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.

Good news for SEPTA customers: A few months after introducing the SEPTA Key Early Adopters program, which allows customers to purchase cards that work as monthly or weekly TransPasses, SEPTA has announced the roll-out of “Quick Trip” – single trip tickets for Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines.

A Quick Trip is a disposable magnetic strip ticket that customers can swipe at new Key turnstiles. A Quick Trip is valid for one-way travel from the station where it is purchased, and must be used on the day it is purchased. Station and date-of-purchase details are printed on the ticket.

The addition of the Quick Trip feature gives riders the option to purchase their fare in the station without worrying about having a token or exact change beforehand.

There is no discount for a Quick Trip – the regular one-way transit cash fare of $2.25 applies. Also, a Quick Trip cannot be used in combination with a transfer. However, SEPTA customers can use their debit and credit cards for single-trip purchases at station kiosks, and riders who use cash will receive change if they don’t have exact fare.  Continue Reading

SEPTA has announced extra trips on subways, trolleys and additional service on several regional rail lines to accommodate those going to and from Made in America concert, which will be held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway this Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 3 & 4). Service on the Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines will operate on regular Saturday/Sunday schedules, with extra trains added for the festival.

SEPTA’s Center City trolley tunnel, which normally closes on Sunday evenings, will remain open to accommodate passengers on the Route 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 trolleys. Trolleys will operate on Saturday/Sunday schedules during the festival.

On Monday, Sept. 5, SEPTA will operate on a Sunday/Holiday schedule. For more information, visit septa.org.

And here are some closings and schedules changes in observance of Labor Day:

• Philadelphia public libraries will close at 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2 and will reopen on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
• There will be no trash or recyclables collection on Monday, Sept. 5. Residents with Monday collections must set their trash out on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Collections will be one day behind for the rest of the week.

SEPTA’s annual Trolley Tunnel Blitz, originally scheduled for nine days in July but postponed due to the Regional Rail issue, will take place on weekends and weekday nights starting Friday, Aug. 12.

SEPTA Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 will not operate in the Center City tunnel on the following weekends:

• 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 12  to 4:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15
• 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 19 to 4:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 22
• 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26 to 4:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 29

Trolleys will not operate in the tunnel on weeknights from 8 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. on August 15-19 and 22-26. Trolleys will use the tunnel on weekdays during peak rush hours and throughout the day (from 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.).

During the closures, trolley service will begin and end at 40th and Market Streets. Trolley passengers can board the Market-Frankford Line at 40th Street Station for travel to and from Center City.

More information about the Trolley Tunnel Blitz is available on septa.org.

SEPTA riders who wanted to test the new SEPTA Key Fare card but didn’t get a chance to purchase it in June when the Early Adopters program was launched, will have another chance very soon. The SEPTA Key Early Adopters Program will begin expanding on Monday, Aug. 1, with two major sales offices offering a limited number of Key Cards loaded with Weekly or Monthly TransPasses. The expansion will continue through September, with more sales locations and station kiosks for reloading passes added each week.

Some 10,000 passes were offered for sale at fare kiosks inside stations along the Market-Frankford starting June 13 and Broad Street Lines and sold out by the end of June.

Starting Aug. 1, Weekly and Monthly TransPasses loaded on Key Cards will be sold at SEPTA Sales Offices located at 15th Street Station and SEPTA Headquarters at 1234 Market Street. Then, starting Monday, Aug. 8, SEPTA will expand sales and reloading of Weekly and Monthly TransPasses to sales offices at major transit terminals. Additional station kiosks will be available only for reloading of Weekly or Monthly TranPasses. The full rollout schedule is posted online at http://www.septakey.org/key/.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Early Adopters program does not eliminate tokens, which will still be in use for single trips.

SEPTA’s Trolley Tunnel Blitz, the annual maintenance project in the trolley tunnel connecting West Philadelphia and Center City that had been scheduled to begin on Friday, July 8, has been postponed, according to SEPTA’s spokesperson Andrew Busch. “It is postponed due to the Regional Rail issue and the related increase in ridership on our other modes,” Busch wrote in an email.

The trolley routes 11, 13, 34 and 36 will continue normal operation through the tunnel until further announcement.

SEPTA lost a third of its regional rail fleet on July 3 when an issue had been detected with Silverliner V commuter rail passenger cars. 120 Silverliner V cars have been taken out of service, causing the remaining trains operate over capacity. Many trains today have been standing-room only.

SEPTA is planning to provide additional information on the Tunnel Blitz this Thursday. They don’t have a rescheduled date at this time.