Unpopular intercity bus station at Sixth and Market will be relocated

The unpopular curbside bus station at Sixth and Market Streets in Center City will be relocated later this month to Spring Garden Street at Christopher Columbus Boulevard, the city announced Wednesday.

City officials said the new location was a temporary fix that is expected to last through the first few months of 2024 while a permanent location is secured.

Bus companies have been using the 600 block of Market since late June, when Greyhound closed its Filbert Street bus station. Greyhound, Peter Pan, Flixbus, and Megabus vehicles often line up on the eastbound curb to take on or let off passengers and to load luggage. Uber and Lyft, taxicabs, and private cars add to the congestion as they drop off passengers for the buses.

Peter Pan may begin using the new location Nov. 10, with the other services set to relocate Nov. 16.

Unlike the Filbert Street station, which had been Greyhound’s home for more than three decades, on Market Street there are no dedicated sheltered or indoor waiting areas along the sidewalk where passengers must wait.

The buses line up across the street from the federal courthouse and near the tourist sites along and surrounding Independence Mall on the 500 block of Market.

A stop at Sixth and Market for three SEPTA bus routes was forced to relocate because of the congestion.

“The volume and nature of complaints leave the situation at Sixth and Market Streets completely untenable,” Mike Carroll, the city’s deputy managing director for the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability, said in a statement Wednesday.

“The Kenney administration is concerned in particular about the nearby concentration of important Federal entities, their employees, and persons engaged in critical activities,” Carroll said. “For that reason, the city made a firm commitment to relocate the intercity bus operations off of the 600 block of Market Street this fall. Efforts are underway to find an off-street location but require more time, and an interim change in location is needed urgently.”

City officials said they believe the relocation will address both passenger concerns and congestion issues for SEPTA bus routes and normal daily traffic on Market Street. The move also was needed because of increased activity during the holiday season.

At the new location, Peter Pan, FlixBus, and Greyhound will operate on the south curb of Spring Garden on either side of Front Street. Megabus will operate on Spring Garden on the north curb under the Interstate 95 viaduct adjacent to the Spring Garden Station exit for the Market-Frankford Line station.

City officials said existing parking may be cleared along Noble Street between Front and Christopher Columbus to allow for more bus loading space. The bike lane on the eastbound side of Spring Garden will be detoured.

The city is coordinating with the bus companies to “explore” creating customer service space, including for ticketing. It is also coordinating with them on portable bathrooms.

For more details about the move and for updates, visit the city’s new page about the relocation. City officials also encouraged bus travelers to check their bus company websites for more information.