UPDATE: President Donald Trump has departed Philadelphia, the crowds of demonstrators are thinning, and city officials say they are reopening the Center City streets that had been closed as a result.
The Mayor's Office and the Philadelphia Parking Authority late Tuesday announced Center City road closures and other restrictions that will be in place when President Donald Trump visits Philadelphia on Thursday.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer confirmed Monday that Trump's first full week in office would include a trip to Philly to attend the Republican House Senate Leadership Conference at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, 1200 Market St.
The retreat will be held from Wednesday to Friday, and the following map and list detail the security restrictions that will be in place Thursday while Trump is here. It also shows the locations of two protest demonstrations scheduled so far.
ROAD CLOSURES
The following roads will be closed from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.:
• 13th Street from Chestnut Street to Market Street
• Market Street from 11th Street to Juniper Street
• 12th Street from Chestnut to Arch Street
The public should expect rolling road closures during dignitary movement on Thursday.
PARKING RESTRICTIONS
Parking will be prohibited on these blocks beginning at 6 a.m.:
• 13th Street from Chestnut to Market Streets
• Market Street from 11th Street to Juniper Street
• 12th Street from Chestnut to Arch Street
PPA and Philadelphia police will tow any cars located on those streets to the PPA impoundment lot at 2501 S. Weccacoe Ave. in South Philadelphia. The parking restrictions will be lifted when the roads reopen to vehicular traffic Thursday evening.
PEDESTRIAN RESTRICTIONS
The U.S. Secret Service will establish a secure perimeter that will limit pedestrian access to the following streets starting at 6 a.m.:
• 1100 and 1200 block of Market Street – both north and south sides
• 12th Street from Chestnut to Filbert streets – both east and west sides
• 13th Street from Chestnut to Market streets – both east and west sides
Philadelphia's Office of Special Events announced it has received an application for a demonstration to take place Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and 3,000 people are expected attend.
The city is predicting there will be other demonstrations without permits in Center City on Thursday, and officials said people should follow @PhiladelphiaGov on Twitter, or the hashtag #PHLRoadClosures, for the latest information.
One of those demonstrations being promoted on Facebook is the "Queer Rage(r)" dance party, expected to happen Wednesday evening outside the Loews Hotel where the Republican retreat is taking place. It is in protest of the potential repeal the Affordable Care Act, organizers say.
SEPTA CHANGES
The following SEPTA route detours and station closures/changes will take effect at the beginning of service on Thursday.
• CLOSED: 13th Street Station on the Market-Frankford Line. Trains will bypass the station, but riders will be able to exit at both 11th Street and 15th Street stations.
• REROUTED: Five city trolley routes — 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 — will begin and end service at the 15th Street Station. Also, SEPTA Buses that typically travel through the areas affected by road closures will be detoured. Detours could change throughout the day, depending on road conditions.
• RESTRICTED ENTRANCE: Riders using Jefferson Station will be forced to enter and exit at 11th and Filbert streets. The main headhouse on Market Street will be closed.
The White House's Spicer first discussed Trump's trip to Philadelphia during a press conference Monday.
The annual congressional retreat, intended to align goals in both chambers for the upcoming session, has been scheduled to take place in Philadelphia since last November. With Trump moving quickly to scale back the Affordable Care Act, health care reform figures to be a central focus of this year's gathering.
According to Politico, British Prime Minister Theresa May is also planning to attend Thursday's conference with congressional Republicans. May had already been scheduled to meet with Trump on Friday and will be the first foreign leader to visit the president since his inauguration last week. Trump, who has applauded England's exit from the European Union, is expected to discuss trade, security and the future of NATO.
PhillyVoice staffers Jerry Gaul, John Kopp and Jon Tuleya contributed to this report.