SEPTA Independence Passes: New Limit of 10 Rides?

[MACTRAXX]

RCT: The 10 ride limit on I Passes was only implemented in the last month as I previously mentioned.
The tariff as written was correct - Independence Passes placed on the Key once offered unlimited rides
the same as legacy passes do. Through A DVARP member that I know the first mention of this change was
posted on a Facebook page about SEPTA Transit in the past 10 days. I can not confirm this since I am not a
Facebook member but what I can mention is this will be a prime topic at the DVARP January meeting in CC
Philadelphia on Saturday January 19th (DVARP usually meets on the third Saturday of each month) since
this change implementing this new limitation may affect many riders that purchase the I Pass day option.

The question is: When exact!y was this change implementing the 10 ride limit on Key I Passes made?
That is what should be answered...MACTRAXX

[rcthompson04]

RCT: The 10 ride limit on I Passes was only implemented in the last month as I previously mentioned.
The tariff as written was correct - Independence Passes placed on the Key once offered unlimited rides
the same as legacy passes do. Through A DVARP member that I know the first mention of this change was
posted on a Facebook page about SEPTA Transit in the past 10 days. I can not confirm this since I am not a
Facebook member but what I can mention is this will be a prime topic at the DVARP January meeting in CC
Philadelphia on Saturday January 19th (DVARP usually meets on the third Saturday of each month) since
this change implementing this new limitation may affect many riders that purchase the I Pass day option.

The question is: When exact!y was this change implementing the 10 ride limit on Key I Passes made?
That is what should be answered...MACTRAXX

I have been using the Independence Pass on Key card for months and the website and mobile app have shown a 10 ride limit since I started using Independence Passes on Key card in May 2019. I don't think it was officially announced until recently as you noted, but the system has been set up that way since I started using it. I noticed it then when I had an situation where I tapped in at Suburban and the conductor tapped me in again on the train, which caused me to have 7 trips left instead of 8. '

I did some digging last night and it appears that SEPTA stated the 10 ride limit on the blog back in September: https://iseptaphilly.com/blog?page=8
https://iseptaphilly.com/blog/independencepass

[MACTRAXX]

RCT: Thanks for finding the SEPTA Phillyblog post about I Passes back on September 19, 2019.

From reading the blog post the only actual date listed was from when on-board
I Pass sales ended which was Tuesday September 3rd - the day after Labor Day.

What I now suspect is that SEPTA did not adequately publicize the new 10 ride limit
implemented on Key I Passes during the first half of September. The update adding
the revised information may have only been made earlier this month.

The best $13 I Pass option is definitely purchasing legacy passes which still offer
unlimited rides. They are good until they are used with the years listed 2019-2022.

The only adequate way to limit use of legacy I Passes to 10 trips would be for them
to be punched 10 times in some manner or to redesign them to resemble the now-
discontinued Convenience Pass (which was valid for 8 transit rides) with 10 punch
blocks along with the month of the year and day of the month validation.

Why would any knowledgeable rider purchase an I Pass on the Key with the 10 ride
limit while legacy passes offering unlimited rides are still available?

With Legacy Passes being gradually phased out in favor of the Key any redesign of I Passes is highly unlikely. Legacy I Passes are being sold while stock supplies last...

MACTRAXX