Car Travel in Philadelphia

Car Travel

Getting to and around Philadelphia by car can be difficult -- at rush hour it can be a nightmare. The main east-west freeway through the city, the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76), is often tied up for miles.

The main north-south highway through Philadelphia is the Delaware Expressway (I-95). To reach Center City heading southbound on I-95, take the Vine Street exit.

From the west the Pennsylvania Turnpike begins at the Ohio border and intersects the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) at Valley Forge. The Schuylkill Expressway has several exits in Center City. The Northeast Extension of the turnpike, renamed I-476, runs from Scranton to Plymouth Meeting, north of Philadelphia. From the east the New Jersey Turnpike and I-295 access U.S. 30, which enters the city via the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, or New Jersey Route 42 and the Walt Whitman Bridge into South Philadelphia.

With the exception of a few wide streets (notably the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Broad Street, Vine Street, and part of Market Street), streets in Center City are narrow and one-way. Philadelphia's compact 2-square-mi downtown is laid out in a grid. The traditional heart of the city is Broad and Market streets, where City Hall stands. Market Street divides the city north and south; 130 South 15th Street, for example, is in the second block south of Market Street. North-south streets are numbered, starting with Front (1st) Street, at the Delaware River, and increasing to the west. Broad Street, recently renamed the Avenue of the Arts, is the equivalent of 14th Street. The diagonal Benjamin Franklin Parkway breaks the grid pattern by leading from City Hall out of Center City into Fairmount Park.

Parking

Parking in Center City can be tough. A spot at a parking meter, if you're lucky enough to find one, costs between 50¢ and $1 per hour. Parking garages are plentiful, especially around Independence Hall, City Hall, and the Pennsylvania Convention Center, but can charge up to $1.50 per 15 minutes and up to $20 or so for the day. Police officers are vigilant about ticketing illegally parked cars and fines begin at $25. Fortunately the city is compact, and you can easily get around downtown on foot or by bus after you park your car.