Transit Nightmare: Irene Snarls Transportation In Philadelphia And South Jersey
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Hurricane Irene is effecting transportation throughout the area.
Philadelphia International Airport has thousands of flight cancellations, especially with the New York airports closed (see related story). Southwest Airlines suspend service Saturday afternoon.
U.S. Airways has canceled all of Sunday's flights to and from Philadelphia.
U.S. Airways spokesman Todd Lemacher says today will have normal operations, "We are planning to operate a full schedule today, Saturday, including our transatlantic departures to Europe. But, effective tomorrow, all operations will be shut down and we're actually taking the aircraft out of Philadelphia."
Check with your airline for your flight status, go to PHL.org or call 1-800-PHL-GATE.
Amtrak is suspending service at 5 p.m. Saturday. As a result, these SEPTA regional rail lines will shut down at five also: Airport, Chestnut Hill West, Paoli/Thorndale, Trenton, and Wilmington/Newark.
All SEPTA operations will cease at 12:30 a.m. Sunday (see related story). In an effort to encourage the public to get to a safe location before the full effect of Hurricane Irene hits Philadelphia, SEPTA has discontinued fares until service stops in a few hours.
New Jersey Transit suspended all rail lines at noon on Saturday (see related story). Bus and Access Link Service will shut down at 6 p.m.
PATCO will suspend service a little after midnight, Saturday night.
The DRPA says they will try to keep the bridges (Walt Whitman, Ben Franklin, Commodore Barry, Betsy Ross) open as long as it is safe. But, the Ben Franklin Bridge pedestrian walkway will be closed Saturday and Sunday. The Riverlink Ferry will not operate this weekend.
And the Philadelphia Parking Authority says there will be free meter parking throughout the city from 8 a.m. Saturday until 8 a.m. Monday.
Also, a $5 flat-rate for parking in the following Center City garages from 5 p.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Monday: 10th and Filbert, 10th and Ludlow, 8th and Filbert, and 16th and Arch.
Click here for the CBS Philly Traffic and Transit guide
Reported by Tim Jimenez, KYW Newsradio 1060
