🚉 SEPTA tells us service disruptions will ease by Friday

💰 State on Verge of Finally Getting a Budget

After months without a state budget — forcing school districts, counties, and social service providers across Pennsylvania to borrow money to stay afloat — lawmakers have reportedly reached a deal. Details about what Democrats and Republicans agreed to were still trickling in last night, but both houses of the legislature and the governor still must formally approve the spending plan. [🎧City Cast Philly, 🔒 The Inquirer]

🏥 ​​Measles Exposure at Philly Airport

The health department is warning the public of a reported measles exposure at Philadelphia International Airport’s Terminals A and B on Sunday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you are immune, no further action is needed but here is what to do if you’re unsure or at risk. [Philadelphia Department of Public Health]

🏫 Does Gun Violence Increase When a School Closes?

While the school district finalizes its new facilities plan with potential building closures, advocates are looking back on lessons from the 2014 closures. Community members worry history will repeat itself, risking increased violence and disinvestment in communities that lose their schools. [Mindsite News]

🏀 ​​Sixers Debut New But Simple Jerseys for 2025–26 Season

Say goodbye to the retro Spectrum jerseys and say hello to the Sixers’ new minimalistic City Editions. These aren’t the only jerseys this season as the Sixers pay homage to the 2001 team. If it seems weird to celebrate a season you didn’t win a championship, that year was at least a win for the culture. [ESPN The Conversation]

From budget battles with Harrisburg lawmakers to service cuts and fare hikes, this has been a tumultuous year for SEPTA. The transit agency’s latest battle involves daily delays, cancellations, and overcrowding on its Regional Rail lines as inspectors pull trains out of service due to potential safety hazards.

But SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer offered us some good news: Come Friday, the inspection-related cancellations will end.

“ We are almost 90% complete as of Monday,” Sauer said of the mandated inspections in an interview with City Cast Philly. “ We fully expect to meet the deadline by close of business on Friday, the 14th. We have made really good progress, where it got off to a pretty slow start.”

How Did We Get Here?

In 2025, SEPTA experienced five fires on separate trains along its Regional Rail system on Feb. 6, June 3, July 22, Sept. 23, and Sept. 25. These accidents occurred along different rail lines, and originated in the trains’ electrical systems.

All trains involved in the fires are part of the Regional Rail’s Silverliner IV fleet. These cars have been in service since the 1970s. Although SEPTA began to replace the aging fleet in 2013, the trains weren’t completely retired and plans to acquire replacement double-decker rail cars were scrapped. And so with no permanent funding solution for SEPTA, the rail network continued to use the old cars.

The Feds’ Response

The National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates civil transportation accidents, released a report in October that blamed the Silverliner IV’s outdated designs and SEPTA’s maintenance practices for the safety risks and resulting fires. It recommended that the transit agency pull the cars out of service until the exact cause of the fires was determined, enact a plan to mitigate the risks, and seek funding to replace the rail cars as soon as possible.

The Federal Railroad Administration echoed the sentiments of the NTSB and ordered SEPTA to inspect the fleet and take remedial action by Oct. 31.