SEPTA focuses on a carless future for a greener city

The City of Philadelphia and SEPTA unveiled the Philadelphia Transit Plan: A Vision for 2045 today.

The roadmap is the city’s plan to improve public transit, provide safe, equitable access, and fight climate change. Overall, the better the transit system that Philadelphia has, the less dependent that residents are on cars.

The report also focuses on the inequities of transit – residents of color spend an average of 12 minutes per day commuting to work than white residents, which adds up to 50 hours over the course of a year. Also, fewer cars on the road means more room for bike shares, outdoor dining, and green stormwater infrastructure.

It’s no secret that public transit reduces your carbon emissions. Taking the bus saves you 38% CO2 emissions, and electric rails are between 48 to 68^ over cars.

The Transit Plan’s environmental goals include:

• Shift trips from driving to public transit, and make living without a car easier for Philadelphia residents. 
• Adopt battery-electric buses as the technology allows. 
• Shift toward clean energy to power our trains, buses, and trolleys.  

Challenges to public transit

However, all of these goals still face hurdles. Congestion is burdensome to public transit and slow down buses, ridership has declined since 2013 (although the population has grown), and there’s concerns over safety and funding.

The city’s plan and the amount it can accomplish comes down to funding. The Transit Plan summary spells it out based off budget scenarios:

Want to find out more? The full report is almost 200 pages:

Photo:  Mayor Jim Kenney visiting City Hall SEPTA subway station last week, courtesy of the Mayor’s Office of Communications 

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Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia. View all posts by Julie Hancher