At Girard Avenue and Poplar Street, conditions may seem calm at night, but residents say that changes dramatically during busy afternoon hours.
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Concerns center largely on traffic and public transportation regarding how it will manage increased demand.
"Frequency, cleanliness," said Kevin Herald of University City, pointing to key issues he hopes will be addressed.
SEPTA officials say they are prepared for the surge, anticipating transporting about 40,000 people by subway to the South Philadelphia stadium for each match. Some riders remain confident in the system's ability to scale up service.
"Phillies, Eagles, I've been through it all whenever the games are happening. SEPTA picks up frequency, so I'm not particularly worried about it," said Alex Styer of Wallingford.
Others, particularly those living near the stadium area, worry about the impact on daily commutes.
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"Many concerns, SEPTA isn't on time as it is, so I'm very concerned about going back and forth to work. We're packed in for Phillies games, so I'm 100% concerned," said Chyanne Bambra of South Philadelphia.
SEPTA has expanded staffing and services, adding more than 700 ambassadors to assist riders navigating the system, plus they've increased station cleaning efforts and scheduled frequent "wash downs."
Fans are already getting a preview of the atmosphere surrounding the tournament. At Subaru Park, a friendly match between Philadelphia Union II and Ivory Coast drew crowds eager for what's ahead.
"It's kind of like the pregame to the big event. I'm excited about the world stuff coming to our neighborhood, I live right next to the fan fest," said Pierre Peters of Brewerytown.
To help manage travel, Pennsylvania has launched a website, 511PA.com, offering updates on congestion and drive times during World Cup events. Additional service has also been added to the 32 and 48 bus routes, which provide access to Lemon Hill, where FIFA's free fan fest will take place. That area is already seeing congestion due to road closures.
"A little bit of traffic, a little bit of noise, everybody is still figuring it out. We'll see what happens when it starts," Peters said.
For now, many residents say they are taking a wait-and-see approach.
SEPTA officials say additional service will also be in place for the Fourth of July, as preparations continue.
The free fan fest is scheduled to open on Thursday at 2 p.m. for the first World Cup game.