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After a summer of tinkering with the second draft comments, Bus Revolution is back on our radars. In mid-August, SEPTA unveiled its timeline for hearings, with the release of the proposed bus network arriving by September 1.
In the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, changes to bus routes must go through a public hearing process, and throughout September SEPTA will host live hearings virtually and in-person across all five counties served by the agency. Those unable to attend the live proceedings may also submit feedback via phone, Bus Revolution website, or E-mail. Full details are the SEPTA Bus Revolution website, with specific details in a SEPTA Bulletin, and this SEPTA presentation.
These hearings are administered by an examiner who serves to adjudicate the process, which launches September 12. The examiner's responses and summation of public comments will guide SEPTA staff to make its final round of changes for the SEPTA Board to vote on in December.
Uniquely, all feedback will be compiled and accounted equally via the Hearing Examiner - whether providing live, written, or spoken feedback.
The Bus Revolution website showcases the latest proposed adjustments, including via the Remix Map, static map, layered comparison of the old and new networks, and route-by-route guide to changes. Additionally, SEPTA shared its required "tariffs" - basically a technical description of the proposed change - for each route. Past tools, including area maps covering subsets of Philadelphia and the collar counties, are available on the project archive.
New in this update, SEPTA has promised the ability to plug in an address to a live map and view the proposed changes around a given location. We're excited at the possibilities here: folks can target their most important destinations and fully see the impact of proposed changes. Links will continue to be added here as they are added to the website.
Less happily, as of now, there are no plans to update the popular Sub Area maps, but we have pushed SEPTA to reconsider and add a version of these for the hearing process.
Comments will be accepted through September 30 via E-mail, phone, or webform. The full list of virtual and in-person events can be found on the Bus Revolution site, and on our website. For virtual events, be sure to register at the links provided; at in-person events, just plan to show up five minutes prior to the scheduled start to sign-up.
After the hearings conclude, SEPTA will review and adjust the bus network further based on public comments and the feedback of the Hearing Examiner, through October and November. The full SEPTA Board of Directors is still scheduled to vote on adoption of the new bus network in December, with implementation arriving in Summer, 2024. View the full timeline ahead for the Bus Revolution here.
