While most big city transit systems have moved on to electronic passes or paper tickets, Philadelphia's riders are left to deal with tokens and transfer slips until SEPTA's plans for a system upgrade come to fruition.

After eight years of planning to create a SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority) Key system, Philly residents are still waiting to ditch their tokens for the promised future of smart cards and smart phones. The Philadelphia Inquirer scolds the transit system for the long delayed roll-out of what some see as a basic component of a modern transit system.
Getting the new fare system right is the top priority, SEPTA officials say, hence their striving to work out all the bugs before it debuts. That's an appropriate aspiration given the potential for chaos if mass transit doesn't function. After two years of delays and $11 million in cost overruns, they had better get it right.
Delays in the $220 million SEPTA Key project have been blamed on any number of factors, including a lack of funding directed toward SEPTA and the complexity of linking up the various transit systems.
FULL STORY: Token Promises

Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.

National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

Test News Post 1
This is a summary

Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.

Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service