For the third time in less than a year, Philadelphia's intercity bus station may be on the move to another temporary location that seeks to minimize impacts on local traffic and provide better accommodations for waiting passengers.
This time, the commercial bus station would move from Columbus Boulevard and Spring Garden Street in Northern Liberties to a parking lot beside the nearby Lukoil Gas Station on Spring Garden Street.
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The station would include 10 bus slips on the lot to serve Greyhound, Flixbus, Megabus and Peter Pan. There would be two ticket offices, permanent bathrooms and a waiting lobby with room for up to 120 people. Buses would enter the lot from North Beech Street and exit onto Spring Garden Street, where most buses would then head to Delaware Avenue to get to I-95.
The preliminary plan, put forth by the city's Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability and the Philadelphia Parking Authority, was shared last week by the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association.
If the plan is approved, the new bus station could open as soon as this summer and would be managed by PPA. The city's permit for the current location was originally set to expire at the end of March.
OTIS spokesperson Matthew Cassidy said Wednesday that the plans discussed at its March 13 meeting with NLNA were not intended to be made public.
"The city shared preliminary ideas in addition to some rough sketches that were shared as meeting slides to provide a visual aid to the group," Cassidy said. "The city was clear that this was a meeting to share preliminary concepts; a plan has not been finalized."
The search for a suitable, temporary station began last June when Greyhound shuttered its long-running station at 10th and Filbert Streets in Center City. That shifted operations to a temporary, curbside stop at Sixth and Market Streets, which prompted a flood of complaints about traffic congestion and lack of shelter from heat during the summer months.
The city moved the station to its current spot in Northern Liberties, in part, because it offers direct access to I-95 and can be reached using SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line from the nearby Spring Garden Station. But the bus loading areas along multiple curbsides in the vicinity have caused issues for SEPTA buses and nearby businesses. Rideshare drivers also have increased congestion in the area. The city's modifications in recent months have included more signage, increased security and moving restrooms (located inside trailers) closer to the passenger boarding area.
In addition to the primary bus station in Northern Liberties, carriers also have pick-up and drop-off spots near 30th Street Station and in Chinatown.
The city is expected to continue working with Northern Liberties residents, bus carriers, land owners and the PPA to refine the plan for a new intercity station before a change is finalized. OTIS has not publicly presented any plans about possible locations that could serve as a permanent intercity bus stop in the future.