Station Review #16: West Chester Transportation Center (SEPTA/ChescoBus)


West Chester Transportation Center is a bus station located in downtown West Chester, PA. The bus station is located directly next to numerous shops, among other things. The station is located inside a seven floor parking garage, on the first floor. 


Parking Garage Tour

Front of West Chester Transportation Center

As mentioned earlier, West Chester Transportation Center is located in a parking garage, taking up the first floor. It has two lanes for buses to lay over with multiple berths. Each lane has at least one bench to sit on


One of these lanes

Another lane, with the sign for the station

At each berth, there is a sign saying what routes layover there on the top. In the middle of the center, there is a large sign with route information for the routes that stop at West Chester Transportation Center. 

SCCOOT information

An interesting thing to note is that the signs very obviously haven't been updated much since they were put in, as shown in this example:

The 306 was a bus route that went from Talleyville, DE to West Chester Transportation Center and an industrial park, while the 314 exclusively went to business parks in and around West Goshen, PA. By 2012, both of these routes had been cut. The 92 still exists, but it had probably been moved to another berth. 


Berth 5 in particular is also interesting, as it specifically exists for non-fixed routes that use minibusses. 

The other two berth signs

The station also has an office, mainly for asking questions about parking, as ChescoBus is very hard to reach in any capacity...

What a sad office

Services provided at West Chester Transportation Center 

Route 92 bus at West Chester Transportation Center

These services are provided at West Chester Transportation Center: 

SEPTA:

• 92: to King of Prussia via Exton and Paoli, follows US-202

• 104: to West Chester University and also 69th st transportation center, bus version of a former trolley service that did the exact same thing

• 135: to Coatesville via Downingtown and Exton, originally Krapfs Coaches Route A, became a SETPA route in 2020 after Krapfs Coaches could not support the route

• CCT, aka SEPTA's paratransit service

ChescoBus / Other:

• SCCOOT: Bus service between West Chester and Oxford, PA via Longwood, Kennett Square, Toughkenamon, Avondale, West Grove, Jennersville, Kelton, and Lincoln University. 

• Rover: Dial-a-Ride bus service for the entirety of Chester County

Pros and Cons of West Chester Transportation Center

Pros

• Accessible

• In a good location

• Good views from the top

Cons

• Looks very bleak

• Old signage

• First floor of a parking garage

• Bathrooms are for employees only

Points of Interest Nearby


• The top floor of the parking garage, for this amazing view

• The town of West Chester itself, which has a lot to do


Amenities Checklist

Accessible: ✓

Bathrooms: ×

Clean Station: ✓

Connections to other transit routes: ✓

Convenience Store/similar place inside: ×

Easy to get around: ✓

Indoor Shelters: ✓

Maps: ✓

Multiple entrances/exits: ✓

Near places people are: ✓

Seating: ✓

Shelters: ✓

Station In Good Condition: ✓

Something relating to fares (atm, ticket kiosk, etc): ×

Ticket Offices: ×

TOD: ✓

Bus Departure/Arrival Info (signs that update/screens): ×

Updated Signage: ×


Final Verdict: 4/10

This place is a very bleak place to wait for a bus, I feel like it could have been executed way better to be made more inviting. 

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