Public transit scores win on Eagles parade day
The region’s transit agencies succeeded in moving hundreds of thousands of people in and out of the city on Thursday.
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Regional rail users wait in lines that stretch for blocks after the Super Bowl parade. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
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Happy Eagles fans arrive at 30th Street station on the Market Frankford line. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
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Regional rail users wait in lines that stretch for blocks after the Super Bowl parade. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
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Lines to board SEPTA regional rail at 30th Street Station stretch way back to 31st Street and beyond. (Jim Saksa/WHYY)
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The view of the PATCO line at 9th and Walnut. (Laura Benshoff/WHYY)
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The line for the 10th and Locust PATCO station has spawned another, smaller line for the Wawa on Walnut near 10th. An employee is acting as a Wawa bouncer. (Laura Benshoff/WHYY)
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Around 3 p.m., the line for PATCO at 10th and Locust was approximately a quarter-mile long, with trains leaving every 5 minutes. (Jim Saksa/WHYY)
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Around 3 p.m., the line for PATCO at 10th and Locust was approximately a quarter-mile long, with trains leaving every 5 minutes. (Jim Saksa/WHYY)
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Regional rail users wait in lines that stretch for blocks after the Super Bowl parade. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
Updated: 11:41 p.m.
In 2008, the Phillies won the World Series for the first time in 28 years.
But, SEPTA stranded some of the crowds of baseball fans who tried to cheer them on, as trains full of passengers from outer regional rail stations bypassed closer ones.
Not this time.
While the lines were long, riders like Gary Bringhurst from May’s Landing took it in stride.
“It is what it is. Can’t control it. You got 3 million people in the city, what are you gonna do.”
SEPTA and Patco pared down the number of stations accepting passengers, to make trains run faster and ensure all commuters could ride. The subways were free all day Thursday, sweetening the sting for riders inconvenienced by a skipped stop or a delayed trip.
“It was insane trying to even move in 2008, and this year they did a lot better,” said Chris Revilla, who made the trip from West Trenton.
During mid-afternoon, lines for Patco stretched several city blocks, but riders passed the time with chants, warm drinks and cookies from one enterprising girl scout.
At 30th Street station, fans chanted for the Eagles as they waited out lines to board SEPTA trains. Each bump forward towards the platforms earned a cheer from the crowd.
Transit agencies plan to return to their regular schedules on Friday morning.
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