Photo courtesy of SEPTA

To help put riders in the seasonal spirit, some SEPTA drivers have again decorated their trolleys with tinsel, lights, bows and bells, so … the Jolly Trolleys are back!

Operators used hundreds of lights, yards of garland and tons of ornaments, all to make the season brighter for their passengers.

The festive trolleys can be found on the following routes:

• Trolley # 2336, operated on Route 15
• Trolley #9053, operated on Route 10
• Trolley #9031 operated on the Routes 11 and 36

And this trolley even has music playing in the car. Pretty awesome!

Yo there’s another Jolly Trolley and it’s got 🎶 Car #9053 pic.twitter.com/tnKgCMwmIw

— Amara Rockar (@arockar) December 6, 2016

If you spot a Jolly Trolley or especially ride in one, let us know in the comments. We only got lucky once last year.

The 23rd annual Philadelphia Marathon activities will take place from November 18-20. The half marathon will take place on Saturday, Nov. 19 and the full marathon will be held on Sunday, Nov. 20. Here’s some important information for those who are planning to attend and those whose plans may be affected due to street closures.

Marathon Races, Activities, Cheer Zones

Here you can find information on weekend race activities, and information on the races is available here. Information for fans, including cheer zones, can be found here.

Street Closures

2016 Philadelphia Marathon Course Map (click to enlarge)

Streets will be closed in many parts of the city in connection with the marathon on the weekend of Nov. 18 – 20. Delays can be expected. Motorists are advised to use alternate routes, avoid areas along the race course, allow for extra driving time and proceed with caution during Race Weekend. Due to increased security in the Parkway area, parking and traffic regulations will be strictly enforced. Street closures will be enforced on a rolling basis as runners go by.

Some of the major areas impacted include:

• The Benjamin Franklin Parkway Friday, Nov. 18 through Sunday, Nov. 20

• Citywide along the 26.2-mile route of the Philadelphia Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 20

• The I-676 off-ramps at 22nd Street (westbound) and 23rd Street (eastbound) will be closed on Saturday, Nov. 19 and Sunday, Nov. 20 after 4 a.m. for event security preparation. Ramps at 15th/Broad may also close, if needed.  Continue Reading

SEPTA has released 1,000 new SEPTA Key cards that include the Travel Wallet feature, which means that customers can load them with cash value and pay as they go on all buses, trolleys and the Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines.

These new SEPTA Key cards are available for purchase at the Sales Office and Fair Kiosks at SEPTA Headquarters, 1234 Market Street. SEPTA is using a soft-launch approach for the Travel Wallet to help familiarize customers with this new way of paying and to address any issues that customers experience before moving to a larger rollout.

Customers will be required to put a minimum of $10 on the card, with a maximum of $250. Those who already have SEPTA Key Cards from previous Weekly and Monthly TransPass purchases can also load money onto the Travel Wallet at the SEPTA Headquarters locations.  Continue Reading

If you purchased a SEPTA TransPass and could not use it due to the recent SEPTA transit strike, don’t throw it away. SEPTA is offering a credit voucher for unused Weekly or Monthly TransPasses (passes not punched in the validation block) that will be good towards the purchase of another SEPTA fare product. SEPTA customers may bring the unused TransPass product to any Pass Sales location – SEPTA Sales Offices and Retail Outlets.

Requests for fare credits for unused TransPasses will be honored through January 31, 2017.

Weekly TransPass valid for travel October 31 – November 6, 2016

• $20.00 Credit Voucher
• Credit available beginning Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Weekly TransPass valid for travel November 7 – November 13, 2016

• $4.00 Credit Voucher
• Credit available beginning Monday, November 14, 2016  Continue Reading

This morning, SEPTA and TWU Local 234 have announced a tentative five-year contract that will bring 4,700-plus employees back to work and end a six-day strike that shut down the City Transit Division.

Service will be phased back in today on the Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line subway, city buses and trolleys, with full schedules restored by the start of the service day on Tuesday.

Limited service on the Market-Frankford Line has been restored starting at 9 a.m. today. Limited bus and trolley service is expected to resume later today:

MFL: Starting at 9AM, service will operate every 15 minutes. Trains will not service 5th Street Station due to the Hillary Clinton Rally.

— SEPTA (@SEPTA_MFL) November 7, 2016

MFL: Limited bus, trolley, and subway service will resume later today. Check System Status for updates on your routes.

— SEPTA (@SEPTA_MFL) November 7, 2016

Hello, El, we've missed you. pic.twitter.com/TQhapHFFH1

— Ronnie Polaneczky (@RonniePhilly) November 7, 2016

City Transit Division service has been shut down since the start of the TWU Local 234 strike at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1.  Continue Reading

SEPTA has been on strike since midnight due to failed negotiations between its workers’ union and the agency (negotiations will resume this afternoon). Due to the strike, all SEPTA service in the city was shut down, which means that SEPTA City bus, trolley, Market Frankford Line, and Broad Street Line services are suspended. Regional Rail service has not been affected by the strike. Visit SEPTA’s Service Interruption Guide for more information.

Here’s some other important information regarding the strike:

• City government will remain open for business.
• Public schools are open.
• Parking is prohibited on both sides of Broad Street, from Spring Garden to South Street.
• Bus Zones may be used by any vehicle to drop-off and pick-up passengers. Vehicles may not be left unattended.
The City will provide a free shuttle for City employees along the Broad St line and Market Frankford line. All riders must show proof of city employment.
• Non-city employees are encouraged to work with their employers for alternate transportation plans and strategies.
• Jurors are also allowed to take the employee shuttle with proper documentation and photo ID, and will receive direction when they call to confirm their reporting times.