Folks were left stranded as SEPTA and Amtrak services were suspended Friday mornig due to a tree down on wires. Taxis and ride-hailing services weren’t affordable options for everyone.
What to Know
- Schools are closed or delayed as travel issue continue Friday morning.
- Give yourself extra time to get where you are going.
- SEPTA's Paoli/Thorndale Regional Rail Line was suspended throughout Friday morning.
The morning after a November wintry storm dumped inches of snow on much of the Philadelphia region, travel and transit was still struggling to return to normal.
Rails:
SEPTA’s Paoli/Thorndale Line was suspended throughout Friday morning due to “Amtrak weather-related issues,” SEPTA said. (Click here for complete system status.)
A tree had fallen on the track near Bryn Mawr, NBC10's Pamela Osborne reported.
It took until almost noon for the first inbound Thorndale train to depart. Outbound service resumed about 20 minutes later, with residual delays.
For the same reason, Amtrak’s Keystone Service was disrupted west of Philadelphia as of 5 a.m. as crews made repairs to overhead wires. The line was up and running again around 7:30 a.m.
Bus:
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All SEPTA bus lines were running as normal.
LANta service in the Lehigh Valley was set to resume Friday but under a snow emergency. Check the service's website for schedules and updates.
Roads:
Give yourself extra time to drive as many side roads remained slippery as snow moved out Friday morning. Click here for a live traffic map.
Interstate 78 in the Lehigh Valley was closed overnight, stranding drivers for hours in several areas. Drivers ran out of gas and some fell asleep in their cars. State police were getting people moving again Friday morning between exits 71 to 75. Some drivers were able to finally get moving again shortly before 6 a.m.
Dani Rappenpecker of Hellertown, Pennsylvania, her husband and toddler spent the night stuck in a Jeep on I-78 near the New Jersey state line.
"Everyone was just kind of trying to stay warm," she said.
A large backup remained in the eastbound lanes of I-78 near Cedar Crest Boulevard (Exit 55) as of 7:30 a.m. The road was fully reopened by 11 a.m.
By 8:30 a.m., PennDOT had restored normal speed limits on all state highways.
On Thursday alone, AAA Mid-Atlantic rescued nearly 2,000 drivers stranded on Philadelphia area roads, towing about 40 percent of the cars. the rescues marked a 46-percent increase over last year around this time. As of 10 a.m. Friday, the auto club had already gotten another 600 calls for assistance.
Airport:
As of 6 a.m. Friday, flights were delayed and canceled at Philadelphia International Airport, the airport said.
Schools:
More than 200 schools and districts reported delayed openings or closures. Get the full list here.
All across the Philadelphia region Thursday, the crush of traffic combined with lingering snow and sleet marked the frustrating end to a dangerous day of travel, which included hundreds — yes, hundreds — of crashes.
