Resolution 241122

..Title Thanking SEPTA for expanding its high fare gate pilot program to combat fare evasion by installing 100 full length fare gates at nine SEPTA stations across the City of Philadelphia. ..Body WHEREAS, According to data from SEPTA, the estimated fare evasion rate is 18 percent, with 111,230 passengers per day out of nearly 34 million passengers annually not paying for their ride, roughly the equivalent of the seating capacity of Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park combined; and WHEREAS, SEPTA loses $181,248 per day, for over $55 million annually from fare evasion; and WHEREAS, Fare evasion is highest on SEPTA's heavy rail systems, with the Market-Frankford Line and Broad Street Subway experiencing over 40,000 daily fare evasions for over 12 million trips per year, costing SEPTA more than $2 million annually in lost revenue; and WHEREAS, Some fare evasions are captured on camera and reviewed during video audits, but cameras are not available over every single fare gate in the system, limiting their effectiveness at capturing the full picture of systemwide fare evasion; and WHEREAS, At 86 percent, North Philadelphia Station has the highest fare evasion rate across the system according to turnstile data counts. Somerset Station in Kensington is a distant second at 68 percent, with 8th-Market, Allegheny, and Walnut-Locust Stations featuring among the higher offenders for fare evasion; and WHEREAS, 15th St./City Hall Station contains the highest number of observed evasions, with over 4,000 captured by SEPTA's 2023 fare evasion study; and WHEREAS, While bypassing the ADA accessibility gate becomes an inordinately common cause of fare evasion in the mid-afternoon, hopping or sliding between the turnstile is consistently the most common means by which fares are evaded on SEPTA transit; and WHEREAS, Evasion rates are at their highest after 6:00pm, however, total evasions are highest during the 3:00pm hour; and WHEREAS, SEPTA sought to mitigate fare evasion by installing saloon-style high fare gates similar to those used at PATCO High Speed Line stations at 69th Street Transportation Center as part of a pilot program, due to the high rates of fare evasion occurring at that station. The fare gates began operation in April 2024; and WHEREAS, The fare gates, designed by Conduent Transport Solutions, Inc, are equipped with 3D imaging technology to distinguish between adults, children, and objects, such as wheelchairs, luggage, and strollers. The system is also able to accurately count fare evaders who try to piggyback or force their way through the gates; and WHEREAS, SEPTA is projecting an increase of $300,000 in annual sales revenue at 69th Street Transportation Center due to the new high fare gates. SEPTA recorded an average of 3,979 more fare payments due to the pilot; and WHEREAS, SEPTA's infrastructural investments in anti-evasion have also been coupled with efforts by SEPTA Transit Police officers to deter fare evasion through the issuance of summary citations to fare evaders instead of an infrequently enforced $25 fine. Nonpaying riders are now being sent to court, where judges can mete out hundreds in fines, community service hours, and potentially stiffer sanctions; and WHEREAS, The success of the 69th Street pilot has spurred SEPTA to purchase 100 more fare gates to install in stations in Center City, North Philadelphia, West Philadelphia, Kensington, and Frankford. The expansion will begin in Spring 2025, starting with City Hall Station; and WHEREAS, Other U.S. agencies have also seen success installing higher fare gates to deter fare jumping, including the Chicago Transit Authority, Bay Area Rapid Transit and the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority; and WHEREAS, Fare evasion adds to perceptions of lawlessness and a lack of safety on a critical, underfunded public service, necessitating a need for investments in efforts to ensure riders feel comfortable paying for and using the system; and WHEREAS, Public transportation is an essential public good that serves hundreds of thousands of Philadelphians every day. A shared commitment to paying fares boosts the usability and financial stability of SEPTA, and ensures all Philadelphians use the system equitably; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby thanks SEPTA for expanding its high fare gate pilot program to combat fare evasion by installing 100 full length fare gates at nine SEPTA stations across the City of Philadelphia. ..End