If there is one thing Pennsylvania residents and visitors love, it is their sports. Whether it is die hard Penn State football goers populating State College on a Saturday or Philadelphia Eagles fans filing into Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, there are many ways to enjoy a game of football or baseball throughout Pennsylvania.
There are plenty of other sports to watch in the state as well, so if your game love doesn’t involve the rawhide of a baseball or the pigskin on a football then there are ways to still enjoy yourself.
Starting on the west side of the state, let’s visit Pittsburgh. The so-called Steel City has been ruled by the Steelers since the team’s Super Bowl days of the 1970s, although the Penguins hockey and Pirates baseball teams have slowly crept back into the spotlight.
With the demolition of Three Rivers Stadium, an all-purpose facility devoted to both baseball and football, there are now two stadiums, one dedicated to each sport. Heinz Field serves the avid Steeler football fans, while Pirates baseball has been played at old-fashioned PNC Park since 2001.
Games are often played on the same day in September, but even when it is one or the other it can get quite tricky around one area of the city. Traffic from the southwest on Interstate 376 and US Highway 22 comes out of the Fort Pitt Tunnel. From the southeast on Fort Pitt Boulevard, US 22 and US 30 head toward I-376 and the bridge to the north shore.
As these two avenues mix, the likelihood of car accidents increase because cars constantly jockey for position and head toward the north shore for either PNC Park or Heinz Field. Accidents have happened before and they will again, so make sure your vehicle is equipped and up to date with Pennsylvania car insurance in the event of an accident. People found to be lacking in coverage could face stiff penalties, so you want to make sure the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed.
Because there is limited space to park on the north shore, many fans choose to park there and then leave following the games. This has slowed traffic down a great deal, although not to the point it would cause problems.
Much like PNC and Heinz are part of Pittsburgh’s shoreline, the Philadelphia area between Pennsylvania Highway 611 and Interstate 95 is the area where all of Philly’s pro teams play. On the southwest corner of the intersection of 11th and Pattison sits the Wells Fargo Center, home to the basketball 76ers and the hockey Flyers. The Eagles play on the southeast corner at “The Linc”, as locals refer to it, while the northeast corner features Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies.
As cars move in and out of parking lots and eventually leave the parking area, there is an increased likelihood a car accident might occur. If you don’t want to take the chance and drive down, one of Philadelphia’s rail cars from the Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) stops close by all of the stadiums.
Someone in Philadelphia thought ahead. It is rare that events are going on at all three arenas and stadiums during the same day, but it has happened. Even so, the amount of streets and side roads in the area funnel cars onto one of the main lines directly. This has made it easier for cars and pedestrians to get out of the ballpark area before all heck breaks loose with traffic.
It is a little easier to get out of these events than you would think, but planning and careful preparation can lead the way to a stronger chance at success.
Don’t let the traffic woes spoil your enjoyment.
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