Philly Chit Chat

The exciting NFL DRAFT IS at our doorstep, no really it’s at my doorstep and it’s a month away and I’m in awe of the road closures.

Here is a comprehensive list of ROAD CLOSINGS for the event that is to bring $86 million dollars to our coffers, and 200,000 fans who when not on the Parkway will be filling our restaurants, visiting our Liberty Bell and Historic Area, and shopping our fine stores. There’s also info on how you can get around as many of the roads are closed.  (All of these measures are being done in the name of Security, and the safety of our guests.)

I’m crossing my fingers that shuttle buses from 2601 Parkway and 2401 The Philadelphian can run in the shaded red area which is marked “local access” so residents can get to work and appointments during the road closure days.

Phase 1: Think about taking SEPTA, it really is a relaxing experience and good practice for the NFL Draft when you will have to take SEPTA
Here’s their website http://www.septa.org/

Start: 4/10/17 – 12:01am
End: 5/7/17 – 11:59pm

• Spring Garden Street westbound will close at Pennsylvania Avenue.

• The westbound center roadway of Benjamin Franklin Parkway will maintain two lanes from 20^th Street to Eakins Oval.  The left lane of Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be closed from East Eakins Oval to Spring Garden St. and continue to southbound Kelly Drive, where it will open up to three travel lanes.

• The right two lanes of Eakins Oval in front of the Art Museum steps will be closed for the building of the theatre. (Traffic headaches are not as bad yet, as the closet lane to the Art Museum Steps is usually clogged with cars from tourists, so business as usual. Proceed with caution. Be on the look out for worker bees in the street though)

• Southbound (They really should call this the INBOUND lane, cause really who knows what southbound is?) Kelly Drive will have a lane drop between 25^th St. and Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Phase 2:
Start: 4/19/17 – 12:01am to 5/3/17

• Inner or Center lanes (inbound and outbound) of Benjamin Franklin Parkway closed from Eakins Oval to 20^th Street.

Fans of all teams can follow the Draft, enjoy interactive exhibits and autograph sessions with current and former players, and take pictures with the Vince Lombardi Trophy at Draft Town presented by Oikos Triple Zero, a massive, free outdoor fan festival.

Phase 3: ONE WEEK Monday Night til Monday 5AM
 Basically Don’t USE  THE PARKWAY TO COMMUTE INTO or OUT OF THE CITY AT ALL if you want to maintain your sanity- Take SEPTA to WORK
Start: 4/24/17 – 7:00pm
End: 5/1/17 – 5:00am

• Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be closed from 20^th Street to the Art Museum.

• Martin Luther King Drive will remain open to 24^th Street.

• Eastbound Spring Garden Street will remain open from 31^st Street to 24^th Street.

• Kelly Drive will be closed at Fairmount Avenue with traffic detoured onto Fairmount Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. (TAKE SEPTA AS THIS IS A LOCAL ROAD, runs right in front of my house, and is narrow with lots of traffic backed up. You will be frustrated as hell. )

Starting at 7:00pm on Monday, April 24^th, due to the closure of the outer lanes on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, traffic headed inbound (to Center City) from Spring Garden Street Bridge or Martin Luther King Drive must exit Eakins Oval on the 24^th Street ramp.  Traffic headed inbound on Kelly Drive must exit Kelly Drive at Fairmount Avenue.  Those wishing to access the rear of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the north side must exit onto Fairmount Avenue, turn right on Pennsylvania Avenue and proceed SB on 25^th Street onto Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive.

Phase 4 – Full Extent of Road Closures: (i.e. DON’T EVEN TRY DRIVING INTO TOWN FROM THE BURBS from this area, you will be stuck in traffic, screaming at the radio; Better Yet Take a vacation during these days and got see the NFL DRAFT – It’s Free and it’s in PHILLY!!)
Start: 4/25/17 – 12:01am
End: 5/1/17 – 5:00am

• 21^st Street closed from Winter Street to Spring Garden Street
  • Local access to Pennsylvania Avenue only (all traffic must turn left)

• 22^nd Street closed from Race Street to Spring Garden Street
  • Local access to Park Towne Place only (residents)

• 23^rd Street closed from Fairmount Avenue to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
  • Local access only

• 24^th Street closed from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Park Towne Place
  • Local access only

• Martin Luther King Drive closed at Sweet Briar Drive.
  • Road opened daily during peak AM rush hour on 4/27 & 4/28 (5AM-10AM) for access to I-676 via 24^th Street

• Kelly Drive closed from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Fairmount Avenue

• Spring Garden Street Bridge closed at 31^st Street
  • Road opened daily during peak AM rush hour on 4/27 & 4/28 (5AM-10AM) for access to I-676 via 24^th Street
  • Access to I-76 westbound will be maintained
  • Local access to Art Museum will be maintained

• Spring Garden Street closed from 22^nd Street to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
  • Local access after peak AM rush hour

• Pennsylvania Avenue closed from Hamilton Street to Fairmount Avenue
  • Local access after peak AM rush hour

• Pennsylvania Avenue/Callowhill Street closed from 20^th Street to 21^st Street
  • Local access to Barnes Foundation driveway (westbound) only
  • Eastbound open from 21^st Street

• Park Towne Place closed from 22^nd Street to 24^th Street
  • Local access only (residents)

• I-676 westbound 22^nd Street off-ramp closed

• The following streets be designated “local access only” west of 22^nd Street: (Let’s call them #OpenStreetsPHL and have a bike event along these streets.)

• Wallace Street
• Mt. Vernon Street
• Green Street
• Judson Street
• Brandywine Street

No Parking (Honestly, the City should discount the PPA Parking Lots for my neighbors who have cars, like during snow storms. This is really an inconvenience. There are at least 8 apartment buildings this afffects)

–   No parking on 2400 Pennsylvania Avenue (south side angle parking only) from 4/5 to 5/8
–   Pennsylvania Avenue between 22^nd Street & Fairmount Avenue (south side of street only)
–   Winter Street between 20^th & 22^nd Streets (both sides of street)
–   20^th Street between Vine & Callowhill Streets (east side of street only)
–   21^st Street between Benjamin Franklin Parkway & Race Street (both sides of street)
–   22^nd Street between Winter & Spring Garden Streets (both sides of street)
–   Park Towne Place between 22^nd & 24^th Streets (both sides of street)

Bicycle Lane Detours
During venue construction, a number of bicycle lanes along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Eakins Oval and in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be detoured.  Appropriate signage will be prominently displayed, and cyclists are advised to utilize marked detours.

Pedestrian Detours
During venue construction, a number of sidewalks and pathways along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Eakins Oval and in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be detoured.  Appropriate signage will be prominently displayed, and pedestrians are advised to utilize marked detours and avoid walking in the street.  The primary north-south pedestrian detours will be 22^nd Street and Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive.

Here are some of the highlights of the NFL DRAFT:

The fan festival activities will be FREE and last for three days along a half-mile stretch of the Ben Franklin Parkway. This will include “interactive exhibits, immersive games, and virtual reality experiences, free player autograph sessions and more.”

Hours for the fan experience:

Thursday, April 27: 12 pm – 11 pm

Friday, April 28: 12 pm – 11 pm

Saturday, April 29: 10 am – 6 pm

I wrote alot about the activities on my blog last month HERE

Public Transportation and Parking
SEPTA is a convenient, affordable way for fans to get to and from the event grounds.  The PHLCVB has secured FREE parking at the sports stadium complex for NFL Draft Experience attendees. (Hmm free parking for the fans?) From the sports stadium complex, event-goers should utilize the Broad Street Subway at AT&T Station, located at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue.  Fares can be purchased onsite, and fans are encouraged to purchase their return fare prior to departing AT&T Station.

SEPTA service changes/alerts can be found at www.septa.org.

SEPTA Customer Service can be reached at 215-580-7800 and directly on Twitter @septa_social.  For more information on SEPTA and NJ Transit routes and schedules during the NFL Draft Experience, visit www.septa.org or call 215-580-7800, and www.njtransit.org or call 973-275-5555.

The PHLASH Downtown Loop will add service for Thursday, 4/27 for the NFL Draft Experience and will operate its April weekend schedule Friday, 4/28 – Sunday, 4/30. PHLASH runs 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and is an easy, inexpensive way to get around.  PHLASH will re-route due to street closures during the NFL Draft Experience and will communicate any detours at http://RidePhillyPHLASH.com.

If driving into Center City is necessary, commercial off-street parking lots and garages conveniently are located near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Contact individual facilities in advance for rates and availability, or visit the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s website at www.philapark.org for a list of parking options.  The NFL Draft Experience is not affiliated with these parking facilities.

Parkway Institutions
Most of the cultural institutions on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will maintain normal hours of operation and, in some cases, even extend schedules during the NFL Draft Experience. Visitors and residents are encouraged to visit.

During the NFL Draft Experience, the west entrance (otherwise known as the official entrance, not the side of the museum with the Rocky Steps, that’s the back entrance) of the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be open and visitors may obtain access via pathways north and south of this entrance. Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive will be open at 25^th Street, with access to the museum’s parking garage for museum visitors throughout the week.  The south entrance to Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive will remain accessible via the Spring Garden Street Bridge for museum visitors only.  Signage will be prominently displayed with directions.

Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
1900 Ben Franklin Parkway, www.ansp.org, 215-299-1000
Regular operating hours: Thurs. April 27^th and Fri. April 28^th, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm; Sat. April 29^th, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.

On April 27-29, the Academy will offer free general admission to the museum to all visitors. In addition, an $8 Super Saver Ticket will be available for the special exhibits. Visitors who wear an NFL jersey, get $1 off the Super Saver ticket. Their special exhibit is Frogs: A Chorus of Colors, featuring 15 species of live frogs (on view through May 14).

The Barnes Foundation
2025 Ben Franklin Parkway, www.barnesfoundation.org, 215-278-7200
Thurs., April 27^th: CLOSED for special event (ie sounds like an exclusive party with celebrities. I’ll be hanging out there on the sidewalk.)
Fri., April 28^th and Sat., April 29^th, regular operating hours: 10am – 5pm

Eastern State Penitentiary
2027 Fairmount Ave, www.easternstate.org, 215-236-3300
The historic site will remain open with regular hours – 10 am to 5 pm daily.

The Franklin Institute
222 North 20th St., www.fi.edu, 215-448-1200
Hours: The Franklin Institute will be open to the public from 9:30am-5pm during NFL Draft days (April 27-29).

Parking: The Franklin Institute’s parking garage entrance is located at 21st and Winter Streets, street parking and public transportation are strongly encouraged.

Special Offer: The Franklin Institute is offering a $2 discount on adult general admission for adult visitors wearing NFL team gear during draft days (April 27-29). (Wear your Eagles Jersey days.)

Free Library of Philadelphia – Parkway Central
1901 Vine St., www.freelibrary.org, 215-686-5322
Parkway Central Library welcomes NFL fans to experience guided tours of their 90 year-old beaux arts building and its world-renowned Rare Book Department.

Moore College of Art and Design
20^th Street and the Parkway, www.moore.edu
Philadelphia Museum of Art
www.philamuseum.org, 215-763-8100

Main Building
26^th & Ben Franklin Parkway
Open: Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Wednesday and Friday open until 8:45 p.m.
Perelman Building
Fairmount and Pennsylvania Aves.
Open: Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Rodin Museum
22^nd St. and Ben Franklin Parkway, www.rodinmuseum.org, 215-763-8100
Open: Wednesday–Monday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

This is truly a wonderful event to happen in Philadelphia. I’m excited it is here, and the Parkway is an amazing location to hold the NFL Draft. Living in the neighborhood that is affected by this amazing event, which is literally across the street from where I live, it would have been nice for my neighbors, especially the ones who have caregivers to know of the driving restrictions, people have to make arrangements, a few weeks notice is in adequate. With the Pope we had 3 months notice, and they had meetings with residents who live along the parkway even before they announced it to the press.

NFL Draft: Security Policy & Prohibited Items