Some routes may drop down a notch in frequency, scheduled to arrive at intervals of 30 minutes or less, because in a tightly connected bus network, changes create ripple effects that require further changes, Nemiroff said. The public weighed in with 26 public meetings online and in person and with more than 5,000 written comments through December. Released in October, the first draft promised 44 high-frequency routes, meaning buses would come every 15 minutes or less. Many routes were straightened to reduce turns and potential blockages.

Routes were drawn to reduce duplication with other routes, use fewer streets, and keep buses on arterial roads as much as possible. The transit agency has been working in earnest for about two years on a complete redesign of its regional bus network built around more frequent service, with buses coming every 15 minutes or less from 6 a.m. This redesign is the first overhaul of the system since 1964. SEPTA began studying bus redesign efforts after ridership declined about 20% between 20, a drop attributed to slow speeds, problems with reliability, and competition from ride-sharing companies. The second draft has 105 routes, officials said. The original plan would have cut the number of SEPTA bus routes from the current 125 to 99.

'A lot of people use the bus network to make very short trips, and forcing people to transfer in the middle of a very short trip is extremely frustrating,' Nemiroff said.

Overall, that might have made many trips faster, but SEPTA added back direct service to some destinations in the updated plan. 'We reconsidered everything that we had done with the initial draft,' said Dan Nemiroff, SEPTA's project manager for the comprehensive redesign.įor instance, many people who attended community meetings over the last few months opposed having to transfer to more frequent bus routes or to the Broad Street Line or Market-Frankford El to complete their trips, he said. Transit agency planners have changed the proposal in response to some of the public feedback they received, and released a new version - 'Bus Revolution 2.0″ - Monday evening. 20-Riders had loud complaints about the proposed plan to remake the Philadelphia region's bus network from scratch.

Metro bus routes