Next stop: AT&T Station
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Next stop: AT&T Station
Fans will soon be taking the subway to "AT&T station" to watch their favorite teams.
As I just wrote a few minutes ago over at PlanPhilly, SEPTA is poised to sell the naming rights to Pattison station. The five-year deal would net SEPTA and its agent more than $5 million. SEPTA would get more than $3 million of that.*
SEPTA says this move is part of a broader effort to bring in revenue through non-traditional means.
Do you think this is a good idea? Should SEPTA sell naming rights to other stations? Will riders be confused by the name change or not care at all? And more broadly, should the city be looking into selling naming rights to other properties?
Tell us what you think in the comments.
*The post has been updated to make clear that the deal is still pending.
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If SEPTA sells naming rights to their stations, how is anyone, especially visitors to the city supposed to know where they are and where they should get off the subway. This is a ridiculous idea.— fischman- So the agent got 2 million? Nice gig...— FMT
- Get off at the AT&T stop and you will be at Pattison Ave. Easy Enough. Plus locals will still call it the Pattison Ave stop. If they improve services, I say go for it.— jhoagi261
- We need to raise money, but is this the right way? Considering SEPTA is doing forward with their awful plan to eliminate the "R" designations altogether, they better have a heck of a plan to get it through to people what this means. I don't think they should call it "AT&T Station" fully. If anything, it should still be "Pattison Station" but with some kind of other way to get the name in there like "Pattison Station sponsored by AT&T"— NickFromGermantown
- They could sell the rights to any of the other stations to a toilet manufacturer. Accept City Hall, that one should be sold to a bail bonds company.— mikegdj
- fischman, I would strongly advise visitors to this city to avoid the Broad Street Line at all costs. Somebody got stabbed with scissors there last week. Visitors should stick to the R1 Airport line or the R5 Paoli.— FairmountFrank
- This seems like a bad idea all around. I just don't think they should sell the naming rights for something like this.— NickFromGermantown
- Ridiculous! Everything is for sale at this point. It started off w/ the stadiums themselves, now they're talking about school buildings & youth sports facilities & NOW THIS?? AT&T station makes NO SENSE! Whats next... Tastykake blvd replaces JFK blvd? It's PATHETIC!— Kennedy
Comment removed.- I am so sick of SEPTA already. Strike annually, raise fares, decrease maintenance, stop running at midnight. At this point, SEPTA should really think about part of a broader effort to provide the riders with less headaches. That 3 million dollars should be used to buy as many power washers as possible for the Broad Street Line. Kudos to AT&T too. Now at least we know why there aren't any decent cell phones to buy.— MJLaN
- If SEPTA is getting 3 million for this does that mean that WE THE RIDERS IN THE CITY DIVISION will get a fare DECREASE?? Oh silly me for even asking a question like that but I had to! I know the word DECREASE is not in the SEPTA vocabulary except to DECREASE SERVICE.— bargemini
- There needs to be at least some mention where the station is located or the normal station name, or visitors and new riders will get confused. the $3 million is good though.— crboyle1
- SEPTA prices can never go down, it's just the nature of the beast. They have a huge (and growing) pension to support to say nothing of actual capital improvements.— FairmountFrank
- I'm with FMT on this one, the real story is the agent who got the 40% commission!— eicholson
- Comment removed.
