New Weekend Zoo Link Offers Direct, Frequent Bus Service to Zoo from 30th Street Station This Summer
Service free for Zoo members, staff and volunteers
Weekend and holiday visitors starting Saturday can hop a non-stop shuttle from 30th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard to the Philadelphia Zoo. The quick and easy Zoo Link is subsidized by the Zoo and operated by SEPTA using the University City District’s accessible and air-conditioned LUCY shuttles. The new service will operate weekends from May 26 through September 3, 2007 (Labor Day).
Vikram H. Dewan, the Zoo’s President and CEO, says, “The new Zoo Link is a great way to start summer at the Philadelphia Zoo as we increase accessibility from throughout the region to the Zoo using efficient, environmentally friendly public transportation. The more shuttle riders, the less road congestion, and that all adds up to cleaner air.
“The Zoo Link will add to the overall visitor experience,” notes Dewan. “An added benefit of the service will be freeing up more parking spaces for those who have few if any transit options, including so many of our summer visitors from outside the region.”
Lewis Wendell, University City District’s Executive Director says, “The University City District is pleased to be a part of this service to include LUCY buses in a transportation link between University City and the Zoo. It is a good idea on so many levels; more people in University City will have easier access to the Zoo, Zoo patrons can more easily access University City dining and shopping, it will reduce traffic congestion and air pollution and it is just one more convenient way for people to travel to the one of the best zoos in the country.”
The new shuttle will run every half-hour on Saturdays and Sundays between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. throughout the summer. Riders can board the Zoo Link at 30th Street Station (30th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard), then make the 10-minute trip to the Zoo. Trips from the Zoo back to 30th Street Station will leave from the Zoo’s main gate. To encourage transit use and conservation, Zoo Link service is free to Zoo members, Zoo staff and volunteers. All other riders will pay the SEPTA fare; tokens, cash and passes all are accepted.
There are more reasons than ever to come to the Zoo this summer. Starting June 1, the Zoo’s new summer-only free-flight bird show will bring guests within inches of the wild. This dynamic show will feature an exciting array of birds from around the world that will engage families with their soaring prowess and dazzling aerial skills. The Zoo recently debuted a new Sumatran orangutan, Sugi, and will soon officially debut two new gorillas, a new cheetah and a new jaguar. The Zoo’s female Amur tiger, Kira, is expecting cubs any day now, and the birth will be the result of a national effort by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to ensure a healthy zoo population of this endangered big cat.
For more information about the Zoo Link service, call SEPTA Customer Service at (215) 580-7800 or access the SEPTA website at www.septa.org.
The Delaware Valley’s top family attraction and one of the region’s foremost conservation organizations, the Zoo is home to nearly 1,300 animals, many of which are rare and endangered. The Zoo, fulfilling its mission of conservation, science, education and recreation, supports and engages in conservation efforts to protect endangered species around the world. The Philadelphia Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. For more information, tickets or to make a contribution, log on to www.philadelphiazoo.org
Release Date: Monday, June 4th 2007
