SEPTA will begin offering shuttle bus service Monday to riders impacted by the ongoing trolley tunnel closure in Center City.
Since early November, users of the T routes – formerly the 10, 34, 13, 11 and 36 – have needed to transfer onto and off of the Market-Frankford Line at 40th Street to access the downtown stations from West Philadelphia and beyond.
Overhead wiring was damaged after SEPTA installed a new piece of equipment, and authority leaders now say that the tunnel will remain shuttered through the end of December.
Starting Monday, the “T” shuttle bus will run every 10 minutes from 6 a.m. to midnight, according to a post on the authority’s website. It will stop at 40th and Market; 36th and Market; 33rd and Market; 30th and Market; 22nd and Market; 19th and Market (eastbound); 19th and JFK (westbound); and 15th and Market.
Information and data about the bus has not yet been uploaded onto SEPTA’s website, mobile application or digital tools, officials said.
SEPTA representatives say the authority has been working with the city, police department and Philadelphia Parking Authority to create a smoother process for the trolleys diverted at 40th Street.
Transit and city police officers have facilitated the movement of vehicles in the area of 38th and Spruce streets; new parking restrictions have been implemented on the left side of 40th Street; and 40th has been closed between Powelton Avenue and Market during peak hours, according to SEPTA.
The tunnel was closed Nov. 7 after a pair of trolleys were stranded in separate October incidents, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of passengers. Federal regulators have ordered SEPTA to inspect its entire overhead catenary wire network.
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration announced Nov. 24 that it would be distributing $219.9 million to SEPTA to address major infrastructure issues. Nearly $50 million in funding was earmarked for the replacement of the trolley wires and vehicles to inspect the catenary system.
