(The Center Square) — As transit agencies across the country struggle to recover from pandemic-induced ridership loss, getting back to the basics of reliability might matter most.

A new report from Moovit, a trip-planning app, analyzed user data in 2022 in ten major American cities. Transit riders complained of unreliable systems, fare prices, trip time, safety, and cleanliness, among other issues.

The complaints present a serious problem for transit agencies still reeling from commuters working from home more and ridership plummeting. In Philadelphia, average weekday ridership in 2022 is only 57 percent compared to its 2019 levels, according to SEPTA data. In Pittsburgh, bus ridership is 46 percent lower compared to 2019, as The Center Square previously reported

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While employers granting remote work flexibility has meant fewer commuters, workers have also shifted to driving instead of using public transit. To persuade Pennsylvanians to return to a train or bus, transit agencies will have to work harder.

“Almost three years ago, Covid very quickly disrupted people’s travel habits and urban congestion plunged. Moovit’s report shows that in 2022 people ventured around their cities once again, but are experiencing less efficient commutes,” Yovav Meydad, Moovit’s chief growth and marketing officer, said in a press release.

The trouble in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh has some common themes, but the emphasis differs in what would sell riders on returning.

In Philadelphia, the issue that mattered most was accurate and reliable arrival times that follow the SEPTA schedule, with nineteen percent support. Lower-cost fares got almost eighteen percent, followed by shorter trip duration time at fourteen percent. Personal safety, too, popped up (thirteen percent), as did greater frequency/shorter waiting times (twelve percent).

For Pittsburghers, accurate and reliable arrival times also led with 27 percent support, followed by lower-cost fares (23 percent), and higher frequency/shorter waiting times (21 percent). Shorter trip times (twelve percent) also mattered.

Moovit’s report shows that in 2022 people ventured around their cities once again, but are experiencing less efficient commutes.

Of the ten cities compared, Pittsburghers were the most focused on accurate and reliable timetables, and higher frequency/shorter waiting times. Philadelphians were most concerned about crowded buses and trains, third about cleanliness, and third most-focused on personal safety.

Philadelphia has struggled to reverse a police officer shortage in its police department and SEPTA transit police, as The Center Square previously reported. Crime on SEPTA has also increased since the pandemic, with a transit workers union strongly criticizing the city for falling short.

Not all was negative for transit riders, though. Pennsylvanians fared better than many other Americans. 

The Moovit report noted that Pittsburgh has the shortest commutes of all American cities, and Philadelphia was tied for second. However, when looking internationally, the average commute in London, England was 46 minutes — only one minute more than Pittsburgh.

Anthony Hennen is a reporter for The Center Square. Previously, he worked for Philadelphia Weekly and the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. He is managing editor of Expatalachians, a journalism project focused on the Appalachian region.

This article was republished with permission from The Center Square.

3 thoughts on “Report: Reliability, low fares, short trips key to transit in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia”

  1. hm, maybe the radical right should stop smearing any attempts to improve public transportation as some sort of un-American Soros funded scheme to take away people’s cars.

    I mean, either that or they could undermine the electoral process so they don’t need to be held accountable to anyone and can support any old corporate elite backed agenda they get paid to support.

    gee, I wonder which they’ll choose.

  2. The “radical right”! The usual bunch of smears from Cicero, copied-and-pasted to another article. Republicans bad! Democrats good! Grrrr!

    It’s easier than thinking about the news item and discussing a solution, I guess.

  3. A comment on the post by Cicero – the article deals with a real life issue that affects many and tries to show how it matters to the residents of both regions. Knee jerk reactions like this undermine the value of discussion. No political progress can ever be truly made when the opening remark by one side is to demonize the other. There are others like Cicero on the right who bear the same blame. If you feel strongly and can write clearly without resorting to attacks, contribute to B&L and make your argument in a sane and orderly fashion.

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