SEPTA urges patience on Eagles parade day: ‘It’s a big deal for everyone’
Regional Rail trains will operate on a special event schedule, with trains running only inbound to Center City during the morning, and only outbound to the suburbs in the evening.
SEPTA’s parade day plan is in place for Friday, but agency officials stressed at a Wednesday news conference that patience and planning on the part of attendees are still key for smooth travel.
”Plan your trip,” SEPTA interim general manager Scott Sauer said. “Make sure you arrive early. Make sure you are patient with us.”
Sauer added that attendees should dress warm, wear comfortable shoes, and be prepared to wait as the agency works to move parade-goers in and out of the city. At times, lines for trains could swell to hundreds or thousands of people — especially immediately after the ceremonies on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
”Our advice is to pick a spot along the parade route where you can get close, you can enjoy the parade, and then consider leaving before all that,” SEPTA Police Chief Charles Lawson said.
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The agency will operate on a modified schedule Friday, which SEPTA has detailed on its website, to accommodate the crowds.
Trains on the Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines will run every six to eight minutes, and will be free for riders thanks to a sponsorship from Philly native Kevin Hart’s tequila brand. Sauer said earlier this week that those lines are “your best bet” for getting around the city.
A number of stops on each subway line, however, will be closed Friday. SEPTA bus routes also will be detoured on and around Broad Street starting late Thursday, the agency said.
Riders will not be able to purchase tickets for Regional Rail trains on the day of the parade, SEPTA said. Cash and credit cards will not be accepted, and alternate forms of payment — such as a preloaded SEPTA Key card or an existing SEPTA pass — will need to be used.
Additionally, the Chestnut Hill West and Cynwyd lines will not have service Friday, and all other Regional Rail lines will be running with a limited number of open stations.
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Regional Rail trains also will operate on a special event schedule, with trains running only inbound to Center City during the morning, and only outbound to the suburbs in the evening, Sauer said. Trains are expected to run about every 30 minutes at most stations.
Because of the modified service, the SEPTA app will not provide its usual real-time vehicle tracking function, Sauer said. The agency, however, will still be able to use the app to communicate station closures and openings to riders.
Parade day will be an “all hands on deck” event for SEPTA, with the agency expecting to “flood” open stations with staff, Sauer said. Station attendants, he added, will be able to assist riders if they have questions.
”We are doing everything we can to make the system as free of obstructions as we can for customers,” Sauer said. “It’s a big deal for everyone, and we want to be there.”