SEPTA Chaos Begins This Weekend
Here's what you need to know.
Saturday is the last day when you can ride the Route 44 bus from Center City to Narberth and Gladwyne due to drastic SEPTA cuts and changes. (Photo by Rashaad Jorden via Flickr/Creative Commons)
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Drastic SEPTA Schedule Cuts and Changes Begin This Weekend
Are you ready for it? Are you ready for the drastic SEPTA cuts and changes that we’ve been hearing about for what seems like forever? No? You’re not? Well, I’m sorry to tell you: Too bad. Because the changes are coming. This weekend, in fact.
Saturday is the last day of normal SEPTA service, the same SEPTA schedules and routes you’ve been used to for a long time. But that all changes on Sunday, when phase one of SEPTA’s doomsday plan goes into effect due to a lack of funding from Harrisburg.
We’re talking about the elimination of 32 bus routes and the shortening of 16 bus routes. For instance, SEPTA’s 44 bus that’s pictured above normally goes all the way from Center City out to Narberth and then Gladwyne, but it will now terminate in Ardmore. Then there are 88 bus routes and other Metro lines, including the Market-Frankford El, Broad Street Line, and trolleys, that will see major service reductions impacting commutes throughout the region. Most of these changes will happen on Sunday, with the balance coming on Monday.
Regional Rail riders get a reprieve, but only until September 2nd. None of SEPTA’s Regional Rail lines are being eliminated – yet – but most of them are seeing peak service drop to hourly and midday service to every two hours. So that train you normally catch at 1 p.m. might not come until 2 p.m.
To add insult to injury, SEPTA fares are going up for all riders as of September 1st. The new fare rides outside of Regional Rail trains will go from $2.50 to $2.90. And on Regional Rail, you can expect to pay 21.5 percent more for that train that already rarely showed up on time and that now will run even less frequently.
But wait. There’s more! SEPTA says even more drastic cuts are coming – including the elimination of the Paoli-Thorndale Regional Rail line – in January lest our legislators bail us out of this utter mess. On one hand, it’s hard to imagine SEPTA eliminating the train that connects the Main Line with Center City. On the other hand, I can’t believe it’s gotten to the point that it has.
Good luck out there. And remember: Patience is a virtue.
For a complete rundown on all of the SEPTA cuts you can look forward to, go here.
Starr Power
People have been clamoring to eat at Stephen Starr’s newest venture, the $20 million Italian restaurant Borromini that sits where the Barnes & Noble once was at 18th and Walnut. Well, we finally have an opening date: Borromini will open officially on Monday. Philly Mag restaurant critic Jason Sheehan has all the details right here. The restaurant has been doing a soft opening, and I’ve heard nothing but raves. Good luck getting a table.
Will You Ever Get to See the Who Again? And Do You Care?
The Who was supposed to play it’s final Philly show last night down at Xfinity Mobile Arena (aka the Wells Fargo Center). But the band postponed that show abruptly due to illness. If this sounds familiar to you, it’s because the band did the same thing way back in 2015. In case you’re wondering, the founding members of the Who that are still with us are both octogenarians. So here’s hoping.
About That McGlinchey’s Situation …
While the future of the Center City dive bar remains in limbo (is it closing imminently or isn’t it?), some prominent Philadelphia bar owners are very interested in buying it, including Fergie’s owner Fergus Carey (aka Fergie), who had his first Philly bartending job there.
Connecting Flights Are for Bozos
Fortunately, you can now fly direct from Philly to Milan, as my very blessed colleague did for this story. She can have Milan. I’m waiting for those Philly-Prague direct flights that start next year. Well, I’m looking forward to those assuming there isn’t a large-scale war in Europe. But as anyone who knows me will tell you, I’m an optimist. (Totally buying travel insurance.)
Headlines We Weren’t Expecting
“Herr’s Chips Are at the Center of a NYC Bribery Scandal.” Specifically, sour cream and onion rippled chips.
By the Numbers
$0: What some SEPTA riders will spend on Uber or Lyft rides when their buses are late in certain emergency circumstances, as part of a pilot program.
0: Chances that this Philly based doctor and scientist is going to comply with RFK Jr.’s demand that she retract her new study about vaccines that was just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. But, no, RFK Jr. is definitely not anti-vaccine.
11 p.m.: Time that many takeout spots and food trucks in certain neighborhoods are going to be forced to shut down once a new curfew ordinance takes effect. But a group of small business owners is protesting the measure, and City Council could recall the ordinance.
Local Talent
I know I normally feature people in the local talent section of this column. But today, I’m taking a bit of a different approach. There are few places I like to spend more time in than local bookstores. And if you’re a bookstore nerd like me, you should know that the Philly Bookstore Crawl is happening this Saturday. It’s exactly what it sounds like it is. I’ll see you out there. Details here.
