SEPTA Restoring Some Bus Routes For Student Transportation

PHILADELPHIA — SEPTA and the City of Philadelphia announced some bus routes are coming back to help kids get to and from school.

The city Thursday laid out a plan to restore SEPTA school transportation service using a portion of the existing $135 million transit subsidy in the city's fiscal year 2026 budget.

Starting Tuesday, SEPTA to restore priority routes that were eliminated or reduced, enabling students to get to school on time and return home safely, while alleviating crowding for all riders.

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To enable students to get to school, service will be restored on the 84, 88, 452, 461, 462, 476, 478, and 484 routes.

Service on the 31 will be restored from Overbrook Park to 63rd and Market streets.

Service will be augmented on routes that serve a significant number of students to reduce crowding and pass-ups - the 14, 20, 23, 26, 47, 63, 67, 70, 82, T2, and T5.

"We are proud that our City teams moved quickly with SEPTA to find a way to restore transit services in the areas where students are most affected by the cutbacks that started on the first day of school this week," Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said. "Making sure that all of our city’s children and youth can get to school on time and safely is one of our top priorities. We need our students – Philadelphia’s future – to be at school learning and participating in extracurricular activities without interruption or challenges."

SEPTA agreed in concept to dedicate a portion of the city’s extra operating subsidy paid to the transit agency in fiscal year 2026 to restore service to priority bus lines that enable students to get to school and alleviate crowding.

This development comes as part of the City’s ongoing efforts to support impacted transit riders during the current Pennsylvania state budget impasse.

SEPTA worked closely with the Transportation Workers Union Local 234 to put together a plan to operationalize the service.