SEPTA bus riders could enjoy faster routes covering more areas and shorter wait times in the future, depending on the willpower of transit agency officials and local lawmakers.
That's according to a new report presented to the transit agency this week that caps a yearlong study looking at ways to improve the cranky system.
The question remains: Will SEPTA overhaul its bus system?
Such a comprehensive redesign, as suggested in the report, would be the first of its kind for Philadelphia’s bus network.
SEPTA requested the report on the heels of a decline in ridership and route times that have actually slowed in recent years. SEPTA officials believe increase competition from rideshare apps may be partially to blame.
"If you look at transit ridership nationally, it’s trending down in several cities," agency chief financial officer Richard Burnfield said Thursday. "SEPTA’s current fiscal year ridership is down 2.2 percent due to several factors, including Uber, Lyft, and low gas prices."
In order to compete with other transport services, the report's author, transit consultant Jarrett Walker, recommends SEPTA remove policies that penalize riders, such as the $1 transfer fee.
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"Changing buses and trains must be encouraged," Walker told agency officials upon releasing the report. "A network designed with simple and easy connections is a more efficient network to operate, which means that. ... It is a network that carries higher ridership."
Walker also advised that SEPTA save money by reducing service during rush hour. According to the report, 5 percent of SEPTA’s peak hour bus service is excessive and would better serve passengers if it was diverted so that buses could run more frequently during midday (non-peak) and weekend hours.
Walker has consulted bus route redesigns in several major cities, including Houston.
Other major recommendations include:
- Allowing all door boarding
- Reducing the number of routes that serve the same areas
- Increasing the distance between stops.
These changes are intended to increase the speed of SEPTA service, which actually decreased by 0.2 miles per hour in the last three years alone. While this may not seem like a lot, Walker said that it adds up for daily commuters who are often counting on SEPTA to get them to and from work.
Walker believes increasing the distance between stops will help eliminate a lot of the speed problem, without inconveniencing riders. He proposed stops be spaced so that there is one every two to three blocks, rather than on every corner.
"Is it easier to ask someone to walk one or two blocks for an overall faster trip including walk time?" he asked.
This proposal, however, may face opposition from Philadelphia City Council, which has historically been against removing bus stops because some local lawmakers believe increased stop frequency better serves the elderly.
Walker's report indicated that the SEPTA bus system redesign cannot move forward without the support of the City Council, which controls land use, parking policies, and stop sign frequency on many of the streets SEPTA buses operate on.
SEPTA would also need council approval to create dedicated bus lanes, which would help buses move more quickly, the report said.
Walker recommended that city officials follow the lead of other cities, such as San Francisco and New York, where eliminating some stop signs and creating dedicated bus lanes better served public transit without disrupting entire traffic patterns.
The report also suggested organizing bus routes around transportation centers and re-envisioning some trolley routes.
“[The Girard Avenue trolley] narrowly misses serving the 69th Street Transportation Center, and thus cuts off Girard passengers from a huge range of possible suburban connections,” the report said of one example of illogical trolley service.
Walker proposed converting the Girard Avenue line into a high frequency bus route, or extending the trolley’s service to the 69th Street Transportation Center in order to improve passenger experience.
SEPTA officials appeared hesitant at first to change the trolley system and were noncommittal on the Girard Avenue trolley proposals after the report's release.
Walker admitted in his report that this portion of the plan may face some of the staunchest opposition.
“Many people love the trolleys in Philadelphia,” he said.
SEPTA officials said they plan to put out a call for proposals to redesign the bus network based on Walker’s report later this year. It will be two to three years before riders notice any changes.
To read the full report on SEPTA’s website, click here.
