It’s that time of year when thousands of Penn students are moving out of their dorms and campus apartments, so some streets will be closed to get this done. Here’s a traffic advisory from Penn’s Division of Public Safety:
On Tuesday, May 13 and Wednesday, May 14, 2014, Spruce Street will be CLOSED to traffic from 34th through 40th Streets, in both directions, between 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
– Emergency vehicles and hospital patient transport vehicles will be permitted access.
– Access will be provided to the Ryan Vet Hospital. No taxi cabs will be permitted access.
– Vendors will be permitted access to enter the street prior to the 7 a.m. street closure.
– Bikes will need to be walked on Spruce Street while the streets are closed to traffic.
– Septa Routes 40 and 42 will be re-routed (check this page for more info).
– During this street closure: HUP, Penn Vet, Morgue and Wistar deliveries will be allowed to enter Spruce Street at 34th Street.
– Garage 14 will be open and accessible throughout move-out.
May 15th, 2014 at 3:52 pm
This is the most annoying thing i have ever encountered. I ride my bike down spruce every day. When I get to 40th & spruce (getting ready to turn right, but before I have the chance to do so) several rent a cops come rushing at me “walk your bike, walk your bike, walk your bike.” Personally, I feel like I am being attacked by these people. I just think they are very rude. I think it is the wrong image for an ivy league school to put out, and short sighted. This is a living, thriving city, and for a university that is embedded within that fabric to disregard the people that live there, it says alot about their values. Not a happy ride into town this morning.
May 16th, 2014 at 9:02 am
In terms of embeddedness, Penn is really not bothered about anything apart from the creeping annexation of public space around their campus to provide a ‘safe’ environment for their customers. They’re not alone; Drexel is the same.
May 17th, 2014 at 9:09 am
I agree with west philly citizen that this is an annoying practice. Also take into account that the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is located right along Spruce Street. So not only are daily commuters into center city being disrupted but also hospital employees and anyone visiting a patient at that HUP.
As a cyclist I’m forced to find the closest eastbound route into the city and this unfortunately is Chestnut Street, which lacks a bike lane and not only has the usual morning commuters, but also every disgruntled driver on Spruce Street who was forced to change their route (unless they take Market Street).
UPenn ought to let cyclists use Locust Walk during the move out as compensation.