Bus, Subway and Trolley Service Resume as Strike Ends

KYW Newsradio Team Coverage

The six-day SEPTA strike is over. Buses, trolleys and subways are running for the morning rush. The tentative contract was announced after just after midnight on Monday by city, SEPTA and union officials.

See more stories on the SEPTA Strike

KYW's Kim Glovas reports that the bitter transit strike came to an end when SEPTA and Transport Workers Union officials signed the tentative plan at Governor Rendell's office at the Bellevue hotel. The governor says the remaining issues were hammered out by the deadline he had set, which means $7 million in state funding remains.

"My test which was that this would have to be voted on by the members for you to keep the state money in the mix, that test was met by this adoption of the agreement."

The deal was brokered by congressman Bob Brady who worked the phones over the last two days, to keep negotiations moving.

KYW's Mike DeNardo reports that riders are glad to be settling into their morning routines once again.

The end of the transit strike brings a big sigh of relief from Amy Sommer of Fairmount:

"I'm very glad that the strike is over. It was a lot of uncertainty and extra time in commuting."

Amy and her friend Norm Frisby would normally ride three SEPTA buses out to work in King of Prussia. But Norm says during the strike, the commute was an hour longer each way:

"I had to get over here to Suburban Station to get an R6 to Norristown, and a friend picked us up from the station and took us to our building in King of Prussia."

DeNardo: "And how much of an inconvenience was that for you?"

"It was a very big inconvenience. I'm just relieved that they're back."

Ridership appeared off in the early going. Some commuters were either unaware the strike was over or they'd already made alternate plans.

KYW's Al Novack reports that foremen and shop stewards began notifying transit workers in the union that it was time to get back to work.

The first Broad Street subway trains began rolling out of the Fern Rock Transportation Center just after 4am. The Market-Frankford El is also operational once again. By 5am, buses and trolleys began rolling on their routes. SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney says as of 6am, 80-percent of the transit system was up and running.

SEPTA says it will accept last weeks transpasses on the city division up until 12-noon Monday. Beyond that, SEPTA is advising riders who hold transpasses to call 215-580-7800.



(photo by KYW's Mike Dougherty)