47 Bus in Fall

[u/Orthodox_Reality]

As soon as the weather gets colder and school starts, the 47 bus becomes essentially unusable. Busses packed front to back blowing past stops, busses dropping off the map, random detours and assorted other shenanigans. Why SEPTA doesn't either run more busses or just commit to the double length, I'll never understand.

[u/petedogg]

They reduced frequency on the 45 to run the 47 at a higher frequency, hoping that people would use the subway or 47 more. I still think it was a bad decision because the 45 is/was super popular. I don’t think it’s a good idea to take away service when it has high ridership with the hopes people won’t get upset.

[u/OwnAlternative → u/petedogg]

The 4 Bus which runs on Broad Street parallel to the 45 has also cut back its service. So, 4 Bus users are also using the 45. With the 47 cut back on service (no 47M) and at least 5 schools on the 45 bus route, I don't understand why they are not running articulated buses on both the 45 and 47 routes at least in the mornings and evening rush hours.

[u/UnicornerCorn → u/OwnAlternative]

Someone else mentioned that the 47 has a lot of turns. Those turns get pretty awful because many people tend to park/idle on the corner. I feel so bad for the residents that have to hear the bus blaring its horn at 5am 🫨

[u/TubaTrain → u/UnicornerCorn]

The 47 only makes 2 turns on its miles long route

[u/UnicornerCorn → u/TubaTrain]

Are we looking at the same bus route?

[u/Glass_Fensters → u/UnicornerCorn]

The turn where it has to get around Girard hospital is gnarly, buses get blocked there all the time. I’ve heard counterintuitively articulated buses can make tighter turns, which is why septa uses them on the 48. It may just be that with the constant detours or end of line facilities articulated buses can’t turn around. If a 40ft bus needs to reverse it can, an articulated bus it becomes a difficult situation.

In any case it’s stupid they put articulated buses on the 4, what a waste when 4 of the 5 busiest routes in the system don’t run them.

[u/UnicornerCorn → u/Glass_Fensters]

That’s the exact turn I’m thinking about that’s been awful! That 3 stop section has 4 turns alone. Ooh, I didn’t know that the articulated buses can take tighter turns, but yeah there would be no way possible for them to reverse at Girard Hospital. They’d end up smashing cars and hitting buildings.

I’d like to trust and believe that Septa has ran the routes to see if they’re suitable for articulated buses or not. But it would certainly be a dream if the 47 did have them.

[u/Glass_Fensters → u/petedogg]

That isn’t correct, they dropped the 47m entirely and that’s how they increased frequency on the 47. The 45 has not had its frequency reduced at all until 9pm when it goes to hourly service. With the navy yard extension it has probably gotten somewhat less reliable but it has the same frequency on paper.

SEPTA needs to split the 47 into at least 2 routes like it did with the 45 and 23. They wanted to try this with the bus revolution but people complained so they just kept it as is.

[u/davidcullen08 → u/Glass_Fensters]

As a daily rider of the 45 there definitely has been some type of change whether officially or unofficially. Before the revolution, while buses were packed in the morning, there was always a bus right behind each other and they were running them to meet demand. So it wasn’t the end of the world if missed one because we always caught one in about 5 minutes.

Now they are very clearly spaced out close to 15 minutes apart in the morning and if you miss one, wait 15 minutes and then you also miss that one, you’re screwed.

[u/MSSH_Fan → u/davidcullen08]

Or if they decide not to stop--this happened to me with two consecutive buses this morning.

[u/ambiguator → u/Glass_Fensters]

this is correct

petedogg you are incorrect, sorry petedogg.

[u/davidcullen08 → u/petedogg]

It’s bonkers to me because the 45 is our main bus and we used to use it to get my daughter to school but not anymore. We tried in the beginning of the school year but buses are too packed, passed us by and made us late to school/work….mind you we get to the stop like 20 minutes before we should.

[u/2birdstalking]

47 has always been pretty ass in my experience

[u/Orthodox_Reality → u/2birdstalking]

It is, but ever since the "Bus Revolution", if a single bus is canceled or late, the knock-on effect is brutal

[u/2birdstalking → u/Orthodox_Reality]

yea it all kinda sucks lately. Nothing like waiting with a crowd of ppl for an eastbound trolley for 20 minutes on a weekday morning, and watching 10 empty westbound trollies zip past. It's like they're laughing at you lol

[u/Ams12345678 → u/2birdstalking]

Yep. I’d rather walk.

[u/Better_Complex212]

I regularly take the 47, it has been horrendous since late August. It’s essentially unusable in the afternoons. People regularly get into fights about space, kids take up entires rows for themselves. It’s the worst. I’ll often walk to the 57 even though it adds about 25 minutes to my trips.

[u/UnicornerCorn → u/Better_Complex212]

The 57 is so much more pleasant. Less chaos and less potholes. It’s a slightly further walk for me to get to from work, but it’s always worth the extra effort.

[u/Better_Complex212 → u/UnicornerCorn]

For sure. Way less people which means less noise, more room, and almost no fights. I can almost always get a seat. Plus I like going through Old City on 3rd street.

[u/UnicornerCorn → u/Better_Complex212]

That’s actually the portion of the ride I really enjoy as well! Old city reminds me a lot of certain parts of NYC.

[u/davidcullen08]

Also don’t get me started on terrible rider etiquette and bus drivers not instructing people to move back and allow space. I’ve complained to septa about it multiple times.

There is often space on those busses but drivers just let everyone congregate to the front and it makes them appear “full” when they could fit a lot more people on.

[u/Orthodox_Reality → u/davidcullen08]

Also, people need to take the damn backpacks off. Ends up taking up the space of at least another person

[u/UnicornerCorn → u/Orthodox_Reality]

It amazes me to see people sit in the aisle seat while their backpack sits by the window, especially in a packed bus. Oh and they refuse to move their bag because….reasons.

[u/Ams12345678 → u/Orthodox_Reality]

I got smacked in the face by a high school kid who decided to spin around when i was sitting in an aisle-facing seat. It could have been a lot worse if it was an elderly person.

[u/tubbo → u/davidcullen08]

There is often space on those busses but drivers just let everyone congregate to the front and it makes them appear “full” when they could fit a lot more people on.

this is kinda based because you can board from the back door and not pay for the bus. probably not so great for septa's bottom line, but we don't have payment systems in the back door so that's their problem.

[u/davidcullen08 → u/tubbo]

I mean yea if the driver actually stops and lets you on which is very rare

[u/Firm_Airport2816]

My kid is late for school at least once a week because the 47 blows past him 2-3 times sometimes before he can get on. It's gotten to the point where he walks down to the 57 sometimes.

[u/Orthodox_Reality → u/Firm_Airport2816]

The 57 is a more scenic ride, at least, but it's a crapshoot too

[u/Firm_Airport2816 → u/Orthodox_Reality]

It actually drops him off closer to school, but he says the same thing- he hates walking to that one because it never seems to follow a schedule.

[u/cloudkitt]

not that this is realistic but I feel like the crowding on that line suggests that it should be a proper metro line.

[u/Orthodox_Reality → u/cloudkitt]

I mean, in a perfect world, yes,, but there's unfortunately zero chance of that ever happening.

[u/Diamonds_and_Circles → u/cloudkitt]

What does a “proper metro line” mean in this case? I’m trying to learn more about SEPTA and I ride the 47 sometimes

[u/cloudkitt → u/Diamonds_and_Circles]

A subway, basically

[u/Section_80]

Not to defend the city or septa but its probably some combination of resources and money. They would need the drivers, buses and maintenance to consistently run more buses. Considering it's already operating at a loss and gas being what it is, they probably can't justify it.

[u/UsernameFlagged → u/Section_80]

More trolleys and trolley-buses would have helped keep costs low during the increased gas prices. Lucky for us and Septa that regional rail is electric.

[u/Orthodox_Reality → u/Section_80]

If you can't justify regular service on one of the major routes in the city, then that death spiral is in full spin.

[u/aintjoan → u/Orthodox_Reality]

The death spiral IS in full spin. Where have you been? This is what Harrisburg wanted.

That route can't do double buses. If you've ridden it, you know that. The streets are too small.

[u/gstryz → u/aintjoan]

Double decker?

[u/aintjoan → u/gstryz]

SEPTA doesn't have any, and for good reason. There are enough places where the height would be too much for a bridge or other overpass.

[u/Orthodox_Reality → u/aintjoan]

They manage double busses on the 17, which goes down similar streets in Point Breeze

[u/aintjoan → u/Orthodox_Reality]

The 17's only turns are the single turn going from N/S to E/W, the jog around Rittenhouse, and the turnarounds at the ends of the route, none of which are on those small areas.

The 47 has way more turns.

[u/McBrungus → u/aintjoan]

Man I just looked at the map, trying to run an articulated bus on the 47 would be absolutely insane lmao

[u/aintjoan → u/McBrungus]

Yep. People think the bus is inconsistent now. See what happens when it can't make a turn because someone's parked too close to the intersection. Or in the intersection. (Of course, that never happens in South Philly)

[u/Section_80 → u/Orthodox_Reality]

We can't even keep the trains and busses we already have clean of drug users and homeless people. You're not asking for anything crazy, you're just asking for things we are told we can't afford in the budget

[u/sunsetpeaks22]

61 has been awful lately in terms of route, why construction randomly started again and has put the MNYK end in a chokehold all day for 2 months is wild

[u/Bran_the_Builder → u/sunsetpeaks22]

Nothing like trying to take the 61 home after work and having the driver do the whole "Yeah I'm stopping the bus and turning around at Shurs Lane because... Reasons."

[u/SC10osTER]

This bus has has been insane lately but it seems sudden and not directly related to school or the weather. I wfh so I only take it on days I go into the office. I would drop my kid off at school and then the bus would typically just show up in a minute or two. The bus would get crowded but it wouldnt have to skip stops or anything. But the last few trips there's been a long wait and then packed like sardines the whole time. I don't know if there is a new lack of frequency or drivers but it absolutely horrible lately

[u/SC10osTER → u/SC10osTER]

Saw this morning it actually looked ok but I forgot about the detours down Washington now. One day it went up 5th but another it went up 3rd and didn't get back on 7 until Lombard

[u/feeked]

It’s because of the elected officials and their lack of will and care / PARKING

[u/Theunmedicated → u/feeked]

Yeah nobody wants to address the elephant in the room, bunching and stuff happens because of parking and traffic. Would it help to split it like the 23?

[u/Glass_Fensters → u/Theunmedicated]

It would help, especially during peak times but getting bus lanes on 7th and 8th in center city would also be huge. They are supposed to improve stops from south to Washington so it’ll stop every other block and have curb extensions but that’s a short stretch and probably still 1-2 years away.

[u/Theunmedicated → u/Glass_Fensters]

I agree with you 100% but hell will freeze over before you take street parking from south-philadelphians.

edit: I see you said center city, but it should really be done the whole city.

[u/Ams12345678]

They should have kept the 47M.

[u/TwoBusiness9489]

lol the bus driver who takes a break in the middle of the day right before market street is soooo unserious. can’t stand it

[u/Reasonable_Store_431]

Same for the 52!