The Pope will be visiting Philadelphia on September 26 & 27. Philadelphia, PennDOT & NJDOT expect a paralyzing amount of traffic that weekend, much of which is going to be due to two things: A massive amount of people visiting Philadelphia, and numerous road closures in the area.
The majority of closures will start around 6pm Friday evening, and may not completely reopen until Monday at noon.
Closed:
I-76, from I-476 to I-95
Ben Franklin Bridge
I-676: Nearly the entire length in both PA & NJ. I-676 in NJ will be open for about 2 miles, from the Walt Whitman Bridge to Exit 3 (Morgan Blvd).
US 30 in NJ: From the Ben Franklin Bridge to US 130
Many streets in Philly: If the road is near the Ben Franklin Parkway, or near Independence Hall, chances are it will be closed.
Modified:
I-95: Will be open, but several exits in the Philadelphia area may be closed.
NJ 38, 70, and others: Will be open to specific points. Police have stated they have diversion plans ready in case traffic is gridlocked.
Trains (On Sept 26 & 27)
SEPTA: Regional Rails require special 1 day passes, which permit you to board at specific stations
PATCO: Only 4 stations will be open, and 1 day passes for unlimited rides are available for those specific stations. You may also use a Freedom Card for rides; $2.50 per trip. The trains will operate non-stop from the station where it picks up passengers to 10th/11th & Locust in Philly. In the afternoon, as the festivities are ending, the trains will operate on a load-and-go basis back to NJ, stopping at each of the 4 stations.
NJ Transit: Atlantic City Line: Will operate nonstop between the Atlantic City Station & Philadelphia's 30th Street Station
NJ Transit: Riverline: Will stop at limited stations (about 7 of the 20 or so stations) along the route.
1 Pictute = 1000 Words
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phila.gov%2FInformationCenters%2Fpope%2FPublishingImages%2FState-Roads-during-Papal-Visitlarge.gif&hash=3ba723bafa2077c9f03072549bfa9da4f8e7e5f9)
For the New Jersey side of the river, see Page 3 (http://www.nj.gov/transportation/about/press/2015/pdf/papalpressconference.pdf)
NJ's Maps of closures:
http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/events/driving.shtm
http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/events/pdf/localconditions.pdf
And from http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pope/ , pretty much daily coverage of the Pope's visit, including lots of road information.
It will be a holy mess
I'm debating if I should hold off the Kings Dominion trip because of this. Otherwise, this will be a great boost to both Philadelphia's and southern New Jersey's economies.
Quote from: Zeffy on August 27, 2015, 09:13:48 PM
I'm debating if I should hold off the Kings Dominion trip because of this.
Why? Where you reside, and such was mentioned in your
Road Trip thread, you can just get on the NJ Turnpike and bypass
most of the local/regional traffic. Additionally, you'll be traveling in the
opposite direction of the papal-visit-bound traffic.
QuoteOtherwise, this will be a great boost to both Philadelphia's and southern New Jersey's economies
People always say stuff like this before events that are highly disruptive to the average Joe just trying to get on with their normal lives. However, when's the last time you saw a follow up story proving that this is actually true, or that the level of "economic benefit" was high enough to justify the expenses and disruption of hosting the event.
How much of a boost could it possibly be if everyone is going to have to take Monday morning (and many Friday evening or Saturday/Sunday) off due to the closures? The city is being very shortsighted by shutting everything down; unfortunately, it will be the average citizens who have to pay for it with their disrupted lives, while the officials who came up with the idea get off scot free.
I can field questions about the NJ side of things, but only as far as things that have been made public. For example, NJ 38 and 70 will be open to the end, not to a "specific point." But the end is at US 130 where US 30 is closed, so of course you have issues associated with detouring that traffic.
Look, they've severed the WHOLE PHILADELPHIA METRO ROADS just for some Pope. World today people is this.
Reduced way oversized font. - rmf67
phillyliving.com: Papal visit transportation tips, I: Information for would-be drivers (http://www.phillyliving.com/blog/papal-visit-transportation-tips-i-information-for-would-be-drivers.html)
QuotePlenty of us are: despite rhetoric that seems to be scaring some people away from coming into the city, city officials and World Meeting of Families organizers still expect more than a million people to show up for the Pope's Saturday speech at Independence Hall, his appearance at the Festival of Families that night, and his Sunday Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
QuoteWhile security considerations have ranked uppermost in transportation planning for the papal visit, it will still be possible for just about everyone who wants to get into Center City to see His Holiness to do so. For those thinking of driving into the city, the advice is simple:
QuoteDon't.
QuoteMost of the major highways leading into Center City will be closed to general traffic over the weekend. Starting at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, vehicles from outside will not be allowed into the Central Philadelphia traffic exclusion zone that stretches from Girard Avenue, Ridge Avenue and Spring Garden Street on the north to South Street on the south from the Delaware to the Schuylkill; starting at 10 p.m. that night, outside vehicles cannot enter the West Philadelphia traffic exclusion zone from Powelton Avenue on the north to University Avenue on the south from the Schuylkill River west to 38th Street. This map shows the boundaries of the exclusion zone, the security perimeters for the papal visit, and the streets that will be open for emergency vehicles.
Quote from: noelbotevera on August 28, 2015, 05:52:53 PM
Look, they've severed the WHOLE PHILADELPHIA METRO ROADS just for some Pope. World today people is this.
While you are entitled to your opinion, there is no need for shouting in 60 point.
It was announced this morning that the RiverLink Ferry is boosting its schedule that weekend to accomodate those that don't want to do the walk on the Ben Franklin Bridge. Info. can be found here (http://www.delawareriverwaterfront.com/places/riverlink-ferry/papal-visit).
I might be attending this, but I'm not sure if we're gonna see the Pope in Philly or New York. It'll be absolutely brutal trying to drive down I'd assume.
noelbotevera, please, next time do not use a 60pt font with capital letters. When you type in all CAPS on the internet, it is considered 'shouting' and is looked down upon almost everywhere. 13pt is pushing it, but 60pt for text is unacceptable. So, please don't use that size font again. Thank you.
Oh crap! Glad I came accross this. Steph and I will be in central PA that weekend for a big toy show in Hershey BUT we plan on going to Atlantic City on Sunday evening 9/27 (already have a room booked and paid for) and coming back to Harrisburg Monday evening, I was going to go through Philly either downtown or take the Blue Route and cross at Commandor Barry Bridge. Any other ideasof routes to take? I am now leaning towards crossing at Delaware Memorial and taking US 40 towards Glassboro and get on AC EXP in that area, it has been a few years since I was through this area.
Quote from: jpi on September 02, 2015, 04:48:59 PM
Although it will cost more in tolls and it's longer in distance; you might be better off just staying on the eastbound PA Turnpike (I-276) and head into NJ that way. From there, take the northbound NJ Turnpike and get off at Exit 7 (roughly 3 miles from Exit 6) and follow US 206 South
(to NJ 54 South) to the AC Expressway (
it becomes NJ 54 and meets at Exit 28). Yes, 206 is not a divided highway and has
some lights; but it has a fair amount of open stretches (posted 50+ speed limits).
Due to I-76 being closed east of I-476; I would
not recommend any such routing that involves using I-76 between I-276 (Valley Forge area) and 476 (Conshohocken area).
Quote from: PHLBOS on September 02, 2015, 05:32:04 PM
Quote from: jpi on September 02, 2015, 04:48:59 PM
Although it will cost more in tolls and it's longer in distance; you might be better off just staying on the eastbound PA Turnpike (I-276) and head into NJ that way. From there, take the northbound NJ Turnpike and get off at Exit 7 (roughly 3 miles from Exit 6) and follow US 206 South to the AC Expressway (it meets at Exit 28). Yes, 206 is not a divided highway and has some lights; but it has a fair amount of open stretches (posted 50+ speed limits).
Due to I-76 being closed east of I-476; I would not recommend any such routing that involves using I-76 between I-276 (Valley Forge area) and 476 (Conshohocken area).
i'm 100% in agreement - just want to point out that US 206 becomes NJ 54 after crossing US 30 - the AC expressway interchange is south of the changeover.
Looks like I will go through Lancaster County into Cecil County, MD (272) to I-95 then cross DEL Memorial Bridge then either run US 40 all the way there or take the Jersey Turnpike to US 322 and catch the AC EXP at exit 38 (Williamstown). At least being a Sunday evening hopefully traffic won't be bad going that route.
Quote from: PHLBOS on September 02, 2015, 05:32:04 PM
Yes, 206 is not a divided highway and has some lights; but it has a fair amount of open stretches (posted 50+ speed limits).
South Jersey has it way better than Central/North Jersey when it comes to US 206. Until you get onto the portion before the Somerville Circle, the speed limit is never higher than 50 MPH, and constantly dips between 30, 40, and 45. That and
some traffic signals should be
a lot of purposefully out-of-sync traffic signals.
Quote from: jpi on September 02, 2015, 09:08:20 PM
Looks like I will go through Lancaster County into Cecil County, MD (272) to I-95 then cross DEL Memorial Bridge then either run US 40 all the way there or take the Jersey Turnpike to US 322 and catch the AC EXP at exit 38 (Williamstown). At least being a Sunday evening hopefully traffic won't be bad going that route.
Sunday evening is the mass exodus (pardon the pun) from Philly. You'll be best off taking US 40, as a lot of traffic may sneak through the Barry and take 322.
Quote from: Alps on September 03, 2015, 12:37:47 AM
Quote from: jpi on September 02, 2015, 09:08:20 PM
Looks like I will go through Lancaster County into Cecil County, MD (272) to I-95 then cross DEL Memorial Bridge then either run US 40 all the way there or take the Jersey Turnpike to US 322 and catch the AC EXP at exit 38 (Williamstown). At least being a Sunday evening hopefully traffic won't be bad going that route.
Sunday evening is the mass exodus (pardon the pun) from Philly. You'll be best off taking US 40, as a lot of traffic may sneak through the Barry and take 322.
I figured that would be the best way, just running 40 from DEL mem. this was the way my parents used to go 25 years ago. Thanks for the info. :-)
The only thing more holy in PA than the pope visit is the turnpike.
Christie orders state of emergency ahead of Pope's visit:
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/09/christie_orders_state_of_emergency_ahead_of_popes.html
I can't remember another instance where this power was invoked for a non-life-threatening situation.
Quote from: vdeane on August 28, 2015, 04:47:50 PM
How much of a boost could it possibly be if everyone is going to have to take Monday morning (and many Friday evening or Saturday/Sunday) off due to the closures? The city is being very shortsighted by shutting everything down; unfortunately, it will be the average citizens who have to pay for it with their disrupted lives, while the officials who came up with the idea get off scot free.
Truth. This event should be happening in an open field somewhere a la Woodstock, not in the middle of a major city downtown.
Is there a parallel thread for the NYC leg of his visit, or are we just thoroughly accustomed to this sort of thing up here?
(Also, I've always wondered what it's like to be a person of such importance that normal traffic concerns don't apply when visiting major cities.)
Quote from: empirestate on September 19, 2015, 08:41:15 AM
Is there a parallel thread for the NYC leg of his visit, or are we just thoroughly accustomed to this sort of thing up here?
(Also, I've always wondered what it's like to be a person of such importance that normal traffic concerns don't apply when visiting major cities.)
he's going to be in a ticketed arena in NYC, not in an open park like in Philly. the rules are slightly different.
Actually, I think the Pope is supposed to be in Central Park, too.
Quote from: KEVIN_224 on September 19, 2015, 07:17:33 PM
Actually, I think the Pope is supposed to be in Central Park, too.
yes.
US itinerary: http://6abc.com/religion/pope-francis-itinerary-for-visit-to-philadelphia/988773/
Quote from: odditude on September 19, 2015, 12:33:23 PM
Quote from: empirestate on September 19, 2015, 08:41:15 AM
Is there a parallel thread for the NYC leg of his visit, or are we just thoroughly accustomed to this sort of thing up here?
(Also, I've always wondered what it's like to be a person of such importance that normal traffic concerns don't apply when visiting major cities.)
he's going to be in a ticketed arena in NYC, not in an open park like in Philly. the rules are slightly different.
Sorry, which rules do you mean?
iPhone
Did the fact that the Philly appearances are now ticketed too change anything?
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Pope-Ticket-Questions-Answered-Philadelphia-324143041.html
Quote from: Pete from Boston on September 19, 2015, 03:32:01 AM
Christie orders state of emergency ahead of Pope's visit:
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/09/christie_orders_state_of_emergency_ahead_of_popes.html
I can't remember another instance where this power was invoked for a non-life-threatening situation.
It could be life threatening. A lot of old people are going to be walking several miles. All sorts of traffic unfamiliar with the area will try to find residential cut-throughs where there are children and just people in general.
Quote from: empirestate on September 19, 2015, 08:41:15 AM
Is there a parallel thread for the NYC leg of his visit, or are we just thoroughly accustomed to this sort of thing up here?
(Also, I've always wondered what it's like to be a person of such importance that normal traffic concerns don't apply when visiting major cities.)
The alerts up here say "major events in NYC next week - expect delays." NYC is so huge with so many huge events all the time that this can just be handled by a little extra warning.
From what I can see, the PA Turnpike has VMS messages about the Philly events as far west as Pittsburgh (though some of the messages face westbound traffic way outside the area). Maryland also has messages along I-95 (per the CHART system).
Weird that Boston is getting the snub here. New England is the most Catholic region of the country.
I suspect it has something to do with the abuse scandal, right?
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 20, 2015, 07:03:38 PM
Weird that Boston is getting the snub here. New England is the most Catholic region of the country.
I suspect it has something to do with the abuse scandal, right?
I didn't consider that. Is the idea that the pope is trying to avoid confronting that scandal?
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 20, 2015, 07:03:38 PM
Weird that Boston is getting the snub here. New England is the most Catholic region of the country.
I suspect it has something to do with the abuse scandal, right?
I forget if Philly bid for the World Meeting of Families (like the Olympics), but New York and Washington were picked because of their political significance (the former for the UN, the latter as the seat of one of the world's most powerful governments).
DC is only closing some streets way downtown, it would appear. Wonder if Phila. is doing so much because it is a weekend...?
The VMSs in the DC area just say use Metro. Feds are being asked to telework if they can but plenty of folks will still have to go to work.
NYC VMSs I saw yesterday also just said use mass transit...
Mike
I'm somewhat concerned about this Wednesday in DC in terms of getting to Reagan Airport for an 11:00 flight. While we don't have to go into the city, I don't know how long the backups will be at the bridges due to people who are baffled when their usual routes are closed. Ms1995hoo is pretty adamant about not taking the Metro to the airport with luggage, though if it gets really bad I may just tell her to deal with it. More likely we'll just go extra early. I'd rather be bored sitting around the terminal for a few hours (even Terminal A at Reagan) than missing our flight.
Quote from: Mapmikey on September 20, 2015, 09:14:13 PM
DC is only closing some streets way downtown, it would appear. Wonder if Phila. is doing so much because it is a weekend...?
The busy Ben Franklin Parkway (not to be confused with the Ben Franklin Bridge) is already shut down, and will remain closed all week.
Many roads will start to be closed later this week, and will remain closed Friday evening thru Monday around noontime.
Cars parked within a certain primiter have started to be towed, with the goal to tow all vehicles in that perimeter area by Wednesday.
So...suffice to say, it's not just because it's a weekend. It's really 9 or 10 days, including 6 weekdays, where traffic and parking will be affected.
I wonder if the traffic will be as bad as the shitshow yesterday it took to park for the Eagles game.. we got off I-95 and spent an hour and a half to find a parking spot, so we missed the first 4 minutes of the first quarter. After the Eagles unfortunately lost (by sucking miserably), getting out took another hour and a half. I don't think I've actually sat in traffic where I moved maybe 700 feet in 45 minutes. If that's the kind of shit the Pope's visit will bring, then no thank you.
Quote from: Zeffy on September 21, 2015, 06:14:03 AM
I wonder if the traffic will be as bad as the shitshow yesterday it took to park for the Eagles game.. we got off I-95 and spent an hour and a half to find a parking spot, so we missed the first 4 minutes of the first quarter. After the Eagles unfortunately lost (by sucking miserably), getting out took another hour and a half. I don't think I've actually sat in traffic where I moved maybe 700 feet in 45 minutes. If that's the kind of shit the Pope's visit will bring, then no thank you.
You were there? Damn! I was there. Got there at 9am, and the gates don't even open until 9:25am!
Here's the deal: You have 69,000 people arriving for a game. The later you arrive, the more likely you're going to be caught in very heavy traffic with everyone else arriving later. Leaving is the same deal - eventually, most people are going to be getting on the highway. Same thing...unless the roads are widened to handle that amount of traffic for just a few days a year, there's going to be congestion, and lots of it.
A lot of it has to do with familiarity of the parking lots and parking flow as well.
Shame I didn't know you were coming. I would've told you the lot I park in, and the reason I park in that lot. It takes me about 10 - 15 minutes to exit and be on the Walt Whitman Bridge.
Quote from: Zeffy on September 21, 2015, 06:14:03 AM
I wonder if the traffic will be as bad as the shitshow yesterday it took to park for the Eagles game.. we got off I-95 and spent an hour and a half to find a parking spot, so we missed the first 4 minutes of the first quarter. After the Eagles unfortunately lost (by sucking miserably), getting out took another hour and a half. I don't think I've actually sat in traffic where I moved maybe 700 feet in 45 minutes. If that's the kind of shit the Pope's visit will bring, then no thank you.
Don't worry, the Pope will do better than the Eagles.
Quote from: Zeffy on September 21, 2015, 06:14:03 AM
I wonder if the traffic will be as bad as the shitshow yesterday it took to park for the Eagles game.. we got off I-95 and spent an hour and a half to find a parking spot, so we missed the first 4 minutes of the first quarter. After the Eagles unfortunately lost (by sucking miserably), getting out took another hour and a half. I don't think I've actually sat in traffic where I moved maybe 700 feet in 45 minutes. If that's the kind of shit the Pope's visit will bring, then no thank you.
Back in 2001 it took me four hours to go about five miles on I-95 near PHL Airport during a snowstorm.
Quote from: MASTERNC on September 20, 2015, 09:09:45 PMI forget if Philly bid for the World Meeting of Families (like the Olympics),
Philadelphia was indeed selected (or won a bid) to host the World Meeting of Families; that's why the Papal visit includes Philly in its overall itinerary.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on September 20, 2015, 09:08:21 PM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 20, 2015, 07:03:38 PM
Weird that Boston is getting the snub here. New England is the most Catholic region of the country.
I suspect it has something to do with the abuse scandal, right?
I didn't consider that. Is the idea that the pope is trying to avoid confronting that scandal?
I would assume that the Church would want to avoid reigniting the negative publicity.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 20, 2015, 11:29:41 PM
Quote from: Mapmikey on September 20, 2015, 09:14:13 PM
DC is only closing some streets way downtown, it would appear. Wonder if Phila. is doing so much because it is a weekend...?
The busy Ben Franklin Parkway (not to be confused with the Ben Franklin Bridge) is already shut down, and will remain closed all week.
Many roads will start to be closed later this week, and will remain closed Friday evening thru Monday around noontime.
Cars parked within a certain primiter have started to be towed, with the goal to tow all vehicles in that perimeter area by Wednesday.
So...suffice to say, it's not just because it's a weekend. It's really 9 or 10 days, including 6 weekdays, where traffic and parking will be affected.
My understanding was that cars were allowed within the perimeter, but that once they leave they can't get back in. (As opposed to being towed.)
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 20, 2015, 11:29:41 PM
Quote from: Mapmikey on September 20, 2015, 09:14:13 PM
DC is only closing some streets way downtown, it would appear. Wonder if Phila. is doing so much because it is a weekend...?
The busy Ben Franklin Parkway (not to be confused with the Ben Franklin Bridge) is already shut down, and will remain closed all week.
Many roads will start to be closed later this week, and will remain closed Friday evening thru Monday around noontime.
Cars parked within a certain primiter have started to be towed, with the goal to tow all vehicles in that perimeter area by Wednesday.
So...suffice to say, it's not just because it's a weekend. It's really 9 or 10 days, including 6 weekdays, where traffic and parking will be affected.
This link has a couple of maps with the affected perimeters...
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pope/326569441.html
Here's another link...
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pope/Getting_downtown_to_see_the_Pope.html#countdown
ixnay
Quote from: Alps on September 21, 2015, 07:03:37 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 20, 2015, 11:29:41 PM
Quote from: Mapmikey on September 20, 2015, 09:14:13 PM
DC is only closing some streets way downtown, it would appear. Wonder if Phila. is doing so much because it is a weekend...?
The busy Ben Franklin Parkway (not to be confused with the Ben Franklin Bridge) is already shut down, and will remain closed all week.
Many roads will start to be closed later this week, and will remain closed Friday evening thru Monday around noontime.
Cars parked within a certain primiter have started to be towed, with the goal to tow all vehicles in that perimeter area by Wednesday.
So...suffice to say, it's not just because it's a weekend. It's really 9 or 10 days, including 6 weekdays, where traffic and parking will be affected.
My understanding was that cars were allowed within the perimeter, but that once they leave they can't get back in. (As opposed to being towed.)
That was probably true two weeks ago. The towing of vehicles was a recent addition to the madness. But if a vehicle wasn't affected by the towing and is still within the no-entering zone, then what you said still applies.
Various VMS signage regarding the Pope in Philly on 295 in NJ. Every VMS sign, regardless if it's permanent, temporary and part of the 295/76/42 project, or temporary just for the Pope's visit, had the various following messages: (actually, there was one that was referring to a ramp closure Tuesday night. For some reason, it only used lower case letters):
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2FAF8DAD38-C443-43BF-A6BD-51ADF1E63A24.jpg&hash=02b45f9b1e39a25b2597aad7186c325ae3967952) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/AF8DAD38-C443-43BF-A6BD-51ADF1E63A24.jpg.html)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2F6492046B-6E5A-4F3B-82F3-7C655199DE52.jpg&hash=57a827b174d7f74dad72e32a372b74e1d5992ea4) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/6492046B-6E5A-4F3B-82F3-7C655199DE52.jpg.html)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2F59BAF57C-2528-42A4-92E9-78332FAAC4C0.jpg&hash=b4f183545f923d9a42af9cce3f9a50c04880c4ed) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/59BAF57C-2528-42A4-92E9-78332FAAC4C0.jpg.html)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2F28BA02F4-851C-4F81-8D85-83E78F8C8557.jpg&hash=c49ab99a28fd247cb2b1faa8f64f257a90e1397c) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/28BA02F4-851C-4F81-8D85-83E78F8C8557.jpg.html)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2F80C035D9-C4B4-4816-AF6F-09E3440E2646.jpg&hash=152e4c483de5e3d9c6f10313dcbb63cab2cde5d3) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/80C035D9-C4B4-4816-AF6F-09E3440E2646.jpg.html)
It's not just I-295 either - I-95 from New Jersey all the way into Philadelphia the message is the same. Actually, some of the VMSes in the Philadelphia area "fade" in and out when cycling messages, which looked kind of cool, despite being a standard VMS (as opposed to the ones used on the New Jersey Turnpike where they can display anything they want).
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 21, 2015, 06:37:24 AM
You were there? Damn! I was there. Got there at 9am, and the gates don't even open until 9:25am!
Here's the deal: You have 69,000 people arriving for a game. The later you arrive, the more likely you're going to be caught in very heavy traffic with everyone else arriving later. Leaving is the same deal - eventually, most people are going to be getting on the highway. Same thing...unless the roads are widened to handle that amount of traffic for just a few days a year, there's going to be congestion, and lots of it.
A lot of it has to do with familiarity of the parking lots and parking flow as well.
Shame I didn't know you were coming. I would've told you the lot I park in, and the reason I park in that lot. It takes me about 10 - 15 minutes to exit and be on the Walt Whitman Bridge.
Did you happen to see me by chance? :sombrero: If you saw a 6'0 male with dark brown hair that was either in his eyes or being blown out of it by the wind/fans wearing a LeSean McCoy #25 home jersey, then you saw me. I probably described at least 2% of the crowd with that description...
But seriously, I was in section 234, along with my sister who wore a Tony Romo jersey... I was surprised some of the fans near us didn't eat her up.
I discussed it after the fact, and we should've taken a SEPTA train into the Linc instead of driving. The problem is we didn't know if/when any lines ran by Doylestown or New Hope, since we didn't want to drive to Trenton to catch the train.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 21, 2015, 08:42:56 PM
Quote from: Alps on September 21, 2015, 07:03:37 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 20, 2015, 11:29:41 PM
Quote from: Mapmikey on September 20, 2015, 09:14:13 PM
DC is only closing some streets way downtown, it would appear. Wonder if Phila. is doing so much because it is a weekend...?
The busy Ben Franklin Parkway (not to be confused with the Ben Franklin Bridge) is already shut down, and will remain closed all week.
Many roads will start to be closed later this week, and will remain closed Friday evening thru Monday around noontime.
Cars parked within a certain primiter have started to be towed, with the goal to tow all vehicles in that perimeter area by Wednesday.
So...suffice to say, it's not just because it's a weekend. It's really 9 or 10 days, including 6 weekdays, where traffic and parking will be affected.
My understanding was that cars were allowed within the perimeter, but that once they leave they can't get back in. (As opposed to being towed.)
That was probably true two weeks ago. The towing of vehicles was a recent addition to the madness. But if a vehicle wasn't affected by the towing and is still within the no-entering zone, then what you said still applies.
Here's the most up-to-date info regarding traffic & transit for the next week: http://mobile.philly.com/news/?wss=/philly/news/pope/&id=328453281&
I saw this on Facebook and thought it was worth sharing here: :-D
A more realistic Philadelphia Papal Visit Travel Map (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153676435116019&set=a.288376051018.178474.750141018&type=1)
Quote from: Zeffy on September 21, 2015, 09:18:16 PM
It's not just I-295 either - I-95 from New Jersey all the way into Philadelphia the message is the same. Actually, some of the VMSes in the Philadelphia area "fade" in and out when cycling messages, which looked kind of cool, despite being a standard VMS (as opposed to the ones used on the New Jersey Turnpike where they can display anything they want).
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 21, 2015, 06:37:24 AM
You were there? Damn! I was there. Got there at 9am, and the gates don't even open until 9:25am!
Here's the deal: You have 69,000 people arriving for a game. The later you arrive, the more likely you're going to be caught in very heavy traffic with everyone else arriving later. Leaving is the same deal - eventually, most people are going to be getting on the highway. Same thing...unless the roads are widened to handle that amount of traffic for just a few days a year, there's going to be congestion, and lots of it.
A lot of it has to do with familiarity of the parking lots and parking flow as well.
Shame I didn't know you were coming. I would've told you the lot I park in, and the reason I park in that lot. It takes me about 10 - 15 minutes to exit and be on the Walt Whitman Bridge.
Did you happen to see me by chance? :sombrero: If you saw a 6'0 male with dark brown hair that was either in his eyes or being blown out of it by the wind/fans wearing a LeSean McCoy #25 home jersey, then you saw me. I probably described at least 2% of the crowd with that description...
But seriously, I was in section 234, along with my sister who wore a Tony Romo jersey... I was surprised some of the fans near us didn't eat her up.
I discussed it after the fact, and we should've taken a SEPTA train into the Linc instead of driving. The problem is we didn't know if/when any lines ran by Doylestown or New Hope, since we didn't want to drive to Trenton to catch the train.
Oh yeah, yeah, I saw you! LOL
I'm in 214. 3 rows from the top. I always joke I'm closer to I-95 than I am to the field! (It's not much of an exaggeration...I'm literally closer to the highway than I am of the closest point of the playing field!!!)
I always say the fans are basically the same fans that have been showing up for the past 10 or 20 years...they've just mellowed out over the years! I don't recall seeing one fight at the game! And there were plenty of Cowboys fans there.
Where did you end up parking?
The only mass transit train that will take you to the game would've been the Broad Street Subway line. So no matter your choice, be it SEPTA Regional Rail or PATCO, you would have to see if it connects you to the subway.
Quote from: Zeffy on September 21, 2015, 09:18:16 PMI discussed it after the fact, and we should've taken a SEPTA train into the Linc instead of driving. The problem is we didn't know if/when any lines ran by Doylestown or New Hope, since we didn't want to drive to Trenton to catch the train.
Sounds like your best bet would have been to take the West Trenton Regional Rail line (the West Trenton Station isn't too far from I-95 and Mercer Airport (TTN) and all West Trenton trains serve that station) to Suburban Station and then take the Broad Street Line from City Hall Station to the Sports Complex (AT&T Station). One needs to walk a bit between Suburban and City Hall stations.
While the Broad Street subway trains run frequently (usually no more than every 15 minutes); the Regional Rail trains (excluding the Airport Line) run
hourly on nights & weekends; so one would need to plan their travel time and coordinate train schedules accordingly.
At least you guys know where the Pope is going to be (for the most part). China's President Xi Jinping is visiting Seattle starting today through Thursday, and due to security concerns, his itinerary is kept private. WSDOT knows where he'll be so they can close whichever freeway he will be using, but they can't tell the general public. So the only way you can prepare is by not leaving your house.
This morning, when the president flew into Everett's Paine Field, they closed I-5 South just north of the field right before he landed, and didn't open it until the motorcade had made its way from the Boeing Freeway down I-5 for some distance. And this theme of closing freeways right before he uses them is something that will continue off and on for the next few days.
As an example of the shitty traffic, here's a shot from Northgate (north of Seattle) this morning. The express lanes were closed to prepare for President Jinping's motorcade. Traffic through there is usually utter shit, but the express lanes being closed off didn't help:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CPhH4i4UAAAzFvX.jpg)
Quote from: jakeroot on September 22, 2015, 04:19:21 PM
At least you guys know where the Pope is going to be (for the most part). China's President Xi Jinping is visiting Seattle starting today through Thursday, and due to security concerns, his itinerary is kept private. WSDOT knows where he'll be so they can close whichever freeway he will be using, but they can't tell the general public. So the only way you can prepare is by not leaving your house.
that's not horribly uncommon in Philly - anytime the President or VP are moving through town, there are rolling closures.
Quote from: odditude on September 22, 2015, 05:51:47 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on September 22, 2015, 04:19:21 PM
At least you guys know where the Pope is going to be (for the most part). China's President Xi Jinping is visiting Seattle starting today through Thursday, and due to security concerns, his itinerary is kept private. WSDOT knows where he'll be so they can close whichever freeway he will be using, but they can't tell the general public. So the only way you can prepare is by not leaving your house.
that's not horribly uncommon in Philly - anytime the President or VP are moving through town, there are rolling closures.
Yeah, but do you know where the President will be, or is it a surprise?
Quote from: jakeroot on September 22, 2015, 05:57:27 PM
Quote from: odditude on September 22, 2015, 05:51:47 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on September 22, 2015, 04:19:21 PM
At least you guys know where the Pope is going to be (for the most part). China's President Xi Jinping is visiting Seattle starting today through Thursday, and due to security concerns, his itinerary is kept private. WSDOT knows where he'll be so they can close whichever freeway he will be using, but they can't tell the general public. So the only way you can prepare is by not leaving your house.
that's not horribly uncommon in Philly - anytime the President or VP are moving through town, there are rolling closures.
Yeah, but do you know where the President will be, or is it a surprise?
The President comes infrequently to Boston, generally to fund-raise, but often to New York. I don't recall widespread detailed pre-announcement of his route, for obvious reaaons.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 22, 2015, 01:32:36 PM
Oh yeah, yeah, I saw you! LOL
I'm in 214. 3 rows from the top. I always joke I'm closer to I-95 than I am to the field! (It's not much of an exaggeration...I'm literally closer to the highway than I am of the closest point of the playing field!!!)
I always say the fans are basically the same fans that have been showing up for the past 10 or 20 years...they've just mellowed out over the years! I don't recall seeing one fight at the game! And there were plenty of Cowboys fans there.
Where did you end up parking?
The only mass transit train that will take you to the game would've been the Broad Street Subway line. So no matter your choice, be it SEPTA Regional Rail or PATCO, you would have to see if it connects you to the subway.
We ended up parking in Lot T which is for Citizens Bank Park and not Lincoln Financial Field. It took us 80 minutes to complete a circle around the parking complexes because traffic was such a clusterfuck.
Also, damn you were close to me!! If it helps I wore black basketball shorts and looked like I was not even 18 years old (I get that quite a lot actually...). We probably saw each other - if we were that close - but I doubt we'd know it. :-P
Quote from: PHLBOS on September 22, 2015, 01:57:22 PM
Sounds like your best bet would have been to take the West Trenton Regional Rail line (the West Trenton Station isn't too far from I-95 and Mercer Airport (TTN) and all West Trenton trains serve that station) to Suburban Station and then take the Broad Street Line from City Hall Station to the Sports Complex (AT&T Station). One needs to walk a bit between Suburban and City Hall stations.
While the Broad Street subway trains run frequently (usually no more than every 15 minutes); the Regional Rail trains (excluding the Airport Line) run hourly on nights & weekends; so one would need to plan their travel time and coordinate train schedules accordingly.
Yeah, I figured going to the West Trenton station was probably a good idea, but they insisted on driving. Next time I may consider that (of course, it if it's not a major game like Eagles vs. Cowboys, I doubt there will ever be that much traffic again...).
It's not just a security issue either. Typically these state visits are quite brief and the visiting dignitary can't afford to waste time sitting in traffic. Protocol dictates that s/he be afforded unfettered road and airspace access to the areas where they are traveling. Imagine the embarrassment (and waste of taxpayer dollars for both countries) if a visiting head-of-state was stuck in a traffic jam.
If you're in Seattle, take it as a credit to your metropolitan area, in the sense that the head of state of an emerging world power chose to visit there. In contrast, I doubt he'd make his way to out-of-the-way places like Kentucky or western Indiana.
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on September 22, 2015, 06:44:19 PM
If you're in Seattle, take it as a credit to your metropolitan area, in the sense that the head of state of an emerging world power chose to visit there. In contrast, I doubt he'd make his way to out-of-the-way places like Kentucky or western Indiana.
Don't get me wrong -- I love the fact that he chose to visit Seattle. The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma both are massive trading partners with China. I'm simply saying that traffic, no matter what the cause, is a headache. And the fact that you can't plan for it is fairly annoying. But I can certainly live with it. China is a big deal and they deserve to be comfortable throughout their stay here.
Quote from: jakeroot on September 22, 2015, 06:50:01 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on September 22, 2015, 06:44:19 PM
If you're in Seattle, take it as a credit to your metropolitan area, in the sense that the head of state of an emerging world power chose to visit there. In contrast, I doubt he'd make his way to out-of-the-way places like Kentucky or western Indiana.
Don't get me wrong -- I love the fact that he chose to visit Seattle. The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma both are massive trading partners with China. I'm simply saying that traffic, no matter what the cause, is a headache. And the fact that you can't plan for it is fairly annoying. But I can certainly live with it. China is a big deal and they deserve to be comfortable throughout their stay here.
As long as we're on the topic of China, at least you guys didn't suffer the infamous 10-day traffic jam they had back in 2010:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_National_Highway_110_traffic_jam
QuoteMany drivers were able to move their vehicles only 1 km (0.6 mi) per day
Quote from: Zeffy on September 22, 2015, 06:43:44 PMYeah, I figured going to the West Trenton station was probably a good idea, but they insisted on driving. Next time I may consider that (of course, it if it's not a major game like Eagles vs. Cowboys, I doubt there will ever be that much traffic again...).
You would be figuring wrong. With seperate stadiums for baseball, football, & hockey/basketball all within earshot of each other, there are times where events coincide and create traffic hell within the parking areas. This happens most often with concerts or the circus selling out one venue. In fact, I would expect a similar trafic occurance to happen this Sunday with the Pope. Although the events at the sports complex have been suspended for the weekend, anyone who wants a cheap way into the city will probably consider parking at the stadiums and taking the BSL into Walnut/Locust. I predict those parking areas will be JAMMED.
If I were in your shoes for future stadium events, I would consider how many people you're transporting, divide the stadium parking costs by the amount of people, then calculate how much it would cost to buy 2 subway tokens and round trip passes per person on the W Trenton line. Economically, if you have more than 2 people, you'd probably save money by driving, but the frustration costs in leaving the area by car will probably just about even it out.
Personally, I go to a reasonable amount of stadium events, and I haven't driven down there in many years. The BSL terminus at Fern Rock is about 25 minutes from my house up in Mont Co. Tokens are about $2 a pop, and parking is free if you get there late in the day (somebody likely already paid the daily fee for the empty closer spots).
At least in this article, visitors are talking about how well organized the event is so far.
Oh, and they love our traffic. The cars stop for pedestrians. Clearly, these people are drugged and drunk when talking to reporters!!!
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pope/20150923_Pilgrims_arrive_from_everywhere.html#disqus_thread
Quote from: Zeffy on September 22, 2015, 06:43:44 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 22, 2015, 01:32:36 PM
Oh yeah, yeah, I saw you! LOL
I'm in 214. 3 rows from the top. I always joke I'm closer to I-95 than I am to the field! (It's not much of an exaggeration...I'm literally closer to the highway than I am of the closest point of the playing field!!!)
I always say the fans are basically the same fans that have been showing up for the past 10 or 20 years...they've just mellowed out over the years! I don't recall seeing one fight at the game! And there were plenty of Cowboys fans there.
Where did you end up parking?
The only mass transit train that will take you to the game would've been the Broad Street Subway line. So no matter your choice, be it SEPTA Regional Rail or PATCO, you would have to see if it connects you to the subway.
We ended up parking in Lot T which is for Citizens Bank Park and not Lincoln Financial Field. It took us 80 minutes to complete a circle around the parking complexes because traffic was such a clusterfuck.
Also, damn you were close to me!! If it helps I wore black basketball shorts and looked like I was not even 18 years old (I get that quite a lot actually...). We probably saw each other - if we were that close - but I doubt we'd know it. :-P
Quote from: PHLBOS on September 22, 2015, 01:57:22 PM
Sounds like your best bet would have been to take the West Trenton Regional Rail line (the West Trenton Station isn't too far from I-95 and Mercer Airport (TTN) and all West Trenton trains serve that station) to Suburban Station and then take the Broad Street Line from City Hall Station to the Sports Complex (AT&T Station). One needs to walk a bit between Suburban and City Hall stations.
While the Broad Street subway trains run frequently (usually no more than every 15 minutes); the Regional Rail trains (excluding the Airport Line) run hourly on nights & weekends; so one would need to plan their travel time and coordinate train schedules accordingly.
Yeah, I figured going to the West Trenton station was probably a good idea, but they insisted on driving. Next time I may consider that (of course, it if it's not a major game like Eagles vs. Cowboys, I doubt there will ever be that much traffic again...).
Traffic is like that for every game. Like most NFL games, every Eagles game is sold out. In fact, there hasn't been a sold-out Eagles game at the Linc ever. So you will always have traffic issues like that at most games. The worst part for you, like I mentioned, was that you were unfamiliar with the traffic patterns and timing. Get there 3 or 4 hours before kickoff, and you would've had very few if any problems with traffic and parking!
The closest we would've probably been was near that escalator on your side, as that's the only one for the East & South sides of the stadium (actually, you can walk around the entire upper level now with the connecting bridges, so I could take any escalator I wanted, but out of habit we always go in the same entrance and take the same escalator!).
Quote from: Pete from Boston on September 22, 2015, 06:02:44 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on September 22, 2015, 05:57:27 PM
Quote from: odditude on September 22, 2015, 05:51:47 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on September 22, 2015, 04:19:21 PM
At least you guys know where the Pope is going to be (for the most part). China's President Xi Jinping is visiting Seattle starting today through Thursday, and due to security concerns, his itinerary is kept private. WSDOT knows where he'll be so they can close whichever freeway he will be using, but they can't tell the general public. So the only way you can prepare is by not leaving your house.
that's not horribly uncommon in Philly - anytime the President or VP are moving through town, there are rolling closures.
Yeah, but do you know where the President will be, or is it a surprise?
The President comes infrequently to Boston, generally to fund-raise, but often to New York. I don't recall widespread detailed pre-announcement of his route, for obvious reaaons.
Generally they do announce the roads that will be closed and the approximate times for the closures, although those announcements tend to be same day. But at least they are announced, unlike what Jake is experiencing in Seattle.
Anytime any President is travelling, there are blockades, so it's not limited to any one city.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 23, 2015, 08:27:24 AMOh, and they love our traffic. The cars stop for pedestrians. Clearly, these people are drugged and drunk when talking to reporters!!!
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pope/20150923_Pilgrims_arrive_from_everywhere.html#disqus_thread
Or were told,
"The only way this interview will be televised would be if you state X, Y, Z, etc." Personally, I would love to see the outtakes. :sombrero:
"The parking and traffic sucks."
"CUT!"
"The people here are real a#@$*%es."
"CUT! We can't any of this footage."
Well, I can only speak for our travel this morning, but the trip from home to Reagan Airport (via Uber) took less time than it would during a normal rush hour. I guess enough people took off that it helped. It's also apparently Yom Kippur, so people took off work for that as well, but that makes more of a difference on the Maryland side.
Trade ya our President of China visit for your Pope visit...
Quote from: PHLBOS on September 23, 2015, 09:14:05 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 23, 2015, 08:27:24 AMOh, and they love our traffic. The cars stop for pedestrians. Clearly, these people are drugged and drunk when talking to reporters!!!
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pope/20150923_Pilgrims_arrive_from_everywhere.html#disqus_thread
Or were told, "The only way this interview will be televised would be if you state X, Y, Z, etc." Personally, I would love to see the outtakes. :sombrero:
"The parking and traffic sucks."
"CUT!"
"The people here are real a#@$*%es."
"CUT! We can't any of this footage."
THIS. This this this. :)
I was considering going, but it ain't worth it. Three hours from here is ridiculous.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 23, 2015, 08:27:24 AM
At least in this article, visitors are talking about how well organized the event is so far.
Oh, and they love our traffic. The cars stop for pedestrians. Clearly, these people are drugged and drunk when talking to reporters!!!
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pope/20150923_Pilgrims_arrive_from_everywhere.html#disqus_thread
I think that quote was for attendees from Colombia. My guess is you have to say a prayer before crossing an urban road in that country, hence the comment.
A few signs on 295 - ok, barricades - that show NJDOT is ready, just in case.
At *some* exits along I-295, mostly those with direct or convenient links to Philadelphia, there are about 3 plastic barricades dismantled at the exit ramps in case closing the ramp is needed. I noticed this at exits for Rt. 38, 73, 70 & 168 so far. There were some additional Emergency Service Patrol vehicles spotted along my ride home yesterday and one last night about 10pm. Usually they only work from 4:30am to 8:30pm.
There's also been some 'rumors' floating around the internet and Facebook. One a friend sent yesterday, which was a photo of a Facebook post...conveniently without any identifying information cut from the photo:
Quote
WARNING!!!!!
I was at the Evesham Twp Meeting tonight. The Chief of Police issued a WARNING for this weekend. The State, depending on traffic conditions may be shutting down exits on the NJ Turnpike and Rt 295. If you are on 295 or the Turnpike (South bound) when exits are closed, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT IN NJ, YOU will be FORCED to drive to Delaware. This WILL HAPPEN BETWEEN BORDENTOWN AND THE STATE OF DELAWARE!...Best alternative?...Stay off the major highways. He also stated VERY CLEARLY that law enforcement expects back roads to be clogged as well.....BEWARE...BE WARNED! BE CAREFUL!
I tried calming my friend down, explaining that they wouldn't have any reason to shut down every exit. And why would they only shut down Southbound exits, and not Northbound exits. My friend stated that her neighbor was at the meeting. I didn't even bother trying to ask why their neighbor would've gone to a town meeting 3 counties away.
Another flyer apparently got passed around that someone posted on the internet. While it included legit road closures, they exaggerated the list so that every intersection was listed, rather than just stretches of road. And they exaggerated the times to show the road closures would start 6am Friday to Monday at 6pm. The real key to the fakeness of this flyer it includes ramp closures at I-295/I-76/NJ 42. The ramps are scheduled to be fully open all weekend.
Edited to change 'with any identifying information' to 'without'.
Unlikely any interchange would be shut down outside Tpk. 3 and 4 and I-295 at the major routes (30, 38, 70, 73, 168). Locals still have to get around this weekend, and NJDOT is sensitive to that.
I'm somewhat curious how it'll be in western Camden County tomorrow. But not enough to go there.
Screenshot of NJ 511 taken at about 9:10am. Lots of detours. I took a glance at some of the NJDOT cameras - lots of barricades in the closure area, but not much traffic at all, for this time of the morning.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2Fd847fa43-bea5-4a4e-b543-7bc961741495.png&hash=f8c42dced19885d6ebbb1e2f49780c6ad5144231) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/d847fa43-bea5-4a4e-b543-7bc961741495.png.html)
Quote from: Alps on September 26, 2015, 12:53:06 AM
Unlikely any interchange would be shut down outside Tpk. 3 and 4 and I-295 at the major routes (30, 38, 70, 73, 168). Locals still have to get around this weekend, and NJDOT is sensitive to that.
Another thought that I didn't bother passing along to my friend: Do they really think they're going to allow everyone to get on the highway, but not allow them to get off? Man 295 is going to be congested like hell when they reach Exit 13 (US 322) and it narrows down from 3 lanes to 2 lanes. And why wouldn't they allow people to exit 295 at, say, NJ 42, which goes AWAY from Philly.
Always Fun On Facebook.
BTW, I'm heading out soon to volunteer in Philly for the Pope's visit. Looking forward to it!
Warn your friend about the GOOD TIMES virus!
At PATCO's Woodcrest Station now. Plenty of parking spots. Trains were supposed to be express but due to light traffic I overheard they'll stop at every station for now. Plenty of trains...way more than a normal Saturday. Using the middle track...first time I saw that, but I don't take the train much. Just saw a NJ Transit train fly by on the outer track. Heavy security, bag checks, but they had no problem with me bringing my coffee on the train. Headed to Philly!!
Quote from: Zeffy on September 21, 2015, 09:18:16 PM
It's not just I-295 either - I-95 from New Jersey all the way into Philadelphia the message is the same.
Just in case the one guy going north on Route 36 from Long Branch heading to Philadelphia didn't get the message, it's posted there too.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FjWHk1DU.jpg%3F1&hash=f49f4a55823442dcf77fd5514481b8bcb37795ca)
Right about now, are people in the city thinking the following?
Please
Open
Philadelphia's
Expressways!
:banghead:
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 26, 2015, 09:23:12 AM
Do they really think they're going to allow everyone to get on the highway, but not allow them to get off?
Din't the Thruway do something like that after the Buffalo snow
storm apocalypse last year?
My observations from a day visiting Philly for the Pope.
Roads & Highways were extremely barren of traffic. NJ's I-676 was open with a single lane leading to Exit 5A, not Exit 3 as advertised. NJDOT trucks were on standby at interchanges along 295 that motorists could reasonably take to get to the Ben Franklin Bridge in case the ramp needed to be closed; that never happened.
Parking lots at PATCO's Woodcrest & Ferry Ave Stations never came close to filling to capacity. Plenty of security, cops from all over NJ (including one from Newark, NJ) & PATCO staff at the train station where I boarded the train.
Trains were supposed to run Express from each individual station direct to Philly; instead trains started running on modified pickups: Ours stopped at Lindenwold & Woodcrest then expressed to Philly. Plenty of room on board.
Both tracks on the Ben Franklin Bridge were open (the north track had been closed for reconstruction). The north (normally Philly bound) 3 traffic lanes were open for pedestrians; the southern (normally Eastbound) lanes were for official/emergency vehicles. Got this shot of the never-used green light on for what would be the left-most lane of a 5 lane configuration going into Philly. The bridge normally maxes out at 4 Philly-bound lanes.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2FAB351760-2199-4EE7-8ECF-914245DF8D3C.png&hash=7a6469c7a2c8b3099d40e73543dc272c75567262) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/AB351760-2199-4EE7-8ECF-914245DF8D3C.png.html)
In Philly, normally heavy used roads were nothing more than bike and pedestrian paths...or cattleshute lines leading to metal detectors & magnetometers.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2FC4241216-16E9-431B-9F0D-5DD291CEBF54.jpg&hash=7c80b080618b2a79337fd0807439fb5fd5a56c14) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/C4241216-16E9-431B-9F0D-5DD291CEBF54.jpg.html)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2FCF108E12-4E1B-4C57-988F-4E1671DA8B81.jpg&hash=c444da274213b997a4ea71893285d19ff5026d82) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/CF108E12-4E1B-4C57-988F-4E1671DA8B81.jpg.html)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2F52E04530-98B9-4ABD-A7F8-FF28B39A4BC4.jpg&hash=49e58fac77b26cab09ae7e713b6405678357188a) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/52E04530-98B9-4ABD-A7F8-FF28B39A4BC4.jpg.html)
Walking around, cops were plentiful. Many Philly cops, PA State Troopers and even a few NYC antiterrorism cops were on hand. The crowd was in good spirits so they had a pretty easy day.
Looks like someone managed to get a few of what appears to be a children's class project up on the lights in one of the closed-to-traffic area of the parkway:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2F47039051-59C2-4CBF-9C6E-0EA6F833CB2B.jpg&hash=8abe4bf8c60dc290417eddf2b21778ceb60ce691) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/47039051-59C2-4CBF-9C6E-0EA6F833CB2B.jpg.html)
If your car was parked in a garage in the no-traffic zone, it wasn't moving anytime soon. Every parking garage ramp had these jersey barriers blocking access in and out!
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2F1B5BA4CD-419A-411C-B047-5E3B9881875C.jpg&hash=3c576f77228303353a4fae3a1c986672de8ea471) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/1B5BA4CD-419A-411C-B047-5E3B9881875C.jpg.html)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2F80F32F4B-173D-491A-9299-59F40C6F4D41.jpg&hash=e0be12268919cca8be404154b1032eb51d1cac87) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/80F32F4B-173D-491A-9299-59F40C6F4D41.jpg.html)
Kudos to Wawa, BTW. They has numerous areas where they were giving away water. Absolutely free. Many people probably thought there was some sort of catch. Nope. Just free for the taking!
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All in all, a good day although very boring. Most people had nothing to do except watch the video screens if they were within eyesight; it's amazing how 43 or so of these screens were up, and there's still more places than not where you couldn't see the screen. I was over there to volunteer but there were so many of us, and we were basically just answering basic questions; some we knew the answer to (porta potties? go that way) and many that we didn't (is the Pope coming down this way? Maybe). I left my shift because there wasn't much of a point in sticking around doing what we were doing; I would've rather been doing something a little more involved.
People weren't allowed to return to NJ on PATCO until 530pm, so I continues to wander around. At least it did allow me to see the Pope ride by down the road from me!
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Train ride back was uneventful. Saw a good number of people walking the bridge, flew past closed PATCO stations, and overlooked empty parking lots at the open stations which were presumed to be filled with cars.
All-in-all, I had fun. Philly without traffic is definitely a calmer city to walk around in!