That time of year is coming up when SEPTA trolley riders will have to switch from trolley to subway when traveling to Center City. SEPTA’s annual Center City trolley tunnel maintenance project, “Trolley Tunnel Blitz,” is scheduled for 10 days this year – from July 13 to July 23.

Due to power, track and station improvement projects in the tunnel that runs between the 40th and 13th Street stations, SEPTA Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 will not operate in the tunnel from 10 p.m. on Friday, July 13, through 4 a.m. on Monday, July 23. Trolley service will begin and end at 40th and Market Streets, and trolleys will use their alternate diversion service routing to connect to SEPTA’s Market-Frankford Line at 40th and Market Streets. Trolley passengers can board the Market-Frankford Line at 40th Street Station for travel to-and-from Center City, as the work efforts will not affect that service.

This is the fifth consecutive summer SEPTA has held the Trolley Tunnel Blitz. During this year’s tunnel closure, members of SEPTA’s in-house Engineering, Maintenance & Construction Division crews will work around-the-clock on key maintenance and construction tasks throughout the five-mile, single loop Center City tunnel.

SEPTA will conduct a track renewal project on a portion of its Route 13 trolley line from June 8 – June 15, 2018. The project will take place on Chester Avenue between 65th and 66th Streets, on the eastbound and westbound tracks. During the track renewal project, buses will replace trolleys along the Route 13 from Darby Transportation Center (9th and Main Streets) to the 40th Street Trolley Portal. Passengers can board any Route 11, 34, or 36 trolley for service between the 40th Street Portal and Center City.  Continue Reading

SEPTA Key Cards are now available for purchase at a number of retail locations, in addition to transit station and Bus Loop Fare Kiosks and SEPTA Sales Offices.

The initial launch of the “SEPTA Key External Retail Network” earlier this week included more than 100 locations where customers can purchase a Key Card and load/reload fares such as Weekly and Monthly TransPasses, Convenience Passes, and Travel Wallet value. The retail network will eventually grow to approximately 1,500 locations, including grocery stores, pharmacies and local convenience stores, among others, according to SEPTA.  Continue Reading

SEPTA recently announced some important changes to its Key Card program that will go into effect on May 4, 2018.

Here’s the summary:

• In response to customer feedback, the minimum amount to load funds onto the SEPTA Key Card Travel Wallet will be lowered from $10 to $5. The maximum per transaction will remain $250.

• The card itself will no longer be free after May 4. The $4.95 cost to buy a Key Card will go into effect.  Continue Reading

If you still buy tokens for your traveling this is a good time to switch to the SEPTA Key card. SEPTA will end token sales at all Authority-operated locations on April 30. SEPTA will continue to accept purchased tokens for the foreseeable future, but customers are reminded that tokens can be loaded onto SEPTA Key cards with the full value added to the Travel Wallet.

Tokens will continue to be sold in bulk to social service agencies beyond April 30, and third-party retailers will also continue to sell tokens to the general public for now.

SEPTA has been gradually phasing out sales of tokens since January, but will continue to accept purchased tokens for the foreseeable future.

For more information on SEPTA Key Card, go here.

SEPTA has announced two major reconstruction projects in West and Southwest Philadelphia that will result in some street closures and affect service of trolley routes 11 and 36.

SEPTA will begin working on the complete replacement of the Woodland Avenue bridge, located on Woodland Avenue between 47th and 48th Streets. Street closures for the construction begin on Sunday, March 18, and the project is expected to be completed in Summer 2019.

During the construction, SEPTA Trolley Routes 11 and 36, which normally use the bridge, will be detoured to Chester Avenue between 49th Street and the 40th Street Portal.  Continue Reading