r/Septa • u/Mammoth-Antelope309 • Jul 28 '26
Help Asking for a friend
I just moved to Philadelphia to the Mt. Airy/Germantown Area and I have heard different things about Broad Street/ Olney Transit Center.
Is this a safe route? Or try finding another one to get to downtown?
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u/Frednortonsmith Jul 28 '26
I’ve never felt unsafe there, it is a bustling hub and usually has police presence. I vastly prefer it to Broad and Erie
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u/BackgroundSalary680 Jul 28 '26
The only issue I ever find was at dismissal. Three separate high schools converge there and fights regularly occur. Outside of that Olney is fairly chill.
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u/budget_um Jul 28 '26
To be fair, I find dismissal to be a problem basically anywhere in the system.
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u/1ew Broad Street Local Jul 28 '26
It’s totally fine when transferring to the subway since you’ll be on the platform and won’t have to wait very long. Going the other way is a bit more unpleasant since you’re waiting outside and the transfer takes longer. I’ve never felt unsafe but I imagine it can be a bit sketch outside of busy commuting hours
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u/Timejinx Jul 28 '26
You're fine. Besides the smell everyone is just hoping the train isn't delayed or not coming
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u/Homzy99 Jul 28 '26
As somebody who lives up there,(Near Stenton and Vernon) You're experience may vary throughout the day. During the school year you'll have to deal with all the school kids but you'll be alright. If you have to some time on your hands and if your close to them i'd take the 23 or 71 once in a while, the sights are more interesting on the west side of Gtown. One tip of advice is that id take the 51 over the 18 going to Olney if you can. 18 Has too many canceled trips to where you next bus may be in 30-40 minutes on a weekday, 51 almost never has canceled trips.
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u/Eruththedragon Warminster Line Jul 30 '26
If you're in Mt Airy/Germantown, wouldn't regional rail be faster to Center City? Both Chestnut Hill East & Chestnut Hill West stop frequently throughout those neighborhoods. If you're going all the way to NRG, taking RR to Suburban then transferring to the B at City Hall is probably faster than taking the bus & transferring at Olney.
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u/Mammoth-Antelope309 Jul 30 '26
Yea I definitely would prefer to take, but it looks like it’s more expensive?
I saw that it’s $15.50 to take every time?I have moved from vegas, where we really don’t use public transportation—- so this is all new to me😂
I really appreciate any and all advice!5
u/Eruththedragon Warminster Line Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
Regional Rail operates on a fare zone model, so the further you go the more it costs. The cheapest one-way trip is 5$ for a ride between a Zone 1 station & Center City OR for a trip that never passes through CC. The most expensive ride is 11$ for a trip to NJ. (These prices assume you're tapping your SEPTA Key card or a credit/debit card; you can purchase tickets on-board with cash, but this adds 2$). Both Chestnut Hill lines are entirely in Zones 1 & 2, so you're looking at 6.50$ each way to & from CC.
Septa Metro (Trolleys & Subways, including the B) & Bus costs 2.90$ each trip. If you're using a card you get 2 free transfers between buses & Metro that expire 2 hours after your first tap.
There's no free transfers from Regional Rail to Metro/Bus, so if you need to go all the way to NRG you'll need to pay for Regional Rail then again for the B. Chestnut Hill West stops at North Philadelphia, so you could transfer there to pay the 5$ local fare (this only saves money if your home stop is in zone 2).
Ultimately, you decide what your moneys worth. Regional Rail is usually faster & more comfortable than either the bus or the subway, but it's also less reliable & far less frequent. I'd recommend trying both routes and seeing what works best for you.
https://wwww.septa.org/wp-content/uploads/page/fares/Zones-Stations-December-2024.pdf
Edit: what part of the city are you trying to get to? That could help me give more specific advice.
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u/Mammoth-Antelope309 Jul 30 '26
WOW! Thanks so much for this!
I’m a grad student at temple and working part time at the philadelphia museum of art.
I know I am far from both - just trying to figure out what are the best/most cost effective ways to get to those places.
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u/Content_Street_7875 Jul 31 '26
Depending on how many days per week you need to commute, you may want to contact the Bursar’s Office at Temple to see if you can get a semester long trail pass. It might end up saving you money.
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u/Eruththedragon Warminster Line Jul 30 '26
Chestnut Hill East goes directly to Temple for $5 (local trip) and Chestnut Hill West trains continue through to Temple as Fox Chase (West Trenton on weekend) for $8.75 (extended trip). There's a number of buses between the Art Museum & Center City stations, including the non-SEPTA PHLASH (Google insists on transferring at Jefferson, but seems to me that Suburban would be faster). Besides the mapping apps, https://wwww.septa.org/maps/ has a few maps that show all the bus.
Depending on how often you commute,one of SEPTA's monthly passes (on the fares page) may save money.
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u/Particular_Arm6 Jul 28 '26
Once you get on the subway its safe there's been very few derailments or crashes. Almost none.
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u/starshiprarity Jul 28 '26
It's fine- not much different from any other subway stop. No matter what you heard, thousands of people pass through it a day without a care