SEPTA rolled out phase one of its new bus network on Sunday and Monday, adding two new routes and six extensions while discontinuing seven other routes — two of them in Andorra, Roxborough and Manayunk — and making what it said were “major frequency improvements” on several key lines including the Route 53 bus, which will be sent further into Mt. Airy.
The 53 bus, which runs across North Philadelphia into Port Richmond, originally ended at Wayne Avenue and Carpenter Lane in Mt. Airy. The new route extends the 53’s western terminus to Carpenter Regional Rail Station.
The …
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SEPTA rolled out phase one of its new bus network on Sunday and Monday, adding two new routes and six extensions while discontinuing seven other routes — two of them in Andorra, Roxborough and Manayunk — and making what it said were “major frequency improvements” on several key lines including the Route 53 bus, which will be sent further into Mt. Airy.
The 53 bus, which runs across North Philadelphia into Port Richmond, originally ended at Wayne Avenue and Carpenter Lane in Mt. Airy. The new route extends the 53’s western terminus to Carpenter Regional Rail Station.
The extension will reroute the line through the 6700 and 6800 blocks of Lincoln Drive, a change which has displeased some residents.
“My neighbors and I pride ourselves on taking extremely good care of our homes, our block and looking out for our neighbors,” said Patricia Bryant and Latrice Bryant in an email to the Local. “Currently, it is bad enough trying to get out of our driveways to go to work, doctors’ appointments and taking our children and grandchildren to and from school. Adding a bus would be traumatic and problematic to all of us. We do not want air pollution, noise pollution, trash nor the crime associated with public transportation on our block.”
SEPTA spokesman John Golden told the Local that “this change will improve service by creating a direct connection to more SEPTA service (bus-to-Regional Rail) and providing a safer, well-lit, end-of-line location and restroom for our operators. Connecting Route 53 to Carpenter Regional Rail Station requires the bus to now travel on Lincoln Drive.”
Route 53 connects Mt. Airy and Germantown to North Philadelphia, and to Broad Street near Temple University Hospital.
In other changes, the Route 61 bus will extend to the Summit Loop at Ridge and Summit avenues in Roxborough. But the Route 35 Manayunk Roxborough Loop, as well as the Route 62 bus, which connected Andorra and Center City, have been discontinued. SEPTA blamed low ridership and suggested riders use the 9, 27 or 61 lines, or the Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail Line.
SEPTA offers a trip planner tool to help passengers adjust to the changes. More details are at septa.org/initiatives/bus/phase-one/.
