SEPTA Strike Does Not Force Closure Of City Schools
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia School District says schools will be open Tuesday, regardless of the SEPTA strike.
Kids, do your homework. You will not be saved by any SEPTA strike.
District spokesman Lee Whack says schools will be open and parents are encouraged to make arrangements to get their children to school on time.
About 52,000 district and charter school students rely on SEPTA to get to class.
Students who normally ride SEPTA but can't make it to school in a strike will be marked as having an excused absence.
The district says during the six-day 2009 transit strike, overall attendance was not seriously affected.
SEPTA Releases Contingency Service Plan Ahead Of Potential Strike
Meantime, big employers are making contingency plans in case SEPTA workers strike.
Even more cars are expected on the streets if there's a walkout. That's why Barbara Lea-Kruger, Director of Communications and External Relations for Penn's Division of Business Services, is urging employees to find an alternate way to work.
"What we've advised our employees to do is, number one -- take Regional Rail or carpool or walk or bike if at all possible," she said. "Because we expect it will be very congested."
Contingency Travel Plans | Strike Details and Septa Statement | Governor's Statement
And if those modes aren't feasible, Penn and Drexel are running employee shuttle buses that will loop between Center City, 69th Street and University City.
Lea-Kruger says this plan is similar to the one that worked well during the 2009 SEPTA strike.
