Introducing the Conshohocken Cab: A Montco borough is addressing traffic, sustainability concerns with low-cost shuttle

From Delco to Chesco and Montco to Bucks, what about life in Philly’s suburbs do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

Starting Wednesday, commuters in the Borough of Conshohocken will have yet another transportation option: the Conshohocken Cab.

The borough, in partnership with the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Agency (GVF), is launching a low-cost shuttle with 20 stops throughout Conshohocken and its bordering municipalities.

“We can really make this useful and fun and convenient for not only our residents but for visitors to the borough,” said Shauna Wylesol, a borough administrator and shuttle project coordinator.

The yellow, 14-passenger shuttle will ride in a continuous loop. For $2, people can take a trip through the one-square-mile borough’s downtown area to the new SEPTA train station.

Interested riders can also purchase a 10-trip ticket for $10. The Conshohocken Cab is ADA-compliant, equipped with a bike rack and free Wi-Fi. Seniors with a SEPTA pass as well as minors accompanied by adults ride free.

“We don’t want this to feel off limits to anyone and I think that the choices that we’ve made have really helped to promote the accessibility of the project,” Wylesol said.

Over the past decade, the borough has experienced a boom in development and population. From high-rise apartment complexes to multifamily apartment complexes, Conshohocken is evolving.

“It’s exciting to see this kind of growth but with that you need to take additional steps to make sure you’re providing for an excess in community,” Wylesol said.

The goal of the shuttle is to ultimately limit traffic by reducing the number of single-occupancy vehicles on the road.

“We want to make sure that we are also growing in our offering,” Wylesol said. “So to have all these additional bodies going through the borough every day, it seems not only from an environmental standpoint but just for traffic flow and for ease of access — it was like a no-brainer for us to have an option for people.”

So far, the fleet consists of one TransNet vehicle.

“We’ll be conducting an analysis — monthly reports — providing that to the borough and if we’re seeing that ridership is really high in certain parts, maybe there could be another shuttle that’s added,” said Maureen Farrell, deputy executive director for GVF. “Maybe it’s during the evening hours. But right now, we’ll be starting with just one vehicle.”

Wylesol said this isn’t the first time the borough has looked into the idea of a shuttle, but previously plans never advanced.

Then in 2022, the borough revisited the idea. GVF conducted a survey analysis on behalf of the township and Farrell said the findings were clear: Borough residents wanted a shuttle. Conshohocken officials answered the call.

“I applaud their efforts of really putting people first before vehicles,” Farrell said.

Farrell said as suburban municipalities engage in a “friendly-competition” to be the most attractive places to live, infrastructure investments that encourage connectivity stand out. To Farrell, this could be the start of something new.

“They want to retain not only their residents but they also want to attract and retain employers to stay here. So I think that this is going to be the start of many shuttles — and opportunities,” Farrell said.

The Conshohocken Cab will operate Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. On Sunday, the shuttle’s hours will be limited from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The shuttle will not operate on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Residents can track the bus via an app.