August 18, 2026
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
SEPTA's New Bus Network Initiative goes into effect Sunday, with new and expanded routes and reductions of lesser-used ones.
SEPTA buses will get two new routes and add extensions to existing lines later this month as the next phase of the transit agency's bus overhaul.
Through the New Bus Network Initiative, previously known as the Bus Revolution, dozens of routes will be altered throughout 2026 and 2027. Phase 1, which goes into effect Aug. 23 and 24, will impact riders in Juniata, Roxborough, Kensington and South Philadelphia, as well as the Cheltenham and Lancaster Avenue corridors. On top of the route additions, seven other routes are being discontinued.
"These changes are focused on enhancing reliability and service frequency and will help riders travel more efficiently throughout our area," SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said in a statement. "Along with new maps and signs, riders will be able to navigate the system more easily."
Here are some of the changes that begin next week:
• Route 72, which travels along Cheltenham Avenue from the Frankford Transit Center to Cedarbrook Plaza, will start up.
• Route 76, which goes along the Columbus Boulevard between Center City and Crescentville.
• Route 45 will add service to the Navy Yard seven days a week.
• Route 79 will extend to 40th Station along the Market-Frankford Line.
• Routes 35, 47M, 62, 78, 80, 89 and 106 will be discontinued.
According to SEPTA, removing some of the lesser-used routes will allow the transit agency to grow ones that run every 15 minutes or less by 30%. That means 1.1 million additional people will now be within a 10-minute walk of frequent service bus lines.
SEPTA riders can use the digital New Bus Network Trip Planner to help move around after Phase 1 is implemented. Beginning Aug. 23, SEPTA.org, the SEPTA app and other apps including Google Maps, Apple Maps and Transit will be updated with the new changes.
Through the plan, SEPTA will also make frequent service line signs red to show they come every 15 minutes. The signs will also more clearly state the name of the stop as well as possible destinations. They'll feature a reflective bus symbol so riders can have an easier time navigating in the dark.
