<p>I work full time in NJ and I just started a grad course in Philly. I know I'm pushing it b/c it's almost 2 hours away but I really, really love the environment. There's just no way for me to get there on time! I'm always going to be 15 min. late to class and I really don't want to be that jerk. The professor understands the dilemma but I don't want to leave that impression and it's just so stressful trying to get there on time. Arghhhh!!!!</p>
<p>I take 202>95 S> 676 W> 76E > exit 345 to 30th St/Market St. I just follow a GPS and eventually it takes me to Walnut St. There must be some back road or secret way that I can take. I only hit traffic when I get near central Philly. </p>
<p>Please, please, please advise if you know the area.</p>
<p>How about the train? Can you pick it up somewhere along your route? No traffic issue and 30th street station is right on the edge of the Penn/Drexel campuses (I assume that is where you are going). Easy, comfortable walk in the summer time, and you get to catch up on HW on the train instead of stressing behind the wheel.</p>
<p>What I usually do is a google map routing to see what makes sense and if it’s different then what the GPS says then I just ignore the GPS until she “recalulates” the way I want to go.</p>
<p>I second the train recommendation. Can you drive to Trenton and take Septa’s Trenton line to 30th St. station? If not, the only other thing is 295 or the turnpike. How is 95S traffic?</p>
<p>Yes, I would definitely see if the train works, such as from a Trenton area station using Septa to 30th. From that station, depending upon where you are going, you can take the market St. subway or the subway surface trolley line to get closer to your classroom. You will arrive at class much less stressed out, save money on parking, and be able to use the time to study.</p>
<p>You can also try to get to the Frankfort station at the end of the Market-Frankford El (which is not too far off I-95), which gets you to University City fast, regardless of traffic on the streets.</p>
<p>@ syndsim, 95 isn’t that bad actually. It’s just a pain once I get about 15-20 minutes from central Philly.</p>
<p>Thanks a million for everyone’s suggestions!!! I’m looking into the train route from Trenton or even from stations right outside Philly. I played around with Google maps and I can avoid most of 676 and the exit for the int’l airport.</p>
<p>By contract all employees must not leave until a certain time. Boss runs the place like a prison so even if I offer to make up double the time it still wouldn’t be allowed.</p>
<p>Is the class in center city?
Park in Trenton, take Septa to 30th street and if that is too far from your class take the train to the Suburban station closer to City Hall.</p>
<p>Hope the train works out. If driving, depending on where you are in NJ, you could also see if 476 works. West on 287 take 476 south then to 76 east?</p>
<p>Ypu can also take 287 towards 95/GS parkway,get off rt 27, i believe, and go to Metropark…take train from there to Trenton,switch off to train to Philly…less then 2 hrs</p>
<p>AMTRAK is pretty expensive but that can be fast enough if it works. You can save money taking the local back. </p>
<p>Barring AMTRAK, I think it would be faster to drive in as far as possible before hitting traffic, and then park and take the Market-Frankford El, or if you’re lucky, you can time it to take the R7 which can be very fast from Bridesburg Station (18-20 minutes to 30th St, - 2 stop). The station is right off 95 at Bridge St and Harbison Ave. </p>
<p>The El is 27 minutes from the Frankford terminal to 34th St and Market. </p>
<p>If you can get off at Callowhill St (the local st before 676), and park on the street, it’s only 10 minutes by El from Spring Garden Station to 34th and Market, or you could change at 30th for the trolly that goes a little closer to Penn.</p>
<p>Where exactly is the class? Where exactly (what exit) do you hit traffic? Where do you park? What time of day is your class? What time are you leaving to go home?</p>
<p>WOW…thanks everyone for the tips! I’m truly very grateful =)</p>
<p>I’m checking out all the train lines now. I’m hoping to drive as far in as possible and then hopping on a train.</p>
<p>So the class is @ Penn on 3700 Walnut Ave. -which is about 38th and Walnut and I park at 40th. I hit traffic when I take the exit for the I76 and int’l airport. There’s also traffic from exit 345 to Market St. </p>
<p>I’m coming from Watchung (central/north-ish NJ) and I leave at 2:30. Class is at 4:30 and I hit traffic at 4:15-ish. I suppose it’s the beginning of rush hour traffic. I played a bit on google maps and saw that I could take Ben Franklin pkwy and then local roads. Is the parkway a bit better?</p>
<p>The Parkway is going to be crowded too. You may try getting off of 95S and instead of 676, drive thru town (maybe take an even numbered street to get to Spruce street and drive west from there).</p>
<p>Exit the Vine St. Expressway (I-676W) at the Parkway Exit. That puts you on 22nd St., I think. Cross the Parkway, and go up to Spring Garden, then turn left. Where Spring Garden feeds into Eakins Oval, if you slide to the right a bit there’s a tunnel under Eakins Oval that feeds you back onto Spring Garden right as it crosses the river. Cross the river on Spring Garden, then make a left at 33rd (? - anyway, it’s the street where there’s a turn arrow). Go down to Powelton Ave., turn right (a couple of blocks). Powelton to 38th, and turn left to go down to Walnut.</p>
<p>I can’t promise you this will work better – I don’t drive around Penn at 4:30 – but it avoids some of the bottlenecks that cause traffic back-ups. It may buy you 10 minutes.</p>
<p>Won’t 676 be crowded at that time? Just getting from 95 to the Parkway could take 5 minutes itself.</p>
<p>Spruce flows pretty well (set lights) and then you could jump over to Walnut st. at 23rd.</p>
<p>Don’t get off 95 at Girard! It takes forever to get there, and it’s loaded with lights and traffic.</p>
<p>Callowhill to 6th (or 4th may even be better - 6th is crowded with traffic trying to get to the Ben Franklin Bridge). I don’t know if Lombard street lights are set or not - even Walnut may not be bad because the lights are set and there aren’t any parked cars during that time (well, there’s not supposed to be)</p>