SEPTA celebrates new Navy Yard bus service in the rapidly changing Philadelphia neighborhood

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A SEPTA bus drove through a banner on Tuesday to signal the future of service in Philadelphia’s Navy Yard, now a high-tech industry haven with more living spaces being built every day.

The Route 45 bus will now travel from Center City to the rapidly growing neighborhood in South Philly, offering a seamless trip for many who used to transfer to a shuttle bus.

Kate McNamara, executive vice president of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, which runs the Navy Yard, said the route change is good for those who live and work in the area.

“It is the No. 1 thing that people really care about here at the Navy Yard. Workers, companies, they all want an easy way in and out that’s fast and reliable,” McNamara said.

Scott Sauer, SEPTA’s general manager, said the change symbolizes what bus route upgrades are designed to do.

“The new bus network work touches all corners of the SEPTA network, and over the past five-plus years, we’ve been working closely with communities that we serve, elected officials, advocates and other stakeholders to make changes that will improve service across the city and region,” he said.

The changes have not sat well with some people who will have to work longer hours or rely on alternative transportation, such as trains or combinations of vehicles, to get where they want to go.

“Does that mean there won’t ever be changes again? No, of course not. We’re going to make changes where we see fit,” Sauer said. “This is the first wholesale change, or reimagining, if you will, of our bus network in our existence. I think it was well needed.”

Sauer said it’s been decades since the routes have been analyzed, and that this is an opportunity to show the system is nimble enough to adapt.

“Instead of doing piecemeal changes that sometimes make sense and sometimes don’t, we took a very thorough look at this,” he said. “We believe we’ve developed the best, most effective use of our bus network that we possibly can.”