In early September, PFMA convened a conference call with Philadelphia members about the Papal visit, scheduled for September 24-27. Philadelphia Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger and his Chief of Staff Luke Butler participated along with PFMA members and invited guests.
• Participants were reminded of the contact information for the Business Resource Center, which was initiated to field responses from the business community in preparation for the Pope’s visit. The phone number is (215) 683-2100, and the email address is business@phila.gov. This number will also be open for business concerns the weekend of the visit.
• Security will begin setting up on Thursday evening, September 24 at 10 p.m., with a perimeter set up along the Ben Franklin Parkway. No vehicles will be permitted and entry will only be allowed after passing through magnetometers.
• For stores that require deliveries, it is recommended that they be arranged at or before 6 p.m. on Thursday. No deliveries will be available on Friday morning, as fencing and other security measures will be constructed then. Security will begin dismantling overnight on Monday, September 28.
• There are two alternatives for businesses within the restricted zone that require deliveries between Friday and Sunday. The first is that trucks can take their deliveries to the restricted zone and carry them through the entry points after receiving magnetometer scans, likely using a handcart. The other alternative, for larger deliveries, is a screening process, the exact details of which will be announced next week. In this scenario, smaller trucks will be scanned via magnetometer, as will drivers. There will be a predetermined time and location for this scanning, likely overnight on Saturday and Sunday morning, and it may be time consuming, as delivery trucks will need to be queued along with garbage trucks.
• For staffing, it was recommended that employees take SEPTA. While regional rail will require a “Papal Pass”, subway lines, trolleys, and buses will not. They will not be allowed to travel through or under a restricted zone, but they will take travelers to the last stop before the restricted zone, where employees will conceivably have to walk a few blocks to work. SEPTA plans to release schedules next week. The heaviest routes will likely be between center city and the stadiums, as that is where most of the out-of-town buses will be parked.
Many thanks to Deputy Mayor Greenberger and Mr. Butler for their participation in this call. PFMA will continue to keep members informed as further plans develop.
• Participants were reminded of the contact information for the Business Resource Center, which was initiated to field responses from the business community in preparation for the Pope’s visit. The phone number is (215) 683-2100, and the email address is business@phila.gov. This number will also be open for business concerns the weekend of the visit.
• Security will begin setting up on Thursday evening, September 24 at 10 p.m., with a perimeter set up along the Ben Franklin Parkway. No vehicles will be permitted and entry will only be allowed after passing through magnetometers.
• For stores that require deliveries, it is recommended that they be arranged at or before 6 p.m. on Thursday. No deliveries will be available on Friday morning, as fencing and other security measures will be constructed then. Security will begin dismantling overnight on Monday, September 28.
• There are two alternatives for businesses within the restricted zone that require deliveries between Friday and Sunday. The first is that trucks can take their deliveries to the restricted zone and carry them through the entry points after receiving magnetometer scans, likely using a handcart. The other alternative, for larger deliveries, is a screening process, the exact details of which will be announced next week. In this scenario, smaller trucks will be scanned via magnetometer, as will drivers. There will be a predetermined time and location for this scanning, likely overnight on Saturday and Sunday morning, and it may be time consuming, as delivery trucks will need to be queued along with garbage trucks.
• For staffing, it was recommended that employees take SEPTA. While regional rail will require a “Papal Pass”, subway lines, trolleys, and buses will not. They will not be allowed to travel through or under a restricted zone, but they will take travelers to the last stop before the restricted zone, where employees will conceivably have to walk a few blocks to work. SEPTA plans to release schedules next week. The heaviest routes will likely be between center city and the stadiums, as that is where most of the out-of-town buses will be parked.
Many thanks to Deputy Mayor Greenberger and Mr. Butler for their participation in this call. PFMA will continue to keep members informed as further plans develop.
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