I think we can all agree that what SEPTA needs to get up and do is just market to their constituents better. Maybe put a sticker or 8.5/11 on all bus shelters. Phase them in! Our only example of that is along market street... but there are just headway times listed. These are going to be marketing tools so they'll have to be more sophisticated. saying what bus routes go there, a map of the entire route, and scheduled times when it gets to that very point (approx).
I've been on SEPTA routes sometimes, especially in the northeast, and have not been able to figure out if I'm going north or south, and where to go when I get off. The major stops, at the very least, all have to be better labeled.
Perhaps you've seen Washington DC has something like this. I imagine clear channel and viacom might be against using their shelters for this purpose. But it wouldn't have to be big, and maybe SEPTA can even put up their own infrastructure. This sort of plan would help save the system, in my mind. You get riders on there more confident that they can get around where they need to. Right now it's a quagmire. So why does the transit agency not even consider the possible payoff of such a thing like Washington Metro?
When people go to cities like DC or NY they rave about the ease of use of the transit system. When people come here, its usually negative connotations and its not hard for me to see why. Sure the new PDF website is a step in the right direction... but there must be something more they can do.
And just issue PDF schedules on CD every year and either distribute for free or sell for $1 to cover expenses! This would reduce printing charges and keep paper consumption down. When you tell people to take 2 scheds at a time, you are turning them off. Hand us a CD with a system map and a list of 150 schedules and we'll react by riding more.
SEPTA needs to attract the ridership back in order to fix the budget. This is the 21st century, the "if you build it, people will come" strategy is obsolete. Gotta invest a little bit more.
I've been on SEPTA routes sometimes, especially in the northeast, and have not been able to figure out if I'm going north or south, and where to go when I get off. The major stops, at the very least, all have to be better labeled.
Perhaps you've seen Washington DC has something like this. I imagine clear channel and viacom might be against using their shelters for this purpose. But it wouldn't have to be big, and maybe SEPTA can even put up their own infrastructure. This sort of plan would help save the system, in my mind. You get riders on there more confident that they can get around where they need to. Right now it's a quagmire. So why does the transit agency not even consider the possible payoff of such a thing like Washington Metro?
When people go to cities like DC or NY they rave about the ease of use of the transit system. When people come here, its usually negative connotations and its not hard for me to see why. Sure the new PDF website is a step in the right direction... but there must be something more they can do.
And just issue PDF schedules on CD every year and either distribute for free or sell for $1 to cover expenses! This would reduce printing charges and keep paper consumption down. When you tell people to take 2 scheds at a time, you are turning them off. Hand us a CD with a system map and a list of 150 schedules and we'll react by riding more.
SEPTA needs to attract the ridership back in order to fix the budget. This is the 21st century, the "if you build it, people will come" strategy is obsolete. Gotta invest a little bit more.
Last edited by LAUNCHman on Tue Dec 21, 2004 6:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
