PHILADELPHIA – SEPTA is scheduling two sets of public meetings over the next few weeks – one set regarding the upcoming final phase of reconstruction on the Media-Sharon Hill trolley lines, the other dealing with proposed service changes in West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Ardmore, Phoenixville, and the Plymouth Meeting area.
Two meetings are scheduled for this Thursday and next Thursday regarding bus substitution on the Route 101-Media and Route 102-Sharon Hill trolley lines, which will begin on June 14 and last through the summer.
The meetings will consist of an overview of the fourth and final phase of the line’s reconstruction, which will occur along the trunk line between 69th Street Terminal and Drexel Hill Junction. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask SEPTA officials questions regarding the local impacts of the shuttle operations and construction-related detours.
The first meeting will take place at the St. Joseph’s Parish Hall, 500 Woodlawn Avenue, Collingdale this Thursday; the second meeting will occur next Thursday at the Upper Darby Township Administration Building, Room 202, 100 Garrett Road.
Registration for the meetings will take place at 5:30 p.m.; the meetings will take place between 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on both nights.
The second set of meetings involves SEPTA’s Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Service Plan, which will propose a new route between Olney and Cedarbrook, changes to bus routes serving Ardmore and the Parkside section of Philadelphia, and minor routing changes to three other routes.
The Annual Service Plan proposals are as follows:
CITY TRANSIT DIVISION
Routes 43 and 52 – Proposed by the Parkside Association of West Philadelphia and the Business Association of West Parkside, SEPTA would re-route the 43 bus and peak-hour 52 buses that presently terminate at the bus loop located at 49th Street and Parkside Avenue. SEPTA is proceeding with a plan to purchase property to construct a new loop on North 50th Street, south of Parkside, which would be located behind the West Parkside Shopping Center. The 43 and peak-hour 52 trips would be re-routed to operate via teh West Parkside Shopping Center and a nearby industrial park.
Route 72 – SEPTA investigated a proposal as part of last year’s Annual Service Plan which would create a new Route 72 between Frankford Transportation Center and Cedarbrook Plaza in Cheltenham Township to operate via Cheltenham Avenue. Following meetings with City Councilwoman Marian Tasco’s staff, SEPTA modified the proposal to have the 72 bus originate at the Rising Sun and Olney Avenue bus loop. The service would create new bus service along Cheltenham Avenue between 2nd and Broad Streets. Weekday service would operate during mid-day hours, with service operating all day on weekends.
SUBURBAN TRANSIT DIVISION
Route 97 – Two changes are proposed for this route: (1) Service within Plymouth Township between Norristown Transportation Center and the Metroplex Shopping Center would be re-routed via Alan Wood Road and Seven Stars Lane to reduce travel time over the current routing via Chemical Road. (2) Service would be extended from the current layover point at Barren Hill in Whitemarsh would be extended to the Chestnut Hill Loop; most Route 94 departures are inter-lined with the 97, hence the conversion of non-revenue mileage into revenue service.
Routes 103, 105, 106 – Significant changes are proposed in the Ardmore district of Lower Merion Township. (1) Route 103 service would be routed off of West Chester Pike and Lynn Blvd. and operate via Cardington Road, Lansdowne Avenue, 75th Street, Woodbine Avenue, 77th Street, City Avenue/Township Line Road (U.S. 1); Sunday service through Overbrook Park is under consideration. (2) Route 105 would be re-routed via 75th Street and Lansdowne Avenue and the 63rd Street and Malvern Avenue loop as follows: via Lansdowne Avenue, 68th Street, and Malvern Avenue. Selected peak hour trips would terminate at Malvern Loop instead of 69th Street Terminal. (3) Route 106 would be extended during peak hours from Ardmore to Paoli. A combination of the 105 and 106 during peak hours would provide 30 minute headways between Ardmore and Paoli.
Route 118 – A routing within Media would shift the 118 off of Manchaster Avenue and onto Radnor Street. The request came from the Media Borough Council’s Public Safety Committee.
Route 139 – Service through Phoenixville would be re-routed out of the borough’s North End and onto Nutt Road, Main Street, Bridge Street, and back to Nutt Road. SEPTA had planned a routing change west of Royersford, however, those changes were placed on hold.
The meetings are scheduled to take place in June at SEPTA Headquarters in Center City, Media, Ardmore, and Phoenixville.
