Author Archives: Lauren Amway Fink

SEPTA 101 & 102 December Weekend Outage Schedule

For several weekends, beginning with the first train Saturday morning, through end of service Sunday throughout the month of December, SEPTA shuttle buses will replace all Route 101 & 102 Trolleys between 69th Street Transportation Center and end of line Media (Orange Street) & Sharon Hill Stations on weekends only. Customers should plan for approximately 15 minutes of additional travel time and look for signage at stations for bus boarding locations.

Route 101

December 2-3

December 9-10

December 16-17

Route 102

December 9-10

December 16-17

SEPTA Transportation Managers and Operators will use this time to test and train the new system.  As a reminder, this new communications system will provide centralized supervision and scheduling of the lines from SEPTA’s Integrated Control Center as well as increased safety precautions and on-time performance.

THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE BUS DETOURS, MODIFIED SERVICE & ROAD CLOSURES

THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE BUS DETOURS, MODIFIED SERVICE & ROAD CLOSURES

The 6abc Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 8:30 am, Thursday, November 23, 2023. Below is a summary of road closures and SEPTA bus detours that will be in effect for the duration of the parade.

To get to the parade on SEPTA – ride Regional Rail to Suburban Station, Trolley to 19th or 22nd Street Stations, Market-Frankford Line to 15th Street, Broad Street Line to City Hall, or Bus Routes 7, 32, 33, 38, 43 or 48 (be aware of detours).

Thanksgiving Day Modified Service Schedules

SEPTA services operate on modified schedules on Thanksgiving Day. Bus, Trolley and Regional Rail routes will operate on Sunday schedule. Special schedules for the Broad Street Line and Market-Frankford Line beginning at midnight, Nov. 23. All modes will resume regular weekday schedule start of service day, Friday, November 24.

Thanksgiving Day Parade Route

The parade starts at 20th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard; travels Eastbound on John F. Kennedy Boulevard to 16th Street; then Northbound on 16th Street to Benjamin Franklin Parkway; then Westbound on Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Impact on Customers

SEPTA Bus Routes 2, 7, 17, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 43, 44, 48, 49, 124/125 and MFO will be detoured from their normal routes beginning at 8 am on Thursday, November 23 through approximately 2 pm.

Bus detour information and updates or changes to service will be published on System Status.

Impact on Area Traffic

Streets will be closed in many parts of Center City to accommodate the parade route. Traffic delays can be expected. Motorists are advised to find alternate routes, avoid areas along the parade route, allow for extra driving time and proceed with caution.

Road closures by the city of Philadelphia, follow this link for more information.

Additional detours could be added throughout the day due to unscheduled road closures. For full parade details and to learn more information about the oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade in the nation, visit https://dig.abclocal.go.com/wpvi/html/2023tdp/index.html.

View System Status for alerts, advisories and detours across the system, as well as real-time schedules. To get the latest service news, call Customer Service at 215-580-7800 or follow SEPTA @SEPTA.

PennDOT to Host Virtual Public Meeting for U.S. 322 Reconstruction, Widening Project in Upper Chichester Township

PennDOT to Host Virtual Public Meeting for U.S. 322 Reconstruction, Widening Project in Upper Chichester Township on November 9th at 7pm

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) invites the public to attend a live virtual public meeting on Thursday, November 9, for the upcoming project to reconstruct and widen a 1.4-mile section of U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) in Upper Chichester Township, Delaware County.

The U.S. 322 Section 103 project, which extends from just west of Cherry Tree Road through the Route 452 (Market Street) Interchange, includes roadway and intersection improvements on Route 452 (Market Street), Bethel Avenue, Cherry Tree Road, Dutton Street and Jefferson Avenue.

As part of PennDOT’s public outreach program, the department encourages the public to attend the live virtual public meeting on Thursday, November 9, beginning at 7:00 PM, by clicking on this Microsoft Live Teams meeting link prior to the presentation start time. The department’s design team will deliver a project presentation before opening the meeting to questions using the platform’s Q&A feature.

Please note that internet access, a computer or mobile device, and a valid email address are required to view the virtual meeting. Anyone with special needs or requiring special aid is requested to contact PennDOT Project Manager Mirlene Saintval at 610-205-6857 or the Design Project Manager Alfred Tomaselli at 484-221-6773.

Members of the public who are unable to attend the online meeting can view the recording and a copy of the materials by visiting www.us322conchester.com.

Details here. 

SEPTA Service for 10/17 Sports Events in South Philadelphia

With a thrilling lineup of sports events happening today, Tuesday, October 17, 2023 in South Philadelphia – the Sports Complex venues are issuing guidance for fan arrival and parking. Fans are strongly encouraged to arrive early or take public transportation [aka SEPTA] to all games and allow for extra travel time.

Below is the schedule of events set for tonight, 10/17:

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Vancouver Canucks at Wells Fargo Center at 6PM

Mexico vs. Germany Men’s National Team Soccer Friendly at Lincoln Financial Field at 8PM

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, Game 2 NLCS at Citizens Bank Park at 8:07PM

SEPTA is running free rides on the Broad Street Line to and from NRG Station courtesy of Budweiser and Bud Light.

Free rides will start at 5PM and continue until the last train of the night. Fans are encouraged to go directly to NRG Station after the games to ensure they get their train home.

For more information, visit: https://iseptaphilly.com/blog/sportscomplex1017?mc_cid=a57fc3a735&mc_eid=0bfdae6c8d&fbclid=IwAR13vDaQ4uC5WMK1c9O46w6Ey0GgSsnc8gImTLNbTOgHF6dXgHM0dYnlbQo

 

SEPTA Extra Service and FREE Rides home from Phillies games NL East Wild Card Games

SEPTA and Citadel Credit Union are helping the Philly Phaithful get to and from the National League East Wild Card games at Citizens Bank Park by offering extra service and free rides home on the Broad Street Line.

For the Wild Card Series against the Miami Marlins – Citadel is sponsoring free rides home from NRG Station. First pitch for all games is 8:08PM. Free rides begin two hours after the start and run for two hours post-game or until the last train departs. Free rides home will also be for Game 2 (and Game 3 if needed).

The Broad Street Line provides convenient service to the ballpark via NRG Station. There is a free transfer to the Broad Street Line from the Market-Frankford Line and City Trolley routes at 15th Street/City Hall – and it is a short walk from Regional Rail stations in Center City. It also connects to bus routes that provide service throughout the region, and it is easily accessible from the PATCO High Speed Line for riders from South Jersey.

SEPTA operates Sports Express service on the Broad Street Line making stops at these stations: Fern Rock Transportation Center, Olney Transportation Center, Erie, Girard, Spring Garden, Race-Vine, City Hall, Walnut-Locust and NRG Station.

Extra Service

SEPTA will supplement regular service to NRG Station with five Express and three Local trains leaving Fern Rock Transportation Center beginning at 6PM If games run late – fans will find Local and Express Broad Street Line trains waiting for them at NRG Station. Customers are urged to go directly to NRG Station once the event is over. If necessary – SEPTA will also hold the last Regional Rail trains of the night so that people can connect from the subway.

New Fare Payment Options: Contactless

Credit/debit card – in physical form or through apps like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay – are now being accepted on city and suburban buses, trolleys, Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, and the Norristown High Speed Line, at any turnstile or farebox with a simple tap on the validator. Regional Rail will have a separate rollout for contactless payments early next year – however credit/debit card payments are accepted now by presenting your card to the train conductor.

SEPTA Key Cards

If using a SEPTA Key Card riders are encouraged to load funds on it before game day. For those without a Key Card – Quick Trip tickets can be purchased at all station kiosks. In addition – riders can now use SEPTA Key Tix. Available in the official SEPTA App – SEPTA Key Tix is a new and convenient way to pay using your smartphone! Use a credit or debit card to download a QR-code “ticket” that can be read at fareboxes and turnstiles. Best part – SEPTA Key Tix gives families and friends traveling together the capability to scan once and pay fares for up to five riders using a single barcode! For more information about SEPTA Key, visit septa.org/key. For more information about SEPTA, visit septa.org, follow @SEPTA on X, or download the official SEPTA app.

Plan your trip to the game here.

SEPTA Contactless Payment Provides Customers More Convenient Ways to Travel

Starting today (Friday, September 29), SEPTA is  rolling out contactless payment options for single trip travel on all Transit modes.  With this new advancement, customers will be able to easily tap on using their credit and debit cards, or mobile payment apps, at turnstiles and fare boxes. Regional Rail will follow in early 2024.

Complete details on traveling on SEPTA using contactless payment options is available online at:

Riders on SEPTA’s city and suburban buses, trolleys, Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, and Norristown High Speed Line will be able to simply tap any credit or debit card, in physical form or through apps like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay, at a turnstile and as they board a bus or trolley. These contactless options also come with the same benefits that had previously only been available with the SEPTA Key – in particular, a discounted $2 one-way fare and up to two transfers.

Any validator with credit card icons displayed on the screen is ready to accept contactless payments. Customers are encouraged to separate their credit/debit cards, Key card, and phone to ensure the correct account is charged.

The rollout of contactless payment for customers comes after nearly 300 people tested the system during a pilot test over the summer.

New to Contactless Payment? Avoid “Card Clash”

When paying with your contactless credit or debit card, SEPTA recommends customers take their card out of their wallet or phone back.  Why? card clash.

“Card clash” happens when two or more contactless payment cards are simultaneously detected by a card reader. When this happens – the reader may:

  • Not read any card and the turnstile won’t unlock or the Operator will not let you board – which can hold you up and the riders behind you
  • Read one card when you first tap and another card when you transfer – charging two full fares for your trip(s)
  • Take payment from the wrong card

The third bullet is important for SEPTA Key cardholders that use Travel Wallet but it is especially important for SEPTA Key Senior Fare cardholders, SEPTA Key Reduced Fare cardholders, and SEPTA Key Student Fare cardholders who travel for free or at a reduced rate.

To prevent card clash, SEPTA recommends that you separate your SEPTA Key card, SEPTA Key Senior Fare Card, SEPTA Key Reduced Fare Card, or SEPTA Key Student Fare Card from your other cards – or simply take your card out of your wallet or phone back before presenting your fare – so that the fare readers do not inadvertently charge a credit or debit card.  More information on “card clash” and traveling using contactless payment is available at https://iseptaphilly.com/blog/cardclash and https://iseptaphilly.com/blog/contactlessrollout.

SEPTA 101 & 102 Fall Outage Schedule Weekends in October and November

*** ROUTE 101 and 102 CONSTRUCTION NOTICE ***
Fall Outage Schedule
Weekends in October and November
Route 101 and 102 Trolley Shuttle Bus Substitution
69th St. Transportation Center to Media & Sharon Hill

***EDIT:

Due to a last-minute communications and signal training addition SEPTA will be shuttle bussing ON:

October: Saturday 21st – Sunday 22nd

Additional weekends as noted previously are below:

October: Saturday 28th – Sunday 29th

November: Saturday 4th – Sunday 5th

November: Saturday 11th – Sunday 12th

November: Saturday 18th – Sunday 19th

SEPTA is extremely grateful for your patience during this project. As a reminder, this new communications system will provide centralized supervision and scheduling of the lines from SEPTA’s Integrated Control Center as well as increased safety precautions and on-time performance.

For several weekends, beginning with the first train Saturday morning, through end of service Sunday on some weekends in October and November, SEPTA shuttle buses will replace all Route 101 & 102 Trolleys between 69th Street Transportation Center and end of line Media (Orange Street) & Sharon Hill Stations on weekends only. Customers should plan for approximately 15 minutes of additional travel time and look for signage at stations for bus boarding locations.

FALL OUTAGE DATES: October 21st – 2nd, October 28th – 29th, November 4th – 5th, November 11th – 12th & November 18th – 19th

SEPTA is committed to providing safe, reliable service to our customers and the communities we serve, and this shuttle bus substitution is necessary to allow SEPTA and third-party forces to safely perform trolley testing and training along the Route 101 and 102 Trolley Lines.

SEPTA greatly appreciates your patience and understanding while these important improvements are being made.

Let’s Talk TDM Zoom featuring SEPTA’s GM Leslie Richards as Moderator

Let’s Talk TDM Zoom featuring SEPTA’s GM Leslie Richards as moderator.
Wednesday, September 20th from 8AM – 9AM on Zoom
Policy, Planning, and Equity: Public Transportation, bicycle and pedestrian safety/infrastructure, and land planning.
Leslie Richards, SEPTA’s General Manager, former PA Secretary of Transportation, and career multimodal planner and advocate, will moderate a panel discussion with four multimodal and TDM experts.
Joining Leslie will be Jeff Reigner, Senior Principal Planner with Kittleson & Associates and Chair of the National Complete Streets Coalition
Heather Martin, Asst. Vice President, Senior Lead Equity Consultant with WSP USA
Jason Duckworth, President of Arcadia Land Trust
Stacy Bartels, Manager, Office of TDM Strategy and Marketing at DVRPC
This will be an insightful hour on issues and opportunities to grow multimodal networks and advance TDM principles in your communities.
Register today for this free Mid-Atlantic ACT sponsored event: https://www.actweb.org/events/lets-talk-tdm

Route 101 and 102 SEPTEMBER Trolley Shuttle Bus Substitution 69th St. Transportation Center to Media & Sharon Hill

*** ROUTE 101 and 102 CONSTRUCTION NOTICE ***

September Outage Schedule
Saturday 9th – Sunday 10th
Saturday 16th – Sunday 17th
Saturday 23rd – Sunday 24th
Saturday 30th – Sunday 1st

Route 101 and 102 Trolley Shuttle Bus Substitution
69th St. Transportation Center to Media & Sharon Hill

For SEVERAL WEEKENDS, beginning with the first train Saturday morning, through end of service Sunday: 9th – 10th; 16th – 17th, 23rd – 24th, 30th – 1st SEPTA shuttle buses will replace all Route 101 & 102 Trolleys between 69th Street Transportation Center and end of line Media (Orange Street) & Sharon Hill Stations on weekends only. Customers should plan for approximately 15 minutes of additional travel time and look for signage at stations for bus boarding locations.

SEPTA is committed to providing safe, reliable service to our customers and the communities we serve, and this shuttle bus substitution is necessary to allow SEPTA and third-party forces to safely perform track construction, rehabilitate signals and interlockings and upgrade with a signal modernization project along the Route 101 and 102 Trolley Lines.
Full details on the Route 101 & 102 shuttle busing, including downloadable timetables, will be posted on the Route 101/102 Service Improvement Program page on SEPTA’s website at: http://www.septa.org/.

SEPTA SAFETY STAND DOWN FOR ENTIRE WORKFORCE BEGINS MONDAY, AUGUST 14

 

SEPTA is advising bus and trolley customers to expect delays across the system starting on Monday, August 14, as the Authority begins safety reinforcement training for all employees.

 

The training will emphasize safety guidelines that are in place and provide employees with a forum to give feedback. SEPTA is working jointly with the unions representing employees to develop the content that will be covered in the trainings.

 

Over the next eight weeks, every member of the SEPTA workforce will spend a full day in this mandatory training. This will impact service as employees are pulled from their regular duties. SEPTA will provide updates on service as the training moves forward.

 

“The safety for our customers and employees is always our top priority, and we are redoubling our efforts to be even more intentional about safety in everything that we do, at all levels of the Authority,” said SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie S. Richards. “The recent series of accidents has caused us to look internally with a critical eye to ensure we embrace safety as a core value every day.”

 

SEPTA will make every effort to minimize the disruption to customers during this training. Customers should expect delays when planning their travel, and check SEPTA’s website for the latest updates. Service details are also available on the Official SEPTA App, @SEPTA, and customer service representatives are available by phone at (215) 580-7800.

 

This safety training follows a series of recent accidents involving SEPTA vehicles that resulted in the death of one customer and multiple injuries to other passengers and employees.  Following these incidents, SEPTA dispatched safety officers throughout the system to have discussions with employees about safety. These new trainings will emphasize the need to be vigilant about safety in all aspects of all jobs throughout the Authority.

 

“We will start with our frontline employees and move through our entire workforce,” Richards said. “This commitment to reaching each and every employee means that SEPTA service will be impacted. When we say nothing is more important than safety, we mean it.”

 

SEPTA is also asking customers to report any unsafe conditions they see on the system through the SEPTA Transit Watch App. This is available as a free download for Apple and Android devices.