SEPTA has scheduled eight more community meetings – beginning this week – about Bus Revolution, the transit system’s years-long project to reconfigure the region’s bus network.
The authority’s board was poised to vote on the plan’s final approval last month; however, that decision was pushed back after members of City Council, led by Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson, asked for more time to review the proposal and engage with the public.
Meetings will be held from March 12 to April 4, in the 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th Council districts, “where neighborhoods could benefit from additional opportunities to have a voice in their bus network,” SEPTA said in a statement.
“Over the next few weeks, SEPTA and City Council members will examine the draft plan to make sure the network improvements will deliver better service for these communities,” the authority added.
There has been some tension between public transit advocates and lawmakers over repeated delays in the project’s timeline.
Initially, SEPTA board members were set to vote on Bus Revolution in December. It was moved to January, and then a special meeting scheduled Feb. 8, specifically to consider the plan, was scrapped.
SEPTA had wanted to begin instituting changes to the bus network in the late summer or early fall. But, as Metro previously reported, authority officials now believe, with the board vote put off indefinitely, the new system will not be implemented until February or March 2025 at the earliest.
Gilmore Richardson has said she believes hearing from communities that have not had as much input on the project – and getting the final design right – is more important than sticking to a timeline.
Representatives from SEPTA say Bus Revolution’s public engagement has been unprecedented for the authority, with more than 144 in-person meetings and 10,000 comments so far.
Under the current proposal, which has been revised multiple times, riders would see changes to most routes. Some routes are slated to be eliminated, while others would be introduced. To review specific changes, go to septabusrevolution.com.
The total number of routes would decrease from 125 to 106, and there would be 44 frequent routes – meaning buses that come every 10 or 15 minutes most of the day – compared to 33 now. Six on-demand transit zones would be established in the suburbs.
SEPTA set out to overhaul the region’s network in response to a 15% decrease in bus ridership between 2013 and 2019. The system has not been redesigned since the authority was formed in the 1960s.
During the upcoming public meetings, attendees can expect a presentation from SEPTA and time for a question-and-answer session.
Dates, times and locations of upcoming SEPTA public meetings:
- Tuesday, March 12, at 6 p.m.: First Presbyterian Church, 35 W. Chelten Ave.
- Thursday, March 14, at 5:30 p.m.: Casa Indiana, 2935 N. 2nd St.
- Wednesday, March 20, at 5 p.m.: Hope Partnership School, 2601 N. 11th St.
- Saturday, March 23, at 10 a.m.: Simpson Recreation Center, 1010 Arrott St.
- Tuesday, March 26, at 5:30 p.m.: Finley Recreation Center, 7701 Mansfield Ave.
- Wednesday, March 27, at 5:30 p.m.: Deliverance Evangelistic Church, 2001 Lehigh Ave.
- Wednesday, April 3, at 5:30 p.m.: Strawberry Mansion High School, 3133 Ridge Ave.
- Thursday, April 4, at 5:30 p.m.: York House, 5325 Old York Road
Riders can also submit feedback by emailing busnetwork@septa.org or calling 267-291-6045.
