SEPTA has released a new annual report on their website detailing how they are advancing the goals laid out in SEPTA Forward, a five-year strategic plan for improvements upon SEPTA’s existing services and functions.

Originally introduced in February 2021, the SEPTA Forward plan was developed to provide a framework for SEPTA's development following the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Looking back over the last several years, SEPTA has made incredible strides,” said SEPTA General Manager and CEO Leslie S. Richards, in a statement. 

“Thanks to the dedication, ingenuity, and passion of our employees, we not only survived the most tumultuous time in our history – we are better, we are stronger, and we will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the region,” she continued.

Summarizing SEPTA Forward's goals, there are three key elements to the strategic plan: Become more proactive, provide intuitive experiences and services, and create a seamless travel network.

In order to respond to the needs of their riders quicker, SEPTA is seeking to improve its capability to react to impactful events and invest into its employees to build an empowered, diverse, and inclusive workforce.

One such example of this is SEPTA beginning the process of replacing their current SEPTA Key system to the new Key 2.0 system. Currently, the original Key system is proprietary, and requires SEPTA to rely on the developer, Conduent, to enact any changes they desire. The new Key 2.0 system will be under SEPTA’s control.

To invest in their employees, SEPTA has opened dialogues internally among their employees, opening discussion between its frontline workers who have dealt with issues, such as the pandemic, civil unrest, and crime, and their salaried workers. 

This was done to create and implement initiatives that could enhance internal communications, provide fairer treatment and work towards improving employee safety.

As a result of their efforts to create a seamless transit network, SEPTA has begun modernization efforts, which range from supplying Regional Rail crews with tablets and providing computers to cashiers to aid in translating conversation with non-English speakers.

As these changes are made, SEPTA has established organization-wide key performance indicators (KPIs) that guide their investment decisions, find issues that could be improved upon, and create accountability. 

Regular updates on SEPTA’s progress towards meeting their goals are available on their website here.