Philly sports fans driving to the South Philadelphia stadiums know the drill. It’s the seventh-inning stretch, the end of the third quarter, or the start of the final period, and fans rush to the parking lots to beat traffic.
But there’s an easier way to skip the gridlock, says Maxwell Sall, a longtime Flyers and Phillies fan: Take the subway.
“What I’ve learned from the few times I have driven, and growing up in the suburbs going to the stadiums with my parents is if you don’t leave before the game ends, it adds an extra half hour to 40 minutes to get out of the parking lots and onto the highway.” And that’s not to mention the $25 to $50 parking fee.
Last year, Sall attended 17 Phillies games at Citizens Bank Park, numerous Flyers games at the Wells Fargo Center, and Taylor Swift’s sellout show at Lincoln Financial Field, taking the Market-Frankford (MFL) and Broad Street Lines (BSL) to most events. Each round trip cost him less than $5.
But many Philly sports fans are wary of Sall’s approach — about three in four fans opt to drive.
Sall says the pros of taking mass transit outweigh the cons compared to driving, which several studies show is a more expensive, stressful, and less safe mode of transportation than public transportation — especially after games where drinking is common.
“When you leave a game and use the subway, you pass live music, vendors, and people celebrating wins and losses,” he said. Driving offers privacy, comfort, and flexibility with routes and departure times (depending on traffic), but fans can miss out on some of the moments that make Philly sports fandom internationally famous.
Including the time Eagles fan Jigar Desai ran face-first into a subway station pillar after the Birds beat the Vikings in the NFC Championship, or when fans cheered on the 29 Bus after the Phillies clinched the 2022 National League Championship Series.
Jawad Pullin, an avid Eagles, Phillies, and Sixers fan, takes the Broad Street Line and occasionally the 2 Bus when heading north of Packer Park. Beyond the hassle of navigating the parking lots, he says, the subway ride offers a unique experience.
“Everybody spilling out of the subway at the same time is a really cool thing to see, almost like we’re an army marching to the stadium,” Pullin said. ”Every so often an Eagles chant breaks out, whether the Eagles played or not. It’s just something you only get on the subway ride to the sports complex.”
Recently, British Flyers fans brought some English Premier League energy to the Broad Street Line, breaking into chants praising Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale.
Just remember, when in doubt, all paths lead to the Broad Street Line, which is the final leg of any car-free trip that will drop you off a short walking distance from the stadiums.
Use Transit and SEPTA mobile apps to find the best routes
The best transit apps allow users to input their destination and provide multiple transit routes, including departure times, cost, maps, schedules, and service and detour information.
Google Maps and Apple Maps are navigation apps that use real-time transit data to provide all the features riders need. But Sall says these apps also come with other tools — photos, weather, dining, retail, hotels, and entertainment suggestions — that can clutter the interface when a rider just wants transit options.
The third-party Transit app solely focuses on “car-free” transportation, providing public transportation, bike share, ride share, and walking routes with no fluff. Riders can input their destination and be provided with a list of routes using buses, subways, trolleys, Indego bike share, or Uber and Curb taxi apps.
Downloading SEPTA and NJ Transit mobile apps isn’t necessary, as Google, Apple, and Transit already use real-time transit data but offer more features and quality-of-life fixes. However, the transit agency apps allow riders to pay for fares and have more detailed reports on delays, cancellations, and detours.
How to pay for public transportation in Philly
SEPTA upgraded its fare systems for Bus and Metro (BSL, MFL, Norristown High Speed Line, and trolleys), allowing riders to use contactless payment methods like credit, debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay to enter buses and trains with ease. Fares can be bought on the SEPTA app, too.
Digital payment methods not your thing? Riders can also pay for fares using cash, SEPTA Key Card, or quick trip passes bought through station kiosks.
Regional Rail doesn’t have a “tap to pay” features yet, but riders can pay in cash, credit, and debit on-train or with a SEPTA Key Card and quick trip pass from station kiosks.
NJ Transit riders can pay for fares using cash, the NJ Transit app, and “tap to pay” fare readers on buses and light rail lines using credit, debit, and digital payment methods.
PATCO has ticket vending machines at each station to buy fares using cash, credit, or debit. PATCO Freedom Cards, similar to SEPTA Key Cards, also allow riders to load money onto their cards and pay fares.
From the city
West Philadelphia
Walk, bike, or take a local bus route to Market Street. From there, enter the nearest MFL entrance and take the MFL eastbound to City Hall for a free transfer onto the BSL. Ride the BSL southbound to NRG Station, the last stop, followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.
North Philadelphia
Walk, bike, or take a local bus route to Broad Street. From there, enter the nearest BSL subway station. Take the BSL southbound to NRG Station, the last stop, followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.
Northwest Philadelphia
Walk, bike, or take a local bus route that will go to Broad Street, including the 18, 23, H, J, L, and XH buses and the Chestnut Hill Regional Rail line. Once at Broad Street, enter the nearest BSL subway station for a free transfer. Take the BSL southbound to NRG Station followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.
Fishtown, Kensington, and Northeast Philadelphia
Walk, bike, or take a local bus route to the nearest MFL entrance, either on Frankford or Kensington Avenues. From there, take the MFL westbound to City Hall for a free transfer onto the BSL. Ride the BSL southbound to NRG Station, the last stop, followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.
South Philadelphia
Walk, bike, or take a local bus route to Broad Street. From there, enter the nearest BSL subway station. Take the BSL southbound to NRG Station followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.
If you live deep enough in South Philly, you can also walk, bike, or take a bus directly to the stadium.
From the suburbs
Delco
Depending on where you live, you can either take a series of buses and trolleys or Regional Rail to get to the Broad Street Line. Use a preferred transit navigation app for more complicated routes, but here’s a simple one.
Walk, bike, drive, or take a local bus or trolley route to the nearest Regional Rail station for either the Media/Wawa or Wilmington/Newark lines. Ride the Regional Rail train into Suburban or Jefferson Station. Walk to the nearest BSL subway station and take the BSL southbound to NRG Station followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.
Montco
Walk, bike, drive, or take a local bus route to the nearest Regional Rail Station for either the Doylestown/Landsdale or Manayunk/Norristown lines. Depending on the location, the Norristown High Speed LIne could be an option. Ride the Regional Rail train into Suburban or Jefferson Station. Walk to the nearest BSL subway station and take the BSL southbound to NRG Station followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.
Bucks County
Walk, bike, drive, or take a local bus route (if available) to the nearest Regional Rail station for the Doylestown/Landsdale, West Trenton, or the Trenton lines. Ride the Regional Rail train into Suburban or Jefferson Station. Walk to the nearest BSL subway station and take the BSL southbound to NRG Station followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.
South Jersey
Fans in South Jersey can take NJ Transit buses or the PATCO High-Speed Line to get into Center City. From there, the Broad Street Line will lead directly to the stadium. There are a few ways to get over the bridge into Center City from South Jersey. Use a preferred transit navigation app for more complicated routes, but here’s a simple one.
Walk, bike, drive, or take a local bus route to the nearest PATCO High-Speed Line station. Ride the PATCO line westbound to the final stops, either 12th/13th & Locust Street or 15th/16th & Locust Street stations. From there, walk to the nearest BSL subway station and take the BSL southbound to NRG Station followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.
