Want an Eagles game day without gridlock? Here’s how to get to the stadium

Philly sports fans driving to the South Philadelphia stadiums know the drill. It’s the seventh-inning stretch, the end of the third quarter, or the start of the final period — and fans rush to the parking lot to beat traffic.

But there’s an easier way to skip the gridlock, says Maxwell Sall, a longtime Flyers and Phillies fan: Take the subway.

“What I’ve learned from the few times I have driven, and growing up in the suburbs going to the stadiums with my parents is if you don’t leave before the game ends, it adds an extra half hour to 40 minutes to get out of the parking lots and onto the highway,” he said. And that’s not to mention the $25 to $50 parking fee.

Last year, Sall attended 17 Phillies games at Citizens Bank Park, numerous Flyers games at the Wells Fargo Center, and Taylor Swift’s sellout show at Lincoln Financial Field — all by way of SEPTA’s Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines. Each round trip cost him less than $5.

That’s no longer the case. SEPTA fares went up in September, with a single subway, bus, or trolley ride now costing $2.90 — a 21.5% increase — as the transit agency works to close its funding gap and lawmakers in Harrisburg continue to debate long-term financial support.

Still, Sall says, the value holds.

“When you leave a game and use the subway, you pass live music, vendors, and people celebrating wins and losses,” he said. “Driving offers privacy and comfort, sure — but you miss some of the magic that makes Philly fandom what it is.”

About three in four fans still opt to drive. But for those looking to avoid traffic, parking fees, and postgame headaches, transit isn’t just more affordable — it’s more fun.

“Everybody spilling out of the subway at the same time is a really cool thing to see, almost like we’re an army marching to the stadium,” said Jawad Pullin, a die-hard Eagles, Phillies, and Sixers fan who regularly takes the Broad Street Line and 2 Bus from his South Philly neighborhood. “Every so often an Eagles chant breaks out, whether the Eagles played or not. It’s just something you only get on the subway ride to the sports complex.”

Sometimes, that shared experience includes going viral — like the time Eagles fan Jigar Desai ran face-first into a subway station pillar after the Birds beat the Vikings in the NFC Championship. Or when the 29 Bus got a standing ovation after the Phillies clinched the NLCS.

Even visiting fans get in on the action. A group of British Flyers supporters recently brought some English Premier League energy to the Broad Street Line, belting out chants for defenseman Jamie Drysdale.

Whether you’re in the city or coming from Delco, Montco, Bucks, or Jersey, here’s how to get to South Philly stadiums without a car — and maybe with a chant or two.

The best transit apps allow users to input their destination and provide multiple transit routes, including departure times, cost, maps, schedules, and service and detour information.

Google Maps and Apple Maps are navigation apps that use real-time transit data to provide all the features riders need. But Sall says these apps also come with other tools — photos, weather, dining, retail, hotels, and entertainment suggestions — that can clutter the interface when a rider just wants transit options.

The third-party Transit app solely focuses on “car-free” transportation, providing public transportation, bike share, ride share, and walking routes with no fluff. Riders can input their destination and be provided with a list of routes using buses, subways, trolleys, Indego bike share, or Uber and Curb taxi apps.

Downloading SEPTA and NJ Transit mobile apps isn’t necessary, as Google, Apple, and Transit already use real-time transit data but offer more features and quality-of-life fixes. However, the transit agency apps allow riders to pay for fares and have more detailed reports on delays, cancellations, and detours.

SEPTA upgraded its fare systems for Bus, Metro (BSL, MFL, Norristown High Speed Line, and trolleys), and Regional Rail, allowing riders to use contactless payment methods like credit, debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay to enter buses and trains with ease. Fares can be bought on the SEPTA app, too.

As of Sept. 14, SEPTA fares increased by 21.5% — the agency’s first base fare hike in years. A single ride on subways, trolleys, and buses now costs $2.90, up from $2.50. Other fares, including Regional Rail, also increased depending on the zone and time. SEPTA says the fare hike is expected to generate about $31 million annually to help close its funding gap.

Digital payment methods not your thing? Riders can also pay for fares using cash, SEPTA Key Card, or quick trip passes bought through station kiosks.

Regional Rail now has “tap to pay” features at turnstiles and station validators, but riders can pay in cash, credit, and debit on-train or with a SEPTA Key Card and quick trip pass from station kiosks.

NJ Transit riders can pay for fares using cash, the NJ Transit app, and “tap to pay” fare readers on buses and light rail lines using credit, debit, and digital payment methods.

PATCO has ticket vending machines at each station to buy fares using cash, credit, or debit. PATCO Freedom Cards, similar to SEPTA Key Cards, also allow riders to load money onto their cards and pay fares.

Walk, bike, or take a local bus route to Market Street. From there, enter the nearest MFL entrance and take the MFL eastbound to City Hall for a free transfer onto the BSL. Ride the BSL southbound to NRG Station, the last stop, followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.

Walk, bike, or take a local bus route to Broad Street. From there, enter the nearest BSL subway station. Take the BSL southbound to NRG Station, the last stop, followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.

Walk, bike, or take a local bus route that will go to Broad Street, including the 18, 23, H, J, L, and XH buses and the Chestnut Hill Regional Rail line. Once at Broad Street, enter the nearest BSL subway station for a free transfer. Take the BSL southbound to NRG Station followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.

Walk, bike, or take a local bus route to the nearest MFL entrance, either on Frankford or Kensington Avenues. From there, take the MFL westbound to City Hall for a free transfer onto the BSL. Ride the BSL southbound to NRG Station, the last stop, followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.

Walk, bike, or take a local bus route to Broad Street. From there, enter the nearest BSL subway station. Take the BSL southbound to NRG Station followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.

If you live deep enough in South Philly, you can also walk, bike, or take a bus directly to the stadium.

Depending on where you live, you can either take a series of buses and trolleys or Regional Rail to get to the Broad Street Line. Use a preferred transit navigation app for more complicated routes, but here’s a simple one.

Walk, bike, drive, or take a local bus or trolley route to the nearest Regional Rail station for either the Media/Wawa or Wilmington/Newark lines. Ride the Regional Rail train into Suburban or Jefferson Station. Walk to the nearest BSL subway station and take the BSL southbound to NRG Station followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.

Walk, bike, drive, or take a local bus route to the nearest Regional Rail Station for either the Doylestown/Landsdale or Manayunk/Norristown lines. Depending on the location, the Norristown High Speed LIne could be an option. Ride the Regional Rail train into Suburban or Jefferson Station. Walk to the nearest BSL subway station and take the BSL southbound to NRG Station followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.

Walk, bike, drive, or take a local bus route (if available) to the nearest Regional Rail station for the Doylestown/Landsdale, West Trenton, or the Trenton lines. Ride the Regional Rail train into Suburban or Jefferson Station. Walk to the nearest BSL subway station and take the BSL southbound to NRG Station followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.

Fans in South Jersey can take NJ Transit buses or the PATCO High-Speed Line to get into Center City. From there, the Broad Street Line will lead directly to the stadium. There are a few ways to get over the bridge into Center City from South Jersey. Use a preferred transit navigation app for more complicated routes, but here’s a simple one.

Walk, bike, drive, or take a local bus route to the nearest PATCO High-Speed Line station. Ride the PATCO line westbound to the final stops, either 12th/13th & Locust Street or 15th/16th & Locust Street stations. From there, walk to the nearest BSL subway station and take the BSL southbound to NRG Station followed by a five-minute walk to the stadium.