Philly bus terminal moving forward on Filbert Street

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Efforts to reopen a refurbished bus station at its former location in Center City are moving forward, with plans for an official opening in May.

The facility will be at the former Greyhound terminal on Filbert Street, which will be totally overhauled at a cost of between $1.7–2 million. Rich Lazer, head of the Philadelphia Parking Authority, said they are well on their way to meeting the May 1 deadline.

“Our folks are in there, the internal demolition is already completed. So now it’s going to be putting it back together,” he said.

Lazer said the structure of the building is solid, so the work is mostly  cosmetic. “Just adding some new amenities, new bathrooms, clean and safe bathrooms,” he said.

Plans also include creating a mural around the building and improving the lighting. The PPA will also enforce the taxi and shared-ride lane outside the building under their jurisdiction for both forms of transportation.

Mayor Cherelle Parker said the effort will be funded by a $40-per-bus charge to use the facility.

“This brings buses off neighborhood streets and into a facility where they belong,” she said.

Part of the deal includes a change on how the buses will approach the terminal, this time around accessing from Market Street instead of Arch Street. That rerouting of buses will cut down the number of diesel-powered carriers traveling through the Chinatown neighborhood.

The additional traffic in the area could be good for the Market East neighborhood, which has had issues recently with the Fashion District mall and movie theater, among other struggles.

Riders are currently using on-street loading along Spring Garden Street, which does not offer a way to shield riders from the elements. The mayor called that set up unacceptable. The new terminal will provide a better balance in the types of transportation that flows through the area.

“Bus transportation is the most affordable transportation. It is not supposed to be any less comfortable and aesthetically appealing and ensures that riders have a very good experience,” the mayor added.

The deal is for 10 years while the city seeks a site for a permanent solution. Although the Filbert Street location has been home to a bus depot for ages, residents were not happy about it, and others have complained that the facility should be closer to 30th Street Station to have true intermodal capabilities in order to give people easier access from Amtrak to bus transportation.