Oh, Say Can You C? Maybe Not

TOMORROW, SEPTA will hold a public hearing regarding bus Route C. Their plan is to eliminate Route C in its entirety and to create two new routes out of it. The "Cheltenham" division of Route C would be rebranded as Route 4, and the "11th and Nedro" division of Route C would be re-branded as Route 16. The reason for this change is to eliminate confusion between the two distinct branches.

Currently, Route C operates from the Cheltenham and Ogontz Loop, in Cheltenham Township, to the intersection of 15th & Market Streets, in Center City. It also operates from the intersection of 11th Street & Nedro Avenue, in the Fern Rock neighborhood of North Philadelphia, to the intersection of Broad and Geary Streets, in the Packer Park neighborhood of South Philadelphia. These two routes share a common routing along Broad Street from Rising Sun Avenue to Market Street, a distance of 33 blocks.

We believe that rebranding this route would cause major confusion and would not solve any issues whatsoever.

SEPTA does not have a very good record in rebranding and informing the public. In the summer of 2010, for example, SEPTA decided to drop the "R" designation from its regional-rail routes and to name each train based onits end destination. People were told that this would eliminate confusion and that it would not be too much of an inconvenience. To this day, there are still passengers who are confused as to where they are going. Everyday riders are confused as to which branch to get on, and occasional riders aren't even aware of the changes. And for us riders who still ride from the "ex-Pennsy" side to the "ex-Reading" side, and vice versa, we now have to carry two schedules, and compare and contrast those timetables to make sure we are on the right train.

Furthermore, despite the so-called changes, there are trains that still have their previous "R" designations on them, and there is station signage that still has not been updated.

Rather than rebranding this route, steps should be taken to make it operate better and to eradicate the confusion. Here's our idea to improve service:

All trips should operate from South Philadelphia to Cheltenham and Ogontz. You would institute a pattern and have every other bus operate to Cheltenham via Fern Rock along its current routing with a minor modification.