SEPTA urges riders to check routes as major bus network changes begin
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- SEPTA is urging bus riders to review their routes ahead of major bus network changes that will take effect Sunday and Monday, including route extensions, new routes and service eliminations.
The transit agency said this time of year is when it typically makes service adjustments, but many of the changes will begin Sunday, one day before the first day of school in Philadelphia.
"We are installing 13,000 new permanent signs throughout the system," said Katie Monroe, SEPTA's director of customer information.
New bus signs are being installed across the city, including at 12th Street and Oregon Avenue. Monroe encouraged riders to verify their routes before traveling.
"If you're a bus rider, this is the time to check," Monroe said. "Most of the routes that will change, of the 30 that will change, are changing on Sunday and some are changing on Monday."
The timing coincides with the reopening of Philadelphia schools.
"In alignment with the school district reopening, we make some adjustments to our bus network," Monroe said.
SEPTA said the changes mark the first phase of its new bus network. The phase includes two new routes, six route extensions and seven route eliminations.
"SEPTA has never in our history taken a comprehensive look at all of our bus routes to make sure that they are matching demand, that they are as efficient and reliable as they can," Monroe said.
Before boarding a bus Sunday or Monday, SEPTA is encouraging riders to use the new bus network trip planner available on its website and mobile app, or to review information posted at their usual bus stops.
"The multiple different destinations the bus goes are listed," Monroe said.
For riders such as Liz Kennedy of Southwest Philadelphia, checking schedules is already part of the routine.
"If I'm in Center City, I'll catch the 45 to Oregon Avenue to catch my G bus to get home," Kennedy said. "They call me the SEPTA queen; I've been catching SEPTA for years."
The upcoming service adjustments are only the first phase of the bus network overhaul. SEPTA said phase two is scheduled for February 2027, with phase three planned for next June.
