Since 2014, SEPTA has been aggressively pushing to modernize its archaic fare system for all of their operating modes. SEPTA promised a state of the art system that would make riding SEPTA easier through a seamless fare collection system. Use of "Key" began on June 13, 2016 with early adopters, and later to the general public. On May 1, 2018, SEPTA curtailed the sale of the venerable token at most sales outlets and removed all token machines from terminals and subway stations.
In the two years since Key went into use, and four years and $300 million dollars later, the system appears to be riddled with many problems, questions and has not met the original expectations when the project was first announced. Some of these shortfalls include:
While the Key project is not yet complete -- including its cost -- the money spent thus far would have paid for restoration of a portion of an existing rail corridor on the SEPTA system. New riders, new voters using SEPTA, and new revenue. SEPTA's priorities remain on untested gadgets.
During the winter of 2014, the SEPTA board of directors quietly signed over the out-of-service Fox Chase-Newtown corridor to Montgomery County. "Their portion" of the railroad has since had the rails and ties removed in the spring of 2014 as part of the extension of the "Pennypack Trail" from the Philadelphia county line to Byberry Road. The dream of Feodor Pitcairn of killing the railroad since the 1960's has finally become reality.
While SEPTA retains legal ownership of the land, this effectively kills off any future consideration of restoring rail service to Bucks County where existing SEPTA regional rail stations are at capacity, roadways congested, and no other means of expanding effective mass transportation possible.
As previously documented by PA-TEC, SEPTA has refused to assert ownership of the trailway with the placement of signs acknowledging the corridor as railbanked. It is certain that any future aspirations for reactivation will be vehemently opposed by trail users, NIMBYs and BANANAs (build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything).
The Newtown corridor is another missed opportunity, a direct violation of SEPTA's enabling legislation, in part caused by inaction on the part of Bucks County who had the opportunity to restore RDC service in 1983, the corrupt politicians in Montgomery County, the wealthy Bryn Athyn clans, and SEPTA's own corrupt board of directors who have poorly planned investment in the region's rail system. It should also be mentioned the lack of real public support has contributed to the Newtown line's fate. Have fun.