With its ridership down around 85 percent from pre-pandemic levels, SEPTA Regional Rail has to consider widening its customer base to survive, writes Patricia Madej for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

This is especially important considering that many of its suburban riders will not return to their five-day-a-week schedules even when the pandemic is no longer a factor.

According to Megan Smirti Ryerson, Associate Dean for Research at University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, the way forward is to blur the lines between SEPTA’s buses, trolleys, and subways and Regional Rail.

To sustain and grow the Regional Rail ridership, SEPTA should try and appeal to riders it has not focused on before due to pricy fares and less frequent service.

“Now is the time to prioritize the needs of people of color, essential workers, and particularly our communities that have been significantly, economically hurt by the pandemic,” said Ryerson.

Scott Sauer, SEPTA’s assistant general manager of operations, agreed there has to be evolution in Regional Rail, but emphasized that the recommendations by experts are not simple to adopt.

“I can’t stress enough how significant a capital investment that would be,” he said.

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