Construction is underway on SEPTA’s Parkside Bus Loop Relocation Project, an initiative that will deliver customer service improvements and community enhancements before the year is out.

Work officially kicked off on Tuesday, April 26, 2011, following a groundbreaking ceremony with U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, local officials and Parkside community leaders at the new loop site, 1551 North 50th Street.

“This long-needed work is now underway thanks in large part to a cooperative effort at all levels – from the federal government to community organizations,” said SEPTA General Manager Joseph M. Casey. “SEPTA looks forward to delivering a new, state-of-the-art transit hub for customers and the residents of Parkside.”

SEPTA was awarded a $2.2 million competitive grant from Federal Transit Administration for the project. These funds will cover the vast majority of the $2.4 million estimated costs.

“The improvements we are launching today at the bus loop will continue our investment of federal funds in the neighborhood empowerment zone that are revitalizing the entire Parkside community,” Fattah said. “I will continue to advocate in Congress for the programs to keep these job-creating dollars flowing into Philadelphia.”

The Parkside Bus Loop serves routes 40, 43, 64 and 52 at 49th Street and Parkside Avenue, where it has been for some 90 years. The infrastructure is long past its useful life, and changes in the neighborhood have made the location obsolete for a bus loop. The new facility on North 50th Street will be near the heart of recent development, including the Park West Town Center.

Construction is expected to take approximately eight months, with major work completed by December 2011. The new facility will include state-of-the-art passenger amenities, safety features and will be fully accessible, per Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.