Philadelphia city officials, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony to open the newly painted red bus-only lane on Market Street between 20th Streets and 15th Streets.
“By painting bus lanes red, we are helping everyone who shares our roads know that this space is dedicated to transit,” Leslie S. Richards, SEPTA general manager and CEO, said. “SEPTA is proud to partner with the city of Philadelphia and PennDOT in implementing this initiative. It is improving our bus service now, and it will be a great tool as we move forward with Bus Revolution, which aims to improve bus service throughout the network.”
Red or terra cotta paint increases visibility and makes it clear where a vehicle should be traveling, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials.
Philadelphia began painting bus lanes red last year. PennDOT also painted a red bus-only lane. Additional lanes will be painted on Erie Avenue next year as part of the city’s Broad, Germantown, and Erie project.
The city also released an evaluation report that showed the bus-only lanes significantly improve bus travel times. The report evaluated the 18-month Bus Lane Pilot Project on JFK Boulevard.