University City District and SEPTA Announce LUCY Route Enhancements
Philadelphia, PA (14 November 2002) – LUCY, the Loop Thru University City shuttle service, turned three this July, and like all offspring, she’s growing up.
Or actually out. In less than a week, passengers of LUCY’s Green, Gold, and Midday Express loops will benefit from increased frequency and access to points further west on the route. The addition of Freshgrocer, new restaurants, and The Bridge movie theater as well as higher numbers of Penn and Penn Health System employees using the parking garage at 40th and Walnut Streets warranted the new routings.
Frequency enhancements are made possible by adding a sixth shuttle bus to the route and reducing the overall number of shuttle stops by half. Midday Express passengers will benefit with a 10-minute reduction in waiting times between buses because of a shorter route. Intended to serve medical staff primarily, this route operates from 9:20 am to 3:55 pm only and does not stop at 30th St. Station.
Green and Gold Loops will continue to run from 6:10 am to 7:00 pm at 12 to 35 minute intervals (varying with the time of day) and provide extended service to 40th and 42nd Streets respectively.
The new schedule will be available on line at www.golucy.org on November 11th and in print November 14th. For the first week, SEPTA personnel will be on hand to answer questions during the morning rush at 30th and JFK Blvd.
LUCY is a public transit service funded by University City District (UCD) that operates Mondays thru Fridays. SEPTA provides the six vehicles and operates the shuttle under contract with UCD with operating expenses provided by farebox revenue and by the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Health System, and Veterans Administration Medical Center. Institutional contributions are determined by an annual passenger census conducted by UCD. In return for their operating subsidy, their students, faculty, and staff ride free with proper identification. The public may use regular SEPTA fare instruments (tokens, passes, transfers and cash).
LUCY was started by UCD in July 1999 to provide a critical transportation link between Philadelphia’s transportation hub at 30th Street Station and the city’s largest employers. The August 2002 ridership survey indicates LUCY ridership exceeds 1,300 passengers per day – a figure more than twice original transportation study projections. And 85% of those surveyed stated that the service meets or exceeds expectations.
Although smaller than standard transit buses, all LUCY vehicles are equipped with front and rear passenger doors, and wheelchair accessible lifts.
University City District builds effective partnerships to maintain a clean and safe environment and to promote, plan, and advocate for University City's diverse urban community. UCD's programs to improve streetscapes and parks, remove trash and graffiti, provide technical assistance to home- and business owners, increase public safety, and publicize University City's advantages have improved the quality of life since 1997. For more information, visit UCityphila.org.
For additional information about the route and service changes call the SEPTA Travel Information Center at 215 580 7800 or access the SEPTA web site at www.septa.org
Release Date: Thursday, November 14th 2002
