SEPTA is looking to turn underused property into apartments and retail space through its Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) program.

The TOC program was unveiled in December and targets Regional Rail stations in communities which support “complementary land use, zoning, development and multi-modal access to SEPTA’s services,” according to SEPTA’s website.

“SEPTA has inherited rich transit assets and the settlement patterns that grew around 19th and 20th century train, trolley and bus services,” the website says. “These communities are vibrant, welcoming places that support a density of housing, retail, office, entertainment and community services within easy walking distance of transit services.”

Goals of the projects include:

• Fostering people-first communities
• Increasing mobility through seamless transit, walking and micromobility trips
• Creating economic opportunity by allowing more people to live and work near transit

For the purposes of these projects, SEPTA has also created Transit Oriented Community Guidelines which aim to “establish program goals, identify community-complimentary land use, zoning and development TOC strategies and create illustrated station and corridor typologies.”

From the website:

The Guidelines respond to existing interest for SEPTA to participate in TOC planning, policy and zoning work, review proposed developments and consider development of our properties. The Guidelines also reinforce major SEPTA capital investments by encouraging partnerships that further transit-supportive land use and development.

So far, projects exist in Ambler, Conshohocken, Germantown, and Langhorne, though SEPTA said it is also pursuing pilot joint development projects for select properties.

In our area, the transit agency owns the Glenside Station’s building, platforms, and associated commuter parking areas, the Jenkintown-Wyncote Regional Rail Station, the Cheltenham Station, the Melrose Park Station, the Elkins Park Station, the Noble Station, the Crestmont Station, the Rydal Station, the Meadowbrook Station, the Ardsley Station, the North Hills Station, the Hatboro Station, and the Willow Grove Station, among others.

SEPTA also holds property near the 200-300 blocks of Runnymede Avenue in Jenkintown, which has been used for flood mitigation and environmental projects.

In December 2024, SEPTA announced that it awarded a contract to Philly Office Retail for the long-term lease of five vacant Regional Rail stations on the Chestnut Hill East and Chestnut Hill West Lines.

“The developer will assume all costs associated with renovating the station buildings – saving SEPTA approximately $150,000 in annual maintenance costs in addition to $4 million in one-time renovation costs,” the post said. “While plans for the stations are still being developed they are expected to include retail and residential options.

For more information about TOCs, you can read The Philadelphia Inquirer’s reporting from today.

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Image: SEPTA