SEPTA, city of Philadelphia and PennDOT set to install more bus-only lanes on three transit corridors

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), the city of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) have announced that bus-only lanes will be installed on three major transit corridors in Center City and South Philadelphia. The new red-painted lanes will stretch sections of Chestnut Street, Walnut Street and Oregon Avenue.

“PennDOT understands the value that transit brings to our communities,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “And if we can do something simple – like painting bus lanes red to help deter double parking and make it easier for people to choose transit – it just makes sense to do it. We’re proud to partner with the city and SEPTA to make this happen.”

These bus priority lanes will be installed alongside repaving that is already on PennDOT’s schedule through a partnership between the city, SEPTA and PennDOT. All three corridors set to be paved were noted in the 2021 Philadelphia Transit Plan as tier 1 priority for needing improvements to bus service. Corridors to receive the upgrade were identified and prioritized based on figures like ridership, bus speeds, service hours, geographic and economic equity and connections, along with other determining factors.

“SEPTA is proud to partner with the city of Philadelphia and PennDOT to expand our region’s bus lane network,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer. “These bus lanes immediately improve the customer experience by enhancing bus reliability and trip times while increasing traffic safety for SEPTA’s riders and operators.”

Red-painted bus-only lanes will be implemented on:

• Chestnut Street between Broad Street and 21st Street
• Walnut Street between Broad Street and 19th Street
• Oregon Avenue between 5th Street and Front Street

The program has already been successful on Chestnut Street from Broad Street to 2nd Street and more recently, on Market Street from 20th Street to 15th Street and on Erie Avenue from Germantown Avenue to Old York Road.

“The partnership between the city, SEPTA and PennDOT embodies Mayor [Cherelle] Parker’s vision of intergovernmental cooperation,” said Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives Chris Puchalsky. “These red bus lanes will improve the daily commute for thousands of city residents while increasing the efficiency of SEPTA’s service.”

A study conducted on the implementation on the eastern portion of Chestnut Street showed quantifiable improvements to bus service, reductions in improper use and illegal double-parking and no reported slow-downs to drivers. Buses with access to these lanes saw travel times reduce by 12% while buses elsewhere in Center City traversing normal street lanes during the same period saw increased travel times by 4%.

Beyond these successes, the city and SEPTA expect to see further impacts to bus service and fewer misuses of the bus-only lanes with the Automated Bus Camera Enforcement Initiative, a partnership between the Philadelphia Parking Authority and SEPTA to ticket drivers via camera for misuse. It is currently in effect in Center City (on and between Spring Garden and Bainbridge streets and between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers) and on Market, Chestnut and Walnut streets between the Schuylkill River and 63rd Street.

Red paint will be installed after the resurfacing of the recently milled streets for the new lanes.