PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Some of SEPTA’s seating has been benched for so-called leaner rails, and the transit agency is trying to gauge what riders think about them.
The leaners are angled rails that stand a little lower than waist height, for most people. Commuters waiting for a bus can lean against the rails, but they can’t sit down.
SEPTA installed 13 leaners at the Frankford Transportation Center and 12 at the 69th Street Transportation Center west bus terminal in October.
SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said it’s an effort to improve traffic flow in often-crowded terminals.
“We think these might work where we have tight and narrow areas such as bus shelters,” he said. “So that’s why we’re looking at these locations to start.”
Busch said discouraging people from sleeping on benches was another factor in testing the leaner rails.
“Some of the issues that we’ve had with people laying on benches, which isn’t permitted, that was a factor in looking at this,” he added.
SEPTA is collecting feedback on what commuters think before the transit agency decides whether to install the leaners at more locations.
“We wanted to see if they’re noticing it, to see if they find it convenient or if they prefer the old benches,” Busch said.
Among a sampling of people waiting for buses at 69th Street, the leaners were not popular.
“I think they did it so the homeless wouldn’t be able to sit on them,” one woman said. “I don’t really like that. I don’t care to stand for a bus, but the homeless people used to lay here. It wasn’t a big deal to me.”
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“I’d rather [have] the benches than this here,” said one man. “I’d rather be sitting down than standing up. You’ve got to wait for the bus. There’s no telling how long the bus is going to come. Sometimes it could be an hour, half-hour, 45 minutes, and you’ve got to stand through all that instead of sit.
“What about the senior citizens?” he continued. “They can’t stand out here like this. They need to sit down!”