SEPTA Route 29
Encyclopedia
SEPTA Route 29 is a former streetcar
and trolley bus
(trackless trolley in local terminology) line and current bus
route, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
(SEPTA) in South Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The line runs between the Gray's Ferry
neighborhood and the vicinity of Pier 70 along the Delaware River
. Route 29 was a streetcar line until 1950 and a trolley bus line until 2003.
, Route 29 runs primarily along one-way streets. Eastbound buses run primarily along Morris Street, while westbound buses run primarily along Tasker Street. The west end of the Tasker Street segment turns north at 33rd Street, then east at Dickinson Street, then south at 32nd Street before heading east to Morris Street. Recent redevelopment of the Gray's Ferry area has disrupted this pattern.
At 25th Street, a viaduct above the two streets is for a former Pennsylvania Railroad
rail spur designed to serve neighborhood industries. Major intersections along this line include 22nd Street, and Broad Street
and connect to Tasker-Morris Station on the Broad Street Subway Line. The next major crossings are at 12th and 11th Streets which carry the southbound and northbound segments of SEPTA Route 23
. Route 23 was also a former streetcar line that was downgraded to a bus route in 1992. This line spanned from South Philadelphia to Chestnut Hill
in Northwest Philadelphia
. Passyunk Avenue runs southwest to northeast in between these two intersections.
The one location where the eastbound and westbound buses share a street is on Tasker Street between Front Street and Columbus Boulevard. Eastbound buses turn south on Front Street along I-95
, and then east towards Pier 70, at a shopping center called Snyder Plaza, where it turns back north to Tasker Street and heads west again. Connections at Pier 70 include 7, 25, 64, and 79. All buses are ADA
-compliant, and contain bicycle racks.
, 66
, 75
, and 79, the Route 29 trolley bus was downgraded to a diesel bus route in 2003. Trolley buses were used in service on Route 29 for the last time in mid-February 2003, on an unrecorded date between February 15 and February 22. A temporary route change, necessitated by major construction in the area, which detoured the service onto streets not equipped with overhead trolley wires
, took effect on February 23, requiring diesel buses to take over all Route 29 service for an initially indefinite period. However, because of heavy snowfall and other factors the week before the route change, the actual last use of trolley buses on this route may have been as early as the 15th.
Trolley bus service on Routes 59, 66 and 75 was restored in 2008. A proposal to restore trolleybus service along Route 29 (along with 79) was considered by SEPTA in 2006, after the authority had placed an order for 38 new trolley buses for (only) Routes 59, 66 and 75. However, in October 2006 the authority's board voted against any further consideration of purchasing new trolley buses to allow Routes 29 or 79 to be restored, a decision that effectively eliminated the possibility that trolley bus service might return to route 29 (or 79).
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
and trolley bus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
(trackless trolley in local terminology) line and current 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...
route, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
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) in South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
, 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...
. The line runs between the Gray's Ferry
Grays Ferry, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Grays Ferry, also known as Gray's Ferry, is a neighborhood in South Philadelphia bounded by 25th Street on the east, the Schuylkill River on the west, Vare Avenue on the south, and Grays Ferry Avenue on the north. The section of this neighborhood west of 34th Street is also known as The Forgotten...
neighborhood and the vicinity of Pier 70 along the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. Route 29 was a streetcar line until 1950 and a trolley bus line until 2003.
Description
Unlike the nearby SEPTA Route 79SEPTA Route 79
SEPTA Route 79 is a former trolley bus and current bus route, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The line runs between the Point Breeze neighborhood and the vicinity of Pier 70 along the Delaware River...
, Route 29 runs primarily along one-way streets. Eastbound buses run primarily along Morris Street, while westbound buses run primarily along Tasker Street. The west end of the Tasker Street segment turns north at 33rd Street, then east at Dickinson Street, then south at 32nd Street before heading east to Morris Street. Recent redevelopment of the Gray's Ferry area has disrupted this pattern.
At 25th Street, a viaduct above the two streets is for a former Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
rail spur designed to serve neighborhood industries. Major intersections along this line include 22nd Street, and Broad Street
Broad Street (Philadelphia)
Broad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is nearly 13 miles long.It is Pennsylvania Route 611 along its entire length with the exception of its northernmost part between Old York Road and Pennsylvania Route 309 and the southernmost part south of Interstate 95...
and connect to Tasker-Morris Station on the Broad Street Subway Line. The next major crossings are at 12th and 11th Streets which carry the southbound and northbound segments of 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...
. Route 23 was also a former streetcar line that was downgraded to a bus route in 1992. This line spanned from South Philadelphia to Chestnut Hill
Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chestnut Hill is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Boundaries:Chestnut Hill is bounded as follows:...
in Northwest Philadelphia
Northwest Philadelphia
Northwest Philadelphia is a section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The official boundary is Stenton Avenue to the north, the Schuylkill river to the south, Spring Ln to the west, and Wister Street to the east. The area is divided by Wissahickon Creek into two subsections...
. Passyunk Avenue runs southwest to northeast in between these two intersections.
The one location where the eastbound and westbound buses share a street is on Tasker Street between Front Street and Columbus Boulevard. Eastbound buses turn south on Front Street along I-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"...
, and then east towards Pier 70, at a shopping center called Snyder Plaza, where it turns back north to Tasker Street and heads west again. Connections at Pier 70 include 7, 25, 64, and 79. All buses are ADA
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
-compliant, and contain bicycle racks.
End of trolley bus service
Along with SEPTA Routes 59SEPTA Route 59
SEPTA Route 59 is a trackless trolley line that runs from the Market–Frankford Line at Margaret-Orthodox Station's Arrott Terminal to Bells Corner in Rhawnhurst, primarily along Oxford and Castor Avenues...
, 66
SEPTA Route 66
SEPTA Route 66 is a trolleybus route in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It connects the Market–Frankford Line at the Frankford Transportation Center to either Morrell Park, Torresdale, or Holmesburg, primarily along Frankford Avenue, which includes and the historic,...
, 75
SEPTA Route 75
SEPTA Route 75 is a trolleybus route in North and Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It connects to the Market–Frankford Line at Margaret-Orthodox Station, and runs primarily along Wyoming Avenue...
, and 79, the Route 29 trolley bus was downgraded to a diesel bus route in 2003. Trolley buses were used in service on Route 29 for the last time in mid-February 2003, on an unrecorded date between February 15 and February 22. A temporary route change, necessitated by major construction in the area, which detoured the service onto streets not equipped with overhead trolley wires
Overhead 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...
, took effect on February 23, requiring diesel buses to take over all Route 29 service for an initially indefinite period. However, because of heavy snowfall and other factors the week before the route change, the actual last use of trolley buses on this route may have been as early as the 15th.
Trolley bus service on Routes 59, 66 and 75 was restored in 2008. A proposal to restore trolleybus service along Route 29 (along with 79) was considered by SEPTA in 2006, after the authority had placed an order for 38 new trolley buses for (only) Routes 59, 66 and 75. However, in October 2006 the authority's board voted against any further consideration of purchasing new trolley buses to allow Routes 29 or 79 to be restored, a decision that effectively eliminated the possibility that trolley bus service might return to route 29 (or 79).