Philly parking and traffic restrictions announced for NFC championship game; SEPTA subway rides home from the Linc will be free

Parking restrictions have been announced for traditional celebration areas such as South Broad Street and Cottman and Frankford Avenues in case the Eagles win the NFC championship game on Sunday.

There will also be a ban on drone use over celebrating crowds.

And SEPTA announced Thursday that it reached a deal with DraftKings to sponsor free subway rides home from the game.

Officials on Thursday outlined steps the city is taking in preparation for the big game, and the huge masses of fans who will spill out into the streets if the Birds are victorious over the Washington Commanders. The game starts at 3 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field.

On Thursday, the city began placing temporary “no parking” signs around City Hall and the Center City corridor of South Broad Street, officials said. The parking restrictions will take effect at noon on Saturday.

Vehicles parked in these areas “may be relocated,” officials said.

Parking restrictions will go into effect on Sunday around South Broad Street in South Philadelphia and around Cottman and Frankford Avenues in the Northeast, with violators possibly being “relocated.”

“If you believe your car has been relocated, call the police district of the area where your car was parked,” city officials said.

Drone use is prohibited over celebrating crowds in these areas, and anyone seeing a drone is urged to notify the nearest police officer or public safety official and provide the location of the drone and operator, officials said.

When the game ends, temporary traffic closures may be put into effect at the Sports Complex District, and around City Hall and in Center City between 13th and 15th Streets and Arch and Lombard Streets.

Motorists are advised to avoid those areas on Sunday evening.

SEPTA will add extra service on the Broad Street Line with express trains departing the Fern Rock Transit Center from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said the transit agency had reached a deal late Thursday afternoon to have DraftKings, the betting operator, pay for the subway rides leaving the game.

“Regular fares apply for the trip in, but afterwards, anyone leaving via NRG Station will ride for free. This makes it a bit smoother to move post-game crowds through, and we are expecting to see pretty big numbers,” Busch said in an email.

“For the NFC Championship game two years ago, we had close to 30,000 riders on the subway. We’re planning to hit a similar number on Sunday, possibly even a little more. There are a lot of riders who head down just for festivities around the game, and those numbers get bigger as the Eagles go deeper into the playoffs,” Busch said.

More information can be found at septa.org, and real-time updates will be available by following @SEPTA and @SEPTA_BSL on X.

Current traffic conditions can be found by using PennDot’s live map at 511pa.com or by following @511PAphilly on X.

Officials warned against leaving bags and other items unattended and urged people to notify a police officer or call 911 “to report a suspicious person, activity or item.”

The city has a “special event safety guide” available online for tips and general information. General tips for business owners regarding public safety can also be found online.

The city will activate its Emergency Operations Center on Sunday.

”Additional protocols for the upcoming game are being evaluated by the Philadelphia Police Department and our public safety partners,” officials said.

People can text “READYPHILA” to 888-777 for emergency and informational messages from the Office of Emergency Management, and they can customize text or emails by visiting phila.gov/ready.

“Let’s thank all the city workers who are working around the clock to make sure the City is safe, clean, and ready for the big crowds at the Linc on Sunday! Go Birds!” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said in a statement.