SEPTA will restore some bus lines next week to help students get to and from school amid service cuts, the city of Philadelphia announced Thursday. 

The city said the plan will restore several SEPTA bus routes through a portion of the $135 million transit subsidy in the city's 2026 budget. The service on the bus routes will be restored on Tuesday, Sept.  2.

Here are the routes that will be restored starting next week: 

• Six 400-level routes (452, 461, 462, 476, 478, 484)
• 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.

These other routes will be restored at a later date:

• Routes 84, 88
• Route 31 will be partially restored, traveling from Overbrook Park to 63rd and Market

In an update on Thursday night, the city said it would take up to 10 business days for SEPTA to reinstate the 31, 84 and 88 and their corresponding school service bus routes. SEPTA will publish new schedules for those routes and the 400-level routes in mid-September, a city spokesperson said.

"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 Parker said in a statement. "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 said in a statement it was "grateful" for Parker's support and advocacy amid the service cuts. 

"This is an innovative solution that will greatly enhance service for students amid these challenging circumstances," SEPTA said.

The School District of Philadelphia returned to classes on Monday, and Superintendent Dr. Tony Watlington said that schools saw a 63% increase in late arrivals and a 54% increase in absences over the first three days of school compared to last year's first three days of school.

"We're optimistic that the restoration of priority routes will enable more students to attend school and accelerate academic achievement," Watlington said in a statement.

The city said SEPTA worked closely with the Transportation Workers Union Local 234 to put together a plan and restore some service.

At a SEPTA town hall on Thursday night in University City, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier called the move a lifeline for the transit system. 

"This is just another sign that we are willing to put in the resources, we are willing to put in the work," Gauthier said. "We need Republicans in Harrisburg to also share that same spirit."

Sophomore PJ Dorn relies on a SEPTA bus to get to St. Joe's Prep. While he's grateful to hear about this service restoration, he remains unsure about his route as he heads back to school next week.  

"Now I'm kind of worried that — what will I do if, oh no, a trolley isn't coming ... a subway isn't coming, now I'm late to school?" Dorn said.

More cuts, fare increase coming

SEPTA began service cuts on Sunday as the transit agency faces a more than $200 million budget deficit without funding from Harrisburg. 

The service cuts eliminated 32 bus routes, shortened 16 more and reduced service on 88 bus and Metro lines. Sunday also marked the end of all special services, such as sports express trains to and from the Sports Complex in South Philadelphia, as the Eagles' season opener against the Dallas Cowboys looms next week. 

Another round of service cuts is set to go into effect next week, along with a 21.5% fare increase on Monday. For bus and metro riders, the base fare will go from $2.50 to $2.90.

On the Regional Rail, riders will likely pay $1 to $2 more per ride. Then on Tuesday, when many people return to work after Labor Day weekend, the Regional Rail service reductions begin. 

Legislative stalemate over SEPTA's funding crisis

Democrats and Republicans in Pennsylvania haven't been able to agree on how SEPTA should be funded within the state budget, but Gov. Josh Shapiro said Thursday that they're getting closer to a deal. 

"We're very close," Shapiro said. "But we're at the point right now where both sides need to make some tough choices. I said at the beginning of this process, the one thing I was certain about is that both sides would have to compromise. We're at the point where they have to make tough choices and compromise."

Both the House and Senate have "shown a desire to do that," Shapiro said. Neither side will get everything it wants, he added.

"They know what they need to do. It's time they stop firing off press releases and playing political games, come back to Harrisburg and do their jobs," he said.

Republicans in the Pennsylvania Senate wanted to draw around $300 million a year for the next two years from the Pennsylvania Transit Trust Fund, but that plan was voted down by House Democrats. 

House Democrats, SEPTA leaders and PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll came out against the proposal, which was introduced by Republican state Sen. Joe Picozzi, of Northeast Philadelphia. They argued the GOP-backed plan would move capital dollars to operating, taking away funding for things like infrastructure upgrades. 

House Democrats wanted to fund mass transit by increasing its share of sales tax revenue, but that failed to pass in the Senate.

A judge has also scheduled an emergency hearing for Friday morning for a lawsuit over the SEPTA cuts.

The lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday, is trying to reverse SEPTA's cuts, claiming they disproportionately impact minorities and low-income riders.

Since the service cuts have gone into effect, they've caused headaches for commuters across the Philadelphia region.