Katherine Johnson is an English Education major attending Haverford College. As a senior, she lives off campus and frequently relies on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to travel throughout the region. She has been using SEPTA regularly since her arrival at Haverford four years ago. Despite her experience with the transit system, she notes that the most important lesson she has learned is to “make a plan for delays.”

Currently, Katherine is completing a student teaching internship in Center City, near Jefferson Station. She depends on the Paoli/Thorndale Line for her daily commute to and from the internship, where she gains practical experience relevant to her future career. Additionally, she utilizes several local bus routes to navigate the area surrounding Haverford’s campus.

Given her extensive commuting needs, Katherine supports the idea of Haverford College adopting a UPass program, similar to those offered by Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr Colleges. Although she lives near the heart of Philadelphia, she points out that regional rail fares accumulate quickly. With friends at Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore, she observes how often they are able to travel without worrying about whether they can afford the fare. For Katherine, affordability is a key concern as a college student.

Beyond financial considerations, Katherine also expressed concerns about the lack of SEPTA personnel on certain regional rail trips. In such cases, passengers are often unable to spread out across the full length of the train and may even be required to open train doors themselves at station stops.

The ongoing SEPTA funding crisis threatens to eliminate service on the Paoli/Thorndale Line, which Katherine heavily relies upon. Many of the bus routes she has used to access areas around campus are also at risk. While SEPTA has not been perfect in her experience, it has nonetheless provided essential access to educational and professional opportunities. For students like Katherine, SEPTA remains a vital component of the college experience in the Philadelphia region and deserves the funding necessary to continue serving student populations effectively.