Seniors aren’t ‘getting any younger.’ So why do their SEPTA fare cards expire?
The SEPTA senior fare cards have a shelf life from the manufacturer, SEPTA says.
Rites of passage are seasonings of the human condition. One of those in the Philadelphia region is getting a free SEPTA ride after turning 65. So long climbing fares, farewell Key cards that expire every three years.
That is what Steve Kallish thought until his SEPTA senior fare card perished, welcoming him to a renewal process that comes around as often as a presidential election.
Intrigued, the 75-year-old asked Curious Philly, The Inquirer’s forum for questions about the city and region: Why does a SEPTA senior fare card expire?
“It’s silly to have to go through the whole thing [again]. I am not getting any younger,” Kallish said.
The process has more in common with the spice rack than with SEPTA fearing folks will pull a Benjamin Button. SEPTA cards have a shelf life.
It’s a manufacturer specification, said SEPTA spokesperson John Golden. “This feature prevents a situation where the traveling senior’s card is no longer valid mid-trip,” he added.
Not getting stuck in the middle of his commute is important for Kallish, who takes the Regional Rail from Elkins Park to Temple University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for all kinds of courses, including his favorite writing class.
SEPTA senior fare card holders can get a free ride on SEPTA‘s buses, trolleys, subways, Norristown High Speed Line, and Regional Rail in Pennsylvania. The card also provides seniors 50% off weekday fares when traveling to New Jersey or Delaware.
Applying for a SEPTA senior fare card is mandatory to be eligible for free rides. Appointments are encouraged.
No one is breaking the bank in the midst of SEPTA’s budgeting issues; the money to provide seniors with free rides comes from the Pennsylvania Lottery.
Between 2023 and 2024, more than $164.2 million in lottery funds paid for 24.5 million free transit rides statewide, according to the Pennsylvania Lottery.
After renewing his senior fare card, Kallish was one of those riders. The process is straightforward, according to both him and Golden.
The expiration date comes engraved on the card. If the card is registered in the SEPTA Key system, a reminder for renewal will alert the cardholder.
» READ MORE: Who pays when seniors ride SEPTA for free
Once the time came, Kallish reached out to his legislator whose office processed the renewal. In a matter of weeks, a new card was issued. According to SEPTA, the current wait time for cards to be mailed is three to four weeks.
For Kallish, it was worth it. Not because of the free ride, but because of what it represents.
“As you get older, you start losing people,” Kallish said. “I love my SEPTA card because I can take classes downtown and it’s become a family of people.”