UPDATE (9/5/2018): As was expected, there will be early dismissal at public schools also on Thursday, Sept. 6 due to continued heat. All School District of Philadelphia schools will dismiss students at noon, and all after-school activities including all athletic programs and professional development sessions scheduled for Thursday are canceled. 

All School District of Philadelphia schools will dismiss students at noon Wednesday, Sept. 5 due to continued high temperatures, the district has announced. All after-school activities including all athletic programs and professional development sessions scheduled for Wednesday are canceled.

UPDATE: As temperatures are forecasted to be above 90 degrees for the fourth day in a row, all School District of Philadelphia schools will dismiss students at 1 p.m. again on Thursday, Aug. 30.

Philadelphia public school will dismiss students at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 28 and Wednesday, Aug. 29 due to the high temperatures forecasted for these days, according to the School District announcement on Monday afternoon. All after-school activities, including all athletic programs and professional development sessions scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday are canceled.

School-based employees are expected to work their normal work day and Administrative Offices will operate on regular business hours.

The Streets Department has changed the block party approval process to include police pre-approval.

Street event applications, handled by the Right of Way Unit, will now require pre-screening approval from local police districts in advance of being processed. This change applies to applications submitted for approval on or after August 1, 2018. Applicants seeking approval to close their street to host a block party or another street event must submit a Block Party Authorization Approval Form to their local Police District before applying for a permit with the Streets Department.  Continue Reading

This is a reminder that SEPTA will stop selling paper transfers beginning August 1st.

Paper transfers for travel on buses, subways and trolleys will stop being issued at the end of the service day on Tuesday, July 31. Starting August 1, to receive a qualifying $1 transfer, customers will need to use a SEPTA Key Card with Travel Wallet. Customers who are eligible for reduced fare travel will need to use a SEPTA Key Card with Travel Wallet to receive the half-fare $0.50 transfer.

This is the latest effort by SEPTA to encourage more customers to switch to the Key Card, which was launched in June 2016. The majority of SEPTA customers have already made the switch.

After eliminating token and magnetic stripe TransPass sales at SEPTA-operated locations in the spring, SEPTA will also end third-party retail sales of tokens and magnetic stripe passes by Aug. 1.

For more information about the SEPTA Key Fare program, visit: www.septakey.org.

In response to forecasted maximum heat indexes over 100, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley issued a Heat Health Emergency in Philadelphia beginning Sunday, July 1, at noon.

A declaration of a Heat Health Emergency by the Health Commissioner activates the City’s emergency heat programs, including the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s Heatline, extended hours at select Free Library locations that have been designated as Cooling Centers, home visits by special field teams, enhanced daytime outreach for the homeless, and the City’s annual reminder to the public to look in on older friends, relatives, and neighbors.  Continue Reading

The city has announced opening of its 2018 public pool season – just in time for this heat. Check out opening schedules for West Philly and Center City West pools below. Philadelphia public pools are free and open to everyone and usually stay open until early to mid-August. For more information, visit the Philadelphia Parks & Rec website. Also, check out this page with information on the spraygrounds in the city.

Wednesday, June 20

• Kelly Pool (4231 Landsdowne Dr., 19131)
• Lee Cultural Center (4328 Haverford Ave., 19104)

Thursday, June 21

• Christy Recreation Center (728 S. 55th St., 19143)

Saturday, June 23

• Baker Playground (5433 Landsdowne Ave., 19131)
• Cobbs Creek Recreation Center (280 Cobbs Creek Pkwy., 19139)  Continue Reading