SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) will introduce the first phase of its redesigned bus network on 23 and 24 August, bringing new routes, route extensions and the withdrawal of some existing services across the Philadelphia area.
The changes form the first phase of a wider redesign of SEPTA’s bus network, which the authority describes as the first comprehensive overhaul of the system in its 63-year history.
Phase 1 will introduce two new routes. Route 72 will provide an east-west connection between Frankford Transportation Center and Cedarbrook Plaza via Cheltenham Avenue, while Route 76 will operate between Rising Sun Loop and Columbus Commons via Pier 70, serving G Street, Frankford Avenue and Columbus Boulevard.
Six existing routes will also be extended as part of the phase, including Route 45, which will begin serving the Navy Yard seven days a week. Route 79 will be extended to provide a connection between South and West Philadelphia and 40th Street Station.
At the same time, Routes 35, 47M, 62, 78, 80, 89 and 106 will be discontinued.
SEPTA said the redesigned network is intended to improve service reliability and frequency, while making journeys across the region more efficient.
To prepare passengers for the changes, SEPTA has been running an information campaign that includes 300 pop-up events at 42 locations across its network. Since 2021, the authority said it has also held 500 community events, 40 virtual meetings and 12 public hearings related to the network redesign.
Passengers will also see new signs at affected bus stops. These will use a red designation for frequent services operating every 15 minutes or more often, alongside reflective SEPTA bus symbols intended to make stops easier to identify after dark.
The new signs will also provide clearer stop names and additional destination information where services have more than one possible terminus. SEPTA said the typography, symbols and layout will be standardised across physical and digital passenger information.
From the start of Phase 1, journey-planning tools and interactive schedules on SEPTA’s website and mobile app will be updated to reflect the new network. Third-party journey-planning platforms, including Google Maps, Apple Maps and Transit, are also expected to transition to the new network.
The first phase will take effect on Sunday 23 August and Monday 24 August, depending on the individual service changes.
