January 13, 2026
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
The former Greyhound Bus Terminal in Center City is set to reopen by May 1 ahead of the World Cup and other summer events. Bus operators will pay a $40 fee per stop to cover renovation costs.
Plans to renovate the former Greyhound Bus Terminal in Center City are on track, and the transit hub at 1001 Filbert St. is set to reopen by May 1, just in time for an expected influx of tourists this summer.
After an initial revitalization plan was announced in the fall, Mayor Cherelle Parker on Tuesday signed a bill detailing restoration efforts to temporarily use the terminal, which has been vacant since June 2023.
The bill, which was unanimously approved by City Council on Dec. 11, charges bus operators a $40 fee per stop to unload and load passengers in the city. The proceeds will go toward covering repair and operation costs for the facility, and the Philadelphia Parking Authority will oversee the effort.
Mike Carroll, the secretary of transportation for the PennDOT, said the city may need to permit off-site or on-street bus unloading if necessary, but most disembarking will be on-site in Center City to ensure payment.
"We will be enforcing anybody who tries to sneak buses anywhere in the city because they think we're not looking," Carroll said during a news conference Tuesday. "We are looking and we will hold all of these folks accountable."
Under the plan, Philadelphia will enter into a 10-year lease for the Filbert Street space. Parker said the city will begin a community input process in the coming weeks to look for a permanent bus station location.
Since November 2023, bus carries including Greyhound, FlixBus, Peter Pan and Megabus have been picking up and dropping off riders outside the Spring Garden subway station on the Market-Frankford line. Though the location is close to I-95 and SEPTA transport options, the space was unpopular due to increased traffic and a lack of benches and bathrooms in the area.
Greyhound operated out of the Filbert Street space from 1988 until its lease in June 2023. The exit was partially due to plans to knock down the structure and build a new Center City stadium for the Philadelphia 76ers on the lot. However, that plan was ultimately abandoned in early 2025, and the team now will build a new facility within the Sports Complex in South Philly.
The terminal's revitalization effort is heavily driven by the expected tourism boom this summer with high-profile events on the slate including World Cup matches, the MLB All-Star Game and semiquincentennial celebrations to honor America's 250th birthday.
"We have company coming, and we need to be ready, and we were mindful of that on the Public Transportation Committee," said Councilmember Mike Driscoll (D-6th).
Philadelphia has invested $120 million in total to prepare for this summer's festivities. Last week, the city also announced an $11.5 million beautification effort which includes graffiti removal, new murals and landscaping near prominent roadways.
