‘Bus Revolution’ Revised in Philadelphia

The bus system redesign underway in Philadelphia changed direction after riders and local politicians complained about an initial draft plan.

1 minute read

March 23, 2023, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


White SEPTA bus driving through snow in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jana Shea / SEPTA bus

The “Bus Revolution” will be revised.

According to an article by Tom McDonald for WHYY, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) released a revised “Bus Revolution” system redesign after riders complained about planned changes to bus routes and schedule. “At the time, the plan called for reducing the agency’s bus service from 125 routes to 99,” explains  McDonald.

The article includes numerous soundbites from Dan Nemiroff, who leads the bus route redesign effort for SEPTA, who explains that the changes create more familiarity with the old plan.

“Plans to change older route numbers to three digits have also been done away with. Nemiroff said adding new numbers to routes that were not substantially altered was confusing for regular riders,” according to McDonald.

Planetizen picked up news in September 2022 about the Bus Revolution as one component of a trio of transit planning efforts in Philadelphia. As for the Bus Revolution, there are number of steps left before riders will see changes to their normal routes. “SEPTA will do another round of listening sessions before formal hearings on the changes. Implementation is still about a year away if the board approves,” reports McDonald.

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 in WHYY

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

Skyscrapers in Jersey City.

New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers

Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.

September 4, 2026 - The Cool Down

A New Jersey train approaches people waiting at the station.

Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds

A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.

September 15 - Mass Transit

A tall, gray power plant billows smoke into a blue sky.

EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants

Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.

September 15 - New York Times

A white RAPID bus. The lower half is light blue, and says RAPID in purple text. The bus is half visible, appearing from the left side of the image.

Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses

Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.

September 15 - KJZZ

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.