Philadelphia fine tunes papal plans with residents in mind

Restrictions on volume will also ease. “We’re the can-do city in the United States of America”.

The World Meeting of Families says the playbook will be available to the public on August 24 at 12 p.m. Residents can pre-register to receive it via email here. In a news conference, officials started by announcing a “Papal Playbook”.

Residents who live within the “traffic box, ‘ which encompasses Center City and some surrounding neighborhoods, may drive their vehicles within portions of that box”. A second map outlined walking distances from the outermost points of the traffic box to the papal events.

Nutter did his best to assuage the concerns of Center City businesses and residents, who will be the most affected by the papal visit, and keep a positive light on the event.

“It’s important to say today to the residents that we hear you”, Crilley Farrell said. It’ll also provide transportation detail.

“The Secret Service has one goal – that the principal or in this case the pope, doesn’t get hurt”, Rendell said.

The event is the city’s first-ever National Special Security Event.

“If anyone thinks that suddenly they’re going to be able to walk up and give Pope Francis a high five, that’s probably not going to happen”, Nutter said.

Residents in that area will get advance notice from the Secret Service on how to move in and out of their residences and whether they, too, will need to be screened, Nutter said. “It’s one of the great things people love about Philadelphia and what we love about Philadelphia ourselves – we get things done”. “And we’ve agreed to some of the things they wanted”. The guide will offer the more than million visitors the city is expecting “vetted” and “correct” information about the weekend.

More than 100,000 SEPTA passes are still available for pope weekend. “We’re 30-plus days out”.

The earlier-than-expected release of detailed traffic and security plans has quieted the rampant speculation that had an exasperated Nutter denouncing rumormongers earlier in the summer as “little people” with little information.

Pope Francis arrives in Philadelphia in the morning on Saturday, September 26 and leaves in the evening on Sunday, September 27. City trash convenience centers will be open all day for drop-off, up to 24 bags of trash at a time, Friday and Monday.

The papal visit will shut down major roadways and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Only registered buses and emergency vehicles will be permitted entrance. Incoming traffic will be prohibited in the 4-square-mile, though those with cars inside the area will be allowed to drive.

Trash and recycling will not be collected Friday, Sept. 25th or Monday, Sept. 28th in Center City but will be picked up on Thursday, Sept. 24.