(The following appeared on the Philadelphia Inquirer website on November 6, 2009.)
PHILADELPHIA — Commuters are enduring a fourth morning without the city’s subways, buses and trolleys, but there are indications the strike could be near an end.
After shuttling between both sides in the dispute, Gov. Rendell and U.S. Rep. Bob Brady reported this morning that the striking union is now considering a revised offer from SEPTA.
The apparent movement has prompted speculation that the strike by 5,000 members of Transport Workers Union Local 234 could be resolved in time for the evening rush hour if there are no major obstacles.
The union, which has been working without a contract since March, went on strike 3 a.m. Tuesday, catching hundreds of thousands of commuters off guard.
Since then strikebound riders have turned to their cars and the still operating Regional Rail system, jamming roadways and packing already crowded commuter trains.
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia also reports that a count conducted at the Walnut and Chestnut Street Bridges on Wednesday indicated that the spike had prompted a 38 percent in bicycle ridership.
The strikebound operations handled more than 900,000 fares daily.