Old City District officials oppose the Parker administration’s proposal to build a Greyhound station in a South 2nd Street parking garage, raising “serious concerns” that it would harm the character of the densely populated historic district.

Board members outlined their concerns in an Aug. 2 letter to the National Park Service, which owns the AutoPark garage, which city transportation officials identified as a possible temporary terminal for Philadelphia’s defunct intercity buses.

This use is contrary to Vision2026, the district’s guiding strategy to become a “world-class pedestrian destination” as the city prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the business leaders wrote.

“It is clear that scheduled buses reduce car traffic; the opposite is true for intercity buses,” the letter states. “A significant percentage of intercity bus passengers are dropped off or arrive by car. The fact that hundreds of cars come onto the streets of the Old Town every day is an undesirable result.”

The board voted unanimously to reject the idea on July 17. That vote has not been reported publicly. Representatives of the city and the Philadelphia Parking Authority, which operates the parking garage, were copied on the letter.

Where to locate intercity bus service has been a contentious issue since June 2023, when Greyhound closed its leased station on Filbert Street, leaving the city with a dilemma. Since then, Greyhound, Flixbus and Peter Pan Bus Lines have been picking up and dropping off passengers outdoors, with no shelter and few amenities.

The station was initially located in the 600 block of Market Street, where it caused traffic chaos. Last November, bus arrivals and departures were moved to Spring Garden Street and Delaware Avenue. Rideshares and private vehicles have also clogged this area.

The Old City District board based its decision on the limited information available to it at the time. “We are not closing the door completely,” said Executive Director Job Itzkowitz. The organization has asked the city to meet with its members and “our invitation to talk is still open,” he said.

As an economically oriented special services authority, the Old Town District has no formal involvement in decisions regarding land use.

But the National Park Service, which runs Independence’s historic sites, must approve any new use of its land. Service officials said they must conduct traffic and environmental impact studies.

The city’s Transportation and Infrastructure Systems Department and Planning Department have announced that they plan to conduct studies on the feasibility of using the garage as a short-term intercity bus station. It is unclear whether this work is already underway.

City officials have said little about the Old City Bus Station option, and there is no formal proposal under consideration. After news of the possibility broke in April and opposition from local businesses and residents grew, the matter became a communications nightmare for the administration.

In July, city planning officials were scheduled to hear concerns at a town hall meeting at Amigos Preschool, but they did not go because journalists were present.

The AutoPark garage’s ground floor has 14 bus bays and a large indoor waiting room designed to accommodate private coaches, with an entrance on South 2nd Street and an exit on Front Street.