Latest news with #SEPTA
Bloomberg
19 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Philadelphia Transit Braces for Sweeping Service Cuts
Philadelphia commuters are set to lose dozens of bus routes, rail stations and five rail lines starting August 24, after the city's transit agency SEPTA voted on Thursday to approve a 2026 budget that slashes services by 45%. The budget will also raise fares by 21.5% as officials continue to press the state for help addressing a $213 million operating deficit. Since the Covid pandemic, mass transit across the US — faced with a collective $6 billion shortfall — has been hurtling toward a ' death spiral,' in which sweeping cuts decimate ridership, leading to declining revenues and further service reductions. Few systems are under more financial pressure than SEPTA, whose officials warn that the repercussions 'will be almost impossible to reverse,' and are likely to affect people well beyond the city, Sri Taylor reports. Today on CityLab: Philadelphia Transit System Votes to Cut Service by 45%, Hike Fares
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Philadelphia Transit System Votes to Cut Service by 45%, Hike Fares
Philadelphia's largest transit system approved sweeping service cuts and fare hikes as it struggles to deal with a gaping budget deficit. Officials at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority voted Thursday to approve a fiscal 2026 budget that slashes service by 45% and raises fares by 21.5%. The system has been warning about a $213 million operating deficit for months.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
SEPTA board votes to cut service, raise fares amid massive budget deficit
The SEPTA board voted Thursday to dramatically cut service and raise fares by more than 20% to deal with a major budget deficit. SEPTA faces a $213 million budget deficit starting July 1, the Philadelphia-based transit authority says. Advocates and residents say the cuts will be devastating, especially for communities like Strawberry Mansion that rely on public transit. Nine routes through that neighborhood could be discontinued or reduced by up to 20%. SEPTA officials have been warning for months that without help from the state, these cuts are the agency's only option. Scott Sauer, SEPTA's general manager, has acknowledged that the changes could lead people to avoid public transit altogether, exacerbating the problem. "Given the dramatic impact that these measures will have on ridership, the reality is that we would start the dismantlement of public transit for our city and region as we know it today," Sauer said in April. Declining ridership would add to the "death spiral" affecting SEPTA, in which cuts and price increases lead to fewer customers and creates a cycle that makes problems worse. Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill that would provide nearly $300 million to fund mass transit in the state. The state Senate has not yet voted on that legislation. According to SEPTA's website, the proposal will: Eliminate 50 bus routes Cut five Regional Rail lines Reduce all remaining service by 20% Add a 9 p.m. curfew on metro and Regional Rail service Cancel special service such as sports express trains Close 66 stations Raise fares by 21.5% The new fare would be $2.90 for bus, metro and ParaTransit rides. These are the new prices for Regional Rail monthly passes: Zone 1: $116 Zone 2: $180 Zone 3: $217.50 Anywhere: $255 This is a developing story and will be updated.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
SEPTA riders frustrated at prospect their train route could be cut: "It's horrible"
Paoli-Thorndale passengers say life would be "really difficult" without SEPTA Regional Rail line Paoli-Thorndale passengers say life would be "really difficult" without SEPTA Regional Rail line Paoli-Thorndale passengers say life would be "really difficult" without SEPTA Regional Rail line SEPTA board members will meet Thursday afternoon to vote on a proposed budget that would drastically cut services and raise fares on all of its rail lines and bus routes. The proposal, which would affect all 800,000 SEPTA riders, is being considered as the transit agency grapples with a massive deficit. SEPTA faces a $213 million budget deficit starting July 1, the Philadelphia-based transit authority says. Advocates and residents say the cuts will be devastating, especially for communities like Strawberry Mansion that rely on public transit. Nine routes through that neighborhood could be discontinued or reduced by up to 20%. If approved, 50 bus routes, the Broad-Ridge Spur subway and five Regional Rail lines would be eliminated, including the Cynwyd line, the Chestnut Hill West line, the Paoli-Thorndale line, the Trenton line and the Wilmington-Newark line. All other remaining lines and routes would experience a system-wide 20% cut in services. SEPTA would also implement a 9 p.m. curfew and cut all special services. The agency would then raise fares by 21.5% across the board. SEPTA's board meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m., and the authority will host a media availability once the vote has concluded. You can watch live in the player above. Paoli-Thorndale riders frustrated at prospect of cuts Steffie Snyder, who was waiting for a train at the Paoli-Thorndale line's Ardmore station, expressed frustration about the proposed cuts. "It's horrible," Snyder said. "Thousands and thousands of people go to work; they need the train." Nancy McGuire relies on the Paoli-Thorndale train to get to work. "Terrible," McGuire said. "Having to find an alternate route is going to be really difficult." If board members approve the proposed budget, the cuts would start to go into effect Aug. 24, while the increased fares would be implemented at the start of September. What's next SEPTA and local leaders are hoping state lawmakers will approve additional funding to prevent the cuts and fare hikes from taking effect. Gov. Josh Shapiro previously told CBS Philadelphia he's working with lawmakers to approve a funding plan he announced earlier in the year. Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill that would provide nearly $300 million to fund mass transit in the state. The state Senate has not yet voted on that legislation. contributed to this report.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Sig Sauer's P320 banned by Chicago Police Department and other law enforcement agencies
Since its release in 2014, the Sig Sauer P320 has heavily advertised its modularity features. Its visibility was only bolstered in 2017, when the U.S. Army selected the P320 as its new M17/M18 pistol under the Modular Handgun System competition over complaints from rival Glock. But that's not the only attention the weapon received Around the same time the Army was embracing the Sig Sauer P320 as its new official sidearm, it began gaining a reputation for controversy, with numerous investigations and lawsuits surrounding it. Videos posted on the internet showed that the P320 could fire if dropped at a certain angle or was struck on the back of the slide. The handgun was not recalled; however, Sig Sauer offered a voluntary trigger upgrade and implemented changes to P320 production in the future. Aside from the impact-firing issue, the P320 has also come under legal fire for 'uncommanded discharges,' a very nice way of saying the weapon could fire even if someone hadn't pulled the trigger. Plaintiffs, ranging from law enforcement professionals to experienced civilian owners, allege that their P320 fired without the trigger being pulled, often while the handgun was holstered. Reports like these can even be found involving the military version of the P320, like the case of a Marine Corps-issued M18 pistol going off in its holster. In June 2024, a federal jury in Georgia awarded Robert Lang $2.3 million in a lawsuit against Sig Sauer for his P320 shooting him in the thigh as he removed it from its holster. Five months later, a Philadelphia jury awarded an Army veteran $11 million after his personal P320 shot him in the thigh while it was holstered. Those are just the military-related complaints. Sig Sauer vowed to appeal these rulings and maintains that the P320 is safe and cannot fire without the trigger being pulled. Law enforcement officers have filed similar complaints—and in some cases, personal lawsuits. Despite Sig's assurances, multiple law enforcement agencies across the country have banned the P320 following incidents of similar uncommanded discharges. In 2017, after discharge issues with the P320 first surfaced, the Dallas Police Department suspended use of the P320 as a safety precaution. While the standard-issue sidearm for the Dallas PD is the Sig Sauer P226, other handguns, including various models of Glock pistols, are approved for use. The department has not reversed its suspension of the P320 since. In 2019, Officer Craig Jacklyn of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) experienced an uncommanded discharge of his issued P320 while on patrol. Jacklyn is a Marine Corps veteran who served as a Marksmanship Instructor and spent over two decades with SEPTA as a law enforcement officer. Shortly after the incident, a SEPTA investigation concluded that there was no cause for the uncommanded discharge, and the agency made an emergency purchase of 350 Glock 17 pistols and holsters to replace the P320. In 2022, the Milwaukee Police Department announced that it would replace the P320 with the Glock 45 as the department-issued duty weapon. The decision was made following multiple unintended discharges within the department, which prompted the Milwaukee Police Association to file a lawsuit against the city. MPD reported that three officers had been injured since 2020. In October 2024, the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC) imposed a temporary ban on the handgun following an uncommanded discharge by a recruit with an issued P320. Both the recruit and the firearms instructor at the scene affirmed that the trigger was not pulled. Following a thorough review by the WSCJTC, which involved law enforcement professionals from across the state and representatives from Sig Sauer, the ban became permanent in February 2025. 'My position has to be safety because we know so much now that if I make a different decision, I don't feel like I'm being responsible,' WSCJTC Executive Director Monica Alexander told KING 5 News. In April 2025, the Denver Police Department notified officers who qualified with the P320 that the weapon is 'No longer considered safe for duty or backup carry.' The department confirmed that its Firearms Unit evaluated the P320 and was able to recreate safety issues. Interestingly, the department's ban came a month before a YouTube video was posted by LFD Research, which documents their recreation of an issue that allows the P320 to fire without the trigger being pulled. The Denver Police Department has not specified the issue recreated by its Firearms Unit. Perhaps the most significant ban on the P320 is by the Chicago Police Department, the second-largest police department in the nation. An affidavit by CPD Range Master Sgt. Wasim M. Said affirms that the department's Firearms Training Section reported possible issues with the P320. Said's investigation into the P320 revealed at least 33 officers injured across 18 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Although Said and the FTS could not replicate a problem on six of CPD's P320s, FTS temporarily suspended the P320 as a Prescribed Duty Weapon on February 28, 2025. On April 7, 2025, Said's findings were presented to the CPD Arsenal Committee, which voted unanimously to phase out the P320. On April 18, 2025, the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police penned a letter to CPD's Superintendent regarding the decision by the Arsenal Committee. The letter notes that Chicago Police Academy recruits had already been notified that the P320 is no longer prescribed for purchase or use and calls for prompt action to mitigate the risk to both police officers and citizens. We Are The Mighty is a celebration of military service, with a mission to entertain, inform, and inspire those who serve and those who support them. We are made by and for current service members, veterans, spouses, family members, and civilians who want to be part of this community. Keep up with the best in military culture and entertainment: subscribe to the We Are The Mighty newsletter. SIG P320 engineering review recommended in Marine Corps report SIG Sauer's legal battles and why the XM7 might not replace the M4 The military's latest handgun might not be safe
