After a temporary switch to Saturday schedules and limited (“Lifeline”) service due to the COVID-19 crisis, SEPTA will return to regular service on Sunday, May 17. Regular service will resume on all trolley, Market Frankford, Broad Street and Norristown High Speed Line routes. Market Frankford and Broad Street Owl service will also resume.

Bus routes will also return to regular service, with the following exceptions:

Routes 204, 310, 311, and LUCY Gold and Green routes will continue to operate on a reduced schedule. Route 91 remains suspended.  Continue Reading

Here’s a great new initiative from a group of local organizers to show public support for the city’s essential workers during theses challenging times. Italy had songs on balconies, New York City banged on pots and pans, and Philly folks are invited to dance at their doorway. A daily, Philadelphia Doorway Dance Party for Essential Workers kicks off Tuesday, May 5 at 6:30 p.m. and here’s how it works:

The group asks all Philadelphians to gather in their doorway or door area at 6:30 p.m. to dance to the sound of the “Rocky” theme and then “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now,” the upbeat tune from the Sound of Philadelphia’s “McFadden & Whitehead” (see video below). The group has reached out to local radio stations to play these tunes. So far, two stations, Radio One & iHeart Radio, have agreed to participate in the initiative.  Continue Reading

The city’s ban of single-use plastic bags, which was expected to go into effect on July 2nd, has been postponed until January 2021. The July start date for the new regulation was reconsidered by the City because of the disruption of work of many businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A July start date was not realistic in light of the pandemic, Mayor Jim Kenney said last week.

The ban is now expected to go into effect on January 1, 2021, and enforcement is expected to begin next April.

The ban will affect businesses like supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations, take-out restaurants, farmer’s markets and even food trucks. They will have to either switch to paper bags or offer their customers an option to buy a reusable bag.

All Philadelphia public schools will remain closed indefinitely in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in compliance with Gov. Tom Wolf’s latest order.

The School District will still observe Spring Break, from April 6-9, and Good Friday on April 10 when offices will be closed. Meals and learning guides will continue to be available for students at the 49 School District meal distribution sites on Monday, April 6 and Thursday, April 9.  Continue Reading

Pennsylvania’s primary election has been postponed to June 2.

Gov. Tom Wolf recently signed legislation to move the primary from April 28 to June 2 due to the COVID-19 emergency. The legislation also expands provisions for mail-in voting in case restrictions are still in place and allows counties to consolidate polling places to make up for possible shortages of poll workers and locations.

Absentee and mail-in ballots are due May 26.  Continue Reading