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St. Patrick’s Day Parade Bus Detours, March 15

Published and updated Category: Bulletins

Fun fact: St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in Philadelphia since before the signing of the Declaration of Independence! Irish immigrants brought the tradition with them to the United States and first celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in Philadelphia in 1771. The holiday has continued to be honored in the city in the hundreds of years since then; the yearly parade only came about in the 1950s but has now become a cherished part of Philadelphia culture. It returns this year on Sunday, March 15. 🍀

Getting to the Parade

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes place on Market Street, primarily in Center City. You can get to Market Street using any [T] trolley or by exiting at City Hall Station, served by both the [B] Broad Street Line and [L] Market-Frankford Line. Use plan.septa.org to see which option works best for you.

If you’re taking PATCO into Philadelphia from New Jersey, riders can take the [L] Market-Frankford Line to travel to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Exit PATCO at 8th/Market Street Station. Take the escalator or stairs to concourse level and exit PATCO’s fare gates. Follow the blue signs approximately one block through the concourse to the [L] Market-Frankford Line. 

SEPTA Bus Route Detours

Sunday, March 15
5 am to 5 pm

  • Route 17
  • Route 27
  • Route 31
  • Route 32
  • Route 33
  • Route 38
  • Route 44
  • Route 47
  • Route 48
  • Route 61
  • Route 124
  • Route 125

Detour information is subject to change.

Convenient Ways to Pay

Credit/debit cards, in physical form or through apps like Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, are accepted on all SEPTA transit at any turnstile or farebox with a simple tap on the validator.

  • Express Mode: With Express Mode enabled for debit or credit cards, riders don’t need to wake or unlock their iPhone or Apple Watch or even open any apps to pay and ride.
  • Once a user has chosen which debit or credit card they’d like to use with Express Mode, they can simply tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to an enabled reader to ride.

If using a SEPTA Key card, riders are encouraged to load funds on it before the event. For more information about SEPTA Key, visit www.septa.org.

SEPTA’s multi-rider feature allows up to five riders on one SEPTA Key card. Taps can be on a single bus/trolley validator or a combination of taps on different turnstiles at a station. Multi-rider is available on all modes including bus, trolley, Regional Rail, [L] Market-Frankford Line, [B] Broad Street Line and [M] Norristown High Speed Line. Learn how to activate and fare information.

SEPTA will end the sale of Key Tix on March 2. The final date Key Tix will be accepted is August 28.

SEPTA Key Tix provides an easy payment solution for occasional riders to enjoy the same benefits as cardholders, including one free transfer. Allows people traveling together the ability to “scan once” by activating up to five one-way tickets using a single barcode. Riders can use SEPTA Key Tix on buses and Metro only.

SEPTA accepts cash for travel on bus, Metro and Regional Rail; exact fare is required for bus and Metro.

Customers at Metro stations may purchase a Quick Trip ticket from Fare Kiosks, for a single one-way ride on the [L] Market-Frankford Line, [B] Broad Street Line, [M] Norristown High Speed Line and select Trolley lines. Transit Quick Trips are not valid for bus rides. SEPTA recommends that customers simply use a contactless bankcard to travel, eliminating the need for a Quick Trip ticket and adding additional travel privileges.

Quick Trips are available from station Fare Kiosks and are valid on the day purchased until 2 am the following day. Customers attending events in the Sports Complex area are encouraged to purchase a Quick Trip for their return trip prior to the event. Free transfers are not available with Quick Trip.

PATCO riders traveling to Philadelphia from New Jersey can use their PATCO Freedom Share card for travel on SEPTA Metro and buses for $2.90 per trip. Card must be purchased from PATCO and preloaded with funds in advance.

Parking Pro Tip

Download the SEPTA Park app before you head out. All SEPTA lots and garages charge for daily-use parking—this includes nights and weekends. Payment must be made using the SEPTA Park app, via text or at the kiosks. To avoid violations, please be sure you’ve paid for enough time. SEPTA allows overnight parking at most Regional Rail stations, [M] Norristown High Speed Line stations, and at Fern Rock Transit Center and 69th St Transit Center parking lots.

The SEPTA app allows you to think ahead with an integrated trip planner, view nearby stations and routes, save your favorite routes and much more; available to download in the App Store or Google Play Store.

View alerts, advisories and detours across the system. To get the latest service news, call Customer Service at 215-580-7800 or follow SEPTA @SEPTA.