Philly to celebrate Eagles win with parade, ceremony

PHILADELPHIA — Over 2 million fans are expected to crowd into Philadelphia for the Eagles' Super Bowl victory parade and celebration.

The parade steps off at 11 a.m. Thursday at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia, the first of what the city called two distinct events. The team will be in open vehicles heading slowly north on Broad Street to City Hall, with fans behind barricades lining the route while standing on the sidewalk.

From City Hall, the parade will then head:

• West to Penn Square
• West from Penn Square to 15th Street
• North on 15th Street to JFK Boulevard
• West on JFK Boulevard to 16th Street
• North on 16th Street to the Ben Franklin Parkway
• West of the Parkway to Eakins Oval to the Art Museum.

Fans will not be screened to enter the parade route and the ceremony.

Fourteen giant Jumbotron screens will be set up between City Hall and the Parkway, so all will be able to see a ceremony that officials said was "40 years in the making" and promises to be "dramatic." It will last until 3 p.m.

Temperatures will be in the lower 30s under bright sunshine, according to Townsquare New Jersey Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow. It will be windy with no threat of rain or snow.

City officials said the parade has been in the planning since the Eagles made the playoffs, but began in earnest when they beat the Patriots 41-33 in the Super Bowl on Sunday night.

Parking will be at a premium with no parking available at the sports complex area in South Philadelphia with the best way to get into Philadelphia being public transportation. The West Trenton station offers 142 parking spaces while the Trenton Transit Center offers 3,450 non-SEPTA parking spaces. SEPTA urged customers to be dropped off at those stations.

SEPTA will implement a plan with express style service with fewer stops similar to what was used during the papal visit in 2015.

SEPTA offer free rides on the Market Frankford Line and the Broad Street Line to get people to and from the parade route, with the tab picked up by Independence Blue Cross.  The subway system expects to move 30,000 passengers per hour on Thursday.

The Trenton and West Trenton regional rail lines will offer limited service on Thursday as most stations in Center City Philadelphia will be closed. Only inbound service will be available in the morning and only outbound service available in the afternoon.

• West Trenton: First train at 5:08 a.m.  to Jefferson station with no inbound service after 7:22 a.m.
• Trenton: First train at 5:25 a.m. to 30th Street Station with no service after 7:14 a.m. NO morning service from Center City to Trenton.

SEPTA will sell one day Individual Independence Pass for $10.

The hi speed PATCO line will run westbound service only into Philadelphia from 6 a.m. - 1:50 p.m. with starting at Lindenwold with stops at Woodcrest, Ferry Avenue and the Broadway stations and with express service to the 9th/10th and Locust Street station.

Eastbound-only service will begin at 1:20 p.m. originating at 9th/10th and Locust Street Station and stopping at Broadway, Ferry Avenue, Woodcrest and Lindenwold Stations.

Normal service in both directions will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Regular fares will be in effect all day.

Cell service will be increased to meet the demand of all the fans, while 850 portable toilets will be set up along the parade route and on the Parkway. About 40 food trucks will be parked on the Parkway.

The city of Philadelphia will offer continuous information about the celebration by texting "Eagles Ready" to 888777.

Bud Light said it will make good on its promise to help Eagle Lane Johnson buy everyone a beer during the parade. It has declared the day as "Philly Philly Day," with bars along the route offering free Bud Light.

Are you going to the parade? Send photos and video of your celebration to reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ.

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