"PCCP Zome Event: The road ahead for SEPTA and transit"

Philadelphia's pandemic recovery and future growth rests heavily on SEPTA, the regional transit authority which carried – pre-pandemic – one-quarter of city residents to and from their jobs every day, the third-highest rate among large U.S. cities. The pandemic only intensified the challenges for public transit, ranging from equitable accessibility for all riders, to infrastructure, safety, and funding. PCCP's April event will feature a conversation with SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards and Yasha Zarrinkelk of the advocacy organization Transit Forward Philadelphia. They will discuss strategies and challenges for SEPTA going forward. Richards took the helm of the 9,500-employee transit agency in January 2020. She previously served as Gov. Wolf's PennDOT secretary and chair of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and earlier as a Montgomery County commissioner. She has a master's degree in regional planning from the University of Pennsylvania. Zarrinkelk is manager and community organizer at Transit Forward Philadelphia, a relatively new coalition advocating for safe, accessible, and sustainable transit improvements. Its participating organizations include SEPTA's citizen advisory committee, the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, and labor and environmental groups. Its website is www.transitforwardphilly.org