Microtransit

Overview

SEPTA’s New Bus Network is introducing a new mode of transit service: SEPTA On-Demand. Some suburbs are less dense than others. These kinds of sparsely populated areas are hard to serve with bus transit– residential and job density, both of which are low in the outer ring suburbs, are what drive ridership. The suburban transit market can often only support limited spans and frequencies of service without room for ridership growth. This forces riders in the area to rely on less service than they may need, often having access to a bus less than once an hour and only six days a week. Riders are forced to rely on less service than they may need due to realities of land use and density in their area. However, a tech-driven, on-demand option gives SEPTA an opportunity to do things differently. Riders will be able to call a bus to any spot in a pre-designated zone at any time of day, any day of the week and connect to fixed bus, rail, and Metro service.