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Route 15 (SEPTA)
Encyclopedia
SEPTA's Trolley Route 15, the Girard Avenue Line is a streetcar line, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
(SEPTA), along Girard Avenue
through North and West Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. , it is the only surface trolley line in the City Transit Division
that is not part of the Subway–Surface Trolley Lines. PCC streetcars are used on the line.
The line was first opened in 1859 as a horse car line operated by the Richmond and Schuylkill River Passenger Railway, and electrified in 1895. Service was suspended (replaced with bus
es) in 1992, along with Route 23 (Germantown Avenue-11th and 12th Streets) and Route 56 (Torresdale-Erie Avenues). On September 4, 2005, trolley service was restored.
and Richmond Street. The western terminus is at the intersection of Girard Avenue and 63rd Street, at the Haddington Loop, and instantly passes by Carroll Park. The next landmark is Cathedral Cemetery, which is on the corner of US 30 (Lancaster Avenue), which both Girard Avenue and Route 15 briefly overlap, along with the SEPTA Route 10
trolley. The line and US 30 leaves Lancaster Avenue and resumes its way along Girard Avenue. After crossing over the Paoli/Thorndale Line
at the intersection with Belmont Avenue, the line passes by the Philadelphia Zoo
near Exit 342 on the Schuylkill Expressway
before crossing the Schuylkill River
.
After entering Francisville, Route 15 loops partially around the south side of Girard College
, but rejoins Girard Avenue again, and passes by St. Joseph's Hospital. The first mass transit crossing the line encounters is the Broad Street Line
's Girard Station, and two blocks from there crosses the SEPTA Route 23
bus line which was originally a trolley line that may be restored between 2014 and 2021. Directly east of the SEPTA Main Line, Route 15 passes by the Girard Medical Center. At Front Street
Route 15 runs beneath the Market-Frankford Line
's Girard Station
, and then crosses Frankford Avenue, one of the two streets the line is named after.
Girard Avenue ends at Exit 23 on Interstate 95
, so Route 15 moves beneath the highway onto Richmond Street, parallel to I-95 until it crosses over the street from the north side to the south side before Exit 25, the interchange with Allegheny Avenue, where it connects to the SEPTA Route 60
bus, another former trolley line. The road runs along the Richmond Playground before Route 15's eastern terminus at the Westmoreland Loop, on the northwest corner of the intersection of Richmond Street and Westmoreland Street.
Short-turn loops exist at 41st & Parkside, just west of the Philadelphia Zoo; 26th & Girard (a universal "in-line" cutback utilizing 26th and Poplar Streets and Girard and College Avenues); and Richmond Street & Cumberland Avenue. No scheduled runs use these loops, but Richmond & Cumberland is frequently used when Richmond Street is blocked by trucks which failed to heed warning signs and flashing lights for a low bridge underneath the former Reading
Port Richmond Yard of Conrail Shared Assets Operations
. Cars returning to Callowhill Depot turn off Girard at 60th Street.
on March 26, 1859 to operate along Girard Avenue between the Girard Avenue Bridge
over the Schuylkill River
in Fairmount Park and Norris Street in Richmond, with an extension authorized west over the bridge to Lancaster Avenue. The line opened from Second Street to 31st Street in July 1859. The company was sold at foreclosure
and reorganized as the Fairmount Park and Delaware River Passenger Railway on June 14, 1864, and was merged into the Germantown Passenger Railway (Route 23 Germantown Avenue) on February 15, 1866.
Extensions were opened east to Palmer Street in 1866 (looping via Palmer, Beach, and Shackamaxon Streets) and to Norris Street in 1875. The People's Passenger Railway leased the line on October 1, 1881, and leased the Girard Avenue Railway (chartered May 17, 1894) on June 22, 1896, extending the line west to 60th Street in 1900. The Union Traction Company leased the People's Passenger Railway on July 1, 1896, giving it control over almost all the street railways in Philadelphia. Girard Avenue cars were extended west to 63rd Street and east to Allegheny Avenue – the latter extension along the ex-Electric Traction Company Bridesburg Line on Richmond Street – in 1903, and eventually replaced the Bridesburg Line entirely to Bridesburg. In 1992, SEPTA replaced trolley service along Routes 15, 23
, and 56
with buses
.
. The rolling stock for Route 15 consists of PCC II cars, which are 1947 PCC streetcar
s that had been completely rebuilt by the Brookville Equipment Company
as a cost of $1.3 million per trolley. The rebuilt trolley includes the addition of air conditioning and regenerative braking
, as well as a widened center door with a wheelchair lift for ADA compliance.
The restoration of trolley service was delayed because of a long fight with local residents on 59th Street, which the trolleys needed to travel down in order to access the Callowhill Depot
, over parking on the street. During the reconstruction of the line the surrounding neighborhoods, through grassroots coalitions, worked to improve the Girard Avenue streetscape through beautification and marketing projects. Since service returned in 2005, the 15 line has spurred various development projects as well as renewed investment along the corridor.
Although SEPTA has committed itself to restoring its suspended trolley lines, suburban communities have argued that available funds be used instead for the expansion of interurban rail lines over urban trolley lines, citing the imperfect implementation of the 15 line and the cost of maintaining the trolley infrastructure. Shuttle busses have at times replaced trolley service on sections of the line due to track, roadwork, and other maintenance work.
In addition, the trolley has not generated new ridership since its reopening, a point of contention for supporters of a resumed Media/Elwyn Line
to Wawa
and an extended Fox Chase Line
to Newtown to serve suburban areas lacking alternate public transport. The question of proper usage of public funds has been brought to SEPTA's attention during the summer of 2009.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is a metropolitan transportation authority that operates various forms of public transit—bus, subway and elevated rail, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolley bus—that serve 3.9 million people in and around Philadelphia,...
(SEPTA), along Girard Avenue
Girard Avenue
Girard Avenue is a major east-west thoroughfare in Philadelphia that forms sections of U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 30 and is named for Franco-American financier Stephen Girard. It stretches through several major neighborhoods of Philadelphia, including West Philadelphia, Fishtown, Kensington, and...
through North and West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though there is no official definition of its boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Line Avenue to the northwest, Cobbs Creek to the southwest, and...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. , it is the only surface trolley line in the City Transit Division
SEPTA City Transit Division surface routes
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority operates the overwhelming majority of Philadelphia public transit within their City Transit Division. Although perhaps best known for the Market-Frankford Line and Broad Street Line, they are also responsible for all 73 of the trolley and bus...
that is not part of the Subway–Surface Trolley Lines. PCC streetcars are used on the line.
The line was first opened in 1859 as a horse car line operated by the Richmond and Schuylkill River Passenger Railway, and electrified in 1895. Service was suspended (replaced with bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es) in 1992, along with Route 23 (Germantown Avenue-11th and 12th Streets) and Route 56 (Torresdale-Erie Avenues). On September 4, 2005, trolley service was restored.
Route
The tracks for 8.5-mile (13.7 km) Route 15 run along Girard AvenueGirard Avenue
Girard Avenue is a major east-west thoroughfare in Philadelphia that forms sections of U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 30 and is named for Franco-American financier Stephen Girard. It stretches through several major neighborhoods of Philadelphia, including West Philadelphia, Fishtown, Kensington, and...
and Richmond Street. The western terminus is at the intersection of Girard Avenue and 63rd Street, at the Haddington Loop, and instantly passes by Carroll Park. The next landmark is Cathedral Cemetery, which is on the corner of US 30 (Lancaster Avenue), which both Girard Avenue and Route 15 briefly overlap, along with the SEPTA Route 10
SEPTA Route 10
SEPTA's Subway-Surface Trolley Route 10 is a trolley line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority that connects the 13th Street in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the Overbrook Loop station in Overbrook section of West Philadelphia...
trolley. The line and US 30 leaves Lancaster Avenue and resumes its way along Girard Avenue. After crossing over the Paoli/Thorndale Line
Paoli/Thorndale Line
The Paoli/Thorndale Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to Thorndale in Chester County.-Route:This branch utilizes one of the oldest sections of what is now Amtrak's Keystone Corridor, an electrified 104-mile two to four-track high-speed route between Harrisburg...
at the intersection with Belmont Avenue, the line passes by the Philadelphia Zoo
Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, was the first zoo in the United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, its opening was delayed by the American Civil War until July 1, 1874...
near Exit 342 on the Schuylkill Expressway
Schuylkill Expressway
The Schuylkill Expressway , locally known as the Schuylkill, is a freeway through southwestern Montgomery County and the city of Philadelphia, and the easternmost segment of Interstate 76 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania...
before crossing the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
.
After entering Francisville, Route 15 loops partially around the south side of Girard College
Girard College
Girard College is an independent boarding school on a 43-acre campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Girard is for academically capable students, grades one through 12, and awards a full scholarship with a yearly value of approximately $42,000 to every child admitted to the...
, but rejoins Girard Avenue again, and passes by St. Joseph's Hospital. The first mass transit crossing the line encounters is the Broad Street Line
Broad Street Line
The Broad Street Line is a rapid transit line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority that runs from Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia...
's Girard Station, and two blocks from there crosses the SEPTA Route 23
SEPTA Route 23
SEPTA's Trolley Route 23, the Germantown Avenue-11th & 12th Streets Line is a former streetcar line and currently operated by bus. It is operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
bus line which was originally a trolley line that may be restored between 2014 and 2021. Directly east of the SEPTA Main Line, Route 15 passes by the Girard Medical Center. At Front Street
Front Street (Philadelphia)
Front Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is a north-south street running parallel to and near the Delaware River. It was constructed when Philadelphia was laid out by William Penn in 1682....
Route 15 runs beneath the Market-Frankford Line
Market-Frankford Line
The Market–Frankford Line is a rapid transit line in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority .-Route:The Market–Frankford Line begins at 69th Street Transportation Center, in Upper Darby...
's Girard Station
Girard (MFL station)
Girard Station is an elevated rapid transit stop on the Market-Frankford Line, above the corner of Front Street and Girard Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Fishtown neighborhood. It is an "All-Stop" station and the first station to run above Front Street...
, and then crosses Frankford Avenue, one of the two streets the line is named after.
Girard Avenue ends at Exit 23 on Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania
Interstate 95 is an Interstate highway running from Miami, Florida north to Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the route is known by many as the Delaware Expressway, but is officially named The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. and locally known as "95"...
, so Route 15 moves beneath the highway onto Richmond Street, parallel to I-95 until it crosses over the street from the north side to the south side before Exit 25, the interchange with Allegheny Avenue, where it connects to the SEPTA Route 60
SEPTA Route 60
SEPTA's Trolley Route 60, the Allegheny Avenue Line is a former streetcar line and current bus route, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Northwest and Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
bus, another former trolley line. The road runs along the Richmond Playground before Route 15's eastern terminus at the Westmoreland Loop, on the northwest corner of the intersection of Richmond Street and Westmoreland Street.
Short-turn loops exist at 41st & Parkside, just west of the Philadelphia Zoo; 26th & Girard (a universal "in-line" cutback utilizing 26th and Poplar Streets and Girard and College Avenues); and Richmond Street & Cumberland Avenue. No scheduled runs use these loops, but Richmond & Cumberland is frequently used when Richmond Street is blocked by trucks which failed to heed warning signs and flashing lights for a low bridge underneath the former Reading
Reading Company
The Reading Company , usually called the Reading Railroad, officially the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway until 1924, operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states...
Port Richmond Yard of Conrail Shared Assets Operations
Conrail Shared Assets Operations
Conrail Shared Assets Operations is an American railroad company. It operates three networks—the North Jersey, South Jersey/Philadelphia, and Detroit Shared Assets Areas, where it serves as a local carrier and switching company for CSX Transportation and the Norfolk Southern Railway...
. Cars returning to Callowhill Depot turn off Girard at 60th Street.
History
The Richmond and Schuylkill River Passenger Railway was chartered by the Pennsylvania General AssemblyPennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
on March 26, 1859 to operate along Girard Avenue between the Girard Avenue Bridge
Girard Avenue Bridge
The Girard Avenue Bridge is an automobile and trolley bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that carries Girard Avenue over the Schuylkill River. It connects the east and west sections of Fairmount Park, and the Brewerytown neighborhood with the Philadelphia Zoo. The current bridge is the third...
over the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
in Fairmount Park and Norris Street in Richmond, with an extension authorized west over the bridge to Lancaster Avenue. The line opened from Second Street to 31st Street in July 1859. The company was sold at foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
and reorganized as the Fairmount Park and Delaware River Passenger Railway on June 14, 1864, and was merged into the Germantown Passenger Railway (Route 23 Germantown Avenue) on February 15, 1866.
Extensions were opened east to Palmer Street in 1866 (looping via Palmer, Beach, and Shackamaxon Streets) and to Norris Street in 1875. The People's Passenger Railway leased the line on October 1, 1881, and leased the Girard Avenue Railway (chartered May 17, 1894) on June 22, 1896, extending the line west to 60th Street in 1900. The Union Traction Company leased the People's Passenger Railway on July 1, 1896, giving it control over almost all the street railways in Philadelphia. Girard Avenue cars were extended west to 63rd Street and east to Allegheny Avenue – the latter extension along the ex-Electric Traction Company Bridesburg Line on Richmond Street – in 1903, and eventually replaced the Bridesburg Line entirely to Bridesburg. In 1992, SEPTA replaced trolley service along Routes 15, 23
SEPTA Route 23
SEPTA's Trolley Route 23, the Germantown Avenue-11th & 12th Streets Line is a former streetcar line and currently operated by bus. It is operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
, and 56
SEPTA Route 56
SEPTA's Trolley Route 56, the Erie & Torresdale Avenues Line is a streetcar line and is currently operated by bus, it is operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The line runs between the Tioga and Tacony neighborhoods...
with buses
Transit bus
A transit bus , also known as a commuter bus, city bus, or public bus, is a bus used for short-distance public transport purposes...
.
2005 return of trolley
The 15 line returned to trolley service in September 2005 after having been served by buses for thirteen years. To prepare for the resumption of trolley service, SEPTA spent a total of $100 million, including rehabilitating the tracks and repairs to the overhead wiresOverhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
. The rolling stock for Route 15 consists of PCC II cars, which are 1947 PCC streetcar
PCC streetcar
The PCC streetcar design was first built in the United States in the 1930s. The design proved successful in its native country, and after World War II was licensed for use elsewhere in the world...
s that had been completely rebuilt by the Brookville Equipment Company
Brookville Locomotive Company
Brookville Equipment Corporation, based in Brookville, Pennsylvania, United States, manufactures railroad locomotives for industrial and light capacity switching needs. The company used to be known as Brookville Locomotive Company.-History:...
as a cost of $1.3 million per trolley. The rebuilt trolley includes the addition of air conditioning and regenerative braking
Regenerative brake
A regenerative brake is an energy recovery mechanism which slows a vehicle or object down by converting its kinetic energy into another form, which can be either used immediately or stored until needed...
, as well as a widened center door with a wheelchair lift for ADA compliance.
The restoration of trolley service was delayed because of a long fight with local residents on 59th Street, which the trolleys needed to travel down in order to access the Callowhill Depot
Callowhill Depot
Callowhill Depot is a bus and trolley barn operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority , located in West Philadelphia, near the Delaware County border. It was built in 1913 by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company and was later operated by the Philadelphia Transportation...
, over parking on the street. During the reconstruction of the line the surrounding neighborhoods, through grassroots coalitions, worked to improve the Girard Avenue streetscape through beautification and marketing projects. Since service returned in 2005, the 15 line has spurred various development projects as well as renewed investment along the corridor.
Although SEPTA has committed itself to restoring its suspended trolley lines, suburban communities have argued that available funds be used instead for the expansion of interurban rail lines over urban trolley lines, citing the imperfect implementation of the 15 line and the cost of maintaining the trolley infrastructure. Shuttle busses have at times replaced trolley service on sections of the line due to track, roadwork, and other maintenance work.
In addition, the trolley has not generated new ridership since its reopening, a point of contention for supporters of a resumed Media/Elwyn Line
Media/Elwyn Line
The Media/Elwyn Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia west to Elwyn in Delaware County.Originally known as the Media/West Chester Branch, service was truncated on September 19, 1986 from West Chester to its current terminus at Elwyn. Service expansion beyond Elwyn...
to Wawa
Wawa, Pennsylvania
Wawa is an unincorporated community located in Middletown Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Named for the Ojibwe word for "goose" ,Wawa was originally known as Grubb's Bridge...
and an extended Fox Chase Line
Fox Chase Line
The Fox Chase Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system.Originally known as the Fox Chase/Newtown Branch, service was truncated in January 1983 from Newtown to its current terminus in Philadelphia at Fox Chase due to unreliable train equipment and low ridership...
to Newtown to serve suburban areas lacking alternate public transport. The question of proper usage of public funds has been brought to SEPTA's attention during the summer of 2009.