Bus service relocation in Northern Liberties creates confusion, headaches for passengers
NORTHERN LIBERTIES - An unpopular pick-up location for coach buses on Market Street has been temporarily located after concerns over passenger safety and traffic congestion. But, the start to the new Greyhound bus location on Spring Garden Street got off to a rocky start.
Confusion was a theme Thursday as people lined up for the bus, along with Peter Pan and Flix buses.
"I got off at Market Street yesterday and now I’m here. I don’t even know where the hell I am," says customer Donald Martin.
Where Martin is hoping to end up is back home in Scranton. He says multiple times a year he travels to and from Philly. And, based on his first experience at the new location, he prefers Market Street.
"There was food around, there was drinks around. It was just better, more convenient I think," says Martin.
He’s not the only one that feels this way.
Paul Nemeth and his wife got to the bus stop right in time for their bus to Boston, but in order to do so, they had to cough up some extra money.
"For taking the R-5 in, we can get off at Jefferson stop and get right there to Market. Here, we ended up having to take a taxi to get here," Nemeth explained.
Bus services relocating to Northern Liberties for loading, unloading passengers begins next week
Multiple intercity bus transportation providers and the City of Philadelphia are making changes to the current bus curbside station at 6th and Market streets.
Officials from the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS) say the Northern Liberties area is better for access to public transit.
"We are right here at the Spring Garden station of the Market Frankfurt line. There are four bus routes that directly serve this area," says Matthew Cassidy, the Communications Manager at OTIS.
Plus, the area allows the ability to access major highways and keep the huge buses off Center City streets.
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Which, for day one, the buses still made stops at the Market Street location to shuttle confused customers who showed up at the old location.
"The 6th and Market became untenable for bus traffic, federal buildings and surrounding employees in that area. There was a promise by the city, early on in the year, to move that," says Cassidy.
City officials say the new location is only a temporary home until their permit ends in March, as they continue to look for a permanent spot.
For those working nearby the new location, they are now overwhelmed with the additional traffic.
"They have to be able to accommodate everybody, construction workers and the mega buses are taking up the whole back side. What are you going to do about the employees that work here? We pay taxes too," says Nakaya Powell, who works in the area.
Some of the major concerns customers had about the Market Street location was the lack of bathrooms or indoor waiting areas. There is a building where people can wait inside and, as for the bathrooms, the city is working to get some installed.