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How to testify at Monday’s City Council hearing on SEPTA bus route changes and where to watch

SEPTA says it needs to rejuvenate the bus network to get more people to ride.

The Route 44 bus travels down Market Street in Philadelphia in late December. SEPTA has rolled out proposed new bus routes designed to provide faster service, with less time between buses.
The Route 44 bus travels down Market Street in Philadelphia in late December. SEPTA has rolled out proposed new bus routes designed to provide faster service, with less time between buses.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

Many people have made it clear they don’t think their voices were heard as SEPTA was designing proposed changes in the city’s bus network.

They’ll have another chance Monday during a 10 a.m. virtual hearing held by City Council’s transportation committee. Council members also say SEPTA has some explaining to do.

“This bus proposal is going to have a monumental impact on people who rely on public transportation,” Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, the committee chair, said in an interview. “We want to make sure there’s transparency and additional opportunities for people to have input. … This is not an attack on SEPTA.”

SEPTA itself says it’s not done listening to the public. Planners are making adjustments to the draft plan released in October based on concerns they heard at more than 25 public meetings. They hope to release a revised version in late March. More public meetings will follow.

Those who want to give formal testimony to Council have until 3 p.m. Sunday to register. To do so, email Legislative Aide Brett Nedelkoff — brett.nedelkoff@phila.gov — with your full name; a call back telephone number where you can be reached during the hearing; and the legislation you are addressing. In this case, it’s Resolution No. 220981, the SEPTA Bus Revolution Hearing — the only item on the agenda.

Those who have registered by 3 p.m. Sunday will be called during the remote hearing when it’s their turn to speak and give their testimony by phone. It’s also possible to leave the sign-up information in Nedelkoff’s voice mailbox at 215-686-3413, extension 8.

» READ MORE: SEPTA bus riders want faster service, but many hate how their routes could change

The hearing can be viewed live on Xfinity Channel 64 or FiOS Channel 40 if you have cable TV in Philadelphia or online at http://phlcouncil.com/watch-city-council/.

City Council resumed in-person meetings last September after a two-year pandemic hiatus, but committee hearings, where much of the work in preparing legislation gets done, are still conducted virtually.

SEPTA’s redesign promises shorter wait times to catch a bus on high-priority routes with robust ridership and the potential to attract new riders.

In the draft, there are 44 high-frequency routes, defined as having scheduled times between buses of 15 minutes or less. Currently, there are 33. The most frequent buses would run from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, SEPTA says.

This is the first large-scale attempt to reorganize the bus network since SEPTA was formed in 1964.