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Top 5 Reasons to Ride the PHLASH

Top 5 Reasons to Ride the PHLASH

Guest Post by Independence Visitor Center Corporation

In many ways, the Philly PHLASH Downtown Loop™ remains one of the city’s best-kept secrets.

The service has been around since 1994, and hit its all-time high for ridership last year. Yet, there are still plenty of visitors and locals who are not aware of all that the PHLASH has to offer.

Even if your ride was among the 314,000 the PHLASH made in 2016, you probably aren’t taking advantage of everything the service has to offer. Here is our list of the top reasons to ride the PHLASH:

Top 5 Reasons to Ride the PHLASH

  1. Excellent Customer Service: Did you know that the Independence Visitor Center Corporation began managing the PHLASH in 2012? That means we apply our same high standards of customer service and attention to visitor needs to the transit service.
  2. “Park & Ride” Discount Program: For anyone driving into Philadelphia, PHLASH’s “Park & Ride” program offers a discounted rate at the following Philadelphia Parking Authority facilities for those who present a PHLASH pass:

So leave the stress of city traffic to the professionals—park your car and ride PHLASH for the day!

NOTE: To receive the PHLASH parking discount, you must enter the above garages after 9 a.m. and exit by 7:00 p.m..

  1. Clean + Comfortable Vehicles: In 2014, the PHLASH service transitioned from using trolleys to state-of-the-art New Flyer MiDi buses, operated by Krapf’s Coaches. The buses are large, seating up to 32 passengers comfortably, with large windows for great city views. They are air conditioned, ADA compliant, made in the USA, and use the latest in clean diesel technology. The PHLASH vehicles provide such a pleasant riding experience that the PHLASH was even named one of “10 Places to Mooch Free Air Conditioning in Philadelphia” by Philadelphia Magazine!
  2. Exclusive Route: Like everything else about the PHLASH, its route is designed with the visitor in mind. The PHLASH travels from the Delaware River Waterfront to Fairmount Park, making 22 stops located near popular destinations and attractions, including: Penn’s Landing, the National Museum of Jewish American History, The Barnes Foundation, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum, the Perelman Building, Eastern State Penitentiary, The Franklin Institute, National Constitution Center, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Reading Terminal Market, the Shops at Liberty Place, the Please Touch Museum, the Philadelphia Zoo, One Liberty Observation Deck, and the brand-new Museum of the American Revolution.
    The PHLASH is the ONLY public transit route that travels along Philadelphia’s iconic Benjamin Franklin Parkway, providing access to the city’s Museum District.
  3. FREE Rides: At just $2 per ride or $5 for an all-day pass, the PHLASH is the most affordable way to travel around the city for everyone. But for many, the PHLASH is completely free! Among the groups who can always ride PHLASH for free: SEPTA Pass and Key card holders, seniors 65 and older; and children 4 and under.

If you haven’t yet experienced the benefits of riding the PHLASH, you’re in luck because daily service for the spring season is:

Weekend Service: From September 2024 through the end of December 2024.

Daily Service: Up to Monday, September 2nd, 2024

PHOTO CREDIT:  Jeff Fusco for the IVCC

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Regular Board Meeting: June 2023

The Authority’s Regular Board Meeting scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on June 20, 2023, will be held in person at PPA Headquarters and virtually via Microsoft Teams webinar. You may register to attend the Board meeting virtually HERE.

Anyone wishing to make comment at the Regular Board Meeting via the Webinar must contact Kelly Quinn at [email protected]. All such emails and requests must be received by Ms. Quinn on or before June 19, 2023, to be considered for the meeting.

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KYW Bridging Philly

Executive Director, Rich Lazer, Sits Down with KYW’s Bridging Philly to Discuss the PPA’s Quality of Life Initiatives

FROM LEFT:  KYW’s Racquel Williams, PPA Executive Director Rich Lazer, and Philly 3.0’s Engagement Director John Geeting

Last week Bridging Philly invited the Philadelphia Parking Authority to discuss its multiple quality-of-life and public safety initiatives, including:

  • Automate Speed Enforcement Cameras
  • ‘Ghost Car’ Enforcement
  • Abandoned Vehicle Enforcement
  • Bike Lane Enforcement
  • Neighborhood Truck Parking Enforcement

 

 

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_ Bike Patrol Initiative Featured Pics

PPA’s New Designated Bike Lane Enforcement Unit to Begin Patrols on Monday – May 1st

(PHILADELPHIA) – Citing 45 deaths and over 135 injuries since 2011, Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) Executive Director Rich Lazer announced today that the PPA’s new Bicycle Lane Enforcement unit will begin patrolling and enforcing bike lane regulations on Monday, May 1, 2023, in selected city neighborhoods. 

 “Bicyclists are an integral part of Philadelphia’s transportation ecosystem. Since 2011, 45 bicyclists have been killed, and over 135 have been injured. We must do all we can to protect our bicyclists and provide them safe access to city streets,” said PPA Executive Director Rich Lazer.

 “Beginning next Monday, we will expand our ongoing bike lane enforcement efforts to include a designated bicycle lane enforcement unit that will concentrate exclusively on ticketing vehicles that illegally park in our designated bike lanes,” Lazer said.

 “The PPA has issued over 25,000 tickets for bike lane safety violations since 2014. Enforcement is a deterrence aimed at changing behavior and encouraging compliance with our bike lane regulations. The staggering number of violations clearly demonstrates the need for a focused enforcement unit to concentrate solely on bike lanes in Center City, University City, and South Philadelphia,” Lazer said.

Lazer thanked the new bike lane enforcement unit for “stepping up to the plate and volunteering for these new public safety patrols. All of their hard work and dedication is very much appreciated.”

 Lazer credited the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia for their “vigilance and hard work in protecting bicyclists and moving the city’s Vision Zero goals closer to reality.”

 Commenting on the PPA’s new Bike Lane Enforcement Initiative, Sarah Stuart, Executive Director of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, said, “We are very excited and relieved to see the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s program get underway.  Many of Philadelphia’s unprotected bike lanes are chronically encroached upon by drivers who park or stand with impunity.  Bicyclists have been asking for increased enforcement of such motorists for years. The Bicycle Coalition welcomes this team of enforcement officers on bikes to be able to efficiently and sustainably keep bike lanes clear and safe for the  bicyclists they were designed and built for.”

“Our goal is to improve public safety and enhance the quality of life in our neighborhoods by encouraging compliance with bike lane regulations and keeping our bike lanes clear and free of parked vehicles,” Lazer concluded.

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Regular Board Meeting: May 2023

The Authority’s Regular Board Meeting scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on May 30, 2023, will be held in person at PPA Headquarters and virtually via Microsoft Teams webinar. You may register to attend the Board meeting virtually HERE.

Anyone wishing to make comment at the Regular Board Meeting via the Webinar must contact Kelly Quinn at [email protected]. All such emails and requests must be received by Ms. Quinn on or before May 29, 2023, to be considered for the meeting.

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