City council takes step toward reopening shuttered Greyhound Bus station in Philadelphia
City leaders are taking a major step toward resolving Philadelphia's long-running bus station woes.
A key city council committee has approved a plan to restore and reopen the former Greyhound terminal on Filbert Street, which has sat dormant for more than two years.
For the past two years, travelers have been boarding and exiting buses at 2nd and Spring Garden streets — an unsheltered curbside stop with no seating, amenities or permanent public restrooms.
"There should be a bus station. It's too cold," said Lisa Jones, who was waiting to take a Greyhound bus to Allentown. Jones said she only waited a few minutes, "but I'm all bundled up. I got my scarf, I have my gloves. We're trying to get in the sun to warm up."
Passengers have complained since Greyhound moved service to temporary curbside locations after ending its lease at the Filbert Street terminal in 2023. Before the current stop, buses picked up riders at 6th and Market streets for several months, a move that drew concerns about congestion and safety.
Greyhound's parent company, FlixBus, has shifted toward lower-cost curbside operations nationwide. Meanwhile, the old terminal was briefly considered as part of the proposed Philadelphia 76ers arena project in Market East, but those plans collapsed earlier this year.
Under the new proposal, the Philadelphia Parking Authority would renovate and manage the Filbert Street station through a 10-year lease. Councilmember Mark Squilla, who represents Center City, said he expects it will cost millions of dollars to renovate the inside of the Filbert Street Station.
Squilla said the city worked with planners and Chinatown residents to ensure new bus routes would not create additional neighborhood impacts.
"We worked with planning and we worked with the Chinatown community to make sure that the buses will follow a route that won't impact them negatively," Squilla said.
Squilla added that the goal is to have the revamped station operating by May 1, 2026, ahead of major events, including the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations and the FIFA World Cup matches scheduled in the region.
"I think the goal was by May 1 to have it up and running before all the activities really start to kick in place," Squilla said.
City council sat through a first reading of the proposal Thursday. A full city council vote is expected next week, and the measure is widely expected to pass.