Wilmington City Council encouraged SEPTA and DelDOT to fully staff the ticket office at the Joseph R. Biden Jr. Railroad Station.
The Wilmington Station is the 14th busiest Amtrak station in the nation, according to Councilmember Maria Cabrera’s resolution presented at Thursday’s Council meeting.
SEPTA announced plans to close some ticket offices, including the Wilmington Station’s, Dec. 12 and closed the office’s doors just nine days later.
Cabrera said Wilmington Station doesn’t see the amount of travelers as a more populated station in a city like Philadelphia, but there’s still a need for in-person assistance.
“We still have seniors, people with disabilities and low income riders and visitors unfamiliar with digital ticketing who could still use assistance from having a human being present…” Cabrera said. “There is an important role that agents play, and they contribute to a sense of safety in the busy station. And it helps maintain that level of in person service, especially for people who are not familiar with using technology.”
Cabrera said she’s interested to see if DelDOT and SEPTA can strike a compromise like offering hybrid services.
Council members passed the resolution with 10 yeas and three absent, encouraging action from SEPTA, DelDOT and the General Assembly.
Also discussed at Thursday’s meeting, Councilmember Coby Owens introduced an ordinance that would create a Low-Income Rental Assistance Program in Wilmington. It’s now headed to the Community Development and Urban Planning Committee for review.
Owens is part of a trio of Councilmembers who laid out a commitment to affordability in Wilmington in January.
This ordinance states the rental assistance program is needed as Wilmington residents see rising rental costs and “significant financial strain on low-income households,” with 50% of Delaware renters spending more than one-third of their income on rent.
If it wins Council approval, the Low-Income Rental Assistance Program will help eligible candidates with up to $1,500 per month for a maximum of four months during a 12-month cycle.
The Department of Real Estate and Housing would have the power to enforce the program’s rules and dole out funds to eligible residents.
Council will have a chance to vote on the program after it’s reviewed in Committee.
