Pack ‘patience' for Eagles Super Bowl parade. Here's SEPTA's plan to get you there

Click here for live updates throughout Eagles victory parade day. 💚

This Valentine's Day, fans have a date with the Super Bowl-champion Eagles as they parade through Philadelphia with the Lombardi Trophy.

With a victory celebration parade set to be held on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, fans are sure to flock to South Philadelphia, Center City and the museum district.

But, exactly how will they get there? SEPTA and PATCO are not running normal service and many roads downtown will be closed.

"All visitors are encouraged to take public transit when coming into Philadelphia," the city said in a news release. "SEPTA is operating a special Eagles Parade schedule with details available online."

Even if you aren't going to the parade, but just need to get to work, there is plenty to get prepared for before the victory celebration.

This is how SEPTA Interim General Manager Scott Sauer describes the challenge of safely getting everyone to Friday's parade: "It's going to be a great day, it's also going to be extremely challenging."

SEPTA will be "all hands on deck" Friday with staff flooding open stations to answer people's questions, Sauer said. "We want to demonstrate how important SEPTA is."

Fans had already lined up to board Regional Rail trains before daybreak Friday.

Here is your guide to SEPTA, PATCO and parking for Friday's parade.

Eagles parade time 💚

The parade kicks off (see what we did there?) from Lincoln Financial Field at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, Philadelphia officials said. The championship ceremony at the Philadelphia Museum of art starts around 2 p.m. The event is expected to wrap up around 3:15 p.m., but that end time is subject to change.

Eagles parade route 🦅

The buses and floats carrying the Birds and the Lombardi Trophy will go along Pattison Avenue to South Broad Street.

The parade route then goes north on Broad Street to City Hall, where the buses carrying head coach Nick Sirianni, Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, NFC Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley, Eagles defensive legend Brandon Graham and the rest of the Birds will go around the western side of City Hall and up 15th Street before rolling along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

NBC10

NBC10

Folks should be able to see the players, coaches and mascot Swoop along the route.

"The celebration will have jumbotrons placed along the route with amplified sound," the city said.

Be sure to wear comfortable shoes as most people will need to do some walking to get to or from the parade route and/or ceremony, especially with the most centralized SEPTA stations closed.

"The public should expect congestion in these areas," the city said. "If you are attending the parade, make a plan regarding driving, public transit, parking, and supervision of children. It is recommended that attendees wear comfortable, weather-appropriate attire."

SEPTA plan for Eagles parade 🚉

"Bring your Valentine to the parade and celebrate safely and ride SEPTA," Sauer said at Tuesday's news conference announcing parade plans.

"It's things like this that bring us all together," Sauer added Wednesday.

SEPTA said that only a limited number of stations throughout its train, trolley and Regional Rail lines will be open on Friday.

"This is a great benefit for riders, and it also helps with safety and crowd flow by making boarding trains easier," SEPTA said.

CLICK HERE for SEPTA's full parade plan.

Major hubs like the Fern Rock Transpiration Center, 69th Street Transportation Center, Frankford Transportation Center, NRG Station (at the Sports Complex), 30th Street Station and Jefferson Station are set to be open Friday. However, City Hall Station and busy Suburban Station won't be open.

"We're going to look significantly different," Sauer said. "Our service plan changes the way we do our entire business -- so you are going to see a lots of station closures, very strategic closures."

"Additional station closures may occur during parade time due to crowd swells," Sauer said.

SEPTA also plans to flood social media and stations with as much info as possible, Sauer said.

However, he warned that SEPTA's app -- while reliable on a normal day -- won't deliver the same real-time information on parade day. "Third-party apps like Google, Apple, and Transit will likely not have the most up-to-date schedule and real-time information for Parade Day," SEPTA said.

The staff members at stations and SEPTA's X page will have the best info.

Lessons learned from 2015 Pope Francis visit, 2018 Super Bowl, 2008 World Series parades

SEPTA is hoping to "accommodate lots of people in a short amount of time," Sauer said.

Sauer called serving riders during the 2008 Phillies World Series victory parade "very difficult" as they tried to run regular service. Problems from 2008 led to changes that were implemented for the 2015 World Meeting of Families papal visit and 2018 Super Bowl parade, Sauer said.

During the 2018 parade, SEPTA closed the Walnut-Locust Station along Broad Street around the start of the parade due to crowd swells.

The 2008 Phillies parade guided that decision, SEPTA officials said. At that time the entrances into and out of the station became a problem.

"We will not continue to put people into a situation where they can't move, it's very dangerous," Sauer said.

Those lessons led to the closure of the City Hall area stations and Suburban Station this year, Sauer said, while noting safety as the reason.

On Wednesday, SEPTA's leader Sauer said that the transit agency will move as many people in a short period of time on one day that they normally do over the entirety of a weekday.

SEPTA police said similar to 2018 (when only two arrests were made), they don't intend to enforce many laws on parade day, but mostly plan on ensuring everyone gets going as safely and quickly as possible.

'Come early': Regional Rail trains might quickly reach capacity

"Service on the Regional Rail is first-come, first served," Sauer said, while noting the limited nature of the trains.

Regional Rail poses unique challenges for SEPTA as the system can only handle a capacity of 70,000 people in each direction, Sauer said Wednesday. "It is limited."

SEPTA will only serve trains inbound for Center City ONLY in the morning and outbound ONLY in the p.m., Sauer said.

They may also run trains from inner stations only so that trains aren't full when they get there, Sauer said.

"Regional Rail lines will run on limited, modified service from 4:30 am through 10:50 p.m.," SEPTA said.

The goal is to run trains about every 30 minutes from and to most stations.

"Come early," was his advice. "If you are late to the game you may not get in."

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Stations on the outskirts of the system are expected to be busiest in the morning, while the station closest to the parade route and ceremony are expected to be busiest in the afternoon once the event ends.

"If you intend to show up a few minutes before the train arrives you won't get on that train," Sauer said. "Cause I guarantee there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of people waiting in line for the train."

SEPTA Police Chief Charles Lawson estimated it could take 60 to 90 minutes to board a train after the Super Bowl celebration ends.

However, Sauer said SEPTA will do it's best to not leave anyone behind.

"In 2018 we served everyone, we left nobody behind," Sauer said.

See the map below for details and click here to get the Regional Rail schedule for your line.

"The key is planning ahead," Sauer said.

Folks also might want to hang out in town and enjoy a bite or bite after the parade ends to allow crowds to disperse.

You must purchase Regional Rail passes ahead of time

You need to purchase parade passes ahead of time to ride Regional Rail, according to SEPTA.

"You will not be able to purchase a fare instrument on parade day at any of our Regional Rail station" or on the train, Sauer said.

All passes will be pre-validated ahead of time, Sauer said.

Here is what folks riding the rail must do.

"On Regional Rail, customers can use Key cards, passes, or purchase a Special One-Day Pass for the parade," SEPTA said. "The Special One-Day Pass, which goes on sale Wednesday, February 12, must be purchased in person at a Regional Rail Sales Office before Friday. It costs $10, must be purchased in advance, and is valid for 10 rides across all modes. If not used on Parade Day, it can be used on another date of the customer’s choosing."

"Regional Rail fares cannot be purchased on the day of the parade, so please load up your Key card or purchase a pass ahead of time," SEPTA said.

"The capacity is limited by the train, not by the passes," Sauer said.

SEPTA urges riders to be patient

"What we ask from our customers is patience," Sauer said. "We can't move everybody in at the same time and we can't take everybody home at the same time. So, we're asking people to plan, plan your trip."

Sauer offered these tips:

• Arrive early for your train
• Dress warmly for the chilly weather
• Wear comfortable shoes for the "walking event"
• Pack snacks and water

"You will wait everywhere you go," Sauer warned about train stations. However, SEPTA officials said that the crowds might not be as bad as people clear out as the parade passes as the longest wait times are expected after the end of the Parkway ceremony.

Sauer said that essential workers like firefighters, hospital staff and police officers can approach SEPTA staff at stations to get special exception to be able to board trains, buses or trolleys.

Free SEPTA subway ride to Eagles Super Bowl parade (thanks to Kevin Hart) 🚇

SEPTA is urging people to ride its subway lines into South Philadelphia and Center City for the parade.

"Your best bets for getting to-and-from the parade route are the Market-Frankford Line [L] or Broad Street Line [B]," SEPTA said on its website. "Service will run every 6-to-8 minutes starting at approximately 5 am, providing frequent service throughout the day."

Sauer called the subway lines "people movers" that can transport hundreds of thousands of people throughout the day. Between the two lines around 55,000 people can be moved each hour, he noted.

None of those thousands of riders will need to pay.

SEPTA announced that riders on both the Broad Street and Market-Frankford lines will ride for free thanks to Gran Coramino, Philadelphia native Kevin Hart's tequila brand.

The free rides continue after the parade, so Sauer suggested people hang out and enjoy something to eat or drink before heading home.

Sauer said that the stations that will be opened on each subway line Friday were "strategically" chosen based on customer capacity and operational possibilities.

For folks on the Broad Street Line, Race-Vine and Walnut-Locust stations will get your closest to the championship party of the Parkway. The best bets to get close to the action from the Market-Frankford Line are the 11th Street and 30th Street stations.

"These will be right in the heart of where people will gather," Sauer said.

Those same stations can also be used by riders once the parade ends and that SEPTA will try to get people on trains safely as quickly as possible, Sauer said. Riders should expect "big lines" and plan patience.

"Regular fares will apply to all services besides the Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines," SEPTA said.

SEPTA says people should get dropped off at Regional Rail stations

Folks can park at SEPTA stations on the outskirts of the city and in the suburbs, but again get there early. Parking fares will be enforced, the transit agency said.

"Parking is available at most of our stations, but it is limited," Sauer said. "And I'm sure parking will be taken up very, very early."

Sauer called it "a drop-off or walk-up event" and urged folks to get a ride to the station if they can.

Don't expect to find parking in neighborhoods near stations.

"Be mindful of parking restrictions in the neighborhoods around of stations," Sauer said while noting that the agency has no parking deals with municipalities. "So park at your own risk."

Will SEPTA buses run during Eagles parade? 🚍

SEPTA bus routes on and around Broad Street will begin to be detoured starting late on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, SEPTA said.

Bus service will return as roadways are cleared and could be back to normal later on Friday, Sauer said.

The trolley is also an option.

Folks taking trolleys and buses should be sure to have their Key Cards charged up or be prepared to pay through credit, debit, Apple Pay and Google Pay, SEPTA said.

Paratransit service, which will also be limited by detours.

Trains from South Jersey for Eagles parade 🚆

Limited PATCO service connecting South Jersey to Center City will be available starting as early as 4 a.m., SEPTA and PATCO said.

"With an estimated 80,000 passengers expected to travel from South Jersey to Center City via PATCO, more than four times the typical weekday ridership, PATCO has designed a dedicated parade service aimed at efficiently moving as many riders through the system as possible," PATCO said on a webpage dedicated to the parade.

"On parade day, from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., PATCO will operate westbound-only service from four New Jersey stations, Lindenwold, Woodcrest, Ferry Avenue, and City Hall, with nonstop service to 9/10th & Locust Street," PATCO said. "Starting at 1 p.m., PATCO will transition to operating eastbound-only service from 9/10th & Locust Street." 

PATCO TO THE PARADE! 🦅🎉
Here's all you need to know to ride #thePATCO!

• Select NJ stations open with nonstop service to 9/10th & Locust Street
• Trains will arrive in City every 5 minutes
• Tickets on sale NOW!
• Go Birds!

🔗 https://t.co/qaCcMFCTyP pic.twitter.com/LZeeCxfH4R

— PATCO (@RidePATCO) February 11, 2025

According to the transit agency, there will be no west service between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Service will be eastbound (toward New Jersey) with stops at City Hall, Ferry Avenue, Woodcrest and Lindenwold only.

The normal weekday PATCO schedule will resume at 7 p.m.

PATCO fares range from $2.80 to $6 for a roundtrip into Philly for the parade, the agency said.

NJ Transit's Eagles World Champions parade plan 🚉🚍

"NJ TRANSIT is adjusting service on rail, bus and River LINE light rail to accommodate the Philadelphia Eagles victory parade following the team’s Super Bowl win," the transit agency said on a special website dedicated to parade service.

NJ Transit says riders of the Atlantic City Rail Line should expect trains to be packed. They are running an extra train to Philly that leaves Atlantic City at 7:35 a.m. They will then run an extra train back to AC that departs 30th Street Station at 3:54 p.m.

NJ Transit buses into and out of Philly will be impacted Friday, according to the transit agency:

• Prior to 8AM, all Philadelphia bus routes will operate regular routing. All morning service on Route Nos. 414, 417, and 555 will go to 30th Street Station as scheduled.
• From 8AM to 7PM, all Philadelphia bus services will be adjusted due to street closures and will make a single stop in Center City Philadelphia at 6th/Race Street. While this adjusted service is operating, customers should plan to be at 6th/Race Street at the arrival times shown on the timetable.  
• During evening peak period, Route Nos. 414, 417, and 555 will NOT board at 30th Street Station. Customers must go to the 6th/Race Street stop and use the existing Market/7th Street departure time shown on their timetable for guidance.
• After 7PM, all Philadelphia service will be restored to regular routing.

Bus service will also augment River LINE service , NJ Transit said. Access Link trips to and from Philadelphia will be canceled Friday.

One thing people shouldn't plane on bringing on board is booze: "NJ TRANSIT is prohibiting all beverages on all trains and buses to and from Philadelphia, as well as all River LINE light rail vehicles, on Friday, February 14. This policy will be strictly enforced. As a reminder, all beverages, including alcohol, are not permitted on NJ TRANSIT buses at any time regardless of the event."

"Disorderly, aggressive, or intoxicated behavior will not be tolerated," NJ Transit continued. "Customers will see increased police presence on the transit system."

Free street parking, if you can find a spot 🚗

The Philadelphia Parking Authority won't be enforcing meters for those lucky enough to find street parking.

"There will be no enforcement of meter and time limit regulations on the day of the parade, Friday, February 14. Safety violations such as parking too close to the corner, fire hydrants, blocking crosswalks and double parking will be enforced.   

The parking authority won't even have it's offices open Monday.

Where can't you park? 🚨

Click here for the full list of road closures.

Temporary parking restrictions will be in effect for streets near the parade route starting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13 and last until about 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. Officials are urging all drivers to look for "temporary no parking" signs and any cars left in these areas will be moved.

Complete list below:

• South Broad Street from S. Penn Square to Pattison Avenue (both sides of the street including the center median)  
• All cross streets on Broad Street from Pattison Avenue to Chestnut Street from 13th Street to 15th Street (both sides of the street)  
• S. Penn Square from Broad Street to 15th Street (both sides of the street)  
• 15th Street from Chestnut Street to Vine Street (both sides of the street)  
• 1500 Arch Street (both sides of the street)  
• 1400-1600 JFK Blvd. (both sides of the street)  
• Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 16th Street to 20th Streets (both sides of the street)  
• Kelly Drive along Boathouse Row  
• Sedgley Drive between Kelly Drive and Poplar Drive  
• Waterworks Drive  
• 1500-1600 Market Street (both sides of the street)  
• 1600 Cherry Street (both sides of the street)  
• Pennsylvania Avenue from 22nd Street to 24th Street (south side of the street)  
• Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 20th Street to Eakins Oval (all lanes; both sides)  
• 22nd Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Winter Street (both sides of the street)  
• 21st Street between Pennsylvania Avenue & Race Street (both sides of the street)  
• 20th Street from Race Street to Callowhill Street (both sides of the street)  
• 19th Street from Arch Street to Vine Street (both sides of the street)  
• 18th Street from Arch Street to Vine Street (both sides of the street)  
• 17th Street from Arch Street to Vine Street (both sides of the street)  
• 16th Street from Market Street to Benjamin Franklin Parkway (both sides of the street)  
• 1500-1600 Market Street (both sides of the street)  
• 1600 Cherry Street (both sides of the street)  
• Park Towne Place between 22nd & 24th Streets (north side of the street)  
• 2000-2200 Spring Garden Street (both sides of the street)  
• 2000 Winter Street  

Philadelphia Zoo offers parking to Eagles fans... for a price

America's First Zoo will be closed to visitors Friday, but will still be opening its lots to Eagles fans.

"You can park at the Zoo for $50 between 9am-6pm and join the sea of green towards the parade from there," the Philadelphia Zoo posted on social media.

The zoo even offered a map showing the about 26 minute walk folks will need to make to get the the ceremony at the art museum.

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Click here to buy your zoo parking pass (you must pre-purchase it). Just note the zoo won't allow you to tailgate like you're at the Linc on a Sunday.

Parking might be available in Old City

Will to do some walking? The Philadelphia Visitor Center suggested parking in the historic district and walking 15 to 20 minutes up Market Street to City Hall.

These lots will be available while space remains.

• Autopark at Olde City (125 S. 2^nd Street)
• Old City Parking (304 Race Street)
• Old City Parkominium (231 N 2nd Street)
• Bourse Parking Garage (44 S 4th Street)
• Parkway Parking - 2nd & Market (19 S 2nd Street)
• SP+ Parking (47 S 4th Street)
• 618 Market St Parking Garage (618 Market Street)
• Parkway Parking - 37 N 2nd Street (37 N 2nd Street)
• 27 S 3rd St Parking (27 S 3rd Street)
• Washington Square Garage (249 S 6th Street)
• 304 Race St Garage (304 Race Street)
• 210 Filbert St Parking (210 Filbert Street)
• Autopark at Independence Mall (41 N 6th Street)
• Front and Chestnut Street Parking Lot (36 S Front Street)
• Parkway Parking - 100 Independence Mall West (655 Ranstead Street)
• 400 Ranstead Street Garage (122 Ranstead Street)
• Ritz East Autopark (114 S Front Street)
• 215 Lombard Parking Garage - Target Park USA (215 Lombard Street)

Who's the biggest star among these famous Eagles fans celebrating Super Bowl win?

How to watch Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl parade 📺

Parade will be shown live in its entirety and streamed on NBC10, NBC10.com and our streaming platforms starting with the preshow at 10 a.m.

NBC 10 Philadelphia News, our 24/7 streaming channel, is available on Roku TV, Peacock, Fire TV, Samsung TV Plus, Xumo Play, Local Now, Pluto, Google TV, TCL, Xfinity, and Amazon Prime Video.

You can also stream our channel on the NBC 10 Philadelphia app or by tapping the “Watch News 24/7” button on NBC10.com.

How to receive parade alerts 📱

Philadelphia is hoping people will sign up for free text updates for the #EaglesParade.

"Text READYEAGLES (one word/no space) to 888777 to receive free text alerts from our ReadyPhiladelphia Alert and Warning program," the city said on social media.

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However you get there, we will all be loving our Eagles on Valentine's Day 2025. Go Birds!

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