SEPTA Board approves recommendations for first bus network redesign

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Board of Directors has approved recommendations for the authority’s first comprehensive bus network redesign, previously known as Bus Revolution. SEPTA will now proceed to implement the plan, with the first service changes for customers expected to begin in 2025. 

The approval by the SEPTA Board follows more than two years of public outreach and revisions to the plan. Prior to formal hearings during fall 2023, SEPTA notes there were four rounds of public engagement. There were more than 200 public meetings – including 152 in-person sessions – throughout the SEPTA service region. Events included town halls, open houses, pop-up events at SEPTA transit centers and dozens of virtual meetings. 

SEPTA notes that through the meetings and other outreach efforts, it received and reviewed more than 10,000 comments. That feedback was incorporated into revised versions of the plan, including the finalized version approved by the SEPTA Board.  

“Our partners throughout the city and region have played a major role throughout this process and we are grateful for their support of SEPTA,” said SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. “In particular, I want to thank members of Philadelphia City Council for working with us on a series of public meetings this spring that helped shape this final plan.” 

SEPTA will launch an extensive public outreach campaign in the coming months to inform customers, residents and other stakeholders about service changes and the new bus network. 

“Public input has been critical to shaping the bus network plan and we will continue having these conversations as we move toward implementation,” said SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie S. Richards. “This plan prioritizes the customer experience by improving access to a more frequent and reliable bus network that will be more useful to more people. We are excited to deliver these benefits to our customers and the communities we serve.” 

The bus network changes are focused on enhancing reliability and service frequency. The number of frequent routes – those coming 15 minutes or better seven days a week – will increase by 30 percent. SEPTA estimates approximately 1.1 million more people will be within a 10-minute walk of frequent bus service thanks to the changes. 

The new network will also feature 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 Uber or Lyft, in areas where there is demand for transit, but not enough to sustain fixed-route bus operations. The authority says that even with all of the proposed changes, more than 99 percent of customers currently within a quarter mile of bus service will still be within a quarter mile. 

The proposed bus network changes can be found on SEPTA’s website.