Complaining about SEPTA has been a Philly pastime for generations (they may never live down “We’re Getting There“). Buses that never show; ones that blow by you at a stop because they’re full; that long wait on a cold winter morning only for three buses to show up at once. Most of us have been there.

Well, transit planners at last night’s public unveiling of a proposed overhaul of SEPTA’s bus system say they are making changes – from shorter wait times to more consistent schedules and “straighter” routes.

“If we were building it from scratch, what would it look like?” SEPTA transit planner Dan Nemiroff asked during the online meeting to release the proposed route changes as part of SEPTA’s Bus Revolution project.

The proposed changes include reducing the number of bus routes from 125 routes to 99, changing routes to keep them on major roads, reducing turns, small streets and, ideally, wait times.

In West Philly, the most noticeable changes could be shorter wait times for major routes – like the 21, 42 and 52 – throughout the week, including weekends.

Under the proposed plan, these would be designated as “10 Max” routes, meaning that a rider shouldn’t wait at a stop for more than 10 minutes before a bus comes between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day.

Examples of route straightening include the G bus, which currently takes a circuitous path through small streets in Wynnfield and Overbrook on its way to 56th and Market and finally Southwest Philly. A couple of double-parked cars or a fender bender and the bus could be delayed several minutes. The G route would be simplified to run along bigger streets, which may mean that some folks will need to walk further to stop, but wait less time there.

“It’s a balance between speed and accessibility,” said Bethany Whitaker, a transit consultant, on the proposed changes.

The changes will now go through several public meetings before final recommendations are presented in Spring 2023. Route changes could begin as early as Fall 2023.

The Bus Revolution website includes clickable map with revised routes and a slider map that shows a before and after of specific routes.

Make your voice heard by participating in an open house. Two are scheduled in West Philly next month. On November 9, planners will be at the Lucien Blackwell Community Center (4790 Aspen St.) from 3 to 5 p.m. and on Nov. 11 they will be at the Kingsessing Rec Center (4901 Kingsessing Ave.) from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.