What If SEPTA Strikes
On October 27, SEPTA’s Transport Workers Union voted to authorize a potential mass-transit strike.
If a strike were to occur, it would likely begin with the morning commute on Friday, November 8, 2024. We write today to share Penn’s contingency plans.
We anticipate that SEPTA will issue guidance this week on which specific services and lines would be impacted by a strike. Based on precedent, in the event of a strike, we expect the following services to be suspended:
- Market-Frankford Line
- Broad Street and Broad Ridge Spur Lines
- City Transit Bus, Trolley, and Trackless Trolley Routes
We expect the following services to continue to operate:
- SEPTA Regional Rail Lines
- SEPTA Customized Community Transportation (CCT) service
- LUCY Shuttle service
- Norristown High Speed Line
- Trolley Routes 101 and 102
- Frontier and Victory suburban bus service
Contingency Transportation Plans
In collaboration with Drexel University, UPHS, and CHOP, Penn will provide free transit services to all employees, as follows:
- Penn Transit and Drexel Transportation will offer express shuttle transportation from the 69th Street Terminal and 15th and Locust Street.
- CHOP and UPHS will offer additional shuttle options serving South Philadelphia, West Philadelphia, Lancaster Avenue, and Woodland Avenue.
- The LUCY shuttle will continue normal operations, with free service for employees of Penn, UPHS, CHOP, and Wistar.
Riders are welcome to use these services for free upon presentation of a valid PennCard or Penn-provided Transit Guest pass, which will be accepted on any of the vehicles operated by the above organizations, regardless of which entity is offering the service.
As the overall circumstances are dynamic, the above details are subject to change as the University seeks to optimize the services offered. We encourage faculty and staff to closely monitor www.septa.org and local news for reports about service disruptions. Click here for FAQs that will be updated with routes as events warrant.