Philadelphia is expecting around three million people for Thursday’s parade and Septa is gearing up to handle those numbers. Septa just released the full plans for the day, including discounted fares on the regional lines. Take note that the Regional lines will operate only inbound to Philly in the morning, and only outbound from Philly in the afternoon. See the below plans just released by Septa:
FREE RIDES on Market-Frankford & Broad Street Lines
The Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines are the best options for travel to-and-from the parade. Thanks to support from Independence Blue Cross, rides on both lines are free on Thursday. (Please note that regular fares apply for all other SEPTA services.)
The Market-Frankford Line provides access to Center City from many suburban communities via 69th Street Transportation Center, with connections to the Norristown High Speed Line, the Routes 101 and 102 Trolley Lines, and multiple bus routes. The Market-Frankford Line also connects to outlying points with bus and trackless trolley service at Frankford Transportation Center.
To get to the Broad Street Line, customers can connect from multiple bus routes at Fern Rock Transportation Center, Olney Transportation Center and other stations.
Trains on the Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines will run every 5-7 minutes starting at 5 a.m. on Thursday. SEPTA will utilize as many rail cars as possible to provide added capacity for riders.
The following stations will be open, although additional closures are possible depending on crowds:
Market-Frankford Line: Frankford Transportation Center, Arrott Transportation Center, Erie-Torresdale, Allegheny, Huntingdon, Girard, 2nd Street, 8th Street, 13th Street, 30th Street, 40th Street, 46th Street, 52nd Street, 60th Street and 69th Street Transportation Center.
Broad Street Line: Fern Rock Transportation Center, Olney Transportation Center, Wyoming, Erie, North Philadelphia, Cecil B. Moore, Girard, Race-Vine, Walnut-Locust, Ellsworth-Federal, Snyder and AT&T.
Regional Rail Service to Select Stations Only; Passes Required
Regional Rail service will operate to-and-from selected stations. Service to Center City will be available via Jefferson and 30th Street Stations, which are a short walk from the parade route. There will be no service at Suburban, University City or Temple University stations. Below are the outlying stations that will be open on each line:
-Airport Line: Eastwick, Terminals A, B, C/D and E/F. Hourly service throughout the day.
-Chestnut Hill East Line: Chestnut Hill East and Wyndmoor.
-Chestnut Hill West Line: No train service. Customers can use Chestnut Hill East.
-Cynwyd Line: No train service.
-Fox Chase Line: Fox Chase Station.
-Lansdale/Doylestown Line: Doylestown, Lansdale, Pennbrook, Ambler, Fort Washington and Jenkintown-Wyncote.
-Manayunk/Norristown Line: Elm Street, Norristown Transportation Center, Conshohocken.
-Media/Elwyn Line: Elwyn, Media and Primos.
-Paoli/Thorndale Line: Thorndale, Whitford, Exton, Paoli and Ardmore.
-Trenton Line: Trenton, Croydon and Cornwells Heights.
-Warminster Line: Warminster and Jenkintown-Wyncote.
-West Trenton Line: West Trenton, Woodbourne, Langhorne, Philmont and Jenkintown-Wyncote.
-Wilmington/Newark Line: Wilmington, Marcus Hook and Ridley Park.
For the return trip, customers must board at the same Center City station where they departed.
For parade-day travel on Regional Rail, customers must have one of the following fare products: A Weekly or Monthly TrailPass, an Independence Pass, or a pre-purchased senior/reduced fare ticket.
Starting on Tuesday, SEPTA will sell a special discounted Independence Pass for $10. The pass will be available at sales locations, and in limited numbers the day of the parade at open stations.
SEPTA urges customers to purchase passes before the day of the parade, and sales office hours will be extended through Wednesday. Please visit the Eagles Section of the SEPTA website for details.
Bus, Trolley, Norristown High Speed Line & CCT Paratransit
A number of bus routes that operate on and around the parade route in South Philadelphia and Center City will be detoured. City Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 will not stop at 15th Street, and additional adjustments are possible.
Please visit the System Status section of SEPTA’s website for route-specific details: http://www.septa.org/realtime/status/system-status.shtml
The Routes 101 and 102 Trolleys and the Norristown High Speed Line will stop at all stations, with service every 15 minutes.
CCT Paratransit will operate regular weekday service, although travel could be significantly impacted by rolling road closures and heavy pedestrian traffic.
If possible, SEPTA encourages customers who are planning trips for medical care facilities near the parade route to schedule their appointments the day before the parade.
Parking Limited: Plan for Drop-offs
SEPTA is urging customers who are planning to use rail services to arrange to be dropped off at or near their station. Parking will be limited at SEPTA stations and surrounding locations, and available spots are expected to fill up quickly.
Photo courtesy: Septa Facebook Page.