How much do you really know about everyone’s favorite almost-convenient sketch-machine public transportation? Probably not enough, because we imagine there’s an infinite amount of fun facts from this party train. For example, did you know that it was a team from Penn that developed the organization of the Regional Rail system? Crazy!
Anyways, in even more important SEPTA news, all of the R trains are getting a name change on July 25. Watch out: you Main Line folks will now just be “Thorndale” instead of the “R5 towards Thorndale.” Apparently, people were getting confused and doing things like getting on the R5 towards Doylestown, which is like, not the right direction.
But oh no, drama! Penn prof Vukan R. Vuchic has recently come out against the switch in an Inquirer editorial. He says it’ll just make things more confusing and encourage less travel throughout the whole region, not just to Center City. If there’s one thing we can take from that, it’s that he’s a professor of transportation. We have those? That’s awesome.
Edit: An earlier version of this post had me not knowing where things are in the greater Philadelphia area. It’s been edited for geographic accuracy.
The Inquirer is reporting that the strike is over. Probably. We’ll give you details as they come.
UPDATE: 12:55 a.m.: The strike is definitely over. SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney told the Inky that buses, subways and trolleys will be up and running in time for the morning rush hour. The strike is ending just before it was about to enter its seventh day.
UPDATE: 1:26 a.m.: As per SEPTA’s Twitter, “Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, Trolley Lines and City & Frontier Bus service will beginning [sic] running again at 4:00 a.m. Customers may encounter delays as service is restored gradually throughout the morning.”
As you know, the SEPTA Strike is underway. This means fewer near-death experiences in the bus lane, but it also means that getting around is a huge pain in the feet, or in the wallet if you’re relying on cabs. We’ve done some research to find SEPTA alternatives that will keep you on your merry way. Check out the list after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
In an hour, SEPTA’s largest union, Transport Workers Union Local 234, will go on strike. According to the DP:
All bus, subway and trolley services in the city will be interrupted by the strike. Regional rail service, most buses operating out of the 69th Street Terminal and “LUCY” buses, which run through University City, have crews covered by separate contracts and thus will continue operations.
Information on service interruptions can be found here.
Photo by Rebecca Greenfield
It seems like Philadelphia these days is a veritable city of love. The New York Times loves Philly, Obama loves Philly, and Philly even loves us back. This week Street decided to send back a little love to Philadelphia’s BYOs, navigable streets and Phillies fans. We figured we’d take it one step further by venturing past 46th Street on the El to visit some oversized missives from Philly in the form of the Mural Arts Program’s Love Letter project.
If you’re down to check them out for yourself, we highly recommend it. Otherwise you can find the photos on the back page of Street, or a mapafter the jump. We hear it’s a great spot for a date — imagine it: brown bagging it on a crisp fall afternoon with SEPTA and some murals. What else could you want? Read the rest of this entry »
We’re okay with the fact that Penn and Philly have an awkward relationship, a town-gown strain, if you will. This weekend, however, some Philly area pranksters decided to air these grievances in public by posting fake notices on SEPTA trains on the Market-Frankford Line.
Penn students join “drug addicts,” “schizophrenics,” “hipsters,” “raging maniacs,” and “drunk rich kids who still think Old City is cool” among those attacked for riding SEPTA in the fake signs. Last time we checked, Penn students were all of the above, so basically, someone hates us.
The Associated Press has the full-text of the signs. Tell us what you think in the comments, you “obnoxious Penn student.”
In honor of Philly Beer Week, SEPTA has been kind enough to run late night trains so as to prevent drunk driving. They even went as far as designing a nifty Beer Week Pass. The skyline in the background looks beautiful –- oh yeah, because it’s NOT PHILADELPHIA. Yep, as Philly Skyline pointed out, that’s New York. But hey, if you’re tipsy and squint hard enough you can pretend. WTG d00dz.
Spotted at the eastbound track of the 34th Street SEPTA station.
A pigeon waits for the el line at 15th and Market–gotta get back to Penn before Sociology of Media and Pop Culture!
Everyone knows that
Haikus are three lines of five,
Seven and five beats.
This girl records a
Haiku about a SEPTA
Passenger each day.
Some profound; others
Silly; all are compelling.
Give her blog a glance.
(And of course reader
Leave us a haiku of your
Own as a comment.)
