Imagine stepping off a bustling Philadelphia street, only to be greeted by a vibrant aluminum sign adorned with a towering bird, colorful flowers, and—most importantly—real-time bus arrival times. But here’s the twist: these signs weren’t installed by the city’s transit authority. Instead, they’re the brainchild of local street artists who’ve taken matters into their own hands, quite literally. Meet the “Bus Stop Banksy,” a group of creative rebels who’ve filled a critical gap in Philadelphia’s public transit system—one solar-powered, digitally programmed sign at a time.
These guerrilla transit signs aren’t just about aesthetics; they’re a statement. Positioned near major intersections in the city’s art district, they serve a dual purpose. First, they make the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) more accessible to everyone, including those without smartphones to check arrival times. Second, they’re a nudge—or perhaps a full-on shove—to SEPTA to accelerate its five-year, $6 million contract with a California company to install citywide digital screens. Signed in 2024, the contract has yet to yield widespread results, leaving commuters in the lurch.
And this is the part most people miss: the artists behind these signs aren’t just activists; they’re problem-solvers. One of them, who goes by the pseudonym Make it Weird, explained, “We have a lot of power in our day-to-day responsibilities as citizens, but it’s hard to amplify that beyond a certain point unless you get really politically involved or grab a lot of attention.” Make it Weird, who uses they/them pronouns, plans to install 10 signs across the city, each powered by solar energy and equipped with e-paper displays—similar to e-book readers—paired with microcontrollers and cellular modems. It’s a low-energy, high-impact solution.
The project has already won hearts in the community. Local reporters have dubbed the artists “Bus Stop Banksy,” a title they’ve embraced with pride. But their work isn’t without controversy. While SEPTA Chief Innovation Officer Emily Yates promised in July 2024 that up to 700 official signs would be installed after a pilot program, progress has been slow. Philip Plotch, a senior fellow at the Eno Center for Transportation, points to SEPTA’s $231 million budget shortfall this year as a potential roadblock. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro transferred $220 million in emergency funds in November, but long-term funding remains uncertain, especially as Republican state senators—representing mostly rural districts—question SEPTA’s performance.
Here’s where it gets controversial: Make it Weird and their fellow artists are vocal critics of SEPTA’s slow rollout of digital displays, even as they advocate for the agency’s funding. “We should not accept a budget crisis as an excuse for not treating people kindly and not taking care of people,” they said. “We should hold our transit agency and the folks who work for it to a higher standard.” SEPTA spokesperson Kelly Greene countered that the delay is due to internal teams working with vendors to ensure cybersecurity requirements are met—a valid concern, but one that leaves commuters waiting.
The artists’ designs are as thoughtful as their mission. The bird-themed sign in South Philadelphia, for instance, was created by an artist who goes by Bird, who spoke anonymously out of fear of prosecution. Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Max Goldberg, a creative director at CampusESP, designed his own real-time arrival sign, which he mounted on a window in his home office overlooking a bus stop. Commuters have left him thank-you cards, a small but meaningful sign of impact.
Both Goldberg and the street artists aim to refine their code for fetching and displaying transit data, making it publicly available so DIY signs can sprout up nationwide. Until then, they’re content knowing they’re helping Philadelphians catch their buses on time. But their work raises a bigger question: Should citizens step in when public services fall short, or is it the government’s responsibility to act faster? Let us know what you think in the comments—this conversation is far from over.
