Kayla McRae is a senior at La Salle University, majoring in Integrated Science, Business, and Technology (ISBT). She lives in North Philadelphia, near 3rd and Champlost, and SEPTA is a core part of how she gets through her days as a student and city resident.

“I use SEPTA to get home from campus more so than to get to campus,” Kayla explains. “Although sometimes I still do use SEPTA to get to campus in the morning.” When she does, she walks to the 26 or 18 bus stop at 3rd and Olney. “I take either the 26 or the 18 going westbound and get off at 20th and Olney. That’s basically my commute. It doesn’t take that long—it’s really convenient.”

On the way home, she does the same trip in reverse, unless it’s late. “When it’s darker outside, I get off at 5th and Olney and try to catch the 47 up to 5th and Champlost. I live near 3rd and Champlost, so I can just walk from there.” Having nearby stops and flexible options has made SEPTA a practical part of her daily routine.

Kayla uses SEPTA almost every day—not just for school but to get around the city. “Most of the time I take the bus back home from campus, and I also take SEPTA a lot to go to other places around the city.”

She’s been familiar with SEPTA since childhood. “We used to take the Broad-Ridge Spur up to Chinatown when I was a little kid, but I don’t think I became consciously aware of the system until 5th grade when I took the Broad Street Line every day to school with my dad.” Later, she started riding the subway by herself and, once she got to La Salle, began exploring bus routes. “At first I only used the metro,” she says, “but when I started going to La Salle, I started venturing into the bus routes.”

One of those routes—the 47—has become a favorite. “It might be weird, but it’s become one of my favorite bus routes,” she says. “There’s a stop really close to where I live at 5th and Champlost. All I have to do is walk two blocks. I can take it downtown—it takes about 45 minutes, but it’s nice seeing how the neighborhoods change.”

The 47 has taken her to visit friends in Northern Liberties, to Chinatown, and even as far as South Street. “It’s just really convenient. Even though it’s a long ride, once I get off the bus, I don’t have to walk incredibly far to get back home—and it’s weirdly comforting.”

Kayla notes one frustration: the SEPTA app. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s accurate or not when the bus is coming.”

As for fares, she admits she doesn’t know how much she spends each month—because her dad covers it. “I’m very thankful for this, but he pays my SEPTA fees.”

Still, she knows other students aren’t as lucky. While working as a commuter coach at La Salle—a role similar to an RA for students who live off-campus—she heard directly from students who struggled to pay for their commutes. “There was this one girl that came to the office and asked if the school could help pay for SEPTA because she has to travel there every day. As a commuter, it can get expensive—especially if you’re using Regional Rail.”

That experience is why Kayla supports a UPass program, which would allow students to ride SEPTA more affordably. “Knowing that a person came up to me about that, I think a UPass passed on behalf of SEPTA would be a great idea.”

Kayla has also been paying attention to SEPTA’s budget crisis and the possibility of service cuts. “I signed a couple petitions already about it and was planning on calling Governor Shapiro,” she says. She knows her routes are likely safe from elimination, but reduced service still worries her.

She’s particularly concerned about the idea of a 9 p.m. curfew on metro lines. “I don’t really take SEPTA metro after 9 p.m., but I think about other college students—Temple, Penn, or even schools outside the city like Bryn Mawr—who rely on Regional Rail to get into the city. If SEPTA cuts off at 9, people will have to rely on Ubers.”

She also sees a bigger picture: the environmental impact of fewer transit options, and the economic consequences for the region. “Public transportation is like a mass carpool,” she says. “It’s a net positive for some level of environmental strides.”

Even though she doesn’t take Regional Rail often, she worries about people in suburban areas. “That particular line might be the only way they get to the city. Maybe they don’t have a car.” She’s also seen how transit supports the city during big events. “For things like Phillies games or the Eagles parade, people come from the Philly suburbs and use Regional Rail. It’s not just Philly that benefits from SEPTA—it’s all of Southeast Pennsylvania.”

For Kayla, SEPTA has been far from perfect—but it’s been vital. “It’s just that kind of stuff they should consider,” she says. “It would be an economic blow to the city. Everything is more connected than people think.”