Red "Bus Only" Lanes on Market Street
August 16, 2023
Today - August 16, 2023 - SEPTA was joined by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Philadelphia City officials for the ribbon-cutting of the newly painted red "bus-only" lanes on Market Street.
This bus infrastructure initiative adds approximately 1.75 miles of red bus lanes to SEPTA’s network – nearly tripling its current mileage of red bus lanes and directly benefits more than 6,600 daily weekday riders who use SEPTA buses on this stretch of Market Street by discouraging drivers from using the bus lanes.
"By painting bus lanes red - we are helping everyone who shares our roads know that this space is dedicated to transit. SEPTA is proud to partner with the City of Philadelphia and PennDOT in implementing this initiative. It is improving our bus service now and it will be a great tool as we move forward with Bus Revolution - which aims to improve bus service throughout the network,” said SEPTA General Manager/CEO Leslie S. Richards. “Red paint has been shown to be an effective treatment for improving the compliance of bus lanes by making it very clear for drivers where a vehicle should be traveling. According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) - red or terra cotta colored pavement highlights the prominence of the transit system - while at the same time visually enforcing dedicated transit space.”
In fact - research shows the implementation of red or terra-cotta-colored pavement can reduce vehicle incursions in bus lanes by 30 to 50%.
June 2022 was the first of many years year to come for the red "bus-only" lanes in Philadelphia. The project started on Chestnut Street between Broad Street and 2nd Street. And as a result - SEPTA reported a 5% reduction in trip times.
In March 2023 - PennDOT painted red "bus-only" lanes on East Market Street between Juniper Street and 6th Street. Coming in 2024 - red "bus-only lanes" are scheduled Erie Avenue.
“We are excited to work on this initiative with our partners at the City of Philadelphia and SEPTA,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “PennDOT is always looking for innovative ways to improve access to transportation and we hope the red bus-only lanes will encourage the use of public transit and enhance safety for all modes of transportation.”
The city also released the evaluation report for the 18-month Bus Lane Pilot Project on JFK Boulevard between 15th and 19th Streets and Market Street between 20th and 15th Streets which showed that the bus-only lanes significantly improved bus travel times. Some key findings from the report included:
- Bus speeds improved 7% on Market Street and 15% on JFK Boulevard
- Most drivers complied with the new regulations
- The bus lanes did not cause congestion for vehicle traffic
And ICYMI - in April 2023 - SEPTA partnered with a leading AI technology company for a camera-assisted bus lane and stop technology pilot on Bus Routes 21 and 42.
For the 60-day pilot - a camera system was mounted inside seven (7) buses that could automatically detect illegally parked vehicles in the Chestnut Street bus lanes and at bus stops. The seven (7) SEPTA buses equipped with the pilot system recorded on average over 4,000 incidences of parking in bus lanes or bus stops per week. While no tickets will be issued during the pilot program - the demonstration will help to show the scope of the illegal parking problem impacting transit. Addressing illegal parking in bus lanes and at transit stops is expected to improve transit reliability, trip times, and safety and promote safe and accessible boarding.
“We know transit is an affordable and energy efficient method of transportation,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “The findings of the evaluation report are clear - by prioritizing transit we can reduce traffic congestion and improve travel times so our residents can access all of the opportunities that our city has to offer.”
Click here to learn more about the Philadelphia Transit Plan: A Vision for 2045.
