Shuttle buses will replace Route 34 Trolley on Sunday, Jan. 25, due to overhead wire work, SEPTA has announced. Shuttle bus operation will begin at 2 a.m. Sunday and will continue throughout the day, until the end of service.

SEPTA has posted the following advisory for the route:

Westbound Service (towards 61st St. & Baltimore Ave.):

Customers should board Trolleys in the Tunnel and transfer to the Route 34 Shuttle Bus at 40th St. Portal for service towards 61st St. and Baltimore Ave.

Eastbound Service (towards 13th & Market Sts.):

Customers should exit the Route 34 Shuttle Bus at 40th St. Portal and transfer to Trolleys for service towards 13th & Market Sts.

Some great news, folks! No more trolley diversion to 40th and Market Streets as after almost a three-week break the trolley service has resumed in the tunnel. The tunnel was closed for Trolley Tunnel Blitz, a 17-day maintenance and construction project. The trolley diversion during this period caused some traffic delays on 40th Street, especially during rush hours. The tunnel service resumed before the rush hour this morning, according to SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch.

We’re not fully in the transportation clear yet though. Some segments of Spruce Street will be closed this week for Penn students move-in. Here are the dates, times and areas you should avoid:

Thursday, Aug. 21: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.: Spruce Street between 34th and 38th Streets
Friday, Aug. 22: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.: Spruce Street between 34th and 38th Streets
Saturday, Aug. 23: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.: Spruce Street between 38th and 40th Streets

They’re very likely going to ask you to walk your bike along those blocks and, of course, they are closed to vehicle traffic.

Now back to SEPTA news:

The “Night Owl” 24-hour weekend subway service, which is a pilot program, has been extended until November 2. The pilot was initially scheduled to run through Labor Day weekend. The extension will let SEPTA evaluate the service during fall ridership season.

SEPTA has just released a new mobile app for Android users that offers riders a variety of SEPTA travel information. The new app allows you to check your schedule, check for alerts, detours and service advisories on your route, find the location and get real-time information for regional rail trains, find the travel option nearest you, and stay connected with SEPTA. You can download the app on this page.

BTW, a new sign has been spotted on the Route 34 Trolley that reminds riders of seat etiquette:

Bandit campaign of passive aggression continues on @SEPTA_TRL_34 pic.twitter.com/iysOB3k4DL

— Amara Rockar (@arockar) August 18, 2014

Here’s a reminder that the trolley tunnel closes tonight at 10 p.m. for Trolley Tunnel Blitz, a 17-day maintenance and construction project. During this time, SEPTA Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 will operate only west of 40th Street. Passengers traveling east of 40th Street can switch to the Market-Frankford subway line at 40th and Market where all the trolleys will divert to. You can also take a bus (Routes 42, 21).

The trolley service in the tunnel is expected to resume on August 18 at 4 a.m. We’ll keep you posted if there are any changes.

Check out this video, recently put up by SEPTA, that explains the Trolley Tunnel Blitz:

It’s time to replace those worn out overhead wires and tracks in the Center City tunnel, says SEPTA. The tunnel maintenance and construction project is scheduled for August 1-18, 2014 and here’s what it means for West Philly trolley riders:

SEPTA Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 will not operate in the tunnel from 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 1 through 4 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 18. Trolley service will begin and end at 40th and Market Streets and passengers are advised to use Market-Frankford Line for travel to and from Center City, as the repair work will not affect that service.

During the so-called “Trolley Tunnel Blitz,” SEPTA crews will work around-the-clock to complete numerous overhead wire, track and station improvement projects, which will help improve safety and service reliability of the trolleys that run through the tunnel, according to SEPTA’s announcement. Some of this work includes replacing nearly 24,000 feet of worn overhead contact wire throughout the tunnel, installing more than 14,000 feet of new rail on the eastbound track, and making numerous station repairs and improvements such as on stairs, lighting and platforms.

You can also say goodbye to the graffiti in the tunnel. The project includes graffiti removal, painting and heavy cleaning at all stations throughout the tunnel.

For more details on the maintenance and construction work scheduled during the Trolley Tunnel Blitz, visit SEPTA’s website.
 

SEPTA announced today that the trolley tunnel to and from Center City will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2 until midnight on Monday Aug. 12. The 11, 13, 34 and 36 trollies will reroute to 40th and Market Streets where passengers can connect with the Market-Frankford Line, which will not be impacted by the tunnel work.

Shuttle buses that are currently being used along the Route 10 line will run to 40th and Filbert Streets during the repairs instead of 33rd and Market.

SEPTA crews will spend that week replacing overhead wire and doing ceiling work in the tunnel, according to a statement.

“We use the tunnel almost 24 hours a day, which means we have very limited opportunities to obtain track outages for extensive repair work,” SEPTA’s deputy general manager Jeff Knueppel said.

Editor’s Note: The trolley tunnel shutdown starts at 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2., not at 10 a.m. as originally stated in the post.

SEPTA is conducting trolley track work this summer on the Routes 10, 11, and 36 and residents should expect shuttle buses on these lines and limited traffic on the affected blocks.

A switch and track crossing renewal project for the intersection of 49th Street and Woodland Avenue will take place June 9-22 and service on SEPTA’s Route 11 and 36 trolleys will be affected during this two-week period. Normal construction hours will be Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. and possibly on weekends if it is necessary for maintaining the project schedule. During the project, 49th Street and Woodland Avenue will be closed to traffic in all directions for a full block from the worksite. Here are more details on the changes in the operation of the 36 and 11 trolleys for the duration of the project (source: septa.org).

Route 36 Service:
• Buses will replace all trolleys from the Eastwick Loop to the 40th Street Portal.
Passengers traveling to Center City can board any trolley at the Portal for service to 13th
Street.

Route 11 Service:
• Eastbound, Route 11 trolleys will operate from the Darby Loop to 50th Street and
Woodland Avenue, then travel over 49th Street to Chester Avenue and on to the 40th
Street Portal for Center City destinations. Passengers needing to make stops on
Woodland between 50th Street and the 40th Street Portal can transfer to shuttle buses at
50th and Woodland.
• Westbound, trolleys will operate from 13th to 40th Streets via the Center City tunnel, then
travel on Woodland Avenue to Chester Avenue to 58th Street and back to Woodland for
service to the Darby Loop. Shuttle buses will be available at the 40th Street Portal for
customers that need to make stops on Woodland between the Portal and 57th Street.

SEPTA is also conducting a track renewal project on a portion of the Route 10 trolley line. During this project, which is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2013, tracks will be replaced on Lancaster Avenue from 40th to 44th Streets, the intersection at 48th Street and on 41st Street between Wallace Street and Lancaster Avenue.

The project will be completed in three phases. Shuttle bus service for the Route 10 trolley will be in effect between 63rd Street and Malvern Avenue to 33rd and Market Streets for the project’s second and third phases, June 23-August 31, 2013. Buses will also substitute trolley service on the Route 15 from August 18-24. For more information, visit SEPTA’s website or call SEPTA Customer Service at 215-580-7800.