The YAC is pleased to see SEPTA streamline and improve digital cancellation information to Bus, T, G, D, and M customers through the SEPTA app. Now is a great time to ensure the SEPTA app is intuitive and easy to use. Many YAC members use the SEPTA app daily and have seen the app change over the years. As such, the YAC believes these features should be implemented to improve the app’s functionality:
Return Service Alerts to Bottom Ribbon: Service alerts are important information for riders and should be quickly accessible at all times. In previous versions of the app, a standalone alerts button on the bottom ribbon provided immediate access to systemwide or route-specific alerts. The alerts button also had a visual cue, a red or orange badge, to signal to riders the severity of active service alerts. Moving the alerts section from a small tab on the home page to a more prominent position on the bottom ribbon improves visibility and appropriately prioritizes this information.
Show Recent Searches: The OpenStreetMap backend relies on community input for connecting destinations (e.g. restaurant name) to an address. Most searches on the SEPTA app have to be done for a street address, and the lack of a recent search function makes planning trips difficult for riders.
Remove Loading Animation: Riders want immediate information regarding upcoming trips. If you see a bus quickly approaching but are not sure if it is the correct one, the last thing riders want is a drawn out animation sequence.
Account Passwords: Our members frequently use the SEPTA app to reload their Key Cards. Far too often, their passwords are forcefully reset. We would like to see users logged in for longer periods of time and with their original passwords. Implement Live Map Detours on the App: SEPTA’s online live map is a valuable feature for communicating detours. While this is a great feature for web users, app users currently do not have access, and users are stuck trying to interpret the written alerts. Adding the detour feature into the app’s route-specific real-time maps would be a huge improvement for mobile bus riders.
Improve Real Time Arrival Info for L and Bus Trips: The YAC hopes to see real-time arrivals extended to the L. If this is possible in stations, we expect to see it on the app. Riders should have real-time access to arrivals wherever possible. Likewise, the YAC wants to see bus stop real-time arrivals be live updated in the planned trip section. As of now, when you plan a bus trip and are in the trip viewer, you only see the updated arrival time at the time you planned the trip. Many factors can affect this and riders should not have to switch between their planned trip and schedules to see when their bus departs. Thank you for considering our recommendations.
We would be happy to discuss further.
Sincerely,
YAC SEPTA Affairs Committee