Morning transit rush for pope 'less than expected'
The morning rush is over, and preliminary ridership numbers from the region's major transportation agencies indicate a bit fewer people than expected came into the city through mass transit for the papal events than was expected.
The morning rush is over, and preliminary ridership numbers from the region's major transportation agencies indicate a bit fewer people than expected came into the city through mass transit for the papal events than was expected.
"It's less than expected volume," said SEPTA General Manager Joe Casey as he observed the morning's arrivals from a command center high above Market Street at the transportation agency's headquarters.
The transportation agency updated ridership numbers Saturday evening to about 40,000 passengers who used special papal passes to enter the city Saturday morning. That number accounted for 16 of the 18 regional rail stations active Saturday. As of Wednesday, 50,647 customers had bought the special passes.
In New Jersey, meanwhile, about 16,000 riders used PATCO trains to come into the city.
"It's been pretty light," said Kyle Anderson, a spokesman for the Delaware River Port Authority.
Recent weeks have made clear that public transit ridership would be lighter than had been anticipated. SEPTA was prepared to move 164,000 people on Saturday, and as of Thursday had sold a much lower number - 55,463 passes - for Saturday trips. PATCO had prepared 75,000 papal passes.
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