Free Parking at SEPTA Lots
In March of 2020, right at the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown, SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) implemented free parking at their regional rail stations. They have continued to extend the length of the free parking (it was originally supposed to end in 2022) and have posted signs declaring free parking until further notice. This makes it so it is easier to access the regional rail, which many people take from the suburbs into the city for work everyday, as well as for many other reasons. Because of the implementation of free parking, a barrier to the accessibility of the regional rail lines has been removed. This may encourage more people to choose to ride regional rail instead of driving. Even though people are still driving to the regional rail stations, it is now cheaper to ride regional rail as one does not have to pay to park at the stations. It is a step towards making the Philadelphia public transportation system easier to use and more accessible.
Shoshi Rosenstein