SEPTA unveiled its renovated web site to the public in November, appealing to the commuter population and the “tech-savvy crowd” alike, according to SEPTA spokesman Brian Anderson.
Within the next few weeks, SEPTA will launch a new section on the site for its Youth Advisory Council, of which several Penn students are members.
The YAC was founded last summer to learn of “issues affecting youth” and “advocate SEPTA resources and inform youth about the system,” according to College senior and Youth Advisory Council Chairman Phil Dawson.
Currently, the YAC’s web site contains membership and contact information, as well as news regarding the Council’s Youth Rider Survey.
The full, updated edition of the site will include member biographies, current events and other new features.
The YAC consists of 17 area high school and college students, five of whom are Penn students.
Anderson said the new web site will appeal particularly to college students, who “like to be connected.”
SEPTA uses Twitter and RSS feeds to provide riders with transit information. In addition, the agency offers a mobile version of its web site “containing the most crucial service info, alerts and station information,” Anderson said.
Referring to the new web site, Anderson said, “There is a slight learning curve because things are in different places now.”
However, with easier navigation and a new design, SEPTA has received “very positive” responses to the new site, he added.
One of SEPTA.org’s new features is the integration of Google Transit and Plan My Trip into every page of the site.
Google Transit gives driving, walking and transit directions to customers. According to Anderson, SEPTA is one of nearly 400 transit systems that provides Google with transit schedule information.
The Plan My Trip feature, on the other hand, is “SEPTA-specific.” Although it was available before the web site renovation, the program now offers a search option, through which users can view regional rail information, walking distances and fares, among other options.
Another feature of the new site is Next to Arrive, a program that, given start and end points, presents commuters with four train options as well as trains’ current status and connection information.
According to Dawson, the new web site is more “intuitive” than before, and the mobile SEPTA site proves to be a useful “on-the-go resource.”
“It’s a lot easier to access current information on when trains are coming and planning your trips,” Dawson said.
SEPTA’s Chief Press Officer Jerri Williams highlighted another unique feature of SEPTA’s newly renovated site — the online newsroom.
According to Williams, this section of the site provides a “behind-the-scenes” perspective of the transit system. Williams emphasized that the new section allows riders to view SEPTA as “not just trains and buses, but also the people behind the scenes putting everything together.”
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