UPDATE (Fri, Apr. 22):Beginning Friday, Apr. 22 at 11:00 p.m., Routes 10, 11, 13, 34, and 36 Trolleys will operate on a temporary diversion to allow for repairs and inspection to the Trolley Tunnel. Regularly scheduled trolley service will resume at the start of the service day Monday, Apr. 25, 2016.
Many people were wondering why trolleys were running above ground over Spruce to 40th Street today (Thursday). It turns out SEPTA had to divert Routes 11, 13, 34 and 36 to 40th and Market Streets due to continuous repairs of overhead wires in the tunnel. Wire repair work in the tunnel will continue overnight and possibly on Friday. Here’s more information from SEPTA:
“Service disruptions on the Trolley network (Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36) have been occurring with increasing frequency in recent weeks. Despite the best efforts of our maintenance forces in the limited work windows afforded to them, overhead wire conditions in the Trolley Tunnel continue to worsen and have created this reliability issue. Continue Reading
A 27-year-old man who was struck by a motorist in a hit and run collision near 45th and Market early Saturday morning has died, according to police.
Jamal Morris, a 2011 Drexel graduate who lived near 53rd and Market, was pronounced dead at about 10 a.m. Monday morning. Police found him unresponsive along the street at about 3:45 a.m. on Saturday and he was taken to Presbyterian Hospital, where he remained in extremely critical condition through the weekend.
Police say that the damage to his bike suggests he had been struck by a vehicle. Police have made no arrests and, so far, have no suspects.
Morris was originally from Warwick, New York and graduated from Drexel with a degree in mechanical engineering, according to his social media profiles. He worked for the international engineering firm Amec Foster Wheeler.
Police are asking anyone with information about the case to call 215-685-3180 or 911.
Demolition of the deteriorating 41st Street Bridge, which began last summer, has reached its final stage. Work began on Sunday, April 17 to remove the existing bridge piers adjacent to the Amtrak tracks. This work will run through the end of the month from Sunday through Thursday during the overnight hours of 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. to avoid interruption of Amtrak’s rail line. Most of the demolition activities will occur between 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., during Amtrak’s power and train outages.
New 41st Street Bridge rendering.
Demolition of the bridge, which connects Mantua Avenue and Poplar Street over Amtrak railway, is part of the $10.8 million 41st Street Bridge replacement project. Starting Sunday night, May 1, the contractor, Loftus Construction, Inc., will begin to erect the structural steel for the new bridge. This work will also occur during overnight hours on Sunday through Thursday. Steel beam erection is expected to be completed by mid-June.
The new bridge will be a two-span, continuous structure with architectural concrete parapets and fencing, according to the Streets Department. The proposed roadway will include two travel lanes with wide shoulders and sidewalks, new street lighting, signing, line striping, ADA curb ramps, and enhanced safety features, such as the realignment of the Mantua Avenue and 41st Street intersection.
The new bridge is expected to open by the end of 2016.
SEPTA will soon be looking for 10,000 people to test out their new fare payment system – SEPTA Key Card – starting in June.
We know what you’re thinking … you’ve heard this before. But this time SEPTA appears to be almost ready to go. The 10,000 early adopters will be issued a Key card on June 13 and will be able to purchase monthly or weekly passes (just passes for now) on buses, trolleys, the El, the Broad Street Line and the Norristown High Speed Line.
SEPTA recently announced that every bus and trolley now has a card reader on board. There are also 175 fare kiosks around the city and so far 187 turnstiles have been set up for the subway lines.
So stay tuned for more information on how to become an early adopter. Meanwhile, here is a little video SEPTA put together about the Key Card.
UPDATE (2:50 p.m.):The man suspected in the shooting of 24-year-old police officer James McCullough has been arrested, according to police. 23-year-old Scott Griffin was in the possession of a gun when he was arrested around 1 p.m. on Monday.
A police officer was shot in the leg on Sunday while tackling a robbery suspect near 59th and Market, according to reports. Two suspects, including the gunman, remained at large as of Monday morning.
The shooting happened at around 8:50 p.m. when 18th District police responded to a call of a robbery and a car break-in on the 5900 block of Market Street. Police say three suspects robbed a man and took the keys to the victim’s car, a Ford Expedition. The robbery victim reportedly chased the suspects to a nearby SEPTA station at 60th and Market, beat up one of them and held him for the police. The other two suspects ran toward 59th and Salford and tried to get into a Dodge Durango, which they mistook for the robbed man’s car.
The wounded officer, identified by the authorities as , was flagged down by a woman, who owns the Dodge Durango, according to reports. He got out of the patrol car and tried to tackle one of the suspects when he was shot in the thigh. Both suspects, including the one who shot the officer, escaped. Police say McCullough fired his weapon three times at the suspect, but he still managed to flee. Continue Reading
Work by Tegan Bellitta is currently on display at Gush Gallery at Jinxed (4521 Baltimore Ave.)
Artists Stephanie Slate and Sarah Thielke, co-founders of Gush Gallery, which had to close its location on the 5000 block of Baltimore Ave. last summer due to sustainability issues, are sending some great news: the gallery is very much alive and kicking at a new location in West Philly, also on Baltimore Avenue. Here’s what Stephanie wrote us in an email:
Sarah Thielke and Stephanie Slate
“Gush Gallery (formerly at 5015 Baltimore Ave) has now teamed up with Jinxed on 4521 Baltimore Ave. Mike, the owner, has graciously offered us to take over the large brick wall in the new location. We have successfully curated two gallery shows from the new space, and have just confirmed upcoming shows with more local artists. We are VERY excited…”
The women have scheduled to have one solo or group show each month. They kicked things off in March with shows by Kate Harrold and Syd Torchio. Currently, Tegan Bellitta’s work is on display, and here is the gallery’s schedule through December, 2016: Continue Reading
UPDATE (Fri, Apr. 22): Beginning Friday, Apr. 22 at 11:00 p.m., Routes 10, 11, 13, 34, and 36 Trolleys will operate on a temporary diversion to allow for repairs and inspection to the Trolley Tunnel. Regularly scheduled trolley service will resume at the start of the service day Monday, Apr. 25, 2016.
Recent Comments