Product No.: 25172
Date Published: 05/2026
If you would like to request a printed copy (or copies) of this product, please call DVRPC at 215-592-1800 or email the staff contact listed below. If you would like to request this publication or portion of this publication in another language or format, please fill out a request form.
The purpose of this report is to provide municipalities in the SEPTA service area, local developers, and other local partners a consistent set of guidelines for designing surface transit stops.
This document is the 2025 update to the SEPTA Bus Stop Design Guidelines published in 2012 and updated in 2019. The bus stop guidelines are intended for developing local comprehensive plans, land development ordinances, site or subdivision plans, and transportation and mobility plans. They were developed based on a review of standards and best practices applied nationally and discussions with planning partners.
SEPTA recognizes that every location in their network is unique, and that a given transit stop’s jurisdictional and physical context may offer opportunities to meet these guidelines in some ways but not in others. This guide defines what is required and what is recommended, providing templates for desirable bus stop elements wherever it is possible to provide them. The guidelines detailed here will lead to a higher-quality, more consistent, more accessible, and better-connected network of stop facilities over time.
Geographic Area Covered: SEPTA Bus Network, including: Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, and Philadelphia
Key Words: Bus, Bus Facilities, Bus Stop, Bus Shelter, Design, Operator, Passenger, SEPTA, Southeastern Pennsylvania
Staff Contact(s)
- Baxter Barrett (bbarrett@dvrpc.org)
- Amy D Bernknopf (abernknopf@dvrpc.org)
Translation Request
DVRPC’s publications or portions of publications can be translated in alternative languages and formats if requested. To request translation, please submit the form below. You can also contact DVRPC’s Office of Communications & Engagement at 215-592-1800 or public_affairs@dvrpc.org.
Title VI Statement
In effect as of January 30, 2025
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and related nondiscrimination mandates in all programs and activities. DVRPC is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, all programs and activities on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or income level, as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other related nondiscrimination mandates.
DVRPC's website, www.dvrpc.org, may be translated into multiple languages. Publications and other public documents can be made available in alternative languages and formats, if requested. DVRPC’s public meetings are always held in ADA-accessible facilities and in transit-accessible locations whenever possible. DVRPC will work to accommodate all reasonable requests for translation, interpretation, accommodations or other auxiliary services and encourages that requests be made at least seven days prior to a public meeting. Requests can be made by contacting the Commission’s ADA and Title VI Compliance Officer Shoshana Akins via email at public_affairs@dvrpc.org, calling (215) 592-1800, or while registering for an upcoming meeting.
Any person who believes they have been aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory practice by DVRPC under Title VI has a right to file a formal complaint. Any such complaint must be in writing and filed with DVRPC's ADA and Title VI Compliance Officer Shoshana Akins and/or the appropriate state or federal agency within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory occurrence. Complaints that a program, service, or activity of DVRPC is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to Shoshana Akins as well. For more information on DVRPC's Title VI program or to obtain a Title VI Complaint Form, please visit: www.dvrpc.org/GetInvolved/TitleVI, call (215) 592-1800, or email public_affairs@dvrpc.org.