iradiophilly | News - SEPTA Announces Lifeline Service Schedule; Mayor Kenney to Reissue Budget; PA Flags Fly Half-Staff

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SEPTA Announces Lifeline Service Schedule; Mayor Kenney to Reissue Budget; PA Flags Fly Half-Staff

by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA
started: 04/07/20 10:36 pm | updated: 04/07/20 10:36 pm

SEPTA announced that it will be reducing service across all modes of transportation and moving to a new Lifeline Service schedule beginning Thursday, 4/9. The new schedule 'focuses on providing access for essential workers traveling to hospitals, grocery stores and other life-sustaining services.' SEPTA police will be making sure that riders are using SEPTA for an essential purpose. Subways, buses, and trollies will operate on a Saturday schedule. However, 10 Market-Frankford Line stations will be closed and 8 Broad Street Line stations will be closed. Approximately 60 core bus routes will be operating. Select trolly stations will also be closed. There will be no service on six Regional Rail lines: Chestnut Hill East, Chestnut Hill West, Cynwyd, Manayunk/Norristown, West Trenton and Wilmington Newark. Paoli/Thorndale and Lansdale/Doylestown will be truncated at Malvern and Lansdale repectively. For more details on all the changes and the new Lifeline Service schedule, go to http://septa.org/covid-19/

SEPTA police have arrested 8 teens after a homeless man was attacked at a Market-Frankford Line station on Monday night, 4/6. It happened around 10:40 p.m. at the Spring Garden station. SEPTA Transit Police Chief Thomas Nestel says that the suspects were all 14-15 years old. The condition of the victim is not known.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced he will be scraping the budget and 5-year plan he presented to City Council earlier this year and will put together a new budget that takes into account the new economics brought on by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. "It was a little over four weeks ago I went to City Council chambers and presented our budget and five-year plan. Frankly, it seems like an eternity ago," Kenney said. "Now as I sit here, it is clear that with shuttered businesses and jobs lost throughout the city, region and nation, that budget is no longer a realistic spending plan." The city is losing tax income from businesses and working people as long as everything is shut down. The city is also spending extra money to help fight the outbreak. Kenney expects to submit a revised budget by May 1. The previous budget was $5.2 billion. The new budget could come several $100 million under that. "I know full well that any reductions in city services will be painful. You rely on those services. You deserve those services. We will work extremely hard to minimize those impacts, and to focus on delivering needed services, especially those on which the most vulnerable Philadelphians rely. You have my word. But we must deal with the reality that this virus has thrust upon us, and that is going to mean all of us making sacrifices in the months ahead," Kenney said.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has ordered that all commonwealth flags on all commonwealth facilities, public buildings and grounds should fly at half-staff until further notice. This is intended to honor all the victims of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

"Too many Pennsylvanians have lost their lives to COVID-19, and, unfortunately, many more will die," said Gov. Wolf. "Already we have lost friends, parents, grandparents, and siblings. We have lost first responders. We have lost community members. Each of these Pennsylvanians is irreplaceable. Each deserves to be honored individually for their contributions to our commonwealth, but this cruel disease will not give us a respite to mourn.

"This virus prevents us from honoring the dead at traditional gatherings. We cannot have funerals, wakes, or sit shiva. I hope this flag lowering provides some solace to the grieving families and friends. And, I hope it serves as a reminder of the reason for the sacrifices Pennsylvanians are making to help their community survive this crisis." All Pennsylvanians are invited to participate in the tribute.