Update on SEPTA service cuts

As you may know, SEPTA is facing a fiscal crisis due to a lack of permanent funding from the state government. Without funding for transit, SEPTA will be forced to cut service and raise fares across its entire network. This includes the trolleys, buses, and regional rail trains that serve our neighborhood.

SEPTA cuts will affect all residents of Philadelphia, regardless of whether they take transit. Read on to learn how service cuts will impact Cedar Park. For detailed and up-to-date information, see the official SEPTA website.

Phase 1: August 2025

Starting August 24th, service cuts and fare increases will take effect. The following changes will impact riders in and near Cedar Park.

Bus

• 12: Service will be discontinued. Use the 64 bus and 7 bus as alternatives
• 42: Peak frequency will go from 9 minutes to 12 minutes. Midday frequency will go from 11 minutes to 15 minutes
• 52: Trips to Gladwyne will be discontinued. Peak frequency will go from 10 minutes to 12 minutes. Midday frequency will go from 10 minutes to 15 minutes
• 64: Peak frequency will go from 12 minutes to 15 minutes. Midday frequency will go from 20 minutes to 30 minutes

Metro (Trolley)

• T2 (formerly 34): Peak frequency will go from 6 to 8 minutes. Midday frequency will go from 10 to 15 minutes
• T3 (formerly 13): Peak frequency will go from 5 to 6 minutes. Midday frequency will go from 10 to 15 minutes
• T4 (formerly 11): Midday frequency will go from 10 to 12 minutes
• T5 (formerly 36): Peak frequency will go from 5 to 6 minutes

Regional rail

• Media/Wawa line: Some peak and evening service will be eliminated. Midday and weekend frequency will go from 1 hour to 2 hours

ParaTransit

Service area will be reduced outside of Cedar Park. See the official SEPTA map for details.

Fares

Starting September 1st, SEPTA fares will increase by over 20%. The following new fares will go into effect:

• Bus/trolley ride: $2.90 (up from $2.50)
• Weekly TransPass: $31.00 (up from $25.50)
• Monthly TransPass: $116.00 (up from $96.00)
• ParaTransit ride: $5.75 (up from $4.25)
• Zone 1 TrailPass: $116.00 (up from $96.00)

Phase 2: January 2026

Starting January 1st, service for trolleys and regional rail will end at 9PM. Service cuts from August will remain in effect. The following additional cuts will impact Cedar Park.

Metro (Trolley)

• T2 (formerly 34): No service after 9PM
• T3 (formerly 13): No service after 9PM
• T4 (formerly 11): No service after 9PM
• T5 (formerly 36): No service after 9PM

Regional rail

• Media/Wawa line: No service after 9PM

Breaking Barriers to Affordable Housing

Cedar Park Neighbors

invites you to a Public Community Meeting

“Breaking Barriers to Affordable Housing”

Monday, May 19, 2025 – 7:00 PM

Please join us for a virtual presentation by staff from

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s office. 

Councilmember Gauthier has introduced new legislation as part of her Defying Displacement campaign to cut red tape and accelerate affordable housing production in Philadelphia, aiming to expedite permitting processes and allow homeowners to create bonus units, providing new housing options while helping families build generational wealth.

This is a great opportunity for the community to learn about the Councilmember’s proposals, and to ask questions about housing affordability in our neighborhood. 

Join our Zoom Meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85820267785?pwd=VvQPsGbgyhnBJwjDBvj7geKMSSJl9F.1

Meeting ID: 858 2026 7785 Passcode: 591377

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This will be a virtual meeting, via Zoom – please use the link above to join.  Please log in early enough to make sure your connection is working and that you can see/hear clearly.  We are not able to assist with individual technical difficulties. 

June 2024 Board Meeting: 48th Street Restriping and 64 bus route update

48th Street Restriping

At the June Cedar Park Neighbors board meeting, a group of concerned residents living on or around 48th Street presented materials and a petition in opposition of the 48th Street restriping project, which began last week.

After the public portion of the meeting, the board also discussed two other requests: 1) CPN to request a pause on the project and form a committee with other stakeholders to review the project and 2) request that 48th Street have bike lanes next to the traffic lane instead of parking protected lanes.

The board decided to remain aligned with their letter of support sent to the Councilwoman's office on April 10, 2024 and declined these requests to pause, form a committee, and ask for a different design.

Their 3rd request was for the President to ask Councilwoman Gauthier’s office for a meeting. The President formally requested a meeting with Councilwoman Gauthier but her office declined because the project was approved and underway and because public meetings were previously held.

Bus 64 route change updates

The group is also in opposition to the 64 Bus route change and asks CPN to intervene. On May 23rd 2024, the SEPTA Board approved the new network and their project team is making preparations for implementation starting in Summer 2025.

However, the Councilwoman’s office said SEPTA is open to reassessing after a year or two if the route changes end up causing new problems."

Please stay in touch with this project by checking www.SEPTAbusrevolution.com and www.SEPTA.org for updates.

PUBLIC COMMUNITY MEETING - TUESDAY MAY 21 2024 - 7:00 PM

Cedar Park Neighbors invites you to a

Public Community Meeting

Tuesday, May 21, 2024 – 7:00 PM

This will be a virtual meeting, via Zoom – please see the link at the bottom of this notice.  Please log in early enough to make sure your connection is working and that you can see/hear the meeting.  We are not able to assist with individual technical difficulties. Please note the agenda is subject to change.

To receive notice of future zoning meetings, please sign up for the CPN Newsletter at https://www.cedarparkneighbors.org.  For questions, feel free to reach out to the Zoning Committee at zoning@cedarparkneighbors.org

There is one case on the agenda.  The property owner is seeking a use variance; the building is currently three units, and the owner is seeking to legalize an existing fourth unit.  The refusal is not for the number of units, but rather for the size of the property, which does not meet current zoning requirements.

Case #1    761 S. 51st Street     

This is a use/dimensional variance request – the owner seeks to legalize a four-family dwelling in an existing structure; the existing lot size does not comply with current minimums. 

 Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82753421309?pwd=aO35El5OMgvbmbjEQhmIIrZ6AiWVgi.1

 Meeting ID: 827 5342 1309        Passcode: 272837

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CPN Transit Committee Support Letter for 47th and 48th Street Complete Streets Project

Office of Councilmember Jamie Gauthier
City Hall, Room 586
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3290

April 10, 2024

Dear Councilmember Gauthier,

I am writing to you in support of the proposed complete streets project on 47th and 48th Streets in the Cedar Park neighborhood.

Throughout Philadelphia, complete streets programs have been shown to reduce vehicular crashes and deaths - a crucial intervention at a time when pedestrian deaths are on the rise, particularly among children and Black and Hispanic residents [1]. As proposed, the project offers a number of benefits for the neighborhoods in its scope, including narrower crossing distances on 48th Street, traffic calming measures to reduce vehicle speeds, and a more connected cycling network for West and Southwest Philadelphia. Looking beyond the immediate neighborhood, the proposed bike lane changes align well with other projects like Chestnut and Walnut Streets [2], Woodland Avenue [3], and the extensions of the Schuylkill River Trail into Southwest Philadelphia [4]. Taken in context, this project helps the city move closer to accomplishing its safety and sustainability goals while broadly adhering to the vision laid out in the Philadelphia2035 plan [5].

That said, there are some concerns around this project, the most pressing being that the 47th and 48th Street project area is not included in the current mechanical street sweeping program [6]. Given current conditions on other separated bike lanes in the area, adding 47th and 48th Streets to the street sweeping program would be generally beneficial. Additionally, the proposed plans have not made any clear provisions for accessible parking, loading activity, or permitted parking. While these can be incrementally added to the design, the city could take a more proactive approach to addressing community concerns for projects like this one by including these as options during community engagement.

Overall, Cedar Park Neighbors welcomes this improvement to its streets and hopes to see it folded into a broader plan for the future that addresses safety, maintenance, and accessibility needs in a comprehensive fashion.

Sincere regards,

John N Schaeffer
Transit Committee Chair, Cedar Park Neighbors

CC: CPN Board

---

1. https://visionzerophl.com/plans-and-reports/annual-report-2023/

2. https://www.phila.gov/programs/complete-streets/projects/chestnut-walnut-repaving-and-complete-street-safety-project/

3. https://www.phila.gov/documents/woodland-avenue-trolley-portal-complete-streets-project/

4. https://www.phila.gov/media/20221013130552/trail-plan-10.12.pdf

5. https://www.phila2035.org/university-southwest

6. https://streetsmartphl.phila.gov/

Election Time!

Our Annual Meeting and Election will take place this Monday, April 15th at Calvary Community Center (48th and Baltimore). 

AGENDA
6:30 - Voting Opens
7:00 - President - Welcome & State of the Union
7:20 - Treasurer - this years budget
7:30 - Election Results - Judges of Election
7:35 - Public Q&A / Town Hall
8-8:30 - Adjourn 

SLATE OF CANDIDATES
President - Catherine Hofmann (currently Secretary) 
Secretary - Angela DiBattiste (currently at-large)
Treasurer - Amara Rockar (currently Treasurer) 
Vice President - John Schaeffer (currently VP) 
At-Large Board Members: Francesca Carvalho, Steve Dolnak, Jess Lowing, Frenchie Pryor, Renee McBride Williams (current President). 12 spots are open. 

YOU MUST BE A MEMBER TO VOTE

By becoming a member, not only do you financially support our work, but you can join committees and vote in the general election! 

Join us today and be a part of something truly special. Together, we can make our neighborhood an even better place to call home. 

Join CPN and Vote in the 2024 Election!

Hello Neighbors!

We're gearing up for a great year of Jazz, Scholarships, Holiday Baskets, along with maintaining Cedar Park, hosting Zoning activities, advocating for safe streets, and so much more!

By becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors, you are supporting a wealth of community programming. Plus, you can join committees, run for board seats, and vote in elections.

Become a member today!

Run for a board seat

If you are interested in joining the board, please read more about here: https://www.cedarparkneighbors.org/join-the-board

Public Zoning Meeting - Tuesday, March 19, 2024

REVISED NOTICE

PUBLIC COMMUNITY MEETING

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2024 – 7:00 PM

This will be a virtual meeting, via Zoom – please see the link at the bottom of this notice. We are notholding in-person meetings at this time. Please log in early enough to make sure your connection is working and that you can see/hear the case in which you are interested. We are not able to assist with individual technical difficulties; nor can we confirm exactly when the second case will begin.

There IS ONE case on the agenda - a zoning variance request

for a change of use.

THE TWO RESTAURANT CASES – CLEO BAGELS AND BOOKER’S

RESTAURANT – HAVE BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL OUR APRIL MEETING.

A NEW ZOOM LINK WILL BE CREATED AND MADE PUBLIC.

Case #1 4710 Warrington Avenue

This is a use variance request – the owner would like to create a two-family dwelling in a single-family district.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87268951854...

Meeting ID: 872 6895 1854

Passcode: 967851

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