V for Villanova! V for Victory!
April 3, 2018
Congrats to Villanova University for winning the 2018 NCAA Championship against the University of Michigan!
A big W means there's a big PARADE coming Thursday, 4/5, starting at 11a at 20th & Market Streets. The parade will proceed eastbound on Market Street to 15th Street, southbound on 15th Street to South Penn Square, eastbound on South Penn Square, terminating on South Penn Square west of Broad Street. Just like in 2016, the rally portion will take place at Dilworth Park at 11:45a, and the event is expected to end around 12:30p.
Road closures and parking restrictions will be implemented around the parade vicinity. Drivers are advised to expect delays in both directions and use alternate routes to avoid the area. Laws against double-parking will be enforced. Your best bet there is SEPTA!
Extra capacity will be added to SEPTA’s Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), Market-Frankford Line (MFL) and Broad Street Line (BSL).
Hop SEPTA Regional Rail to Suburban Station or the Market-Frankford Line or Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 34, or 36 to 15th Street Station. You can also hop the Broad Street Line to City Hall Station. Please note, stairs and elevators to Dilworth Park from the underground concourse will be closed on Thursday, 4/5 beginning at 9a and reopened as conditions allow.
SEPTA’s 15th Street MFL stations and the City Hall BSL station are scheduled to remain open during the parade; however, if conditions become overcrowded, those stations will be bypassed. Passengers should use 13th Street MFL and Walnut-Locust BSL stations in the event 15th and City Hall Stations are closed. Train announcements will be made and SEPTA personnel will be on-hand to direct passengers to the parade route. Passengers for Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 should look for service announcements regarding possible station closures.
If riding a Bus is more your style, Routes 4, 16, 17, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 44, 62, 78, 124 & 125 all drop you within a block or two of the park - but beware of detours due to road closures. Parade routing will impact SEPTA service through Center City. Bus Routes 2, 4, 7, 16,17, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 44, 48, 62, 124 and 125 will be detoured around City Hall and Dilworth Park from approximately 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday. Complete detour information will be posted in the System Status section of www.septa.org.
The trip from campus to Dilworth Park takes about an hour when you connect from the Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL) to the Market-Frankford Line (MFL) at 69th Street. Extra capacity will be added to both lines.
You want to board the Norristown High Speed Line from either Roberts Road Station, Garrett Hill Station or Villanova Station and ride it to the end of the line to 69th Street Transportation Center. At 69th Street, you need to transfer to the Market-Frankford Line and ride that line east to 15th Street.
One way fare on the NHSL is $2.50 cash plus $1 transfer for the MFL. You must have exact change if paying the operator or cashier. Operators and cashiers cannot make change. We're selling One Day Independence Passes for $10 [they're usually $13] which work on all modes.
Your best bet is a SEPTA Key Card. If you don't have one, we'll have the SEPTA Key Mobile Truck in the Villanova Station parking lot on Thursday morning. You can purchase one there. The SEPTA Key Travel Wallet allows you to pay as you go and you'll receive a discount for each ride ($2.00 versus the $2.50 cash fare; a transfer is still $1). You must load a minimum of $10. Funds in your Travel Wallet can only be used to pay for one (1) person. It cannot be tapped multiple times to pay for anyone traveling with you. The best part is – your SEPTA Key is reloadable and it gets you more than just a ride. Flash it for discounts on food, drink, museums, sports, shops and more. Click here for a full list of Partners.
SEPTA reminds all regular passengers that the commute, especially on the Paoli/Thorndale Line and NHSL, could be extremely heavy. SEPTA urges those using its trains, buses and trolleys for the parade to purchase their tickets and passes in advance.
Details on all SEPTA fare options are available here.
SEPTA employee ambassadors wearing red jackets will be available at Center City and Villanova-area stations to assist travelers before and after the parade.
Congrats Wildcats!
