This indie site helps Philly riders fight back against SEPTA service cuts

A local indie website wants to make it easier for Philadelphians to advocate for SEPTA funding, in hopes of preventing drastic service cuts. 

Save SEPTA aggregates information about reduced transit service, advocacy events and a way to contact local and state governments into one spot. The goal is to make information about the budget cuts more accessible and give people an easy way to talk to their representatives, said site designer and local college student Nick, who asked to only go by his first name after receiving aggressive messages for his work.

While the website seems relatively simple, its standout attribute is customizability. Any local can put in their own information to see how their commutes would be impacted and make sure their feedback reaches the right ears.

“It’s really just about raising awareness and giving people the tools to take action themselves, Nick told Technical.ly. 

So far, over 5,000 people have visited the website and used its tools to learn more about the budget cuts.

The main feature lets users input their address to find out who their state and city representatives are. The information comes from publicly available map data for the city council districts and the state senate and house, Nick said. 

Then, the page will produce a form where users can fill in their name, email and choose to either write their own letter or autofill a letter to send to those representatives. Since launching the site last week, over 350 people have sent letters to their reps using the website’s tool, according to Nick.

“Ultimately, to have an impact, you have to get the word out to Harrisburg,” he said. “So I figured that that was going to have to be a central component, letting your representatives know that this is something that’s important to you.” 

Earlier this month, SEPTA announced a budget proposal that would cut service by 45%, reduce its workforce and increase fares in a system that already struggles with delays and cancellations. The proposal outlined 56 bus routes and five regional rail lines that would be cut and a 9 p.m. curfew for rail lines. 

Whether or not this proposal goes into effect later this year depends on approval for additional funding from the state. At the end of last year, Governor Josh Shapiro directed $153 million from the state’s highway funds to SEPTA to avoid 20% fare increases. 

Find the cuts that hit closest to home

The most popular page on the website is an open letter that explains the economic impact of SEPTA, Nick said. The full letter is linked in the auto-generated text that gets sent to representatives. 

“I would like to think that means the people in Harrisburg are getting these emails or opening them up and reading them,” he said. 

The site also has a tool that shows users how the service cuts may impact the train and bus lines they use every day. Users can input the transit lines they use and the website will tell them how those lines will be impacted by the budget cuts. 

In the future, Nick would like to add a feature where people can put in their start and ending stops and see if the route would get shortened, he said. He would also like to add a page with social media graphics people can post and a feature that will pre-write social media posts.  

“I hope it can motivate people,” Nick said, “to go out there and talk to their representatives and get funding through.”