Traffic Issues related to the DNC in Philly

[jeffandnicole]

Since there's probably going to be numerous traffic issues, I'll just create a new thread related to the Democratic National Convention.

First off: A 5 ton weight restriction on I-95 itself between Exit 13 (Platt bridge, Route 291) and Exit 22 (I-676).  If trucks are in the area, they'll have to use local roads and I-76 & I-676 to get around the restricted zone.  VMS signage should be in place well north and south of Philly to keep trucks away from the area to begin with.

The restriction is in place due to the Convention being held at the Wells Fargo Center, which is located just off I-95.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/in-transit/What-you-need-to-know-about-driving-on-Interstate-95-during-the-DNC.html

[jeffandnicole]

So far, thru the weekend so far, traffic is moving fine in and about the city.  The biggest road news is the truck ban on 95 between Exits 13 (Platt Bridge) and Exit 22 (676). Lanes on 95 are closed at the restricted area as needed specifically to congest traffic to re-route trucks to the exits. For some of the on ramps, cops are on standby should a truck try to venture into the highway. I did see one truck in the banned zone...on the shoulder...with a cop attending to him.

Overall, very positive atmosphere in the city. Cleveland experienced very few issues during the RNC; Philly is hoping for the same experience!

[PHLBOS]

Having returned from a week-long stay in New England yesterday afternoon; inbound I-95 traffic at both ends of the truck restricted areas had lengthy backups leading to the checkpoints.  I thought to myself, "If that's what it's going to be like in the evening hours; how much worse will the backups be during the morning rush?"  What made matters worse was that the left lanes along I-95 were closed on approach to the checkpoint locations thereby creating a funnel-effect.  According to one report, such was a last-minute modification/add-on because one or two large trucks did indeed breach the checkpoint early on.  OTOH, I-95 between the checkpoint areas was free-flowing.

As a result, I wound up using SEPTA (modified Regional Rail schedule & all) because I knew that all the alternate routes were going to be clogged and every entrance ramp along the secure area will likely have backups to patrols discouraging heavy trucks from entering I-95 via those ramps.

[ekt8750]

They're weighing every single truck that comes through too.

[jeffandnicole]

They're weighing every single truck that comes through too.

I've read this erroneous fact a few times.  They're not weighing anything - there are no scales on the highway.  If any truck is *rated* for 5 tons or above, it's kicked off the highway.  Also, any large vehicle such as buses and RVs aren't permitted within the banned zone as well. 

As in most cases, the truckers ruined this one.  Even though there are numerous signs, both VMS and roadside signage, announcing the ban, several trucks ignored it (as I mentioned previously, I witnessed one stopped on 95 within the banned area, so it's not just some passive recommendation).

The lane (or two lanes, depending on traffic) closure forces traffic to congest, and it allows the police the ability to easily stop a truck failing to obey the multitude of signage out there.  I'm not sure if there's any signage in Maryland and Delaware announcing this going North on 95, but in NJ, many VMS signs anywhere close to the Philly area have the ban mentioned.

Otherwise, most of the traffic issues are caused by motorcades and protests/marches.  Many of the disruptions have been the result of Bernie protestors.  This weeks' news about the email leaks aren't helping matters.

As has been learned in the past, these people are permitted to exercise their constitutional rights, so they get to march in the streets and block traffic.  The police, for their part, are very relaxed and helpful.  Due to hot temps, many of the fire hydrants along the route are equipped with sprayers for the marchers to walk thru.  Bottled water is available to anyone who wants it, and numerous EMTs are available to assist as well.  I heard one story about an angry participant ripping the police because they weren't permitted to go thru a barricade and tried to say his constitutional rights were being violated, and that was after a 3 mile march where he was permitted to exercise his constitutional rights, shouting whatever he wanted, blocking traffic, etc...

[odditude]

As in most cases, the truckers ruined this one.  Even though there are numerous signs, both VMS and roadside signage, announcing the ban, several trucks ignored it (as I mentioned previously, I witnessed one stopped on 95 within the banned area, so it's not just some passive recommendation).

yep, saw a trucker barrelling down the left lane, chatting on his phone, completely oblivious to the line of state troopers furiously flagging him over. they ended up having to move cones so he could inch his way across the very back end of the exit gore onto exit 22.

[elsmere241]

The lane (or two lanes, depending on traffic) closure forces traffic to congest, and it allows the police the ability to easily stop a truck failing to obey the multitude of signage out there.  I'm not sure if there's any signage in Maryland and Delaware announcing this going North on 95, but in NJ, many VMS signs anywhere close to the Philly area have the ban mentioned.

Delaware has had it on the I-95 VMSes.

[PHLBOS]

The lane (or two lanes, depending on traffic) closure forces traffic to congest, and it allows the police the ability to easily stop a truck failing to obey the multitude of signage out there.  I'm not sure if there's any signage in Maryland and Delaware announcing this going North on 95, but in NJ, many VMS signs anywhere close to the Philly area have the ban mentioned.

Delaware has had it on the I-95 VMSes.

Both the NJTP & I-295 had similar VMS messages regarding I-95 in Philly as well.

[jeffandnicole]

Well...that was fun!

The DNC is over, and other than for drivers on 95 dealing with the jams caused to keep trucks from entering the banned area, along with traffic stoppages for protests on Broad and Market Streets, traffic really didn't have much of an issue.  Actually, the entire city looked pretty good, once you get beyond the stupid stuff people complain about (security barriers really peeve people for some reason).  Some of the attendees didn't care for their hotels being 3 miles from the Wells Fargo Center (WFC), requiring buses, taxis, Ubers and the subway (when demonstrators weren't blocking the exits).  West Virginia in particular wasn't happy with their host hotel being in Valley Forge, a good hour ride on a good day to the WFC.  From a security standpoint though, the WFC is in a great location where there can block off a significant area without much issue; the biggest issue being the highway a parking lot away.

For me, it was a great time; a lot of it due to fortunate self-scheduling of my volunteer shifts, and actually showing up on time if not early.  It was a long week, no doubt: I worked 7:30am to around 6pm last Saturday & Sunday, and 6:30pm - 1am Monday thru Thursday nights this week.  And I still worked my normal job during the day!  3 hour sleeps were pretty common for me this week.

On Saturday and Sunday I was a 'dedicated driver': I picked someone up from the airport in the morning, and brought them to their hotel. If they needed a ride at any time, they would call or text me, and I would pick them up.  As it turned out both days, they never needed me (and when they needed a ride, it was just about time for me to be relieved, so the next person got to take them).  When I wasn't driving them around, I just found a spot along the curb and sat in the car, AC blasting in last weekend's heat.  We had credentials to show we were permitted to park without paying, and that worked out fine.   Plenty of police around...you barely went a block without seeing them on foot or in a car.

On Sunday is when the protests started.  I parked myself on Broad near Vine (near the hotel my passenger was staying).  There were a few road shutdowns that day due to protests gathering at City Hall; the first marched down Market to Independence Hall; the 2nd walked down Broad to FDR park near the WFC, where many of them illegally camped during the week (sucks to be them...it was either hot or stormy all week long).  They shut the road at Broad and Arch, then Broad and Race, to help disperse traffic elsewhere in the city.  I had seen some of the protesters either walk by or drive by (especially those in the Black Men for Bernie buses and vans).  Later on, when I was travelling back to the WFC lot where I was based out of for the weekend, I got stuck in the traffic due to these protestors.  Did the only thing I could do...got out of my vehicle and took pics.

Before I drove Saturday morning, I got slightly lucky when set up the rest of my week: They asked if I wanted to drive for the Senate from their hotel.  I said sure!  When I showed up Monday evening, I texted my contact at the hotel, and she told me to come up.  That's where I became acquainted with seeing the Secret Service details and Capitol Police...quite often!  (Prior to my volunteering, I had to submit my info to DC just in case I was asked to do something like this).   I was in their main room there, where the actual staff worked long and tirelessly all week long, putting in 18-19 hour days.

I transported people between the hotel and the WFC (more often taking people from the WFC to the hotel because of my evening hours).  Going to the WFC meant going thru several credential checkpoints, and then the security and vehicle sweep checkpoint, and then even more credential checkpoints, before I made it to the WFC's parking lot.  When they set these security things up, lane markings don't mean a thing, and it's a constant back and forth across the road for numerous reasons. 

Leaving is just as interesting as arriving, as there's barricades and fences you have to go thru, and you're constantly being told to stop and go.

The highlight for me was just being in the WFC when I wasn't driving.  This is actually the 2nd Convention for me; I volunteered during the 2000 RNC in Philly as well.  I saw some of the speakers Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday evenings, including Bill Clinton (my vote for favorite speech), Obama and Hillary. 

I also noted some of the other drivers, let's say, shouldn't have applied for this job.  Some of them just had no clue what they were getting into, and didn't want to drive in the city (not sure what they expected to do).  Others just have some horrendous driving skills...one woman (who relieved me Sunday) had to give me a ride one day, and was complaining that they kept taking her off of her dedicated passengers.  On our ride, she hit the gas hard, braked hard, sat at green lights, and was constantly in the wrong lane.  Yeah...if I was one of the big pols in DC being driven like this too, I would've made a phone call to get a replacement driver as well!  The staff I dealt with kept me on later to make sure I was their driver late in the evening as they appreciated my knowledge of getting around the city and didn't drive like a jerk (which is so not me normally...I'm surprised my horn still works in my own vehicle!).

All and all, it was a great experience for me personally, and the city looked pretty favorable as well.  If I hadn't been as lucky as I was, I might have been doing a lot more sitting around the motorpool area, so I accepted the responsibilities they gave me graciously...even if it did mean longer hours than I signed up to volunteer for!