When SEPTA further reduces services and sharply hikes fares next week, some commuters are expected to switch to driving, creating more traffic snarls on Philadelphia’s already busy roads.

Driving conditions could worsen even further in January, when the transit agency plans to shut down five Regional Rail lines and stop all train service at 9 p.m. daily, if the state doesn’t come through with a funding boost before then.

That could be very bad news for Center City, the region’s main economic engine.

Given how tight traffic already is at peak times, increasing the number of cars trying to drive through and park by even a relatively small number could lead to gridlock, said Clint Randall, vice president of economic development at the Center City District business organization (CCD).

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