That program is actually a brain child of mine. It's a program that is working with third party contractors, very familiar and have worked in prisons and with gangs, things of that nature, to work with our operators, our new operators, we have -- There's different programs. There is a program for new operators and conductors and then there's a program for veteran operators and conductors, and then we also have a program for our managers. It is how to deal with conflict 399 resolution and it's a very involved program. It is very interactive. It is not a lecture. They are very heavily involved in a day-to-day, a lot of group sessions and different role playing and things of that nature and what they have done. We have been running this now about two-and-a-half years and they actually, there is another community out there between them that are heavy on Facebook Page and they communicate back and forth. Not only with each other, but with the instructors after they leave the program to talk about their successes and the different things that they have dealt with since they have been through the program. But that is, basically, what it is for, new operators. It is five days for veterans it is three days, and for managers it is three days.
Just a last question as regards to the customer satisfaction. Going from a 7.2 to a 7.9, what contributed to that increase? Just trying to get an idea what the numbers are in 400 the midst of --
There is, I think the whole transparency of the organization listening to our customers, but, you know, in addition to the training that Luther mentioned, we do have customer service training that we have for the frontline people. We've invested a lot of resources to bring our people in to retrain them if you will on dealing with the public. So, it's all of the above. I think there's been a lot of positive changes that our public have seen, including where we saw the biggest uptake of customer satisfaction is what we have done on the Market Frankford on the west end. Those scores jumped up. The lines in Delaware County, we invested a lot of stimulus dollars to improve those lines. Those scores jumped up, but overall, it seemed like every category increased. It did increase from a cleanliness standpoint, the scores went up, from even from a safety standpoint the scores jumped up. So, we are really exited about that. 401
No. The safety, have -- they felt -- The customers felt safe on the system.
Those numbers really improved. So, we are really happy about those numbers and I keep giving people comparisons, New Jersey Transit did the same survey. We don't do the survey, we have outside people that did it. Their scores were 5.2 on a ten scale, so.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman of Transportation Public Utilities. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Bass.
I just want to start off first with Francis Jones love fest everyone here, because I just want to thank Francis for all the work that she's done in my district. I am new to the eighth district so it is really really a help to me when I can call you and ask about a particular project and Francis not only knows the history, the players, the project, what is going on, but can just give so much detail that it is really really helpful to someone like myself who is a new member, freshman member of City Council. So, I just really want to thank you for all the work that you have done for so very long and even before this with my work with Congressman Fattah, you have always been helpful.
But I did have a couple questions. The first is I noticed that you said that ridership is up, you know, that is always a good thing. The more riders we have, the better. Do we ever intend to do anything, like, I know that New Years -- New 403 York on New Years days gives free rides and that is something that increases ridership, and people get on the New York Transit System for the first time and they see how great it is, and it encourages them to ride again in the future. Do we ever do anything like that or intend to do something like that?
We have had in the past and, you know, a couple years ago when we had the heavy snowstorms, we were offering discounted rides after the snowstorms to bring people back for the weekends, come back to the City of Philadelphia. So, we haven't done it recently, but that is always on the back of our minds; how do we increase ridership. Unfortunately, a lot of our routes are already at capacity, so, you know, we have to balance that.
It might be good to consider when we are, you now, -- if we coordinate, for example, earlier we had the City Rep's office here and so if we were able to coordinate an activity like Wawa Welcome 404 America or something like that that is already gonna be happening that we can coordinate an activity, that draws a lot of people into Philadelphia. Even though I know that's an increase in revenue for you, it also might be an opportunity for us to, you know, get some people on SEPTA on a regular basis and also get people to think about moving into Philadelphia, you know, with our great transit system and that, most places don't have.
Thank you. We have done a lot. We have issued a day pass on the regional rails to come in and travel all day in Philadelphia. We also help fund the Philly Flash Operation, and part of our contribution, you know, we contribute financial contribution, but part of that is to allow regular riders to also use the Flash. So, the commuters everyday can come to work, but during the weekends, they can also utilize the Flash to rediscover Philadelphia, if you will. 405
Okay. Thank you. Now, just at the back -- actually, at the bottom of , the last photograph, talks about your infrastructure improvements and I am glad to say that I notice a lot of them are in my district, whether it is Chestnut Hill Line or, Chestnut Hill Line or Chestnut Hill east or west, there is just a lot of improvements and one of the things that we had spoken about when you were so kind to come to my office was in terms of cleaning up the land that surrounds those stations. I know that it is very complicated, some of that land is owned by SEPTA, some of it's owned by, I think, CSX, some of it's owned by private individuals, some of it may be owned by Amtrack. It would be very helpful to me, and I requested this information and still don't have it. So, I am just requesting it again. If it is possible to get a breakdown of who owns what so that if we really want to be serious about cleaning up our stations and increasing ridership, we have to get them 406 clean. We have to know who to contact and who to hold accountable, you know, for all the trash, debris or whatever it may be?
Well, hopefully after this weekend, but beyond that, because we know unfortunately, that in a lot of our areas, we had someone just go down and take a look at Wister Station the other day, there was something happening and there's a small street right there at Ridge Street and so the gentleman from the Streets Department who was going to clean it up, once again, said he had to get out of his car and move a sofa before he could actually travel around. So, it's a bit of a problem.
Also, from our meeting, I think it was January or February, we talked about the Wayne junction rail 407 station and I thought you mentioned that SEPTA had taken out a loan of some sort to do renovations on that project to the tune of about $30 million dollars.
It says here $20 million in the paperwork on , so I just want to make sure I am correct in what I am telling my constituents as I sell this project. It says here $20 million.
Okay. Great. One of the other things that I just noticed in your statement here is that there really wasn't a mention for all the great things that SEPTA is doing, all the things that are listed here, there really is no mention in terms of the human capital what -- you know the people who make SEPTA go. I think I mentioned to you before that I have a sister 408 who is a driver for SEPTA out of the Allegheny depo, and so obviously I have a very deep personal concern about drivers and what's happening with their situation on a daily basis. My sister, as I said, she's a driver. She's been robbed, she's been threatened, she's been hit, she's been -- I mean, you name it, it's happened, and it hasn't happened once or twice, it happens on a regular basis. So, I know that if this is my sister, and she is one individual, the idea that there were 90 assaults last year just doesn't jive with what I know and what I hear on a daily basis from her, in terms of what is happening out there on the streets. I know that she is not the only one that this is happening to. So, I guess I have to ask, what is your plan or, you know, I know that you are doing training to de-escalate, you know, violence, but if somebody got a gun and they're gonna rob you, you can't, you know -- there is very little that you can do except comply. So, I 409 don't know if SEPTA has any other ideas or suggestions that will be helpful or what you are gonna do to address this issue.
I can tell you we monitor the incidents and if a specific operator fears that they have, you know, a situation every day that, you know, we will send out officers. They are also always in contact with the control center. So, if they fear something is happening, they could call our control center and we will either send a supervisor or a police officer in response. But it's a difficult situation because these instance happen like this, (snapped fingers), but, you know, our -- especially the first level supervisor as SEPTA goes -- I mean, they are the driving force to any type of improvement that we had from the 7.1 to 7.9. It's really the frontline people that are delivering those higher scores. But, you know, we are constantly talking to PW to see how we can address this issue, but again, what happens on the street also happens on our system. 410
Okay. Because I'd really like to see something done and also, I don't know if the control center is part of the training that is being offered in terms of when something happens, what does the control center then tell the operator to do, because, you know in several instances where she's been assaulted or robbed or whatever, she's been told to keep driving or to keep -- just make it to the next point or the next -- the end of the line. So, it causes great concern, as I said, because I know it is not just her. I know that is happening on a regular basis, and as you know. I mean, you saw, I guess it was last month where someone was shot, you know, and covered in blood and glass and so forth, you know. So, it is just something that is of great concern to me. The last question that I have is about your pension plan, and I was wondering if you could describe or tell us a little bit about 411 your pension plan for your workers?
It's better than ours. That's a bad point. Well, the concern I have is that, as I understand it, if a SEPTA worker who is unmarried but has a child, should pass away, then that pension goes to SEPTA, it does not go to -- they are 412 not able to leave their child as a beneficiary; is that correct?
So, that if you have an 18-year-old son and you have been working for SEPTA for years and you 8 suddenly die, that 18-year-old is it out of 9 luck and the pension -- 10
If he is still employed, he 11 will get any contribution that the employee 12 makes toward the pension fund. 13
So, any 17 contribution that was made will go to -- 18
Yes. Any that the employee 19 made to the pension fund would go to the 20 estate.
Thank you, Councilwoman. That is true. We have had -- I 413 have heard -- In fact, a former employee of Council was an operator and he was on the 52 route and he was robbed and after the assailants -- and this is not your fault, but I am just voicing the frustration of a former employee of yours, he was taken -- told to continue to drive, and they tried to take him to an end, they were gonna kill him because he didn't have enough money. He refused to ever drive again, and so I guess what I hear the Councilwoman saying, and which I will echo and try to convince The Chair of Transportation, we need a plan and we want it to bump up on your radar. Because if the drivers aren't safe, for sure, the passengers aren't safe.
One of the things that we have been pushing again at the State level is to make an assault against our operators as a felony.
Because you are not only injuring the operator but you are potentially 414 injuring everyone that is on the vehicle and potentially anyone that could be on the street. So, it's a very dangerous situation.
Well, that is one part of the plan, but we would like you to kind of help us to help you. We will advocate from this body for that class felony to be increased, but we would like to see some, also, initiatives that safeguards the riders. We would like to know when your camera installation plan is, is it this fiscal, next Fiscal Year? We would like to know about the success of your training of -- Is it mandatory for all SEPTA drivers to take this course?
As the program moves through, we will get every veteran operator through it. Every new operator goes through it before they are even hired, because we initially started with new operators and then we graduated to veteran operators once we saw that the program was really working. So, we will continue the program until every 415 operator has been through that program.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good evening, everybody. It's been a long day, so let me just ask a few questions, as you can imagine that we all have hanging around here, so I appreciate you coming in. You said in your testimony that, and I am glad to hear, that the ridership has reached its all time high level. Even with some of the -- You had a recent rise in fares, what was it, a couple years ago; last year?
So, I think that is encouraging. That is great that the ridership is continuing to climb and you expect positive trends, as you indicate here in your testimony. I have the distinct pleasure of being the Chair of Public Property. So, we are gonna have, you know, ongoing conversations with SEPTA as we move 416 forward, and not just this current year but, you know, ongoing future years if the Council President sees it to keep me there. So, look forward to that. As you know, SEPTA has, S-E-P-T-A, all right. So, I am gonna -- We have been dubbed by our Majority Leader, we have been dubbed the Serious 6 for the new Council members. And I am gonna dub Southeast Pennsylvania Transit Authority as Southeast Public Trust Always. So I trust, and the public trusts, you and your quasi Government public agency, the faith and encouragement to enhance the ridership in the multitude of levels, including safety as you hear here today and ongoing, you know, projects and capital improvements. A few years ago you, SEPTA, had a major capital improvement budget coupled with the America Recovery Act; is that correct?
So, that was to the tune of a little over a billion dollars with your own capital monies and the monies you 417 received with the --
So, I remember seeing a report that you put out at one of your meetings because I have been following SEPTA for quite some time. 500 for SEPTA's capital and another 600 -- one of the two, 600 either SEPTA or 500 from Federal monies, you know, for going towards capital improvements to enhance, you know, the safety and systems control of SEPTA. So, are you aware, and I am sure you are, of Davis-Bacon when it comes to federal monies?
So, Davis-Bacon is a Federal Law that requires prevailing wages from Federal standings and there's guidelines, including certified payrolls, for contractors and subcontractors; is that correct?
Now, it wouldn't be 418 in the interest of an organization, such as SEPTA, if it was brought to their attention that somebody or an entity or a company that was, you know, breaking the law; is that correct?
You would not endorse a company who is doing business with your organization who is circumventing or breaking the Davis-Bacon Law, which is Federal Law; is that correct?
Any contractor that we hire is obligated to comply with the Davis-Bacon.
If they were not complying completely to the Davis-Bacon Act and it was brought to your attention, what would your remedies be? Would that be disbarment would that be -- Tell me what SEPTA would do, since you have public trust at your hands.
You know, I think the first thing we would have to investigate, the circumstances of them not complying. We would investigate it, you know. If they 419 continually do not comply with Davis-Bacon, we would have to take more strenuous measures, including disbarment.
Okay. Disbarment. Great. You are aware and you know I am gonna reference a subcontractor who it's been brought to my attention who has some issues regarding Davis-Bacon. I know you are aware of it. The contractor at hand, for the record, is Farfield Company. Are you aware how many employees of Farfield lives in Philadelphia?
I am gonna ask you a list of questions, if you don't have the answer, which I don't expect you to, we as Council have the right to recall you back, you know, with the answer. So, I am just gonna ask you several questions, if you don't have the answers, you know, I fully understand.
I don't think we routinely ask our contractors where their employees live. 420
I just want to make sure that the trust that we instill in you is given back to the citizens of Philadelphia, you know, where they pay taxes and they comply with all the laws State and Federal and local laws. How can the citizens of Philadelphia apply for work with Farfield Company, because I am not sure they hire anybody local? I believe they were just awarded a major, almost a $100 million dollar contract with SEPTA; is that correct?
Well, not with Farfield. The contract that we have is with Insaldo, they are sub to that contract.
That's right. That is a positive train control system, right?
That is great. So, Philadelphians, you know, who are two percent above the state average of Unemployment, is in dire need of opportunities to go to work and opportunities to go to work is not limited to, you know, just Philadelphians, 421 but Philadelphians with the DBE and WBE participation, which is far less than what we expect anybody doing business with our City. I mean, you have and a half or 13.2 5 percent here as a goal. I have been hearing 6 throughout this budget process that 25 and 30 7 percent is what our OEO is looking to reach. 8 So, I would hope SEPTA would try to do the 9 same thing for City residents. 10
Yeah, I mean, when we 11 establish the goals for the capital program, 12 we look at the types of projects and we 13 looked at the DBE companies that are in that industry and that is how we set the goals. Some of the projects that we have, for instance, track projects, you have a very low percentage of companies that are DBs that actually perform that work. So, it really depends on the nature of work that is out there and that determines the percentage of the DBE.
I understand that is regarding sole -- sole source of contracts, but we are talking about competitive bidding 422 where I don't know if you have dealt with Angela with the City for our compliance, but I would encourage you to do so because our goals are much, much higher. As a matter of fact, this contractor event that is being mentioned, not only can they not, nor have they ever, met any type of goals, even a low rate of 13.2 percent minority participation of women who are disadvantaged, you know, goals. They don't hire anybody locally in the City. As a matter of fact, I am not sure that they are paying their taxes. I am not sure where they are getting their workforce at. So, these are questions that I hope when you come back we can continue to discuss moving forward. I had, it was my understanding that an apprentice was permanently disabled when he received an electrical shock on a SEPTA platform. Are you aware of that?
An apprentice. Do you have apprentices, electrician apprentices? 423
Or anybody in an apprenticeship program? If not, then it was a subcontractor. If you can't answer it.
According to OSHA violations on various projects in the area. In addition, if you can go back and find out, and get the information, I'd appreciate it.
Let me separate. I will separate that. Apparently there was an apprentice that was permanently disabled when he received an electrical shock on a SEPTA platform. If you can just, you know, take it down the chain and ask for some clarification on the report, if it is on the report.
I will provide that to you for sure. Are you aware that Fairfield Company's history of violations of prevailing 424 wages in addition to OSHA violations on various projects in the immediate area?
I know there were some violations. We looked at -- Our Chief Council looked at the violations. They were -- My understanding is they were very minor violations and they remedied those violations.
Councilman, we are gonna ask you to hold up on your questioning. We are gonna move to the next one.
I will wait until the second round. I have more, Mr. Chairman.
And just for point of clarity, this is, I am using this as an example for more of a global concern with, you know, a history of projects and potential future projects. So, I want to have that conversation now.
We have two other members that have questions, then we can go 425 right back to you. The Chair now recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you. I am gonna let Councilman Henon deal with the line of questioning he has begun. I just want to say generally though, we are really paying a lot of attention to almost every industry in the City, especially construction, as to the way in which some companies wind up winning bids. I know, because Federal dollars are involved your bid process is what it is, but they wind up winning bids because they employ practices that beat us out of taxes, and beat people out of Workers' Compensation or Unemployment Compensation. I think it would be relatively easy for an agency, like yourself, to kind of monitor this particular contract if there is that kind of suspicion and concern about it it would seem to be a quasi, you know, public agency that you could -- quasi government agency, public agency, you could readily pull those records and demand them at anytime. I 426 think the practices that are really upsetting to me is payment in cash, 1099s, paying people subcontractors, and they don't pay their taxes, and we don't have the wherewithal to chase them because they are individual people. I certainly am in favor of local hiring. If a person wins a bid and they win it fairly, that is, you know, the way it goes. I just think that we need to pay, all of us, not just SEPTA, the City in general, needs to pay more attention to this underground economy that exists that we don't get -- where you have a legitimate contractor, be them union or nonunion, who bids with the understanding that they have to pay prevailing wages, they have to pay Workers' Comp, they have to pay Unemployment Comp, they bid a certain number. A lot of times that number winds up being higher because the guy who is not bidding with that in mind knows his real number and I just want, nothing to do with this contract, I understand totally, if you just pay attention 427 to that aspect of it as it goes forward, I think we would all have a better level of comfort that they're actually doing what they're supposed to be doing. That is my speech on that particular issue. I want to go back and compliment you on a couple things. I want to thank you for your desire and your help in getting into ordinary high school with your diesel repair operation, with the buses that you are putting down there with Mr. Diggs, who by the way, is known as the general according to SEPTA, because he runs a tight ship. Your personal involvement in that process, for SEPTA to be able to help young men and women who may not be going to college, transfer into a program that gets them the skill that they can be hired locally, that they can raise a family and support a family. I think SEPTA should be applauded for that. I really do appreciate the work that you put into that and the good results that are gonna happen as a result of it. Secondly, I would like to thank you 428 personally for your wonderful entertaining of Stephan Gonzales, the young man from the sustainability workshop. He is, like, such an engineering geek, I say that in the best terms. He was just thrilled to be able to meet with all you folks at the high level. He is just ecstatic about his opportunities at Penn State and coming back and working in the Philadelphia region. So, thank you for him. And finally, thank you for regular use of SEPTA, because I continue to tell you, it is eight minutes. Eight minutes I stand on that platform or sit there, and I look at the clock when I got there, it is eight minutes or less. So, I think if that is the major part of judging you on the quality of your buses and the quality of your cars and the way you keep the platforms clean, even though a lot of residents don't respect that. I know it is hard to keep up with all that stuff, but every eight minutes that subway car comes, and I just wanted to thank you for that and again ask you to monitor that 429 contract as best you can, but otherwise keep up the good work. Thanks.
You are welcome, Councilman Kenney. The Chair now recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Yes. Good afternoon. I want to follow up on Councilman Kenney's observation that SEPTA's one of the very few organizations in the City where a young person right out of high school with, we will say nominal literacy, can enter at the ground floor and grow a career. One of the few. So, with that, does a relationship currently exist with the school district to capture or interest young people who are coming out of high school, college, they have chosen, or at least they believe that college is not an option. College should be an option for anyone. It is all in how they are motivated or inspired, but to capture those young people who can come in at the ground 430 floor in SEPTA and grow a career. Any type of relationship or linkage at all with the school district that way?
The answer is, we do have a partnership with the high school academies, and we bring in summer interns every year to work in our bus and rail shops. We have had some that have done two and up to three years with us, and we are actually working through a program, actually higher some of them once they graduate from high school. We usually take about every summer and this year we 13 have committed to another 15 to come in and 14 we do other things, different things with the 15 high schools and academies. A lot of mentoring programs and things like that. We work with TW on some other things that we do with young. So, we are really interested in helping the young people in the City of Philadelphia.
Great to know, A; that it exists, and B; that you are monitoring it to see the real linkage. The real tangible outcome is a J-O-B -- 431
Okay then. The second question, ParaTransit is enormously needed still, and I would presume that the need is growing forever, because we know that the Commonwealth is second in terms of number of seniors. Share with us what improvements or progress or modifications you have made in the Para-Transit system over the last year, knowing that always that is a system that continues to, like everything, can be tweaked to at least keep up with the technological aspect and how that can feed and improve the system.
Well, recently did, over the last five years, we put in a new scheduling system. We put all new hardware in. As a matter of fact, we just had some recent meetings and we are going to actually -- we are looking at some software upgrades. The scheduling softwear we have we 432 are gonna tweak that to make it hopefully better for our seniors. So, that is the main thing we have done is to put in a complete scheduling dispatch system. We moved our dispatcher up to our 19th floor so they would be central to the rest of our control center so they can get a better connection between them and all the other forms of our transportation and what is going on from day-to-day. Those are some of the things that we have done. I have a new head of ParaTransit, who is now actually working a lot with the customer service people to make them more focused on other customers and helping customers out. So, there's a lot of good things that are going on and will go on in the future.
Let me say that I have personal testimony about Para-Transit and the level of customer service is consistent, which sometimes is rare in large organizations. So, whatever -- Tell us about the training, because it is evidence to me 433 that that is working. I mean, the way in which they handle seniors, watch seniors, help seniors, consistently is for me remarkable. So, tell us a little bit about that.
Well, one of the things we have been doing for years is what we call focus class. We started with our vehicle operators and developed a program about a year ago to run our ParaTransit people through, which includes our customer service people, the people that are in reservation and the people that are in dispatch. Anyone who comes in contact with the customers. It teaches them how to talk with people, deal with issues, deal with problems. Things of that nature, and its been paying off.
The only idea or recommendation I would offer for consideration is, you may do this already, but there are a number of senior citizen locations around the City and you have the Philadelphia Corporation of Aging. I won't use the word workshop, but opportunities 434 where the heads of all those outfits that work with seniors meet with the appropriate personnel in the Para-Transit organization so that they can hear up and close and personal, the hurdles or -- I won't say problems, but the challenges that heads of senior citizens face as it relates with Para-Transit.
If we are talking about, like, outreach, that is something we can look in to.
I will close, because the bell has rung, in saying we continue to look at all the organizations in the City that in any way receive public dollars and care a lot about making sure that the leadership of the organization looks like Philadelphia, and I thank you very, very much, Mr. Casey, for showing us that your leadership looks like Philadelphia. Thank you.
Thank you, 435 Councilwoman. The Chair now recognizes the last Council person, so far, without seeing a button, Councilman Henon.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will be quick. So, just to finish my line of questioning, just a few more questions, Mr. Casey. Are you aware, this is again for the record, regarding Fairfield Company, subcontractor to a $100 million dollar project bid award through SEPTA. Are you aware of any legal action pending against the Fairfield Company for violations of the Davis-Bacon Act and the False Claim Act on various SEPTA projects?
I am not sure of legal action, I know there is a formal complaint against them regarding that.
I believe so, but could you look into that for me? It's a question, so, I don't expect an answer at this time. What I am trying to do here is establish a record of how people circumvent, and how people underscore systematically bids 436 by missclassifications. Willfully misclassification on their bids. Farfield has, you know, a scheme that really, I think my colleague said, when you are not sure that somebody is paying all their taxes and not necessarily it is your responsibility to make sure that somebody pays their taxes. They are supposed to be responsible and they are supposed to abide by the law, you know, but when things are brought or issues, or somebody who has willfully broken the law, and it can be proven, you know, I would hope that somebody would take the appropriate actions to try to remedy the situation because it allows -- a scheme like there, where you have ongoing misclassifications to not only quasi SEPTA or other quasi agencies, the Federal Government for certified payrolls, you systematically undercut, you know, any kind of competition for local competitors in trying to assure work for local residents. That is a concern for everybody here in the City of Philadelphia, so I just want to 437 make sure that, you know, I get this on the record for a reason that it's not a global concern that we have to have with ongoing construction or competitive bids with SEPTA or any other business that deals with the City of Philadelphia here. Maybe, you know, that is doing work in the City of Philadelphia, how about that. I don't want to say that SEPTA is doing work with the City, but it is not -- If somebody is cheating in one location and breaking the law, chances are they are doing it elsewhere. I think we need to cut that. It is almost like the broken glass theory, it will spread out, and I just don't want it to become routine, let's turn a blind eye to it. Let's accept it for what it is. We have a history with somebody like this, which is totally unacceptable.
We will spend special attention to both those contracts that we have with this vendor.
Now, on a positive note, I am glad your ridership is increasing 438 and, you know, I do want to thank you for having, you know, some extremely confident folks that we deal with in Government in helping with some of our neighborhood concerns. I have had some positive responses, you know. I see Fran Kelly back there, so, you know, you do have a good team. I hope you recognize, you don't take it personal on some of these questions here, but that we look into everything and recognize all the good that SEPTA has done and the partners with all of us here. I have no further questions. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. I see Councilwoman Brown's light.
I failed to mention, Mr. Casey, on behalf of Councilman Bill Greenlee and I, our appreciation for responding to those citizens who wrote to you regarding a new payment technology and how you are going to follow internal procedures to have public hearings and the like where 439 that is appropriate and order, but at the end of that window, you all will be moving to institute the new policy. So, we need to put that on the record and say thank you. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilwoman. Are there any other comments, concerns for this panel? Seeing none, this committee will stand at recess until Wednesday, April 11, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. (Whereupon the hearing concluded at 6:30 p.m.) 440 C E R T I F I C A T I O N I, Stephanie A. LaForte, a