SEPTA Cycle-Transit Plan a Model for Multi-Modal Commuting

As ridership grows on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) rail system, system planners are looking to a novel approach to relieve crunched station parking: bikes.

1 minute read

August 27, 2015, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Jen Kinney reports: "With bicycling rates in Philadelphia more than doubling in the last 20 years and public transportation ridership at a 25-year high, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is looking for ways to bring these two modes of transit together."

"The agency’s first Cycle-Transit Plan [pdf], released this year, explores policy and infrastructure changes that could make it easier for riders to combine bicycling and public transportation in one commute. It’s one of just a few formal cycle-transit integration plans in the country."

In addition to the plan, SEPTA also has $3 million budgeted for the installation of new bike shelters "at 15 stations every year for the next three years," according to Kinney. The article includes more detail about the planning process behind the Cycle-Transit plan as well as more of the improvements commuters can expect when moving between the bike and the train on the SEPTA system.

Friday, August 21, 2015 in Next City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

5 hours ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

6 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

7 hours ago - Los Angeles Public Press