UGH! Philadelphia NEEDS a Better Transit System, Am I Right?

Philadelphia is the sixth most populous city in the country, and the second-largest on the East Coast (in terms of population).

But we don't have the infrastructure in place to be a world-class city. I LOVE Philadelphia. It is a charming city with a ton of grit and heart, but transportation in the city remains a HUGE problem.

In fact, I'll say it. Philadelphia's subway system is an embarrassment. So I had the realization today that Philly will NEVER be seen as the global force (it deserves to be) until it improves its subway system.

How is it that Philadelphia only has TWO major subway lines, leaving much of the city underserved by rail service?

SEPTA itself is one of the largest public transportation systems in the country, but a LOT of that is busses. And if you've ever driven down 76 or the 676, you know that traffic is already horrific in town.

SEPTA It's the sixth-largest transit system in the country. Though, a reason why it's so large is that its service area extends well beyond Philadelphia. They cover Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester counties.

So we have the Broad Street Line and the Market-Frankford Line, but what about the rest of the city?

I mean... how is it that some of the busiest neighborhoods in the city are barely served? I used to live in Manayunk, and I was constantly going into Center City for nights out with friends.

Sure, I could take a bus, but if I wanted to go out during the evening rush hour, I'd wind up sitting on 76 FOREVER and NEVER make it to the bar on time.

But if I wanted to take the train... I would have to take the Regional Rail line. That schedule is inconvenient. That meant I couldn't stay out too late (because the trains stopped running).

But, I DO understand that it's not that easy for SEPTA and the city to reinvent themselves. And, unfortunately, it's probably a chicken or the egg type of dillema.

SEPTA's ridership is down a bit, so why would they add MORE services to an underfunded system? Though, maybe we'd consider it more if the system served us better.

I've since moved to South Philly, and I LOVE being two blocks away from the BSL. So my social life has changed (for the good), and I'm FINALLY saving money on all of those rush hour Uber rides.