Here’s what you should know about proposed changes to SEPTA’s Route G bus

SEPTA’s sprawling Route G is an important connection between West Philadelphia and South Philadelphia that also provides access to the Broad Street and Market-Frankford lines.

SEPTA's Route G bus provides a key transit connection between West Philadelphia and South Philadelphia. The authority wants to prune some parts of the route that have lower ridership and reduce operational variations to make the route simpler.Read moreAlejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

by Thomas Fitzgerald

Published Nov. 29, 2022, 9:55 a.m. ET

SEPTA’s Bus Revolution project proposes to simplify sprawling Route G, an important connection between West Philadelphia and South Philadelphia that also provides access to the Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines. The route serves Overbrook, Wynnfield and Lankenau Medical Center. It also runs to the Columbus Commons shopping hub and the former Food Distribution Center south of Packer Avenue and the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market in Eastwick.

It’s one of the most-used routes in the SEPTA bus network, and had an average weekly ridership of 14,400 at the end of 2019.

The G: New routes and frequency

Route 503 would replace all of the current Route G service, as well as the Route 7 service that runs along Oregon Avenue. It would eliminate special service patterns, running on the same course all the time. The northern end point for trips would be changed to a new transit center at Overbrook Station and the southern end-point would be at Pier 70.

The new route would have a more direct alignment through West Philadelphia and Kingsessing than the current Route G, running along 56th Street between Lancaster and Baltimore Avenues.

It would be a “10 Max” route, meaning that Route 503 buses would arrive at most every 10 minutes apart but sometimes sooner.

Proposed Routes 504 and 716 would take over service to Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood. Service to the Wholesale Produce Market in Eastwick and the former Food Distribution Center south of Packer Avenue would be cut.

Finally, a proposed Route 513 would replace current Route 7 service south of Market Street. A proposed Route 512 would handle Route 7 service north of Market. Service would be more frequent in both locations.

The G: Current route and frequency

The route operates 23 hours a day, and the time between buses ranges from 9 minutes to 15 minutes between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

SEPTA says ridership is robust on Route G between Lancaster Avenue in West Philly and Front Street in South Philly, then drops off as the route zigzags through Overbrook and Wynnewood, Ridership also is relatively for services on the outer loops of the route: the Food Distribution Center and Columbus Commons shopping center, as well as to the wholesale produce market in Southwest Philly.

Route G is considered one of SEPTA’s most complicated because it has 32 alternate service patterns that deviate from the main route, mostly to serve locations on the outer edges. Planners say that can be confusing to riders and lead to longer times between buses.

When will changes to Route G take effect?

SEPTA will unveil its final plan for the entire bus network in early 2023, with community meetings to explain it and take questions — after considering public reaction at nearly two dozen in-person meetings and several virtual ones scheduled through the end of the year. Formal hearings and board consideration would follow in the spring. Some changes would start in fall of 2023. Most would be phased in throughout 2024.

It’s not too late for the community to weigh in

No. SEPTA says it will consider people’s concerns and may make adjustments to the draft plan in response.

A community open-house to discuss the plans and take questions is scheduled for Nov. 29 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Anderson House, 6361 Lancaster Ave.

SEPTA says it may update its schedule of community meetings due to demand. Here’s the latest list.

To leave a comment or speak to a member of the Bus Revolution team, email busnetwork@septa.org or call 267-291-6045.

What is SEPTA’s Bus Revolution plan?

For the first time since SEPTA began in 1964, the transit agency is proposing wholesale changes to the bus network in Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania suburbs. The aim: faster, more frequent service.

The proposal would drop the number of bus routes from 125 to 99 by ending little-used services and combining others. Some would be shortened in the interest of faster trips.

As a result, many changes would mean more transfers. Planners looked for points where riders could transfer to another bus route, to SEPTA’s subways and trolleys or to Regional Rail, aiming to use the system as an integrated whole.

Linking buses to metro rail service “is the most efficient way for people to travel,” said Dan Nemiroff, SEPTA’s manager for the Bus Revolution project. “It’s on a dedicated right of way. Obviously it’s fastest and it doesn’t stop a lot.”