Deliver a Seamless Transit Network
Our services work together, creating one unified, equitable network serving all types of trips, no matter where you are or what mode you choose. We anticipate changing needs and adapt services responsively to keep our region moving throughout the 21st century.
Manage Services Around a Lifestyle Network
Our riders use transit for much more than traveling from home to work. They take the bus to see a concert, use the rail transit network to get to a medical appointment, and ride Regional Rail to visit family. Enabling all these types of trips requires a lifestyle network of frequent, all-day, and all-week services that connects people to a diversity of destinations across the region. Riders can simply “show up and go,” knowing that a bus, train, or trolley will always be arriving in just a few minutes. A lifestyle transit network will provide greater mobility choice for our riders and make it more feasible for households across the region to reduce driving and car ownership, improving affordability and reducing emissions.
Design Services That Meet Changing Needs
SEPTA and most U.S. transit agencies have historically placed a significant focus on serving daily commuters, gearing much of their service and capacity towards the morning and evening rush hours. Transit ridership patterns were already changing prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the shift towards working from home necessitated by the pandemic is likely to continue beyond it, accelerating these changes. SEPTA will need to continue adjusting service to ridership demand, including potential changes in typical five-day a week, 9-to-5 commutes and increased demand throughout the course of the day, during the evening, and on weekends.
Simplify and Support Transfers
Many of our riders’ journeys involve transferring from one SEPTA service to another. When riders can easily transfer between buses, trolleys, and trains they can reach more destinations and access more opportunities and services. Transferring between services can be confusing, particularly for new riders or visitors. By simplifying transfers, we can unlock the broader SEPTA network for more of our riders.
Provide Reliable Transit Service
Our riders must be able to count on SEPTA to get them to their destination efficiently and on-time, every time they ride. Our vehicles should be safe, clean, and modern. The condition of our vehicles and infrastructure impacts reliability, and we are building our capability to predict and proactively address maintenance issues to avoid issues. When issues do happen, interdisciplinary teams are conducting detailed reviews to understand the root causes and avoid future disruptions.
Prioritize Space for Transit
Today, there are many factors that can slow down service and knock buses and trolleys off schedule: traffic congestion; delivery and ride-hail vehicles blocking a stop or travel lane; vehicles stuck at traffic signals; and long lines for boarding and fare payment. These impact our ability to provide competitive and reliable service. We are working with our partners across the region to ensure that transit is given the priority it needs to operate effectively.
Develop a Unified Fare Policy
Delivering a seamless transit network where all SEPTA services work together will require a fare structure that prioritizes equity and affordability. We will continue to evaluate our fare policy in an open and transparent manner to make efforts to expand access across the region by simplifying the payment process.
Collaborate to Improve Access to Transit
The land use and development that surround SEPTA affect the beginning and end of every journey–whether that is traveling to a bus stop, biking to a subway station, or walking from the train station to your office. While many of these areas may be outside of the control of SEPTA, we will work with all our partners across the region to ensure that our transit system is complemented by safe and convenient connections for all.
Promote Transit-Supportive Communities
The land use and development that surround SEPTA stations exert a large influence on transit ridership. Compact, walkable, mixed use developments help to make transit a more viable and attractive option while also creating healthy, sustainable, and vibrant communities. We believe in transit-supportive development surrounding our stations and across the Southeastern Pennsylvania region, both to spur transit ridership and benefit our communities and environment.
