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Gallery Renovation Will Force Commuters Outdoors

By Pat Loeb

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - If you walk through the Gallery to get to your transit stop, you're going to have to find a new route. Renovation there will block access from the Mall to SEPTA's Rail and El lines and the PATCO line.

The good news is all the doors from the street to the trains will be unaffected and SEPTA spokesperson Jerri Williams says Septa convinced PREIT, the mall owner, to leave open a path between the El and the rail lines:

"We do have a number of riders who have a two-seat ride. Say it's raining outside, or really snowy, they'll be able to stay inside."

The bad news, Williams says, is that commuters used to strolling through the Gallery to or from the train will now have to walk outside:

"For those riders who are used to taking a nice easy stroll through the Gallery, maybe doing a little browsing or window-shopping, this is going to be something new and different for them. They'll be inconvenienced slightly, but they'll still be able to access SEPTA."

They would have to pay for an El ride between 8th and 11th Streets.

Work begins October 2nd.

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