The Ongoing Saga...

Around the Block: 11/14/25

Hi Readers,

Philly is a major city (and as you know, I regularly proclaim it as the best city in the universe). So, shouldn’t such an important city have a proper inter-city bus terminal? Now, mind you, the bar can be pretty low for a proper bus terminal in any city. Bus terminals are not often confused with the finest luxury establishments. But a major city should at least have one, right?

Philly always did. 10th & Filbert. It had AC and heat. It had restrooms. It had vending machines, and if you had a few extra minutes, you could grab some food in Chinatown or around Market East. It had tellers. It had benches. And oh yes, it had a roof and walls. But then, suddenly, Philly didn’t have a terminal at all. You see, the Sixers were building a downtown arena, Greyhound (the long-time operator) faced financial issues, and Market East was being revitalized (eventually). Well then, where would the new terminal be located? Ahem, no new terminal. How about a sign on the street that basically said, “Wait for Inter-city Bus Here.” No bathrooms, no vending machines, no roof. You stand or sit on the sidewalk. No shelter at all. Rain, snow, blazing sun… all your problems.

In July 2023, I wrote about Philly’s bus terminal plight with my detailed (and highly interesting and entertaining) thoughts here. I then followed up last Thanksgiving here, where I stated:

Some of you may remember the ATB I wrote last year about the plight of Philly’s intercity bus riders once they closed the Greyhound Bus Terminal in Chinatown. Things have been pretty bad for a year, with riders having to wait outside in the heat and cold with a lack of bathrooms. Well, things are not much better, and no permanent waiting room yet, but at least a conditioned trailer with portable bathroom facilities will be installed at Front & Spring Garden. As winter approaches, it’s much better than nothing.

But now, things are looking up. It all started with the great Philly news that the 76ers are staying exactly where they belong—in South Philly!! I wrote about the Sixers’ new arena “situation” many times, including here. The Sixers staying at the Sports Complex has now reopened the possibility of the bus terminal back at 10th & Filbert. The final site is not confirmed yet, but I say let’s go OG and run it back to 10th & Filbert. I think that is the overall plan. The administration has proposed legislation to the City Council to pay for all this, and you can read the details in The Inquirer here.

Look, I do not take inter-city buses, and I know most of my readers don’t either. But for those that do, they are a vital cog in our region’s transportation infrastructure. Often, there is no other option for some city residents who need to venture outside of the area. In the same way that SEPTA is so important to me and all Philadelphians for intra-regional travel (and even if you don’t personally take SEPTA, you probably care about traffic congestion).

So, this is a great start, and hopefully we have a proper terminal soon. I know that 14-year-old Jeff would not have enjoyed waiting on a street corner while heading to the World’s Fair in Knoxville. I imagine I would have been hot, thirsty, and had to go to the bathroom!

I hope you have a great weekend.

Best,

Jeff