High Speed Line, and city and suburban buses and trolleys. The passes will be automatically reloaded each month for the six-month period.

“SEPTA is thrilled to launch this exciting new program, which will provide real benefits for people working in our city and region,” said SEPTA GM/CEO Leslie S. Richards. “This has the potential to provide a significant boost in ridership, which is critical to ensuring that SEPTA can sustain and grow service as we recover from the pandemic.”

Programs like SEPTA Key Advantage have proven to increase ridership at peer transit agencies across the country, including Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Seattle.

The benefits extend to everyone traveling in the region, not just those who use SEPTA. By encouraging more people to take public transit, SEPTA Key Advantage will help reduce traffic congestion that is significantly impacting mobility as the pandemic recovery continues. In addition, by providing this incentive for using SEPTA to employees at these organizations, this program will help alleviate demand for parking, particularly at facilities such as hospitals where spaces are needed for patients.

The passes can also be a powerful recruitment tool for businesses as they compete to hire and retain talent in the current job market.