February 05, 2020
Next stop will be Suburban Station. That is, for the rollout of SEPTA’s tap-to-exit program.
On Wednesday, SEPTA Regional Rail riders who get off at the Center City station and use SEPTA Key cards, senior citizen passes, or magnetic stripe passes started using specific tap-to-exit turnstiles in order to tap or swipe to exit the stop, the transit agency announced.
The initiative, which will be in place at Suburban Station on weekdays from 6:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. at the onset, will start with just a few turnstiles and then will continue to grow as riders get more comfortable with the rollout. SEPTA will have signs up in Suburban Station pointing out which turnstiles to use.
Riders who use paper tickets or cash to pay for their Regional Rail trips can still use non-tap-to-exit turnstiles, and customers are not required to use tap-to-exit during this phase of the program. However, SEPTA is encouraging riders to give it a try and get more familiar with the initiative before tapping in and out are required at all Center City stations.
The rollout at Suburban Station comes just weeks after SEPTA implemented the program at another Center City stop, Jefferson Station, where riders now need their SEPTA Key cards to exit the station.
Three more Center City stops will follow Suburban Station this winter, as SEPTA hopes to have the tap-to-exit initiative up and running at all of its stations across the entire rail system by this spring.
Commuters soon will be able to pay for single-ride Regional Rail tickets using the SEPTA Travel Wallet, rather than purchasing monthly passes. Eventually, all riders will be required to tap in and out at their home stations to start and end their commutes.
