Transit Part 2 - Taking Your Bike on the Bus

Regional Rail shuts out rush hour bicyclists and the two bikes per train limit can leave you waiting for another hour. On the other hand SEPTA's bus bike racks are still almost always available without rush hour restrictions, testy conductors or narrow rail car steps.

Rush hour bus options:

• Routes 9 ,27, 124 and 125 which all use the Schuylkill Expressway serve the NW neighborhoods of Manayunk and Roxborough work best for those who still want a speedy ride into town.
  


• Route C bus offers an alternate to the Broad St Subway


• Routes 21 and 42 substitute for the Market Frankford El going west to Upper Darby.


• Route 5 from the Front and Market Terminal runs every ten minutes to the Frankford Transportation Center for connecting buses to NE Philadelphia and Bucks County
  
  This Maine DOT Bike on Bus video is an excellent demonstration on how to use this rack.
  
  
  
  You may have also came across a slightly different model that uses a red crank instead of a retractable hook to hold the front wheel. SEPTA sometimes installs these as replacements. These racks seem to be slightly more prone to malfunction, one twist of the crank should hold the bike.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  NJ TRANSIT Buses
  
  Most NJ Transit buses also have bike racks, in fact NJT had bike racks in service several years before SEPTA.

  On longer routes NJ Transit employs MCI motorcoaches. These buses do not have bike racks, you need to place your bike into the luggage compartment.:

• When the bus stops walk over to the the luggage door nearest the front and pull out the latch to open the door.
• Place your bike in and push down the door to close, you have to push the latch in to secure it.
• When you deboard the bus make sure you tell the driver that you need to get your bike
• For shore routes consider off peak times during the summer as the bike will have to compete for space with luggage. Bikes are asked to load last and you could be stranded.

Popular Trail Destinations

SEPTA

• Perkiomen Trail - 93 to Collegeville
• Thun Trail (Berks County Schuylkill River Trail) 93 to Pottstown
• Valley Forge - 125 to the Valley Forge Visitor Center
• Pennypack Park Bikeway - 14-20-58 to Pennypack Park

NJ TRANSIT

• Ocean Drive (Cape May to Atlantic City Beach Road) - NJ TRANSIT 313-315-316-551
• Atlantic County Bikeway NJ TRANSIT 315 to Mays Landing
• Glassboro - Williamstown Bikeway NJ TRANSIT 315-400-408-412

NJ TRANSIT schedules are available on Google Transit