Philadelphia's public transit network is, for the most part, run by SEPTA. During my stay, I rode the 15, 23, Market-Frankford Line, and Broad Street Line (Local). My observations of each line is as follows:
The #23 was a good bus route. Running from Chestnut Hill Loop to Broad & Oregon, the line is SEPTA's busiest bus route. However, SEPTA's archaic fare system makes the line slow, as many passengers must pay cash or use tokens, though a smart card system, SEPTA Key, is on the way. Bus stops were nice, with signs showing the route number and destination in clear print, as well as stop ID and other important information. Bus shelters were very nice, and looked like green tents. The bus itself was nice, and exceptionally clean for 8:00 PM on a Friday. Seats were nice, with a thin layer of blue padding, and some bench seats. A major downside, however, is that the bus vocals only announce major stops and the connecting routes at these stops. In my opinion, the bus should announce each stop as it is passed. At Germantown & Broad, as well as at Germantown & Erie, transfer to the Broad Street Subway was available. The line has very frequent service, Monday-Sunday, and 24/7 service is available on Germantown Avenue north of the subway station. I think that the line should reinstate streetcars from the subways station to Chestnut Hill Loop, where the demand is highest, and keep the route a bus on 11th and 12th Streets, where travel through Center City is best done by bus and demand is lower.
The #15 is SEPTA's last trolley route that doesn't use the Center City Streetcar Tunnel. The line runs from Richmond & Westmoreland to 63rd & Girard. The line runs with frequent service seven days a week, and runs 24/7, acting as an important crosstown route through many low-income, transit dependent areas. Something of note is that this line does not run with the 1980's "K-Cars" the other trolley routes run with, but with refurbished ADA accessible PCC Cars, as SEPTA doesn't have the funds for new cars. Along much of Girard Avenue, the line boards at raised concrete platforms in the center of the road, much like in Praha (Prague). Although having been reinstated as a streetcar in 2005, SEPTA did not take advantage of this upgrade very much, as one must board through the front door and pay there, like on a bus, one must pull a cord to get off, like a bus, and stops are relatively simple signs, like a bus. I feel as though SEPTA could at least make it so on the portions of the line where concrete platforms are used to board one pays before boarding, and the stops were more permanent and station like. Also, the trolley had no stop announcement system whatsoever, which should be installed immediately. The trolleys each have two doors facing the same direction, and seats all face the driver, which is a horrible use of space in the narrow cars which are often standing room only on weekends and weekdays.
The Market-Frankford Line is one of the two urban, frequent SEPTA Rail routes, and one of the three SEPTA Rail routes in total. The line is the busiest in the entire system, and as such sees frequent service 24/7, though "Night Owl" service Sunday-Thursday night is provided by bus. Trains had three doors on each side of the car, and operate using Pennsylvania Gauge, which is wider than the standard gauge of the Broad Street Line. Train cars are shaped like rectangular prisms, as opposed to the more conventional cylindrical shape. The line is A LOT like the CTA Rail system in Chicago, especially the Red Line there. Center City stations were in a subway, were very close together, and had the same columns and low ceilings. Outer stations were on elevated tracks, and many were recently renovated. The line utilizes an old system of "A" and "B" trains, so that during peak hours "A" trains only stop at designated "A" stations, as well as "A and B" stations, and "B" trains do the same except with "B" stations. This is only used during weekday rush hours, and isn't necessarily a bad system. Seats were hard blue fiberglass, and none were in a bench seat format, which is unacceptable. The trains had audio systems, which were a little excessive. The announcements of stations and connecting routes was nice, but the announcement of closing doors, opening doors, wheelchair accessibility, etc. was unnecessary in my opinion.
The Broad Street Line is the second urban, frequent SEPTA Rail route, and runs almost entirely under its namesake, Broad Street. The line is the second busiest in the system as a whole, and is actually a system of three services. The Broad Street Line Local trains operate most frequently, seven days a week, 24/7, from AT&T to Fern Rock Transportation Center. However, Sunday-Thursday nights "Night Owl" service is provided by bus. Next, the Broad-Ridge Spur operates fairly frequently, Monday-Saturday, from Olney Transportation Center or Fern Rock Transportation Center to 8th Street. Finally, The Broad Street Line Express trains operate very frequently, Monday-Friday, from Fern Rock Transportation Center to Walnut-Locust. Additionally, Some Express trains branded "Special" operate the same route as Express trains, but with one additional stop at AT&T, and operate during sports events. The line as a whole is reminiscent of the New York City Subway, with Local and Express trains, the same four track configuration with express on the inner two tracks and local on the outer two, and the same wall mosaics. The trains had three doors on each side of the car, and interiors of the train had a few bench seats, with seats overall being hard orange plastic, like in New York City. Local only stations were simple structures with mosaic walls, but larger stations where all three services stopped often had bus hubs on the surface, multiple entrances and exits, and many platforms. Audio systems on the trains were slightly over excessive, and were very similar to those on the Market-Frankford Line. All in all, a good system!
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