SEPTA has released a report by Jarrett Walker + Associates that evaluates the authority’s bus network, with a goal to achieve major benefits for riders and residents.
Jarrett Walker + Associates have studied the City Transit Bus Network over the past year. The report presents choices for SEPTA, the City of Philadelphia and other key stakeholders to make in order to deliver significant improvements. It also recommends areas for further study, including a full examination of city and suburban bus service, and the development of a network design process.
SEPTA now plans to move forward by issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for redesigning the full bus network. The SEPTA Board is expected to consider these proposals later this year. Depending on the path forward, implementation of a Comprehensive Bus Network Redesign could take approximately three years.
This process will be informed and guided by public outreach and engagement. SEPTA and the City of Philadelphia are committed to working in partnership, and with other key stakeholders, to make changes that will benefit riders and the communities SEPTA serves.
The report introduces ideas for redesigning the bus network in a way to get more riders to more places faster, therefore creating a more liberating bus system. Among the topics covered are:
- Duplicative service
- Peak and midday demand
- Coverage and ridership goals
- Bus stop spacing
- Congestion issues
- Transfer policy
In conjunction with the release of the report from Jarrett Walker + Associates, SEPTA has launched a new section of its website devoted to the Comprehensive Bus Network Redesign effort. For more information, including the full report, please go to www.septa.org/bus-network.
