BUS AND SHUTTLE SERVICE IMPROVEMENT PLAN …Bus and Shuttle Service Improvement Plan King of Prussia...

BUS AND SHUTTLE SERVICE IMPROVEMENT PLAN

TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM

Prepared for:

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)

Prepared by:

AECOM Technical Services, Inc. Philadelphia, PA

Version (3): April 2015

Bus and Shuttle Service Improvement Plan King of Prussia Rail

April 2015

Table of Contents 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1

2 Macro Level Service Modifications ...................................................................................... 5

2.1 SEPTA Bus Service Modifications ............................................................................... 5

2.1.1 Route 92 ............................................................................................................... 7

2.1.2 Route 99 ............................................................................................................... 8

2.1.3 Route 123 ............................................................................................................. 9

2.1.4 Route 124 ............................................................................................................. 9

2.1.5 Route 125 ............................................................................................................10

2.1.6 Route 139 ............................................................................................................10

2.2 Shuttle Service Modifications ......................................................................................11

2.2.1 Upper Merion Rambler .........................................................................................11

2.2.2 Connector - Norristown Route ..............................................................................13

2.2.3 Connector - Wayne Route....................................................................................13

2.2.4 Connector - Proposed Inner Loop ........................................................................14

3 Modifications by KOP Rail Build Alternative .......................................................................15

3.1 PECO/TP – Gulph Road .............................................................................................15

3.1.1 SEPTA Route 92A ...............................................................................................15

3.1.2 SEPTA Route 92B ...............................................................................................15

3.1.3 SEPTA Route 99A ...............................................................................................15

3.1.4 SEPTA Route 99B ...............................................................................................15

3.1.5 SEPTA Route 124 ...............................................................................................15

3.1.6 SEPTA Route 125 ...............................................................................................17

3.1.7 SEPTA Route 139 ...............................................................................................17


3.1.9 Connector – Wayne Route ...................................................................................17

3.1.10 Connector – Inner Loop .......................................................................................17

3.2 PECO/TP – First Avenue ............................................................................................18

3.2.1 SEPTA Route 92A ...............................................................................................18

3.2.2 SEPTA Route 92B ...............................................................................................18

3.2.3 SEPTA Route 99A ...............................................................................................18

3.2.4 SEPTA Route 99B ...............................................................................................18

3.2.5 SEPTA Route 124 ...............................................................................................18

3.2.6 SEPTA Route 125 ...............................................................................................18

3.2.7 SEPTA Route 139 ...............................................................................................18


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3.3 PECO – First Avenue ..................................................................................................21

3.3.1 SEPTA Route 92A ...............................................................................................21

3.3.2 SEPTA Route 92B ...............................................................................................21

3.3.3 SEPTA Route 99A ...............................................................................................21

3.3.4 SEPTA Route 99B ...............................................................................................21

3.3.5 SEPTA Route 124 ...............................................................................................21

3.3.6 SEPTA Route 125 ...............................................................................................21

3.3.7 SEPTA Route 139 ...............................................................................................21




3.4 US Route 202 – Gulph Road ......................................................................................24

3.4.1 SEPTA Route 92A ...............................................................................................24

3.4.2 SEPTA Route 92B ...............................................................................................24

3.4.3 SEPTA Route 99A ...............................................................................................24

3.4.4 SEPTA Route 99B ...............................................................................................24

3.4.5 SEPTA Route 124 ...............................................................................................24

3.4.6 SEPTA Route 125 ...............................................................................................26

3.4.7 SEPTA Route 139 ...............................................................................................26




3.5 US Route 202 – First Avenue .....................................................................................27

3.5.1 SEPTA Route 92A ...............................................................................................27

3.5.2 SEPTA Route 92B ...............................................................................................27

3.5.3 SEPTA Route 99A ...............................................................................................27

3.5.4 SEPTA Route 99B ...............................................................................................27

3.5.5 SEPTA Route 124 ...............................................................................................27

3.5.6 SEPTA Route 125 ...............................................................................................27

3.5.7 SEPTA Route 139 ...............................................................................................29





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List of Figures and Tables Figure 1: Current Bus and Shuttle Services ............................................................................... 1 Figure 2: Build Alternatives ........................................................................................................ 2 Table 1: Proposed SEPTA Bus Service Frequencies ................................................................. 5 Figure 3: Proposed Bus and Shuttle Services ............................................................................ 6 Figure 4: Modified SEPTA Route 92 .......................................................................................... 7 Figure 5: Modified SEPTA Route 99 .......................................................................................... 8 Figure 6: Modified SEPTA Route 124 ........................................................................................ 9 Figure 7: Modified SEPTA Route 125 .......................................................................................10 Table 2: Proposed Shuttle Service Frequencies ........................................................................11 Figure 8: Modified Upper Merion Rambler .................................................................................12 Figure 9: Connector - Wayne Route ..........................................................................................13 Figure 10: Connector - Proposed Inner Loop ..........................................................................14 Figure 11: PECO/TP – Gulph Road Proposed Bus and Shuttle Routes ....................................16 Figure 12: PECO/TP – First Avenue Proposed Bus and Shuttle Routes ...................................19 Figure 13: PECO – First Avenue Proposed Bus and Shuttle Routes .........................................22 Figure 14: US Route 202 – Gulph Road Proposed Bus and Shuttle Routes ..............................25 Figure 15: US Route 202 – First Avenue Proposed Bus and Shuttle Routes .............................28

Appendices

A. Trip Time Tables for Proposed Services by Build Alternative

B. ArcView GIS Shapefiles of Proposed Bus and Shuttle Services


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1 Introduction

This report provides a summary of the proposed revisions to bus and shuttle service operations

to complement the Norristown High Speed Line rail service extension (KOP Rail). Figure 1

shows the current bus and shuttle routes, and Figure 2 presents the KOP Rail Build

Alternatives.

Figure 1: Current Bus and Shuttle Services


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Figure 2: Build Alternatives


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2 Macro Level Service Modifications

This chapter presents a summary of proposed bus and shuttle route service changes in

conjunction with implementing KOP Rail service. These changes include modifications to

current services, new bus services that connect to the KOP Rail stations, and a route

discontinuation. The service modifications presented in this chapter focus on the overall

changes to bus services and are applicable to every KOP Rail alternative.

2.1 SEPTA Bus Service Modifications

Most SEPTA bus routes would continue to serve the King of Prussia Mall; however, end-of-

route layovers would be at the Mall Boulevard North or Plaza West KOP Rail station. Buses

would serve a single mall bus stop to provide access to the mall, and transfers between bus and

rail would occur at the rail station. The following is a description of the proposed individual route

changes. Table 1 below presents the proposed frequencies for each SEPTA route by time

period. Figure 3 shows the proposed routing for all routes, and the following sections provide

more details on the proposed modifications for each route.

Table 1: Proposed SEPTA Bus Service Frequencies

Route Origin/Destination Early AM AM Peak Midday PM Peak Early Eve. Evening

92A King of Prussia/ West Chester 60 30 60 30 30 60

92B King of Prussia/Paoli 60 30 60 30 30 60

99A Norristown/King of Prussia 60 60 60 60 60 60

99B King of Prussia/Phoenixville 60 30 60 30 60 60

123 Discontinued - - - - - -

124 Chesterbrook/Wissahickon 60 30 60 30 60 60

125 Villanova/King of Prussia 30 30 60 30 30 30

139 King of Prussia/Limerick 60 60 90 60 60 90

Note: This table is a general summary of proposed service plans for each route. The timeframes correspond roughly to the

following time periods: Early AM: 4 – 6 AM, AM Peak: 6 – 9 AM, Midday: 9 AM – 3:30 PM, PM Peak: 3:30 – 6:30 PM, Early

Evening: 6:30 – 8 PM, and Evening: 8 – 11 PM. More detailed trip time tables have been provided to SEPTA under separate cover.


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Figure 3: Proposed Bus and Shuttle Services


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2.1.1 Route 92 The current Route 92 would be split into two routes, Route 92A and Route 92B. Route 92A

would operate following the current Route 92 service pattern between the King of Prussia area

and West Chester. Minor route modifications in the King of Prussia area are based on

terminating the route at either the Mall Boulevard North or Plaza West KOP Rail station

(depending on the alternative) instead of the mall. Route 92B, a shorter version of the current

Route 92, would operate between King of Prussia and Paoli, and it would run along Swedesford

Road instead of Devon Park Drive (see Figure 4).

Figure 4: Modified SEPTA Route 92


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2.1.2 Route 99 Route 99 would be split into two routes with the King of Prussia area becoming a break point

between the two routes. Route 99A would operate between Norristown and Valley Forge

National Historic Park, maintaining the current routing between Norristown and the King of

Prussia Mall, and Route 99B would operate between Phoenixville and the King of Prussia area

(see Figure 5).



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2.1.3 Route 123 SEPTA would discontinue the current Route 123 since this route would be redundant to the

service that the new rail extension would provide.

2.1.4 Route 124 The only proposed change to this route is to discontinue the segment between Center City and

the Wissahickon Transportation Center. The new southern terminal would be the Wissahickon

Transportation Center (see Figure 6).



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2.1.5 Route 125 Route 125 no longer would serve Wissahickon or Center City Philadelphia. SEPTA would

maintain its current routing between the Valley Forge National Historical Park and the Gulph

Mills Station. South of Gulph Mills, the route would continue to the Villanova Regional Rail

station via Gulph Road, Montgomery Avenue, and Spring Mill Road (see Figure 7).


2.1.6 Route 139 The only revision to the current Route 139 would be to establish a new terminal station at a

KOP Rail Station near the mall, instead of at the mall itself.


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2.2 Shuttle Service Modifications

Shuttle buses serve a different function than SEPTA buses. While buses provide a connection

between King of Prussia and other areas in the Philadelphia region, shuttle buses primarily

provide “last mile” connections between nearby transit stations and employment areas or

residential areas. Because of the nature of the shuttle buses, the KOP Rail project proposes

more substantial changes to the current shuttle bus system versus the changes to the SEPTA

bus network. Table 2 presents the proposed shuttle service frequencies.

Table 2: Proposed Shuttle Service Frequencies

Route Early AM AM Peak Midday PM Peak Early Eve. Evening

Upper Merion Rambler - 15 30 15 30 -

Connector - Norristown Discontinued

Connector – Wayne - 16-41 - 15-50 - -

Connector – Inner Loop - 10 20 10 20 -

Note: This table is a general summary of proposed service plans for each route. The timeframes correspond roughly to the

following time periods: Early AM: 4 – 6 AM, AM Peak: 6 – 9 AM, Midday: 9 AM – 3:30 PM, PM Peak: 3:30 – 6:30 PM, Early

Evening: 6:30 – 8 PM, and Evening: 8 – 11 PM. More detailed trip time tables have been provided to SEPTA under separate cover.

2.2.1 Upper Merion Rambler The Rambler provides local circulation within Upper Merion Township during middays operating

between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM, with no service between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM. This route

would be modified to provide weekday peak period service every 15 minutes to connect Upper

Merion Township residents with KOP Rail stations. During the midday, service would operate

every 30 minutes. The span of service would be extended to 8:00 PM to accommodate late

evening workers. Also, this route would be extended between Upper Merion High School and

Henderson Road to better connect Upper Merion residential neighborhoods with the KOP Rail

service (see Figure 8). The proposed route would be a loop, and the proposed schedule

includes all current regular and “request” stops.


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Figure 8: Modified Upper Merion Rambler


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2.2.2 Connector - Norristown Route This route would be duplicative of KOP Rail service between Norristown and King of Prussia,

and thus it would be discontinued once KOP Rail service begins.

2.2.3 Connector - Wayne Route Since the route to Wayne is scheduled to meet Regional Rail services at Wayne Station, this

shuttle route would not be modified. Since this route is marketed and timed to meet regional rail

trains, this route would not be modified to serve KOP Rail stations. A map of this route is

presented on Figure 9.

Figure 9: Connector - Wayne Route


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2.2.4 Connector - Proposed Inner Loop A new “Inner Loop” Connector shuttle route would be added to provide all day service between

the various King of Prussia Business Park office buildings, King of Prussia Mall, and KOP Rail

stations (see Figure 10).

Figure 10: Connector - Proposed Inner Loop


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3 Modifications by KOP Rail Build Alternative

Chapter 2 presented the proposed macro-level bus and shuttle service changes associated with

the KOP Rail project. This chapter presents the proposed bus and shuttle service changes in

the King of Prussia area by each Build Alternative, highlighting specific routings in the area,

stations served, and bus transfer and layover locations. The overall proposed service span and

frequency for the individual routes (presented in Table 1 for SEPTA bus routes and in Table 2

for shuttle bus services) would be the same for each alternative, and the proposed bus and

shuttle routes presented in Chapter 2, on Figures 3 through 10, remain the same for all

alternatives, except for PECO-First Avenue, for which some SEPTA bus routes have a different

terminal (Plaza West KOP Rail Station) than under the other alternatives (Mall Boulevard North

KOP Rail Station).

3.1 PECO/TP – Gulph Road

The PECO/TP – Gulph Road alternative has six stations in the King of Prussia area. Bus

transfers and layovers would occur at the Mall Boulevard North Station. Descriptions of which

KOP Rail stations each route would serve are presented below. Figure 11 shows the King of

Prussia area routings, including which KOP Rail stations would be served by each bus or shuttle

route.

3.1.1 SEPTA Route 92A Route 92A would serve the following KOP Rail stations:

Mall Boulevard North

Mall Boulevard West

3.1.2 SEPTA Route 92B Route 92B would serve the following KOP Rail stations:


Mall Boulevard West



North Gulph

Convention Center



Court

Convention Center

3.1.5 SEPTA Route 124 Route 124 would serve the following KOP Rail stations:

Henderson Road


Mall Boulevard West


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Figure 11: PECO/TP – Gulph Road Proposed Bus and Shuttle Routes


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North Gulph

Convention Center



North Gulph

Convention Center

3.1.8 Upper Merion Rambler The Upper Merion Rambler would serve the following KOP Rail stations:

Henderson Road

Court


North Gulph

Mall Boulevard West

Convention Center

3.1.9 Connector – Wayne Route The Connector – Wayne Route would not be modified. The current route serves the following

proposed KOP Rail stations:

North Gulph

Convention Center

3.1.10 Connector – Inner Loop The proposed Connector – Inner Loop would serve the following KOP Rail stations:


North Gulph

Mall Boulevard West

Court

Convention Center


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3.2 PECO/TP – First Avenue

The PECO/TP – First Avenue alternative has five stations in the King of Prussia area. Bus

transfers and layovers would occur at the Mall Boulevard North KOP Rail station. Descriptions

of which KOP Rail stations each route would serve are presented below. Figure 12 shows the

King of Prussia area routings, including which KOP Rail stations would be served by each bus

or shuttle route.

3.2.1 SEPTA Route 92A Route 92A would serve the following KOP Rail station:


3.2.2 SEPTA Route 92B Route 92B would serve the following KOP Rail station:





Court


First Avenue East

First and Moore



Henderson Road



First & Moore

First Avenue East

3.2.7 SEPTA Route 139 Route 139 would serve the following KOP Rail station:




Henderson Road

Court


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Figure 12: PECO/TP – First Avenue Proposed Bus and Shuttle Routes


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3.2.9 Connector – Wayne Route

The Connector – Wayne Route would not be modified. The current route serves the following

proposed KOP Rail Station:

1st & Moore

3.2.10 Connector – Inner Loop The proposed Connector - Inner Loop would serve the following KOP Rail stations:


Court

First Avenue East

First & Moore


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3.3 PECO – First Avenue

The PECO – First Avenue alternative has five stations in the King of Prussia area. Bus

transfers and layovers would occur at the Plaza West rail station. Descriptions of which KOP

Rail stations each route would serve are presented below. Figure 13 shows the King of Prussia

area routings, including which KOP Rail stations would be served by each bus or shuttle route.


Plaza West


Plaza West


Plaza West


Plaza West

First Avenue East

First & Moore


Plaza West

Henderson Road


Plaza West

First & Moore

First Avenue East


Plaza West


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Figure 13: PECO – First Avenue Proposed Bus and Shuttle Routes


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Plaza West

Henderson Road

3.3.9 Connector – Wayne Route This route would not be modified. The current route serves the following KOP Rail station:

1st & Moore


Plaza West

First & Moore

First Avenue East


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3.4 US Route 202 – Gulph Road

The US Route 202 – Gulph Road alternative has seven stations in the King of Prussia area.

Bus transfers and layovers would occur at the Mall Boulevard North KOP Rail station.

Descriptions of which KOP Rail stations each route would serve are presented below. Figure

14 shows the King of Prussia area routings, including which KOP Rail stations would be served

by each bus or shuttle route.



Mall Boulevard West



Mall Boulevard West


DeKalb & Henderson

DeKalb Plaza


North Gulph

Convention Center



Court

Convention Center


DeKalb & Henderson

DeKalb Plaza


Mall Boulevard West

.


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Figure 14: US Route 202 – Gulph Road Proposed Bus and Shuttle Routes


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North Gulph

Convention Center



North Gulph

Convention Center


DeKalb & Henderson

DeKalb Plaza

Court


Mall Boulevard West

North Gulph

Convention Center

3.4.9 Connector – Wayne Route This route would not be modified. The current route serves the following KOP Rail Stations:

North Gulph

Convention Center



Mall Boulevard West

Court

North Gulph

Convention Center


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3.5 US Route 202 – First Avenue

The US Route 202 – First Avenue alternative has six stations in the King of Prussia area. Bus

transfers and layovers would occur at the Mall Boulevard North KOP Rail station. Descriptions

of which KOP Rail stations each route would serve are presented below. Figure 15 shows the

King of Prussia area routings, including which KOP Rail stations are served by each bus or

shuttle route.






DeKalb & Henderson DeKalb Plaza

Court




Court

First Avenue East

First & Moore


DeKalb & Henderson DeKalb Plaza




First & Moore

First Avenue East


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Figure 15: US Route 202 – First Avenue Proposed Bus and Shuttle Routes


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Dekalb & Henderson DeKalb Plaza

Court


3.5.9 Connector – Wayne Route The Connector – Wayne Route would not be modified. The current route serves the following

KOP Rail station:

1st & Moore



Court

First Avenue East

First & Moore

.

APPENDIX A

Trip Time Tables for Proposed Services, by Build Alternative

PECO / TP – Gulph Road

PECO / TP – 1st Avenue

PECO – 1st Avenue

202 – Gulph Road

202 – 1st Avenue

APPENDIX B

ArcView GIS Shapefiles of Proposed Bus and Shuttle Services

(provided electronically to SEPTA)

BUS AND SHUTTLE SERVICE IMPROVEMENT PLAN …Bus and Shuttle Service Improvement Plan King of Prussia...

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