Traffic snarls, travel delays continue on Day 2 of DNC

Getting around Philadelphia on the second day of the Democratic National Convention was largely a repeat of the protests, detours, and delays that have inconvenienced the region since the event began.

Once again, protests stalled service on the Broad Street Line on Tuesday afternoon from Oregon Avenue to the AT&T Station, the stop closest to the Wells Fargo Center, where the convention's evening events were held. SEPTA restored full service after 30 minutes, only to end all service between the two stations shortly before 7:30 p.m. for what officials described as security reasons.

SEPTA again rerouted about two dozen bus routes, mostly those that traveled along or across Broad Street, due to disruptions caused by protests. SEPTA was prepared for more of the same Wednesday.

There was heavy traffic on I-95 again, PennDot officials said, although with some changes in where lanes narrowed, and warnings for drivers to avoid the highway or be prepared for traffic made delays less severe Tuesday morning.

Officials from the city and transportation agencies emphasized, though, that the disruptions were largely expected.

"In terms of transportation elsewhere in the city, I think we're pretty happy with how things are going," said Lauren Hitt, spokeswoman for Mayor Kenney.

While Philadelphians had gripes about getting around the city on Monday and Tuesday, people attending the convention had their own complaints about how long it took to exit the Wells Fargo Center parking lots.

Robert Hoback, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said that is an inevitable part of having to move a lot of people at once. He noted that the fleet of buses acting as private shuttles for those credentialed for the convention take time to move out.

"You can't have 50 or 60 buses all leave the Wells Fargo lot at the same time," he said.

Officials charged with handling security around the center said they could not promise that leaving the venue would be any less time-consuming in coming days than it was Monday, when many experienced gridlock.

"Every night could be different," said Hoback. "It really depends on how many delegates show up and what the schedule is."

The city has encouraged convention-goers to use public transportation when traveling to and from the Wells Fargo Center.

City officials had warned residents of the inevitable delays. The city also put out information on the Twitter handle @PhiladelphiaGov about rolling road closures caused by demonstrations. Anyone looking for information about closures can also use the hashtag #PHLRoadClosures.

"I think we feel like we're communicating through every avenue we can," Hitt said.

On Tuesday afternoon, protests once again stalled traffic in many parts of the city as residents and visitors alike complained of difficulty getting around.

Traffic on I-95 was significant Tuesday, but better than on Monday, said Eugene Blaum, a PennDot spokesman.

PennDot closed one lane in each direction on the interstate because trucks weighing five tons or more were not obeying electronic signs saying vehicles of that weight were banned from the road for security reasons. The closed lanes gave Pennsylvania State Police space to pull over the vehicles and reroute them, Blaum said. PennDot has been advising drivers to avoid the highway or prepare for delays.

Hitt and other event organizers were already looking ahead to Friday, when the 50,000 people who came to the region for the DNC would depart. She encouraged people to use Regional Rail's Airport Line to get to Philadelphia International Airport.

Meanwhile, PennDot officials said they expected the closed lanes on I-95 to be reopened by midday Friday. If convention-goers leave before that, they should not be slowed by the closures, Blaum said.

Airlines, Transportation Security Administration, and Philadelphia International Airport said they will have plenty of staff on hand Friday to answer questions, handle security screening, and get travelers to their gates.

American Airlines, which operates 70 percent of flights in Philadelphia, said staff will be outside the terminals starting at 5 a.m. to assist passengers who may need a boarding pass or a checked-luggage tag printed.

TSA will be "fully staffed" in anticipation that Friday "will be one of the busiest days for passenger volume of 2016," said TSA spokesman Michael McCarthy.

American distributed 5,000 information cards to delegates arriving over the weekend and placed some in delegates' hotels with telephone numbers for airport services, such as wheelchair assistance, and phone numbers for all the airlines operating at PHL, Lupica said.

jlaughlin@phillynews.com

215-854-4587 @jasmlaughlin

Staff writer Linda Loyd contributed to this article.