SEPTA Key Advantage is an institutional pass program in which participating partner organizations can purchase a Monthly Anywhere TrailPass for all their employees. Key Advantage can be used on all SEPTA modes, including Regional Rail, the subway system, and city and suburban buses and trolleys. Since 2020, ESI has assisted SEPTA with research, development, and implementation of the program. In support of this effort, ESI led a research effort into comparable programs in other regions such as Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Seattle, analyzed potential pricing models, and provided strategic recommendations and support on implementation.
Phase I of this program included a six-month pilot with three introductory partners—Drexel University, Penn Medicine, and Wawa stores located in the city of Philadelphia— in May 2022. Based on learnings from the pilot phase, ESI assisted SEPTA in designing program guidelines and pricing to launch the program at scale. Key Advantage has since expanded to include many more companies, as well as the City of Philadelphia and other public sector employers. As of January 2025, more than 30,000 employees were eligible for the program.
ESI continues to support planning efforts to expand the availability of the SEPTA Key Advantage to additional organizations through the development of new product types and analysis of the existing programs. Additional models have been developed for students at colleges and universities, as well as for multi-family residential properties
