While walking the streets of Philadelphia, you may notice new aluminum signs that indicate estimated bus arrival times.
The signs are the work of “Bus Stop Banksy,” a moniker that was used by a local reporter to describe a group of local street artists, writes Angie Orellana Hernandez for The Washington Post.
These artists program digital screens, charge them with solar-powered batteries, and carefully examine all there is to know about sign design.
With the new signs, the artists want to make SEPTA more accessible to everyone. This includes those who don’t have a smart phone to search bus arrival times.
“We have a lot power in our day-to-day responsibilities as citizens,” said Make It Weird, one of the artists. “But it’s hard to amplify that beyond a certain point unless you get really politically involved or get a lot of attention.”
In addition to making SEPTA more accessible, the artists also want to push SEPTA to accelerate on the contract it signed in 2024 to install citywide digital screens.
While this project has likely been impacted by SEPTA’s ongoing funding crisis, SEPTA spokesperson Kelly Greene said the delays are because SEPTA needs to ensure cybersecurity requirements are met.
Read more about the street signs local artists have created to help SEPTA riders know when to expect their bus in The Washington Post.
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Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on PHILADELPHIA Today in January 2026.
