New SEPTA bus route to provide access from University City to greater Philadelphia

A new SEPTA bus route will decrease travel times from University City to other Philadelphia neighborhoods, including stops at Penn.

The new SEPTA Route 49 will facilitate travel between University City and various locations in North, South, and Central Philadelphia starting on Feb. 24. It will travel through University City to Brewerytown, Fairmount, Grays Ferry, and Strawberry Mansion, helping fill a north-south gap left by current bus routes. 

Route 49 will include stops at Penn, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 30th Street Station, Eastern State Penitentiary, and museums and attractions on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Part of the route will run along Market Street and head south on 34th Street, passing CHOP and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

SEPTA is working to extend its Broad Street line to the Navy Yard to improve workers' commutes. Last November, Philadelphia residents approved a $181 million municipal bond that will fund infrastructure improvements in the city, including new SEPTA construction projects.

At Penn, leaders of the Undergraduate Assembly are working to facilitate SEPTA access for Penn students. After their election last April, UA President and College senior Michael Krone and UA Vice President and College junior Jordan Andrews said they aim to give students “SEPTA Welcome Kits” containing maps of public transit routes and a preloaded SEPTA key to facilitate engagement with the city. 

Last year, leaders of the Philadelphia Mobile CPR Project, a Penn Medicine initiative, created a partnership with SEPTA and Amtrak to teach Philadelphia residents how to perform CPR and other first-aid response skills. Through this partnership, the team hosted public CPR classes at 30th Street Station in October 2018.