PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — SEPTA is closing 13th Street Station for three nights this weekend for repairs.
During the closure — Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. — transit workers will conduct extensive cleaning and maintenance as a result of the encampment of homeless people at the station.
“That’ll give us a chance to go in with our cleaning crews and some maintenance personnel to do what’s mostly an intensive cleaning,” said SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch. “On the Market-Frankford Line, in particular, we have had some issues related to increases in vulnerable populations who have been seeking shelter in SEPTA stations.”
Busch said the weekend repair work is similar to the recent cleanup at the Somerset and Allegheny stations in Kensington.
“It is the same general principle we’re doing at 13th Street, and we’re going to continue to do at stations along the line as needed,” he said.
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SEPTA is arranging more outreach and working to provide shelter and addiction counseling to those living in the stations.
“We know that the issues impacting the vulnerable population have been exacerbated by the pandemic,” Busch added. “We’re certainly sensitive to that and want to do what we can to help. So that’s going to be an ongoing effort.”
Riders on the Market-Frankford Line who would normally use 13th Street should use the 11th or 15th Street stations. Trolley riders should use 15th Street as well.
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