SEPTA's Planning Department to present plans for new bus network at Dec. 21 board meeting

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Planning Department will present its proposal for a new bus network – referred to as the Bus Revolution – to the SEPTA Board at its regular meeting on Dec. 21, 2023.

Pending the board’s vote, the first changes would go into effect during summer 2024.

The recommendations include changes that would enhance reliability and service frequency, including the number of frequent routes (those coming 15 minutes or better seven days a week) increased by 30 percent, as well as an estimated 1.1 million people will be within a 10-minute walk of frequent bus service. The new network also features more consistent schedules and a streamlined design that will enhance service reliability and help the authority attract new riders.

In six suburban zones, SEPTA would operate on-demand transit service similar to rideshare in areas where there is demand for transit but not enough to sustain fixed-route bus operations.

SEPTA notes more than 99 percent of customers currently within a quarter mile of bus service will still be within a quarter mile after the changes go into effect.

“These changes are designed to make the bus network more reliable, bring frequent bus routes closer to more people and jobs and create a network that is easier to understand and use,” said SEPTA General Manager and CEO Leslie S. Richards. “The public outreach effort for this initiative has been unprecedented and the feedback we received has been crucial in shaping the proposal that will now be considered by the SEPTA Board.”

SEPTA’s public outreach for Bus Revolution started more than two years ago. Prior to formal hearings earlier this fall - there were 144 in-person events throughout the SEPTA service region, including Town Halls, Open Houses and pop-up events at transit centers. The project team also held and 37 virtual meetings. Feedback from those sessions shaped updates to the proposal, which was then the subject of 10 hearings in September, including eight in-person throughout the SEPTA service areas, along with two virtual hearings. SEPTA received hundreds of comments at the hearings and online, via voicemail and traditional mail and SEPTA planners made updates based on public feedback and additional analysis.