SEPTA Ridership Growing

Due to the increase in gas prices and the demand for service SEPTA is now adding additional service on their existing routes:
* Route 14: Frankford Transportation Center up the Roosevelt Boulevard corridor to Neshaminy and Oxford Valley malls serves 12,000 riders a day with service every two minutes during rush hours. It's not enough.
"There's been so much growth in the job markets along the Northeast Philadelphia and Lower Bucks corridors, as well as in riders on shopping trips," Webb said, "so we're replacing 40-foot standard buses with 60-foot articulated vehicles by fall. This increases the sitting load from 40 to 60 riders, and the standing load from 60 to almost 100."
* Route 124 and 125: Center City to King of Prussia. "There's been huge employment growth as well as shopping demand," Webb said, "so we'll increase weekday and weekend service."
* Route 108: 69th Street to the airport will run every 10 minutes instead of every 12 at peak hours.
* Route 37: From the Broad Street Line in South Philadelphia to the airport and Harrah's Casino in Chester - will become a 24-hour night owl service to accommodate demand.
* Routes 93, 96, 99 (Norristown to Pottstown, Lansdale, Royersford respectively) and 105 (69th Street to Ardmore) will get extended evening service to accommodate workers and shoppers. "We will now be able to take a rider to work and bring him home at night," Webb said.
* Regional Rail from Center City: R5 (Paoli/Thorndale), R6 (Norristown) and R7 (Chestnut Hill East/Trenton) will test-market late-night service on Fridays and Saturdays in the fall.
"We received a lot of requests from passengers and from the Center City District and Avenue of the Arts folks to offer late-night service," Webb said, "because now, we can take riders into the city for restaurants and shows, but we can't bring them home."
* New buses and more of them on Route 47 between Olney and South Philly; Route 17: South Philly to Front and Market streets; Route 70: Fern Rock to Tacony and Torresdale; Route 21: 69th Street to Penn's Landing; Route 42: West Philly to Penn's Landing; Route 23: Chestnut Hill to South Philly.

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