According to PlanPhilly, one of SEPTA’s five new proposals for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017 could ease travel into burgeoning University City.

Route 49 would run from Brewerytown through Fairmount, over the Schuylkill River and into University City before going back over the river to Grays Ferry. SEPTA has been studying data and monitoring employment growth occurring in University City and feels that there is a need to provide residents of Fairmount, Brewerytown, and Grays Ferry direct transit access to University City.

The proposed Route 49 would trim a 30-minute bus trip down to 20 minutes, putting it at almost equal footing with commuting times. To run the line, SEPTA estimates that it would require an additional eight or nine buses

In addition, the new route would provide a direct connection between the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and 30th Street Station.

“Believe it or not,” said SEPTA City Service Planning Manager Steven D’Antonio, “we don’t have that today. So tourists coming in on Amtrak could use [Route 49] to get to the tourist attractions on the Parkway.”

The exact route is still being developed and SEPTA is soliciting the public’s suggestions. Some of the decisions still to be decided include whether the bus would stop at the University of Pennsylvania’s new Pennovation Center or which bridge it would use: Grays Ferry Avenue, University Avenue or South Street Bridge.