Here’s the latest info regarding recently proposed SEPTA fare hikes and other public transportation news.

The fare changes proposed in September will go into effect on December 1. These changes include the elimination of the 50-cent fare discount for users of SEPTA Key cards and other contactless media, such as debit/credit cards and Apple Pay. So, starting this Sunday, SEPTA customers will have to pay the full amount of $2.50 per ride. On average, fares will increase by 7.5 percent in December.

While these fare changes will go into effect next month, the major 21.5 percent fare increase proposed for January 2025 has been avoided thanks to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s announcement last week about SEPTA receiving $153 million stop-gap funding. SEPTA will also avoid service cuts in the first half of 2025 thanks to this funding, which covers SEPTA’s projected operating budget gap through the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 2025.

SEPTA has cancelled two public hearings scheduled for Dec. 13 focusing on the proposed fair hike. In the long run, SEPTA is seeking a more permanent solution to the funding issue, as it faces an annual budget deficit of at least $240 million.

In other SEPTA news, the Authority has recently negotiated a new tentative agreement with its workers’ union (TWU Local 234), also with the help of Gov. Shapiro who participated in the final stage of the negotiations. The previous contract expired on Nov. 7 and a strike was looming if a new agreement was not reached by the end of the month. The new one-year agreement was reached on Nov. 20 and includes the following improvements for TWU members in the City, Frontier and Suburban Divisions of SEPTA:

• An across-the-board 5 percent wage increase

• A 5 percent monthly increase in pension benefits for TWU members who retire during the next year

• Safety improvements including bulletproof enclosures on busses to protect bus operators, upgrades to radios, and fixes to allow communication in tunnels, among other improvements (details on implementation are still being finalized)

• Measures that will improve workplace safety

• Improvements to scheduling for new employees

And finally, SEPTA has announced modified Thanksgiving Day service schedules and Thanksgiving Day Parade bus detours and road closures. Go here for more details.