Chester County's Public Transportation Plan Gets an Update
October 2024
Chester County Planning Commission's Multimodal Transportation Planning Division has drafted an update to the county's Public Transportation Plan, which is available online. There have been many shifts in public transportation since the previous version of the Plan was adopted in 2014, including reduced ridership resulting from more workers working from home; decreased service resulting from reduced ridership; and SEPTA's planned on-demand service to replace some bus routes.
The updated Plan breaks the recommendations down into three topic areas: those related to the overall network or System, the Environment, and the Experience of taking public transportation. All three factors combined determine the success of the network and its usability and appeal for riders. The updated plan also includes a new Vision Map and System Expansion Map.
The new System Expansion recommendations serve to expand passenger rail service, return regional rail service to Coatesville, increase SEPTA rail service on the Keystone Corridor, and expand bus service in the county. Other recommendations in this section include adjusting bus routes to create a coordinated transfer system; increasing micromobility options around rail stations and transportation centers; increasing trip speed and planning for shorter routes with fewer stops; and closing service gaps by creating a system of community loop services where feasible, as well as exploring how to use existing assets to expand service, such as the Chesco Connect Fleet.
Recommendations related to improving the overall environment of the system include: providing bus shelters and other amenities at heavily used bus stops; expanding parking availability at rail stations; allowing for round trip transit journeys; encouraging municipal adoption of complete streets policies; and increasing utilization of existing park and ride facilities, plus adding charging stations in their parking lots.
Recommendations to improve riders' experience focus on developing a public outreach program to market existing services; providing real-time status information and updates; having full ADA compliance at all rail stations; and instituting contactless payment as well as fare capping.
Once approved by the Chester County Commissioners', a final version of the plan will be posted on the chescoplanning.org website and submitted to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, which helped fund the study through their TCDI program.
The draft plan is now available on the project webpage.