MINUTES OF REGULAR BOARD MEETING



MINUTES OF REGULAR BOARD MEETING

OF

SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

_____________________________________________________

The Regular Meeting of the Board of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority was held on Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. via teleconference, with the Chairman in the Chair.

Present

Attending the meeting and present in the Board Room was the following Board Member:

Kenneth Lawrence, Vice Chairman

Attending the meeting via teleconference were the following Board Members:

Pasquale T. Deon, Sr., Chairman

Thomas E. Babcock

Joseph E. Brion, Esquire

Michael A. Carroll, P.E.

John F. Cordisco, Esquire

Mark H. Dambly

Robert D. Fox, Esquire

Honorable Stewart J. Greenleaf

Kevin L. Johnson, P.E.

John I. Kane

Obra S. Kernodle, IV

William J. Leonard, Esquire

Deborah Mahler

Honorable Marcy Toepel

Present in the Board Room were the following Staff Members:

Leslie S. Richards, General Manager

Richard Burnfield, Deputy General Manager/Treasurer

Robert L. Lund, P.E., Deputy General Manager

Carol R. Looby, Secretary

Stephanie Deiger, AGM, Employee Development/Relations

Jody Holton – AGM, Planning

Francis E. Kelly, AGM, Public Affairs & Government Affairs

Scott A. Sauer, AGM, Operations

William Webster, AGM, Communications

Chairman Deon called the Regular Meeting of the Board to order. He then conducted a roll call of the Board. He requested that Board Members announce themselves prior to making a Motion.

The Pledge of Allegiance was observed.

Chairman Deon stated that the Board had met in Executive Session prior to the Board Meeting to discuss legal matters. He then thanked Charlie Martin for his service on the SEPTA Board, serving for nearly 20 years. He also thanked him for his dedication to the Authority, Bucks County and the region.

Chairman Deon then welcomed the newest Board Member, John Cordisco, telling him that he was joining a great Board and organization. He said everyone was looking forward to working with him.

As we move into the fall, Chairman Deon said SEPTA was continuing to deal with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that on behalf of the Board, he would like to thank our workforce for their tireless efforts as they continue to work day and night to keep the system safe, clean, and ready as more customers return.

During the worst of the crisis, our frontline workers made sure people in our region could get to essential jobs and access life-sustaining services. And now, they are playing a critical role as we transition to recovery efforts.

Chairman Deon said the safety of our employees and customers have been our top priority during the pandemic. SEPTA employees have embraced wearing face coverings, as well as most of our customers. He thanked everyone who have been doing their part to help stop the spread of the virus. We know this was going to be a difficult and long recovery, but he said it was reassuring to know that we have such a dedicated workforce here at SEPTA leading the charge.

Approval of the Minutes

Mr. Deon stated that the Minutes of the July 23rd Regular Board Meeting had been circulated. He entertained a Motion to approve the Minutes. Vice Chairman Lawrence moved, Ms. Mahler seconded and the Minutes of the July Regular Board Meeting were unanimously approved.

Financial Report

Richard Burnfield stated that for the first two months of Fiscal Year 2021, operating revenue was $54.3 million below budget. He reported that Transit ridership was ranging from 30 to 35 percent of pre-COVID levels and that Regional Rail ridership was ranging from 12 to 15 percent of pre-COVID levels.

Mr. Burnfield reported that operating expenses were $26.9 million below the pre-COVID budget levels and subsidies exceeded budget by $27 million as SEPTA utilized federal CARES funding to address the revenue shortfall.

Mr. Burnfield closed by stating that after two months, the budget deficit was $379,000.

Chairman Deon then entertained a Motion to adopt the Financial Report. Vice Chairman Lawrence moved, Mr. Johnson seconded and it was unanimously adopted that the Financial Report be received and filed. The August Financial Report is attached to these Minutes as Exhibit "A."

Chairman Deon announced that all written comments and voicemail messages that had been received would be included in the official Board Meeting transcript, which would then be posted to the SEPTA website. He mentioned that there were no speakers on the Board agenda.

Consent Calendar

Chairman Deon then presented the Consent Calendar, which consisted of the following:

“Renewal of Property Insurance for the Transit, Rail Divisions, and Builders Risk Insurance for Various Projects, and Additional Placement of Bridge Insurance and Terrorism Risk Insurance Act Coverage;”

“Adoption of a Charter for the Board’s Administration Committee;”

“Adoption of a Charter for the Board’s Audit & Oversight Committee;”

“Adoption of a Charter for the Board’s Operations Committee;”

“Adoption of a Charter for the Board’s Pension Committee;”

“Supplemental Reimbursement Agreement Between SEPTA and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Relating to the Reconstruction of the Route 1 Bridge which Crosses Over SEPTA’s West Trenton Regional Rail Line;”

“Amendment to Supplemental Reimbursement Agreement Between SEPTA and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Relating to the Reconstruction of the College Avenue Bridge which Crosses Over SEPTA’s Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL);”

“Adoption of a Safety Management System Comprising of Authority Safety Plans for SEPTA’s Rail Transit, Bus and CCT Operations;”

“Authorization to Award Contracts for a Procurement;”

“Award of Contracts for Sole Source Procurements;” and

“Authorization to Execute Change Orders and Amendments.”

Chairman Deon stated that all of the items on the Consent Calendar were reviewed by the appropriate Board Committees in public session. He then entertained a Motion to Adopt the Resolutions. Vice Chairman Lawrence moved, Mr. Brion seconded and the Resolutions were unanimously adopted.

Report of General Manager

Ms. Richards stated SEPTA had demonstrated throughout the past six months of the pandemic that transit was essential infrastructure. We provide lifeline service to essential workers when they needed it the most, and she was happy to say that we were now focused on meeting the region’s changing needs and preparing for future demands.

Ms. Richards stated that as restrictions continued to loosen throughout the Philadelphia region, allowing workplaces to welcome back employees, children and young adults to return to school and college campuses, and restaurants to increase capacity, we must continue to remain vigilant. Ms. Richards said these factors, combined with cases spiking in other states and the start of cold and flu season, meant that it was more important than ever for SEPTA employees and customers to wear masks while using the system. She explained that SEPTA has taken a number of proactive measures to better anticipate and understand customer needs and concerns. Earlier this month, we released our COVID-19 Recovery Plan, “SEPTA - Move Better Together”, which she said demonstrated how SEPTA teams were planning scenarios based on projections for the pandemic, the economy and social behaviors. It captures SEPTA’s efforts to partner with experts in the industry to incorporate best practices here in the United States, as well as lessons learned from global cities who were ahead of us on the pandemic curve.

Ms. Richards shared that SEPTA was engaging with customers through social media and a customer travel survey and how we have learned that the most critical issues were mask wearing, cleaning and sanitizing, and ensuring safe social distancing. She said that SEPTA staff has put initiatives into place that address these concerns, and that we would continue to survey customers in the coming months to gather valuable feedback.

Ms. Richards mentioned that the SEPTA Team of Social Distancing Coaches, stationed at key locations, promote mask wearing, distribute masks to those who need them and answer SEPTA-related questions. We have also posted social distancing signage and were encouraging riders to keep space between themselves and others where they can. She stated that this pilot program, which ran from August 4th through 27th, was so well received that the program was extended from September 8th through today, the 24th. To protect riders’ health and safety, Ms. Richards stated that we have implemented a deeper and more robust cleaning regimen focused on sanitizing surfaces, and filtering and refreshing the air our riders breathe. She said we would continue to collaborate with businesses in the region to help them prepare for the near-term travel needs by sharing the Employer Tool Kit with resources to share with their employees. She shared that SEPTA continues to partner with the business community to plan for the coming months and years. Understanding that transit serves as an important catalyst for an equitable future, Ms. Richards stated that SEPTA staff has made great strides in their work to evaluate every aspect of our business through an equity lens with an eye toward building a more inclusive and welcoming environment at SEPTA.

For all of our successes, Ms. Richards said we also overcame an unexpected challenge. She thanked all SEPTA employees for their patience and understanding as we continue to address and recover from the recent Malware attack on the SEPTA network, which she explained had impacted email, files and other important systems. Working around the clock with cyber security and computer forensic specialists, she said the IT team had to continue to work diligently to fully restore and improve our network, safeguard personal information and the security of our IT systems, and build a better system for the future.

Ms. Richards commented that this unprecedented year had provided us with an opportunity to rethink our priorities and move forward, stronger than before and that SEPTA was committed to creating a more equitable system that helps connect all of our communities and drives our region’s economy.

In closing, Ms. Richards announced that Deputy General Manager, Bob Lund, was being recognized today by the Philadelphia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as the Transportation Engineer of the Year for 2020. She then congratulated Bob on this well-deserved honor.

Chairman Deon thanked Mr. Lund for his service, saying that he has been a stalwart person at the Authority. He then called for the following speakers.

Speakers

Michael Bente

Mr. Bente introduced himself as a Broad Street Line cashier. He spoke about the continued threat on the health and wellbeing of the Local 234 members and noted that over 300 members were Covid-19 positive. He said he believes that was probably the most of any City agency in the City of Philadelphia. Mr. Bente mentioned that five members have also passed away.

Mr. Bente stated that the virus was still present and that people must be proactive in the assurance that members of the public were kept safe. He asked why many of the programs that were put in place during the early stages of the pandemic have been retracted. He stated that the schedules on the buses and trains have not retracted and that there has been an uptick in ridership, but the Authority has continued to operate in pandemic mode, creating an overcrowded situation.

Mr. Bente also discussed the inability of the cashiers collecting cash and noted that the fare kiosk system does not always work. He said that if the health and wellbeing of customers and employees were a priority, more needs to be done to keep everyone safe. He then provided several recommendations, including mandating the development of a SEPTA preparedness plan that would respond to the pandemic in the future, since he said it may be a situation where the virus may come around and the Authority may have to shut down. Mr. Bente mentioned two other recommendations, better communication to employees concerning the transmission of infectious disease and public transit and an initiative to increase air ventilation throughout the buses, trains, and the subway system.

Mr. Bente then discussed hazard pay, saying that six months have passed and employees have not receive a single pay in the form of hazard pay, even though employees have been recognized as heroes by senior staff, the Board and politicians. While members continue to brave through hazardous conditions, SEPTA managers continue to work in the comfort and the safety of their homes. Mr. Bente referenced the Cares Act funding and asked SEPTA to show appreciation for the work that employees do by giving them what is rightfully theirs, hazard pay.

Mr. Bente closed by discussing the conditions of the Broad Street Line’s restroom facilities. He said that a certain amount of the Authority’s budget should be allocated to update those facilities and he invited management to use the bathroom at the Spring Garden Station.

Ms. Richards responded to Mr. Bente saying that over 300 of the Authority’s employees tested positive, but that over 80 percent of them have fully recovered and returned to work. She informed Mr. Bente that SEPTA does have a recovery plan, which has been shared with the public and was also available on the SEPTA website. Ms. Richards stated that staff has continued to have communications with the union leadership, including weekly meetings.

Chairman Deon called for the next speaker.

Rhonda Lancaster

Ms. Lancaster stated that she met General Manager Richards at a Philly Transit Union Riders meeting at the beginning of the pandemic. She said she goes into Center City twice a week for medical treatment and since the Chestnut Hill West Line was not operating she has to take Lyft from her home in Germantown to Wayne Junction, costing her between $6 and $10 per ride, twice a week. She added that she also takes Lyft on her return trip.

Ms. Lancaster said that other residents were also very upset that the Line was closed down without any warning and that they were told by customer service that they do not have any information as to why it was not operating. She mentioned that the Chestnut Hill West Line has plenty of riders in comparison to the Cynwyd Line. She asked what was happening with this Line.

Chairman Deon asked Ms. Richards to respond. Ms. Richards stated that for every day in this pandemic, the Authority has operated the best service possible as we move forward. She explained that there was substation work being performed. She stressed that SEPTA was committed to reopening the Chestnut Hill West Line and that she does understand Ms. Lancaster’s concern. She also explained that millions of dollars have been invested to upgrade the stations and the infrastructure along this Line and that SEPTA continues to work to ensure that it would be available for customers in the future.

Ms. Richards said the substation construction work was being performed in conjunction with Amtrak and PennDOT and this was also the reason why that Line was not operating. She said passenger volume on alternate services that Chestnut Hill West customers were using was being monitored. She said that at the present time, staff was not seeing higher ridership levels on those services, compared with other bus routes and regional rail lines, but said staff would continue to monitor them. Ms. Richards said that if riders had any feedback on those Lines to share them with SEPTA.

Ms. Richards continued and reported that regional rail ridership remains very low and that it was still only approximately 10 percent of pre-Covid levels. She also reported that staff was in close contact with community elected officials, business leaders and other stakeholders to insure that SEPTA would be ready with services as more people return to offices and other workplaces. Ms. Richards stated that staff would continue to monitor ridership and said once the construction was completed on the Chestnut Hill West Line, she anticipates reopening that Line, possibly at the end of 2020, or the beginning of 2021. She said she was aware that it was an inconvenience and offered to speak to riders about other options on the SEPTA system as well as speak with anyone else who has a concern regarding the Chestnut Hill West Line. She closed by stating that staff values all the corridors and routes on the SEPTA system, and that they were working to return them to service.

Chairman Deon then called for the next speakers, Nat Lownes and Caroline Slama, but there was no response. He then asked for Ethan Diamond, the next registered speaker.

Ethan Diamond

Mr. Diamond introduced himself and said he was speaking on behalf of the Philadelphia Transit Riders Union. He said it was quite mind boggling what was occurring with the Chestnut Hill Line and the Route 23 bus. He commended SEPTA for running regular schedules and placing capacity restrictions on trains and buses, but said those efforts fell short for the riders of the Chestnut Hill West Line, who have been forced to take the busiest bus route in the entire system, the Route 23.

According to Mr. Diamond, the Route 23 schedule was never meant to handle riders from a regional rail line. He said SEPTA brought a situation to riders on the Chestnut Hill West Line and the Route 23 where they were fighting for limited capacity. He said it was fundamentally against the idea of government subsidized public transportation. Mr. Diamond said this has led to a lack of social distancing and the bypassing of stops for many people who have no other option to access jobs and essential services and were effectively putting themselves and their loved ones at risk, in order to keep their communities going. He suggested that there was a simple solution – run more service on the Route 23 or run shuttle buses on the Chestnut Hill West Line to accommodate passengers.

Chairman Deon asked for the next speaker, Sam Neubardt.

Sam Neubardt

Mr. Neubardt introduced himself as a member of the Philly Transit Riders Union. He said he mostly rides the Route 23 bus, the Broad Street Line and the Chestnut Hill West Line. He mentioned that he was a big believer in the value that public transit provides society a value that was more than the financial cost. Mr. Neubardt stated that in speaking with his neighbors who rely on the Chestnut Hill West Line and who have been unable to take this public transit to their essential jobs, either in the northwest area of the City or in Center City. He said they were already making financial sacrifices to be able to afford the high fares on the regional rail lines, which was their only option for public transit. Mr. Neubardt added that this included people with disabilities and who could not afford to own a car but they deserve to have the same participation in society, whether or not they could afford to drive, and now they were being forced to find other accommodations because the rail was shutdown.

Mr. Neubardt then discussed the hourly service on the rail line and the affect that has on ridership. He asked the Board to imagine a better future for the regional rail lines in Philadelphia. He also asked the Board for the concrete steps they could take to increase frequency of the regional rail to have a system where there was frequent subway-like service and subway-like cost on the SEPTA Regional Rail infrastructure. He then asked what steps the Board would commit to in securing additional funding to increase lower fares and increased frequency.

Chairman Deon responded that the Board and the General Manager were working on funding almost every day. He then called for the next speaker, Yasha Zarrinkelk.

Yasha Zarrinkelk

Yasha Zarrinkelk stated that he represents the Transit Forward Philadelphia, which was a coalition of Philadelphia-based organizations advocating for a better public transit system in the Greater Philadelphia region. He thanked the Board and SEPTA Team for the plan that insures that riders were safe, but he believes that they need to focus on and prioritize the Comprehensive Bus Network Redesign. Mr. Zarrinkelk said that there was an opportunity for SEPTA with the overcrowding of riders on the Route 23 from the Chestnut Hill West Line to redesign buses while the streets were relatively empty. He mentioned that with people working from home, there was an opportunity for emergency bus lanes to be put in place while the pandemic and the stay-at-home orders have been lifted, but were still in place.

Mr. Zarrinkelk said the Comprehensive Bus Network Redesign was a great opportunity to prevent the spread of the pandemic on public transit and to give riders an opportunity to regain the trust and the respect that SEPTA has given its riders in the past. He said he feels that SEPTA riders need to feel comfortable and safe on transit and said that this was a great opportunity for them to do that through the Bus Network Redesign, by showing them that they were committed to the riders and committed to keeping the riders safe.

Mr. Zarrinkelk said he wanted to say that Transit Forward Philadelphia was also working with advocates across the country in trying to secure federal funding for transit agencies like SEPTA. He explained that they would continue this process and continue to fight with SEPTA to ensuring that funding could come to SEPTA, so that the riders could be protected and could ride safely.

Chairman Deon thanked Mr. Zarrinkelk and mentioned that SEPTA was on board for planning and that the Board has Ms. Richards, a planner, at the helm. He then asked Ms. Richards to provide an update on the Comprehensive Bus Network Redesign. Ms. Richards said that after she spoke with the group that Mr. Zarrinkelk organized just prior to the beginning of the pandemic, she said staff was very close in selecting a consultant and that she agrees with Mr. Zarrinkelk that moving ahead would very much help. She stated that this redesign has neither paused nor stopped and that staff would continue to move ahead with a lot of work, even in this pandemic. She then thanked Mr. Zarrinkelk for his comments.

Secretary Looby informed the Chairman that there was another speaker, Victoria Grant.

Victoria Grant

Ms. Grant said she was also a member of Philly Transit Riders Union and that she would like to speak about the overcrowding on buses. She said prior to the pandemic, the Route 21 west, at 5:00 PM, was usually so crowded that it could not pick up additional passengers. She indicated that sometimes two completely full buses would bypass her at her stop. Ms. Grant asked whether SEPTA staff monitors overcrowding on buses. She also asked if the overhaul of the upcoming bus system would help to prevent this overcrowding.

Chairman Deon responded and said that the bus redesign was planned prior to the pandemic. He asked General Manager Richards to give a brief update. Ms. Richards said the Comprehensive Bus Network Redesign would be looking at issues that Ms. Grant discussed. She explained that staff was looking to invest in Automatic Passenger Counters, which would allow them to better monitor in real time the amount of passengers on each vehicle. She said it was important to transit, but even more important during this pandemic to keep passengers in safe distances from one another. Ms. Richards said the study would definitely help staff with that issue.

Chairman Deon asked Secretary Looby to play the pre-recorded audio from Som-Mai Nguyen. There was technical difficulty in playing the pre-recorded audio files from the following speakers. It was decided that the audio files would be shared with the court reporter who would then transcribe the files for the transcript. A copy of the September 24, 2020 transcript is attached to the original Minutes as Exhibit “B”. Below is the transcribed pre-recorded audio files.

Som-Mai Nguyen

Ms. Nguyen stated that she was a member of the Philly Transit Riders Union and that she takes the El, the Route 10 trolley and the Route 21 bus. She asked how SEPTA monitors the overcrowding on vehicles and how that information and data was collected and communicated to the public.

Doris Spears

Ms. Spears introduced herself and stated that she was calling regarding the ongoing suspension of the Chestnut Hill West Regional Rail Line service. She said the suspension has created overcrowding and delays on the surrounding bus routes, including the Route 26 and Route 23.

Janice Tosto

Ms. Tosto stated that she was a member of the Philly Transit Riders Union. She mentioned that she has had to limit her use of the Route 23 bus due to Covid safety concerns and that the cap of 30 passengers per ride was routinely surpassed. She then referenced a recent experience she had while on the Route 23 bus in Chestnut Hill when there were more than 20 riders on the bus, some standing close to the bus operator because no seats were available. She stated that the Route 23 needed more frequent service during high volume travel time so that social distancing was possible and to allow more customers to ride when they needed to ride. Ms. Spears added that this would also help the bus operators to stay safe.

Ms. Spears then addressed the suspension of service on the Chestnut Hill West Line. She asked about the Authority’s timeline for reinstating service because her access to Center City was adversely affected as a result of the suspension. She stated that if SEPTA wants to retain and grow its customer base, it needs to be responsive to its riders and that service needs to be accessible and reliable and safe for riders and bus operators.

Matt Sullivan

The caller introduced himself as Matt from the Philly Transit Riders Union. He discussed the overcrowding of the Route 23, especially along the corridor of the Chestnut Hill route. He stated that during the pandemic overcrowding was a matter of life and death. He asked the SEPTA Board Members what steps they would commit to in order to save lives by relieving the overcrowding.

Caroline Slama

Ms. Slama introduced herself and said she was a member of the Philadelphia Transit Riders Union. She stated that she was appreciative of the information on the SEPTA website concerning essential services such as child care centers, grocery stores and hospitals. However she said the information that SEPTA provides about its own services remain inadequate and unreliable.

Ms. Slama stated that the Authority should be transparent about when and where vehicle overcrowding occurs. She asked whether the Authority collects data on the number of rides that were passed up at each transit stop, and if so, she asked when that information would be available to the public.

Anonymous Rider

A voice mail was received from an anonymous rider concerning overcrowding on buses in the early morning hours. An attempt was made by the Board Secretary to reach the caller on the phone number that the recorded message was received from, but there was no answer.

Benjamin She

Mr. She submitted a written statement via email on behalf of 5th Square, which is attached to the original Minutes as Exhibit “C”.

Adjournment

There being no further business to come before the Board at this Regular Meeting, it was moved by Vice Chairman Lawrence, seconded by Mr. Babcock and unanimously adopted that the meeting be adjourned at 3:55 p.m.

A transcript of this meeting was made by an official court reporter and is made a part of the original minutes.

Carol R. Looby

Secretary

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download