Philly Plain Dealer

This story has been updated per new information coming to light (6:09pm 12/10).

Here’s what you need to know; on Thursday at 5:30pm a group of protestors will be driving a caravan of cars to Market Street in an attempt to display the gridlock that a Sixers arena would cause. Expect major delays across Center City on Wednesday at rush hour.

Here’s why:

This Thursday, December 12th, “a mass caravan will drive through Center City to simulate the gridlock traffic that would be a frequent nightmare if the arena is approved for Market Street,” according to a press release circulated by The No Arena in the Heart of Our City Coalition Tuesday evening. 

City Council is scheduled to vote on the arena legislation Wednesday morning, however the vote has already been postponed twice on previous dates due to a lackluster Community Benefits Agreement. 

One of the major issues with building an arena in Center City will be the traffic implications, which is why at rush hour on Wednesday a caravan of cars will cause gridlock on Market Street simulating the rush of traffic to Market Street that would take place for every Sixers home game. 

Gridlock is guaranteed if more than 40% of spectators drive to the arena, but a previous Inquirer article states that about 85% of attendees currently drive to the Wells Fargo Center.

The car caravan was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but has been moved to Thursday.

The roll out of a new Center City Arena, lazily dubbed 76 Place has been disastrous and unwelcomed by city residents and traveling Sixers fans, now it will cause you to be late to dinner on Wednesday night. 

Local medical professional Dr. Bill King warns of the impacts of gridlock on the medical community stating “we need ambulances to get to our hospitals,” noting that an arena could stifle access to the city’s trauma centers.

The Sixers team and organization have been in shambles since this arena was announced, tickets to a game were available for as little as $4 on Gametime, the team in 7-15 with it’s best players managing injuries and arguing, and the ownership group could not be less popular. It’s been a long time since anyone not named Jared McCain from the 76ers brought anyone in the city joy, and this Thursday their actions will result in gridlock in Center City.

This is not the first time that a car caravan has been utilized in mass movements. In 2022 Canadian Truck Drivers used this tactic to protest vaccines mandates and more locally in 2022 a car caravan protest was organized to protest conditions in Philly’s Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility.