Judge grants temporary injunction over SEPTA’s service cuts

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A Philadelphia judge granted a temporary injunction Friday during an emergency hearing over SEPTA service cuts.

While current service reductions will remain in place, further cuts have been halted pending another hearing set for Sept. 4.

This means the 21.5% fare increase and reductions set for next week are on hold for now, according to Judge Sierra Thomas-Street’s order.

The injunction also blocks any additional route eliminations, service reductions, curfews, special service eliminations, and station closures.

“The judge wants us to keep service at the levels we’re running today. That’s going to take a lot of effort. We know we need 10 days to turn this around. We’re going to take a look at how best we can comply with that order,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer.

Friday’s emergency hearing followed a lawsuit filed earlier this week by attorney George Bochetto.

“The judge has stopped any further cutbacks. No more phase one implementation and certainly no more phase two implementation. She said she’s heard enough,” said Bochetto.

The suit claims SEPTA’s financial crisis is fabricated and argues the cuts unlawfully place a disproportionate burden on communities of color and low-income residents.

Phase one of SEPTA cuts began Sunday and came with a 20% reduction of services across the board.

Lawmakers have not come to an agreement on how to fill SEPTA’s $213 million budget deficit, and the state budget remains unresolved.

The suit also argues SEPTA should use its service stabilization fund to maintain operations until the agency learns what funding it will receive from the state. SEPTA attorneys argued they conducted a full equity analysis prior to making the cuts and argued the stabilization fund is already being utilized.

Sauer said the agency will have to tap that fund to comply with the order.