You Ask, 76ers Answer: 76 Place and Transportation

Over a year ago, 76 Place at Market East–the newly proposed home for the Philadelphia 76ers–was announced. Since then, there have been many developments, and over the last several weeks 76 Place has held a series of public information sessions to share information, answer questions, and receive feedback from the community. A key topic of interest has been transportation, including public transit options to alleviate concerns of added congestion.

The following are some of the most commonly asked questions we’ve heard and responses to provide more clarity.

How will people get to the arena?

76 Place will rely on public transit as the best way to attract patrons and fans. In fact, preliminary analysis predicts that 50 percent of fans will arrive to the arena by public transit or walking. This is because the arena sits on top of Jefferson Station, which is directly connected to every major transit line in the region. For those who prefer to drive, 76 Place will leverage the substantial existing parking nearby. There are 29 garages providing over 9,000 parking spots within a 5- to 10-minute walk from the site. During event times, there will be more than 5,600 parking spaces available, which exceeds anticipated demand.

How will you get people to take public transit when they are used to driving to the WFC? 

A significant portion of visitors are in and around Center City: 45 percent of Uber riders travel to Wells Fargo Center from downtown. The 76ers are working with SEPTA and PATCO on new transit investments to prepare for ridership demand and incentivize fans. Studies show that taking the train to 76 Place will be approximately 42 minutes quicker than driving to Wells Fargo Center for fans. Furthermore, the team has engaged a safety consultant to work with public transit security to improve safety conditions and ensure fans feel comfortable getting to and from the arena.

What’s the 76er’s plan for managing traffic congestion?

The Sixers have engaged transportation planning experts at Langan to advise on managing mobility in ways that will mitigate congestion and improve the pedestrian experience. Here are just some options to manage traffic and parking in the area:

• Pre-sell parking passes
• Upgrade traffic signals with Gridsmart cameras
• Signal timing modifications
• Fund traffic & pedestrian officers
• Dedicated Uber and Lyft pick-up spots
• Dedicated parking spaces for Chinatown visitors
• Integrated fares for SEPTA & PATCO
• Emergency vehicle preemption

Won’t there be a traffic jam along Market Street when trucks are loading and unloading for concerts?

The current Fashion District already has underground loading docks that can handle up to 30 tractor trailers. That same dock will become part of 76 Place so trucks can load out of site and out of mind from the community, just like they do now for the mall. When the trailers aren’t being used, they will be queued offsite, far away from the arena and the surrounding community.

To learn more about 76 Place, visit 76place.com.

This is a paid partnership between 76 Place and Philadelphia Magazine