Transit Forward Philadelphia

After the state budget passed in 2025 with no new additional transit funding, Transit Forward Philadelphia and its coalition partners spoke at multiple SEPTA board meetings asking SEPTA leaders to communicate to riders updated plans for their bus redesign.

Since our formation in 2020, Transit Forward Philadelphia has advocated for a redesigned, reliable, and affordable bus system in Philly. The fact is that too many Philadelphians have been late to work or school because of unreliable buses, face wait times of up to an hour, or struggle to reach their destinations outside of peak commute times. A 2022 TFP rider survey connected with over 2,000 SEPTA bus riders and affirmed the need for change.

Over the past several years, SEPTA has shared evolving plans for a ‘Bus Revolution’ to update its bus network. In 2024, the new network was indefinitely postponed.

This month, SEPTA made their announcement, now titled the ‘New Bus Network’. The plan will be implemented in phases, with the first taking place in August 2026.

August 2026 Changes will include:

• Two new bus routes:
  • Route 72 on Cheltenham Avenue connecting Frankford Transit Center and Cedarbrook Plaza
  • Route 76 providing service between North Philadelphia and South Philadelphia
• Extensions to existing bus routes:
  • Route 45 to the Navy Yard
  • Route 79 to University City
• Frequency improvements to bus routes 6, 46, 47, 49, 57 and  64
• Visit SEPTA’s New Bus Network site for a full list of changes and information on phase 2 and 3.

Here’s what this means for transit riders:

• Routes and timetables will change. That’s why it is critical for SEPTA to communicate these changes to riders in a format that is accessible to them by meeting them where they are - at transit stops, on buses, and in the community.
• This plan is ‘revenue neutral.’ That means that service improvements for riders are paid for by finding efficiencies on other routes.
  • Funding Transit For All PA and passing a sustainable funding source for SEPTA is one way to avoid future austerity plans.
• With state funding up in the air, the New Bus Network makes investments that deliver positive changes for many Philly bus riders. The graph below from SEPTA’s Annual Service Plan(pg. 126), shows how SEPTA proposes to take resources from routes that cost 6x-7x more $ to operate and uses them to increase frequency and reliability on more efficient routes. Shoutout to Route 60 for being the most efficient bus in PA!

• The New Bus Network is not a perfect system. The Transit Forward Philly coalition has expressed concerns over eliminating fixed route service for ‘microtransit’ in parts of Noristown, Paoli-Great Valley, and West Chester- Malvern. Elimination of service to some communities such as Gladwynne without any form of microtransit is a disappointing service cut. Riders of eliminated buses like Route 1 may need to make multiple transfers to reach their destination. These changes may be abrupt for many riders and clear communication is a critical part of the New Bus Network’s success.
• Given the funding constraints that SEPTA has been under and the changes that have been made to address community concerns since the beginning of the Bus Revolution project, overall this plan provides easier access to more frequent service for more bus riders. Philly transit riders should be able to go to a bus stop near their home, work or school, and know that a reliable bus is on the way on weekdays, evenings, and weekends. On balance, the New Bus Network, improves service for Philadelphians and gets us closer to this goal.

Here’s what you can do:

• Attend a New Bus Network Event
  • Check SEPTA’s website for the most up to date information

• Join an Open House and Hearing on April 15 at SEPTA HQ (1234 Market St) - Register here with TFP
  • 11am - In Person Open House
  • 12pm - Public Hearing (Virtual or In Person) Register via Webex
  • 5 pm - In Person Open House
  • 6 pm - Public Hearing (Virtual or In Person) Register via Webex
    
• Read the full annual service plan.
  • Check out changes to routes you and your neighbors take - read SEPTA’s justifications and make your voice heard about what you think.
• Share updates on the New Bus Network with your community
  • You can help your fellow bus riders, your friends, family, neighbors, and community groups know what is coming. Share the New Bus Network proposal and let your people know how they can take action.

We want to hear from you:
Is there a part of the New Bus Network that you love, disagree with, or have questions about? Your voice matters in this process and we want to help amplify it. Please contact [email protected] with your comments.

As a diverse 37+ member coalition, we understand that big changes like this to the 6th largest transit system in America with nearly half a million bus riders will impact everyone differently. We may have differences of opinion on specific aspects of this plan but we share the goal of a more reliable, sustainable, and accessible transit in Philly. We are committed to working with everyone moving forward to  building the transit system that Philly deserves.

PHILADELPHIA, PA

Philadelphia transit riders and advocates celebrate the release of Mayor Cherelle Parker’s FY 2027 budget. The Mayor’s plan provides needed funding for critical transit investments including the nationally recognized Zero Fare program, municipal Key Advantage, and increased resources for SEPTA. The budget announcement comes after a week of action that culminated in a rally at City Hall with state elected officials, union leaders, and community advocates from across Philadelphia calling for Zero Fare and Key Advantage to be funded in the city budget.

Transit Forward Philadelphia appreciates the leadership of Minority Whip Nicolas O’Rourke (WFP, At-Large) and contributions from leaders throughout the Philadelphia City Council for supporting these programs. Councilmember O’Rourke shared, “Our mayor made a great choice in continuing to prioritize transit access through funding Zero Fare and Key Advantage. These programs help generate the positive feedback loops that SEPTA needs, and keeps—as with so many of our constituents—affordability front of mind. I thank the Philadelphians who made it clear that transit access is, and will be, a priority in their communities.”

Gloria ‘Smooches’ Cartagena Hart, a community organizer with Kensington Corridor Trust shared, I work with families throughout the Kensington community and would love to thank Mayor Parker for supporting all Philadelphians that are living paycheck to paycheck. With Zero Fare funded, now families will not have the extra concern of how they’ll get to where they need to go.”

Julio Rodriguez, Policy Director of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP) said, “BCGP is glad that mobility investments were prioritized in the budget. All Philadelphians must have freedom of mobility. The Mayor's Key Advantage and Zero Fare investment ensure that over 60,000 income-eligible community members and 13,000 employees have that opportunity. BCGP is glad to see there is level funding for Vision Zero and we look forward to working with our members and allies to advocate for increased funding through this year's budget cycle.”

Transit Forward Philadelphia Coalition Manager, Stephen Bronskill shared, “Nearly a year after a 21.5% SEPTA fare increase, transit riders should not have to balance paying for food, medical care, and bus fare. Thanks to this announcement, tens of thousands of Philadelphians living near the poverty line are breathing easier now that their Zero Fare cards will be funded through July 2027. We applaud Mayor Parker for her leadership and for listening to the voices of transit riders. Zero Fare has been called ‘America’s best low income transit program’ due to its low barriers to entry for participants. We look forward to working with members of the Philadelphia City Council to ensure that this innovative program remains fully funded through the budget process.”

Bronskill went on to share the path forward for transit advocates in Philly, “City leaders should make the Zero Fare program permanent by establishing a Transit Access Fund. This would expand access to transit for low income Philadelphians and give Zero Fare participants certainty that their rides to work and opportunities are preserved. It also makes SEPTA more affordable for everyone by making Key Advantage programs for workplaces, schools, and housing more accessible. Additionally, state elected leaders should recognize that Philly is doing its part to invest in transit and pass a state budget that includes sustainable funding for transit agencies across PA.”

Transit Forward Philadelphia is a coalition of 37 organizations supporting a safe, accessible, and sustainable transit network in the Philadelphia region. Learn more at transitforwardphilly.org.
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[Image Description: A large crowd of people with signs at Philadelphia City Hall.]

No budget without transit! SEPTA announced major service cuts and fare increases beginning August 2025. 

What does this mean for riders? 

Catastrophic cuts to transit service included in SEPTA’s proposed budget for the next year, impacting the whole Philadelphia metro area. 

In the last decade, the funding formula for public transportation has remained stagnant, even as costs for transit agencies have continued to rise. Now we are fully at a crisis point: SEPTA has announced fixed route service cuts up to 45% and fare increases of 21.5%. 

This would effectively kill public transit in our region, and the ensuing damage to our riders, our economy, our healthcare system, our road congestion, and air quality is incalculable.

On April 10th, SEPTA announced the cuts they would have to make in order to operate under the proposed budget, and they will impact every rider no matter if you’re traveling from Overbrook or South Philly. If enacted, the cuts would increase fares to New York City prices with a shadow of the service that Philadelphia used to receive. And the impacts on disabled riders would be even more profound, with 40,000 paratransit trips per year no longer served by SEPTA ACCESS, and fares increased by 35%. 

But transit riders and workers are ready with a response that meets the scale of the crisis.

Our statewide coalition, Transit For All PA!, is organizing thousands of riders across the state to push for a new, dedicated funding source for public transit in the state budget. From Pittsburgh to Pottstown, Erie to Philly, we all need abundant, protected public transportation. And we can win it, together! 

Use our tool to email your state elected officials, Want to take your actions further? Sign up to visit your legislator, join an issue coalition focused on disability or human services, or join one of our regular committees. Our actions and tools are being updated all the time right here.

Email your representatives                               Join the Transit for All PA! campaign

Today, SEPTA joined Pittsburgh in announcing massive cuts to service and fare increases. This would effectively kill public transit in our region, and the ensuing damage to our riders, our economy, our healthcare system, our road congestion and air quality is incalculable. 

In response to unprecedented cuts, we’re organizing for an unprecedented solution. Tell your legislators it’s time for statewide action.

SIGN PETITION

SEPTA announced fixed route service cuts up to 45% and fare increases of 21.5%. The impacts on disabled riders would be even more profound, with 40,000 paratransit trips per year no longer served by SEPTA ACCESS, and fares increased by 35%. 

This is not just an Philadelphia issue. In all 67 counties of the Commonwealth, public transportation provides critical access for our elders, youth, disabled community members, and households without access to a personal vehicle. Transit systems statewide are hitting a funding “cliff,” which would devastate communities already suffering under similar cuts enacted over the past several years due to funding austerity. 

Just two weeks ago, Pittsburgh Regional Transit announced cuts to fixed route service of up to 40% with an additional 9% increase in fares. This is on top of 20% service cuts over just the last 5 years in Allegheny County. The lack of dedicated, expanded transit funding affects people riding to work in Allentown on LANTA, elders moving around their community safely in Erie, and disabled community members using paratransit in Harrisburg. 

Over the last several years, our statewide coalition Transit for All PA! has been organizing for a new, dedicated state funding source to fund the transit services riders across the Commonwealth need. We are a coalition of thousands from communities of all sizes and geographies, and we have a shared demand: to restore transit service across the state to 2019 levels– and to expand transit service in communities outside Pittsburgh and Philadelphia by an additional 10%. 

Last week, on a Transit for All PA statewide call with over 200 transit riders and workers, communities across the Commonwealth ratified a demand and the funding solutions that would meet our collective needs. This funding package would go beyond austerity, and ensure transit funding stability and service restoration for all 67 counties statewide. 

Better transit- not worse- is possible, is necessary, and is transformative. We're ready to bring this challenge to our state elected leaders: will you meet this moment with us?

Join us April 11th at Philadelphia City Hall to Rally for SEPTA at 11am at the North Portal (City Hall Entrance looking at North Broad St.)

Earlier this month, Transit Forward Philadelphia along with the Temple University Office of Sustainability hosted the Transit Equity Day workshop to reflect Governor Shapiro’s recent budget announcement. 

This update was sent to Transit Forward Philadelphia (TFP) supporters via our newsletter. Want to sign up and receive these updates? Get involved!