Boarding
- Wheelchair users have the personal choice to board their vehicles either facing forward or backwards.
- Standees can request to use ramps or lifts for boarding or exiting.
- Riders using wheelchairs or other mobility devices may wish to board at the first car when traveling on the Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, or Regional Rail Lines. This may be beneficial as the rider can communicate with the train operator if a bridge plate is required to board/exit the vehicle, if a service animal is used alongside a mobility device, or in the event of an emergency.
Seating and Securing Chairs
- Priority seating is designated on all SEPTA vehicles by a decal indicating priority seats for persons with disabilities. On buses, two priority seats flip up to accommodate two wheelchairs, scooters, or wheelchair strollers. The operator will ask a rider to change seats if they are occupying a priority seat, but under ADA, other riders cannot be required to vacate these seats.
- Chair securement features and knowing where to secure your chair are important so you can tell an operator. The operator may ask you, “Where do you want this secured?”
Stop Announcements
- On any bus not equipped with a stop announcement system, or if the equipment has malfunctioned, the operator must announce major stops, transfer points, and sites of interest; rail and trolley personnel must also announce stops.
Planning a Step-Free Ride
Google Maps provides assistance planning a step-free trip. This feature is available through the Directions tool both on the web and in its apps for smartphone and tablet.
To use this feature:
- Click on the Directions icon
- Above the Starting Point and Destination fields, there is a row of icons. Select the Transit icon.
- Enter your starting point and destination.
- When the results of your directions search come up, an Options link will become available. Click on it and select Wheelchair Accessible from the list of options.
