City to fund SEPTA routes serving schools amid poor student attendance

PHILADELPHIA (WPHL) — The City of Philadelphia and SEPTA announced on Thursday that it will restore some of the bus routes that were eliminated by the transit agency after the Philadelphia School District saw student attendance lagged the first week of the 2025-2026 academic school year.

“It definitely feels as though it is harder for kids to get to school,” Andrew Saltz, a teacher with the school district, said on Action News at 10 on PHL17z “It’s a lot more kids getting rides from parents.”

Saltz’s daughter said she rides a SEPTA every day to get to school. She’s one of more than 50,000 who use SEPTA services as a means of school transportation. The school district reported a 63% increase in late arrivals by students and a 54% increase in absences compared to the last school year. 

“Young people need to be focused on learning and what they’re doing in the classroom, not focused on how they’re going to get about the city, how they’re going to get to school,” said City Council member Jamie Gauthier. 

In a statement, the City said it would use money from its existing $135 million transit subsidy from its Fiscal Year 2026 budget to restore several bus routes with a high-student usage. Those routes include the 84, 88, and six 400-level routes (452, 461, 462, 476, 478, 484). Service on the 31 will be restored from Overbrook Park to 63rd and Market streets. 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.

“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,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said in the statement.

A restored schedule for these routes will be published by September.