Traffic & Transit
SEPTA Launches Free Late-Night Shuttle In Lower Bucks County
Operating like a ride-share, the overnight service is designed to help close the first-and-last mile transit gap.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — SEPTA has announced it will launch a free, on-demand shuttle service to connect late-night shift workers at large job sites in Lower Bucks County, like the three Amazon fulfillment centers, with existing SEPTA Owl bus stops.
The SEPTA Owl Link service will launch May 10, and it is aimed at closing the first-and-last mile transit gap - the distance between an existing transit stop and a destination - for workers without their own vehicle.
The Owl Link service will use ADA accessible, SEPTA CCT Paratransit vehicles - mini busses - and can be scheduled through the SEPTA Owl Link Mobile App or by calling the SEPTA CCT Reservation Line at (215) 580-7114. Customers will use their SEPTA key card to ride the free shuttle service.
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The shuttles will pick up passengers at "virtual bus stops" located near a number of growing businesses that operate late shifts, including those in the manufacturing and warehouse sectors.
Running between 10:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. seven days per week, the SEPTA Owl Link service will provide connections to existing stops on bus routes 14, 56 and 66. According to a SEPTA spokesperson, these initial routes will serve as a pilot program, which will be evaluated before decisions are made to expand the service to other locations.
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On Wednesday, SEPTA announced it had partnered with Via to create the mobile app.
"This innovative partnership with Via will provide immediate benefits to customers who are traveling to-and-from work," said Leslie S. Richards, SEPTA’s general manager. "This on-demand service will help ensure that third-shift workers have safe, reliable and affordable options as they plan for job-related travel."
According to a release, trips can be booked on the SEPTA Owl Link service up to a week in advance, and no less than 30 minutes prior to a ride. The service will operate as a ride-share, and seats will fill up, so customers are encouraged to book well in advance.
More information about the SEPTA Owl Link service is available online.
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