Philadelphia, PA – Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has had an annual service plan today, addressing the massive budget shortfall that will affect the system. While most are fully aware of the regional rail cuts that are proposed, the cuts proposed to the bus system is massive as well, and will drastically affect the system.
Transit Service Cuts
The following bus routes will be completely eliminated:
Effective August 2025: 1, 8, 12, 19, 30, 31, 35, 47M, 50, 62, 73, 78, 80, 88, 89, 91, 106, 120, 126, 133, 150, 201, 204, 206, 311, 452, 461, 462, 476, 478, 484, Boulevard Direct
Effective January 2026: 28, 32, 44, 77, 90, 92, 95, 103, 118, 127, 128, 132, 446, 447, 448, 490, 
OWL, 
OWL
Now when you compare this to the SEPTA Bus Revolution Plans, only routes 1, 35, 47M, 50, 62, 78, 80, 89, 91, 103, 123, 150, and 201 were to be retired without direct replacement. All the other routes, especially routes 19, 30 and 31, were either supposed to be enhanced with more frequent service, or replaced with more direct routes. SEPTA Metro service was supposed to be enhanced to meet demand as well, but instead all SEPTA Metro lines are getting a 9pm curfew starting in January 2026.
SEPTA Metro 
service as well as all 
sports express service will be eliminated in January 2026 as well
On top of these eliminated routes, some routes will also be cut back here’s a chart of the cut back routes compared to their SEPTA Bus Revolution counterparts, and you will see the before and after.
| Route | Doomsday Plan | Bus Revolution Plan |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Route 2 service to Wayne Junction will be discontinued, with all trips ending at Pulaski-Hunting Park Effective August 2025 | Route 2 would’ve been simplified and all trips would’ve operated to Wayne Junction |
| 3 | Route 3 service along Kensington Av will be discontinued, with all trips operating via Cecil B. Moore Avenue and Front Street to York-Dauphin Stationon the  Effective August 2025 | Some rush hour trips would’ve alternated only operating via Cecil B. Moore Avenue and Front Street toYork-Dauphin Stationon the |
| 5 | All Route 5 trips will end at Front St and Girard Av, with service on 2nd and 3rd Sts being discontinued. Effective August 2025 | Would’ve operated via 4th Street Southbound instead of 2nd Street. |
| 7 | All Route 7 trips will be truncated to 20th-Johnston on the southern end. Connections with  train service to be eliminated.Effective August 2025 | Service realignment in North Philadelphia to remain on 29th Street in Both Directions, as well as service being truncated to 20th-Johnston on the southern end. Connections with train service to be eliminated. |
| 9 | Route 9 will be shortened to operate between Ridge Av and Cathedral Rd and  Drexel Station at 30th St.Effective August 2025 | Eastern terminus would’ve been 5th-Market, creating a new transfer opportunity with the at 5th St Station. |
| 17 | Route 17 will be shortened to operate between Front and Market Sts and 20th and Johnston Sts. Service south of Moyamensing Av will be discontinued. Effective August 2025 | Same Plan |
| 25 | Route 25 will be realigned to operate via York St and Frankford Av with service on Memphis and Cedar Sts being discontinued. Effective August 2025 | Route 25 would be replaced by routes 73 and 76. Route 73 will take over operation between Castor Avenue and Richmond Street and Front-Spring Garden Route 76 will take over operation along Columbus Boulevard |
| 27 | Route 27 will be shortened to operate between Plymouth Meeting Mall and City Hall. Effective August 2025 | Route 27 would’ve been simplified and alternate between Ridge-Cathedral and Plymouth Meeting Mall. |
| 38 | Route 38 will be realigned to operate through Mantua, operating on 34th and Market Sts, serving Drexel Station at 30th St. Effective August 2025 | Route 38 would’ve been re-routed westbound via Market Street to 34th/33rd Streets in University City. This route would’ve terminated at Ford-Monument. Wissahickon Transit Center service via Presidential would’ve been provided by route 40. |
| 43 | Route 43 will be shortened to operate between Parkside Loop and Front-Spring Garden Effective August 2025 | Route 30 will be merged into a modified route 43 Route 43 will take over operations to   69th Street Transit Center. and via Haverford Avenue.Route 43 will be re-routed west Service to Parkside Loop will be eliminated. Service to take over route 30 operations west of 41st Street. |
| 44 | Route 44 service to Narberth and Gladwyne will be discontinued Effective August 2025 Service to be eliminated completely in January 2026 | Same as August 2025 Plan |
| 53 | Route 53 will operate part of the Route 89 to Westmoreland Loop and will be extended to Carpenter Station via Lincoln Drive to the west. Effective August 2025 | Same as August 2025 Plan |
| 61 | Route 61 will be shortened to operate between Center City and Wissahickon Transit Center. Bus service on Main St will be discontinued. Effective August 2025 | Route 61 will be simplified, and alternate between terminating at Wissahickon Transfer Center and Ridge-Summit. All southbound service will terminate at 13th-Market, moving the connection to 13th Street Station providing new connections to      . |
| 63 | Route 63 trips serving Essington Av will be discontinued Effective August 2025 | Route 63 will be simplified and all trips will start at Pier 70. Service will be re-routed to remain on 57th Street in both directions between Baltimore Avenue and Chestnut/Walnut Streets. Service near Overbrook Station will be aligned to serve the same streets in both directions. |
| 64 | Route 64 will be realigned along Grays Ferry Av in Grays Ferry. Effective August 2025 | Same as August 2025 Plan |
| 98 | Route 98 will be shortened, and all service will end at Plymouth Meeting Mall Effective August 2025 | Route 98 will provide a new direct route to Plymouth Meeting Mall from Norristown Service will also be extended to serve King of Prussia Mall via current route 99. Service to Blue Bell to be eliminated. |
| 105 | Route 105 & 106 will be combined into one route with two patterns: one segment operating between 69th St Transit Center and Rosemont (via Haverford Av and City Av) and the second extending service to Paoli Effective August 2025 | Same as August 2025 Plan |
| 115 | Route 115 will be shortened, and all trips will end at Darby Transit Center. Effective August 2025 | Route 115 will be re-routed to run via current route 103 to Ardmore. Service within Sharon Hill to be eliminated, replaced with route 107 service A new connection to lines at  trains at Ardmore Junction Station |
| 124 | Route 124 will be shortened to operate as a circulator service between Gulph Mills Station, King of Prussia Mall, and Chesterbrook. Effective August 2025 | Route 124 will be cut back to 30th-Market, and simplified in King of Prussia. |
| 125 | Route 125 will be shortened to operate between 30th St Station and the King of Prussia Business Center Effective August 2025 | Same as August 2025 Plan |
| 310 | Route 310 will be realigned to provide service on some discontinued segments from Route 311. Effective August 2025 | Similar to August 2025 Plan |
| 400 Series | Many 400 series routes will be re-routed or discontinued | 400 Series unaffected by Bus Revolution |
 | Trolley service to be replaced by buses | SEPTA Metro unaffected by Bus Revolution |
| Trolley service to be replaced by buses | SEPTA Metro unaffected by Bus Revolution |
| Route | Doomsday Plan | Bus Revolution Plan |
It’s important to note that these issues are not from changing signs, or anything of that sort. Quite the contrary – SEPTA has been cost-neutral operating since whereabouts 2010. The system has run in such a way that new routes, signs, and operations, cost just the same as existing routes, signs, and operations. A perfect example of this is when route 49 was introduced, there was a slight service reduction on routes 27 and 65 to compensate. Another is when the Boulevard Direct was introduced, a slight service reduction was placed on route 14 to compensate.
Even with the SEPTA Metro re-branding, signs are only being replaced at stations that already need new signs to begin with. No additional signs have been placed as of yet. “New signs” posted over bus stops for the route rebranding that happened in February, were nothing more than stickers placed over existing bus stop signs
Hopefully, by some miracle, these cuts are all avoided. And SEPTA can continue moving forward with better operations, especially the way the future was looking bright not too long ago…
