SEPTA is adding designated stroller areas to some of its buses in an effort to make travel easier for families.
By the end of April, stroller spots will be added to 120 buses that service routes 23, 25, 32, 49, 58 and 84, and the first stroller-spot buses already have hit the road. Each special bus is marked with a decal on its exterior above the boarding door, and on the interior of the bus, the space where the open stroller can be parked, with the child remaining inside, is identified with a blue sign. The spots can fit strollers up to 26 inches wide and 36 inches long.
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A spokesperson said SEPTA prioritized placing stroller areas on buses that primarily follow routes in urban and suburban areas rather than on highways. Some of the selected Stroller Spot routes also serve destinations frequented by passengers with young kids. For instance, Route 32 offers access to museums, like the Academy of Natural Sciences, and Route 49 stops at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
The changes to the buses were the result of feedback from customers and operators. A survey conducted as part of SEPTA’s Micromobility Playbook found that 14.5% of all SEPTA riders provide care for children under 5, and that 70.3% of caregivers who use SEPTA travel with children younger than 5. Women were also found to be more likely than men to travel on SEPTA with young kids. As part of the survey, riders with children were also asked what would make travel easier for them. The most popular response, selected by 60%, was the need for a designated stroller space onboard buses, SEPTA said.
“We know that it can be difficult for customers with young children to find adequate space on-board buses, and it is a challenge for our dedicated operators to manage this while they are providing service,” Scott Sauer, SEPTA’s interim general manager, said in a release. “… The Stroller Spot initiative was designed with this critical feedback, and we are eager to hear more from them about how it is working once we have all 120 buses in service with these spaces.”
The layout of the stroller spot is designed to minimize the need to remove other seats, the SEPTA spokesperson said. When the stroller area is being used, it helps to keep the aisle clear, which can improve passenger flow. The stroller area remains a “flexible space,” and when it’s being used by a passenger with a child, riders can stand there.
SEPTA has a video on its website demonstrating how to use the new dedicated stroller spaces. When riding buses without stroller spots, riders are advised to park open strollers in priority seating areas, using flip-up seats.
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