22,000 SEPTA Pope Passes Still Available
Pope Francis | giulio napolitano. Lottery ball | Shutterstock.com
It seems that just two weeks after SEPTA’s Pope Passes went on sale, the demand has decreased significantly.
Just two days after Monday’s online lottery for the limited train passes, SEPTA spokeswoman Heather Renfeld told Philly Mag that 22,000 passes are still available, and that number could increase.
You’ll recall the technical issues SEPTA encountered when it first opened online sales of the passes, leading to website traffic the agency was unprepared to handle, forcing SEPTA to rethink how it would make the passes available.
Renfeld added that lottery winners will be emailed on Thursday and will have until Sunday to purchase their passes, after which point any unclaimed passes will become available for sale. Details, Renfeld said, will be available next week once SEPTA knows precisely how many additional passes they will have, though she did say the passes would be sold in-person at select SEPTA stations.
However, Renfeld also said that she believes most outlying stations have already sold out. More information on that will also be available next week.
The Inquirer reported Tuesday evening that passes will first be sold to anyone who entered but didn’t win the lottery, and then to the general public at select SEPTA stations: Jefferson, Suburban and 30th Street. NBC Philadelphia says that if lottery winners miss this Sunday’s deadline, previously unlucky lottery applicants will be selected to claim the passes.
Sales taking place at the stations, the Inquirer added, will occur on two back-to-back weekends and are designed to help those with weekend jobs obtain passes for their commute.
One-day passes cost $10 for either September 26th or 27th, the two days Pope Francis will be in town. Seniors and those with disabilities can buy discounted tickets for $5. The Inquirer adds that details will be available soon concerning three-day subway, trolley and bus passes.
By Friday, August 14th, the Inquirer says, SEPTA expects to know the number and type — station and time slot — of passes that still remain to be sold.
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