SEPTA recently released their plan to revamp bus services in the region, including Bucks County.
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SEPTA Forward: Bus Revolution was made public last week as part of the regional transportation authority’s strategic plan.
The plan calls for a reduction in bus routes from 125 to 99, but it is designed to improve service. The plan also calls for the addition of 10 “mobility on-demand zones.”
The new “mobility on-demand zones” cover parts of Bensalem Township, Bristol Borough, Bristol Township, Falls Township, and Middletown Township. The zones are designed to serve “suburban areas where ridership on existing SEPTA bus service is low but there is a demand and need for transit service.”
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The new “mobility on-demand zones” follow a pilot program in Lower Bucks County where SEPTA tested an on-demand service during the overnight hours. The service didn’t have significant ridership.
Under the proposal, SEPTA will also keep several traditional bus routes in Lower Bucks County.
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“The Proposed Draft Bus Network is the result of the public input that SEPTA received regarding two different scenarios for how the network could be redesigned, shared with the public in the spring. The draft network balances the best qualities of the two scenarios by increasing the number of frequent routes in the system (routes running 15 minutes or better between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. seven days a week) while still preserving some of the options that survey respondents indicated they wanted in earlier phases of the project. Core to the draft network is reflecting the project’s goals: Put the Rider First, Increase Access to Opportunity, Build Trust with Reliable Service,” SEPTA said in a statement.
SEPTA will be collecting feedback from the public through their website, focus groups, and stakeholder sessions.
“This is the most important time for riders and potential riders to share input and ideas about the proposed changes, which are still in draft form. We need your feedback to get this right,” said Leslie Richards, CEO and general manager of SEPTA.
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Below are a listing of Bus Revolution open houses:
| Date and Time | Place | Address |
| Tuesday, October 18 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library | 1001 Powell Street Norristown |
| Wednesday, October 19 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Phoenixville Recreation Center | 501 Franklin Ave Phoenixville |
| Thursday, October 20 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | American Legion Loudenslager Post 366 | 7976 Oxford Avenue Philadelphia |
| Tuesday, October 25 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Vogt Recreation Center | 4141 Unruh Avenue Philadelphia |
| Wednesday, October 26 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Cliveden Carriage House | 6401 Germantown Ave Philadelphia |
| Friday, October 28 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM | Finnegan Recreation Center | 1231 S 30th Street Philadelphia |
| Thursday, November 3 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Chester City Hall Community Room | 1 E 4th Street Chester |
| Saturday, November 5 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM | East Passyunk Community Center | 1025 Mifflin Street Philadelphia |
| Wednesday, November 9 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Lucien Blackwell Community Center | 4790 Aspen Street Philadelphia |
| Thursday, November 10 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Kingsessing Recreational Center | 4901 Kingsessing Ave Philadelphia |
| Saturday, November 12 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Upper Darby Free Library Municipal Branch | 501 Bywood Avenue Philadelphia |
| Tuesday, November 15 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM | Lower Merion Administration Building | 75 E Lancaster Ave Ardmore |
| Wednesday, November 16 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | The Liacouras Center, Fox-Gittis Room | 1776 N Broad Street |
| Thursday, December 8 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM | SEPTA, 1234 Market Street, 3rd Floor | 1234 Market Street 3rd Floor |
There will be Bus Revolution virtual community conversations that will take place Monday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
| Date | Focused Area |
| Monday, October 17 | Chester & Delaware Counties |
| Monday, October 24 | Northeast Philadelphia |
| Monday, November 7 | Northwest Philadelphia |
| Monday, November 14 | South Philadelphia |
| Monday, November 21 | Bucks & Montgomery Counties |
| Monday, November 28 | West Philadelphia |
| Monday, December 5 | North Philadelphia |
| Monday, December 12 | Center City |
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Before the pandemic, in 2019, SEPTA’s buses had 154 million passenger trips, a drop of 13 percent from 2014. More than 50 percent of SEPTA riders usage is on the bus system, according to a report.
SEPTA has posted maps and more information on their Bus Revolution website.
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