Updated: 12:30 11/10/16
Student commuters are returning to their normal routine as SEPTA returns to full service.
Kelly Antonacci spoke with students and community members as they waited for a subway at Cecil B. Moore station. One high schooler, Desiree Hill, said she was happy that SEPTA was back on track.
“I had to walk everywhere. And my job is in West Philadelphia on 52nd and Market and that’s far from here so it made it a struggle.”
After six days of negotiations, service was restored on all subways, buses, and trolleys. The contract ensures fair wages, pension improvements, and affordable health care for workers. It also fixes problems related to scheduling and poor working conditions.
Updated: 4:30pm 11/7/16
SEPTA officials and TWU union members reached a 5 year contract deal early Monday morning.
Service to the Broad Street line began early Monday, but ran on a 20 minute delay for a majority of the day. Bus service has also been restored as well.
Kevin G. Clark, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Temple University, sent an email notifying students, faculty, and staff that shuttle services provided during the strike will end Monday at 10pm.
SEPTA is to be up and running on it’s normal schedule in time for Election Day on Tuesday.
Updated 11:30pm 11/4/16
An injunction filed by SEPTA that would have required members of the Transit Workers Union to return to the job has been denied.
“We are committed to bargaining a new agreement as soon as possible. That will happen at the bargaining table – not by rushing into court in a pointless attempt to restrict workers’ rights,” said the TWU in a statement released earlier this afternoon in response to the injunction.
Moving forward, a hearing on Monday will review SEPTA’s request for workers to return to the job for Election Day. There are concerns that voter turnout will be effected by the lack of public transportation, a potential problem SEPTA is attempting to get ahead of.
But voting on Election Day isn’t the only concern.
SEPTA’s original injunction claimed the continuation of the strike is a “clear and present danger to the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Philadelphia and the region.”
There’s no word as to why the judge denied SEPTA’s injunction, but negotiations will continue between both parties leading up to Monday’s hearing.
Temple Update will continue to keep you updated on the strike as negotiations continue to unfold. Follow us on social media for the latest.
Updated 10:15am, 11/3/16
Regional Rail lines are seeing extensive delays as the SEPTA strike heads in to day three.
Picketers took to the Regional Rail tracks Wednesday night, causing confusion, delays, and cancellations of rush hour trains. SEPTA obtained a court injunction to force the workers off the tracks so transportation services could be restored.
Temple Update’s Kelly Antonacci spoke with a Regional Rail passenger who said he paid over $30 for a cab in order to avoid delays. “It wasn’t horrible, I did wait about an hour at Jefferson Station just to get here today. Yesterday I took a cab because it just wasn’t feasible to wait,” David Thomas.
Other passengers say they support the strike, and believe SEPTA workers’ demands to be reasonable.
“It’s definitely frustrating and its inconvenient, but I also understand why they’re striking. I think they do deserve bathroom breaks and things like that,” said student Rachael Cohen.
Uber saw a 41% increase at rush hour this week due to the strike, while over 2,000 first time Lyft users signed up for the rider sharing service.
Uber Pool has expanded their coverage are to include all affected SEPTA stations for the duration of the strike.
Continue to follow Temple Update on social media and online for the latest on the SEPTA strike.
Updated 5pm, 11/1/16
Temple University has sent out a TU Alert, informing students and faculty that Regional Rail is experiencing delays and cancellations due to SEPTA strike activity.
An announcement on SEPTA’s website says “a significant number of trains will be canceled tonight as several rail yards are blocked. Picketers are preventing crews from getting to trains. Passengers are urged to seek alternate means.”
No word as to how long these delays will continue.
Original Post: 11am, 11/1/16
More than 5,000 SEPTA employees walked off the job at midnight, forcing commuters to find a new form of transportation Tuesday morning.
SEPTA subways, buses, and trolleys are all out of commission until a deal is reached between SEPTA and the Transport Workers Union Local 234 City Transit Division. Negotiations continued throughout the night, but no deal could be reached, leading to the walk off of SEPTA workers.
Service on the Broad Street Line, Market-Frankfurt Line have been halted, but service on the Regional Rail, Morristown High Speed Line, and Suburban buses have continued uninterrupted.
In a statement from Temple University, Kevin G. Clark, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, said that the University has joined a local consortium to offer free, supplementary shuttle service to students, faculty and staff who present valid OWLcards or Health System IDs when boarding. The shuttle between the Main, Health Sciences Center and Ambler campuses will also continue as usual. These shuttles will run from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m, and are expected to make stops every 20 to 30 minutes. The shuttle stops are as follows:
South Philadelphia Rout
Broad Street and Pattison Avenue
Broad Street and Snyder Avenue
Broad Street and Passyunk Avenue
Broad Street and Washington Avenue
Broad and Locust Streets
Broad and Chestnut Streets
City Hall (near the Masonic Temple, 1 N. Broad St.)
North Philadelphia Route
Broad Street and Polett Walk
Broad Street and Lehigh Avenue
Broad Street and Allegheny Avenue
Broad and Ontario Streets
Broad Street and Erie Avenue
Broad Street and Olney Avenue
15th Street and Cheltenham Avenue
Cheltenham and Ogontz Avenues
West Philadelphia Route
Kent Road and Market Street
63rd and Market Streets
58th and Market Streets
42nd and Market Streets
36th and Market Streets
30th and Market Streets
22nd and Market Streets
15th and Market Streets
In addition to shuttle services, Temple is also providing parking at Lot No. 7 (Norris Street between 11th and 12th streets) and
15th Street Lot (15th Street between Norris Street and Montgomery Avenue) for $8 a day. Limited parking may also be available at the Cecil B. Moore Lot, Montgomery Garage, Tuttleman Lot, where you can pay by the hour.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Be the first to comment