As I'm writing this, I can hear the sweet sound of the El rumbling by a few blocks from my house. Six days after it began, the 2009 SEPTA strike ended at 12:45 this morning. The deal finally reached between SEPTA management and Transport Workers Union Local 234 calls for a $1,250 bonus per worker plus, according to the Inquirer,

The five-year contract also calls for a 2.5 percent raise in the second year, and a 3 percent raise in each of the final three years. It increases workers' contributions to the pension fund from the current 2 percent to 3 percent, and increases the maximum pension to $30,000 a year from the current $27,000 a year.

How did the SEPTA strike affect your commute? Will you go back to using SEPTA today? What do you think of the contract deal? Sound off in the comments or join the discussion in the forum.

Between Election Day, the SEPTA strike and the World Series, it's been a crazy week here in Philadelphia. This weekend, do something fun:

All Weekend: The First Person Arts Festival
Celebrating "memoir and documentary art," the First Person Arts festival features films, talks, workshops and more (including karaoke!) through the weekend.

Friday: First Friday
Throw on a winter coat and brave the chill of November's First Friday. Go classic in Old City or check out the art openings, live music and more in Mt. Airy, the Frankford Avenue Arts Corridor, or Doylestown.

Saturday: Bacon, Sausage and Scrapple Making
From 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, stop by the Howell Living History farm in Lambertville, NJ to "meet your meat" as farmers make popular pork products while you watch. For $2, children can also participate in a craft program and make soap on a rope.

Sunday: Watch the Eagles
The Phillies didn't win the World Series. Disappointing? Yeah. Oh, yes. But this Sunday, fill your mouth with the only two words that could possibly replace "Go Phillies" right now: Go Birds.

If you're thinking of biking to work during the SEPTA strike, there are plenty of resources to help you travel on two wheels:

• The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is offering additional bike parking and a bicycle service station at City Hall that they promise will be set up this afternoon and continue through the duration of the strike.
• If you need a new bike or a tune-up for your existing cycle, here's a list of Philadelphia bike shops by neighborhood.
• The City of Philadelphia offers bike maps to help you plan your cycling commute. In addition to what you see on the maps, there are also bicycle lanes on Spruce and Pine Streets in Center City that were added earlier this fall.

If you are traveling to Philadelphia on Regional Rail and hope to use a bike once you arrive in the city, note that bikes are only allowed on Regional Rail trains during non-peak hours. The only exception is folding bicycles as long as they are folded and stowed in the train's luggage area. Read more about SEPTA's bicycle policy.

For more information on how to commute during the public transportation stoppage, check out the SEPTA Strikes page.

Image: Meg Favreau

Governor Rendell was able to delay the SEPTA strike while the World Series was in town by ordering SEPTA management and union officials to stay at the bargaining table. Unfortunately, however, Rendell wasn't able to hold the strike off entirely: as of 3 a.m. this morning, members of Transport Workers Union Local 234 have walked off the job.

SEPTA has posted a guide to which services are and are not running during the strike.

For information on how to commute during the strike as well as a brief history of SEPTA work-stoppages, visit the SEPTA strikes page.