By Jack Tomczuk<\/p>\n
Changes associated with SEPTA\u2019s bus network redesign, which has been in the works for five years, are scheduled to begin in August.<\/p>\n
Before then, riders will have the chance to learn more about how their route will be affected and provide input before the authority\u2019s board considers the service adjustments for final approval in May.<\/p>\n
Once fully implemented, the New Bus Network<\/a>, previously known as Bus Revolution, will have 18 fewer routes and more than three times as many lines that come at least every 15 minutes, compared to the current configuration. Six on-demand transit zones in the suburbs \u2013 SEPTA\u2019s answer to Uber and Lyft \u2013 will replace underused fixed route service.<\/p>\n The network will be rolled out in at least four phases, with the initial three detailed in the annual service plan for the 2027 Fiscal Year<\/a>, published last week.<\/p>\n Two new lines are set to launch in August. Route 72 will run along Cheltenham Avenue between Frankford Transit Center and Cedarbrook Plaza, while the 76 would take riders between South Philadelphia\u2019s Columbus Commons and Rising Sun and Olney avenues. More mid-day, late-night and weekend service will be added to 10 routes, transit officials said.<\/p>\n Seven routes \u2013 35, 47M, 62, 78, 80, 89, 106 \u2013 would be eliminated, and major shifts are in store for a bevy of other lines. Go to septa.org\/bus<\/a> for route-by-route descriptions.<\/p>\n SEPTA says additional rounds of alterations are expected to go into effect alongside schedule changes in February and June 2027. The cost of the first three phases is projected at $3.65 million a year, according to the service plan document.<\/p>\n A fourth and potentially final phase would be implemented in fall 2027, pending board approval.<\/p>\n Adjustments to the proposed network have been made since SEPTA\u2019s board first approved the bus plan in May 2024,<\/a> authority representatives said. Implementation was delayed several months later as the authority grappled with a budget crisis<\/a>.<\/p>\n A virtual town hall on the New Bus Network will occur Wednesday, March 18, between 6:30 and 8 p.m. In-person town halls are scheduled at 6:30 p.m. March 25 at Neighborhood Community Action Center 4 (5630 Vine St.) and 5 p.m. April 2 at West Chester Boro Hall.<\/p>\n Open house sessions are planned from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 21 at Frankford Library; 4 to 6 p.m. March 24 at Paoli Library; 5 to 7 p.m. April 6 at Simons Recreation Center; and 2 to 5 p.m. April 9 at Norristown Transit Center.<\/p>\n Formal public hearings will be held at noon and 6 p.m. April 15 at SEPTA headquarters, 1234 Market St.<\/p>\n SEPTA began redesigning its bus network in 2021 in an attempt to reverse declining ridership. Officials said \u201cthe largest community engagement effort\u201d in the authority\u2019s history followed, before the 2024 board vote approving Bus Revolution.<\/p>\n Many of the existing routes predate SEPTA\u2019s founding in the 1960s, and the transit system has never before reconfigured the network as a whole.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Jack Tomczuk Changes associated with SEPTA\u2019s bus network redesign, which has been in the works for five…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":141077,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[64617,69,71,70,2618,64616,6080],"class_list":["post-141076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-new-bus-network","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news","tag-septa","tag-septa-philly","tag-transit"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141076\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}