\nPhilly PHLASH, the bus service that brings its customers to popular tourist destinations around the city, saw some of its highest ridership numbers in its 32-year history during the city’s busy lineup of events this summer.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe system, sponsored by the Philadelphia Visitor Center, said it drove over 60,000 riders throughout the 39-day stretch of the World Cup. Tamara Yvette Day, a representative with Philly PHLASH, said it was the busiest stretch since at least 2019, and likely the most active since it was established in 1994.\n<\/p>\n
MORE<\/b>:\u00a0Philly’s World Cup TV viewership soared in 2026, but the region still fell outside top 15 U.S. markets<\/a><\/p>\n \nIn June, its commuter numbers increased by 400% compared with last year.\n<\/p>\n “It was a privilege to help connect visitors and residents to Philadelphia’s biggest events during this extraordinary summer,” Day said in a statement. “We’re especially grateful to our incredible drivers and the entire PHLASH team, whose flexibility, friendliness, and professionalism made it possible to safely serve tens of thousands of riders throughout this historic season.”<\/p>\n \nPHLASH<\/a> will continue operating daily from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. to its 19 stops through Labor Day. It will run Fridays through Sundays every week after Labor Day through Dec. 13.\n<\/p>\n \nTo prepare for the increased demand around the city, the bus service doubled its Downtown Loop<\/a> by adding stops to the Fashion District, 30th Street Station, Mutter Museum and near the FIFA Fan Festival in Lemon Hill.\u00a0After the first four days of the tournament, PHLASH said it carried over 7,440 riders<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 around a quarter of whom were traveling to Lemon Hill. Last year, the bus system carried around that same amount of people over the course of an entire month.<\/p>\n \nThe success for Philly PHLASH comes as other transit organizations\u00a0evaluate their numbers<\/a>\u00a0after Philly hosted the World Cup, MLB All-Star Game and events related to the country\u2019s 250th anniversary.\n<\/p>\n \nSEPTA moved hundreds of thousands of passengers during the World Cup and saw an 82% increase<\/a> in ridership on the Broad Street Line during the month of June.\n<\/p>\n