Philadelphia’s SEPTA approved the Fiscal Year 27 Annual Service Plan (ASP), including the first three phases of implementation for the authority’s first-ever comprehensive bus network redesign, previously known as Bus Revolution.

SEPTA will now proceed to implement changes across the system.

Landing at A New Service Plan

Between 2021 and 2024, SEPTA held more than 200 public meetings — including 144 in-person sessions — throughout the SEPTA service region. Events included town halls, open houses, pop-up events at SEPTA transit centers, and dozens of virtual meetings.

Before the board approved this plan, SEPTA held more than 25 community events and invited public comment on the service's phasing and implementation.

“We are grateful for the support from the SEPTA Board, and to all of our partners in the community for providing thoughtful feedback throughout this process,” said SEPTA GM Scott A. Sauer. “The plan prioritizes the customer experience by improving access to a more frequent and reliable bus network and adjusting service based on ridership trends as we continue educational outreach to our customers and employees.”

Enhancing Reliability, Frequency

SEPTA officials said the changes focus on enhancing reliability and service frequency.

With full implementation of the plan, the number of frequent routes — those coming 15 minutes or better, seven days a week — will increase by 30%. An estimated 1.1 million more people will be within a 10-minute walk of frequent bus service.

Key 2026 Service Changes (Phase 1 – Aug 2026)

• New routes.
• Frequency improvements.
• Improved alignments.
• Reduced service on some routes.
• Eliminated low-ridership and inefficient patterns.
• Eliminated low ridership/duplicative service.

The new network will feature more consistent schedules and a streamlined design that will enhance service reliability and help the authority attract new riders.

SEPTA will also begin operating on-demand transit service, like Uber or Lyft, in areas where there is demand for transit but not enough to sustain fixed-route bus service.

SEPTA officials said that even with all the proposed changes, over 99% of customers currently within a quarter mile of bus service will still be within a quarter mile of bus service.