SEPTA has announced that starting June 1st it will remove passenger capacity limits on vehicles that were put into place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, mask requirements for customers and employees will remain in place until further notice. 

“Removing vehicle capacity limits to meet increased ridership demand is a major step in the region’s recovery,” said SEPTA General Manager Leslie S. Richards. “We are grateful for our riders who counted on SEPTA throughout the pandemic, and we are excited to safely welcome back those who may be taking the system for the first time in over a year.” 

SEPTA’s decision to lift passenger capacity limits comes as newly reported cases of COVID-19 continue to drop across the region and vaccination rates rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the City of Philadelphia are easing capacity-related restrictions. 

While passenger limits will be lifted on June 1st, SEPTA has a new online tool that is designed to give customers information about seat availability as they plan their trips. The Estimated Seat Availability Dashboard is now on SEPTA’s website, with information available for most bus routes. This data will expand in the coming months to cover all of SEPTA’s modes of travel. 

Photo: SEPTA