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

                      Photo via Septa.org

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.

You can get more information on the proposed SEPTA bus route 49, which would connect Brewerytown and Fairmount with Grays Ferry via West Philly’s University City section, at an open house this Monday (March 28) at SEPTA Headquarters, 1234 Market Street.

The Open House is scheduled for 5-6:30 p.m. and will introduce SEPTA’s Fiscal Year 2017 Annual Service Plan, which includes proposals for some new transit services and changes aimed at improving existing services. SEPTA riders, stakeholders and the general public are encouraged to provide feedback regarding the proposals.

The Open House will be held in the Board Room, Mezzanine Level.

For more information on the proposals, or to submit comments, click here.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (1/25/2016): SEPTA has restored service on all regional rail lines. As of Monday morning, the following bus routes were operating: 1, 4, 6, 9, 14, 15B, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 37, 38, 40, 42, 44, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 59, 60, 61, 64, 66, 70, 73, 78, 79, 84, 93, 96, 97, 99, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 117, 118, 119, 120, 123, 124, 125 126, 132, 201, 205, 206 310 and R and LUCY. SEPTA customers should check the System Status section at www.septa.org for detour information.

SEPTA restored service on its trolley lines on Sunday morning and is working toward restoring service on bus and rail lines that have been suspended since 4 a.m. Saturday. Service on Market-Frankford and Broad Street subway lines has been running on or close to normal schedules since the snow storm hit the area on Friday.

Bus service will be restored on a route-by-route basis starting 10 a.m. Sunday morning, with a focus on priority routes that feed customers to the Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines. Priority City Routes include 14, 18, 21, 33, 42, 52, 56, 58, 59, 60, and 66.

Service on all SEPTA Regional Rail Lines will remain suspended on Sunday.

SEPTA trolley and bus riders should expect delays until full service is restores.

Visit septa.org for updates.

Happy Martin Luther King Day! Here are reminders about what’s going on in the area today and information on today’s closings and schedule changes.

• If you missed our post about MLK Day of Service happenings and volunteer opportunities, you can read it here.

• West Philly Community Pet Pantry, where low-income residents can get free food for their pets, is happening from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Shepard Recreation Center (5700 Haverford Ave.).

• SEPTA buses and trolleys are operating on a modified weekday schedule. Go here for more information.

• Public schools and libraries, government offices and post offices are closed.

• There will be no trash and recycling collection today. If your trash collection day is Monday, set out your materials for Tuesday pick-up. Trash collection for the rest of the week will be delayed by one day.

To accommodate New Year’s Eve travel, SEPTA will operate enhanced late-evening schedules on the Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines and Regional Rail (a special customer guide is available online). A number of bus detours will also be in effect on New Year’s Day to accommodate the Mummers Parade.

Thursday, Dec. 31:

• Extra trains will operate on the Broad Street and Market Frankford Lines starting at 7:05 p.m. for travel to the fireworks at Penn’s Landing.
• Broad Street and Market Frankford Line trains will operate overnight service Dec. 31 into Jan 1.
• The Market Street/Convention Center entrance to Jefferson Station will remain open until 2 a.m. to accommodate customers returning from New Year’s Eve fireworks.  Continue Reading