Route 15
Girard Avenue Trolley
SEPTA PCC II operating on the Route 15
Overview
StatusTemporarily suspended, bus shuttle
LocalePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Termini
Stations64 stops
Service
TypeLight rail
Operator(s)SEPTA
Depot(s)Callowhill
Rolling stockSEPTA PCC II
Daily ridership9,032 (ave. weekday, FY 2019)[1]
History
Opened1859; 2005
Closed1992-2005; 2020–2023
Technical
Line length8.4 miles (13.5 km)[2][3]
Track gauge5 ft 2+1⁄2 in (1,588 mm) Pennsylvania trolley gauge[4][5]
ElectrificationOverhead line, 600 V DC
Route map
Richmond & Westmoreland
Loop
 Richmond & Allegheny
 60 
Allegheny Avenue
to 35th / Allegheny
I-95.svg I-95
 Richmond & Cambria
 Richmond & Somerset
Conrail Port Richmond Branch
 Richmond & Lehigh
 Richmond & Huntingdon
 Richmond & Cumberland
 Richmond & Girard
I-95.svg I-95
 Girard & Aramingo
 Girard & Berks
 Girard & Palmer
 Girard & Columbia
 Girard & Frankford
Frankford & Delaware
(Northern Liberties Loop)
 Frankford & Richmond
I-95.svg I-95
Girard & Front
MFL
 Girard & 2nd
 Girard & 3rd
 Girard & 4th
 50  to 5th / Ritner
 Girard & 5th
 50 
to Knorr Loop
(Rising Sun / Knorr)
 Girard & 7th
 47 
to Godfrey Loop
(5th / Godfrey)
 Girard & 8th
 47  to 9th / Wolf
 Girard & 11th
 23 
to Bethlehem
Loop
 Girard & 12th
 23  to 10th / Bigler
 Girard & Broad
BSL
 Girard & 16th
 Girard & 17th
 Girard & Ridge
 Girard & 19th
 Girard & 20th
 Girard & Corinthian
 College & 24th
 Poplar & 25th
 Poplar & Stillman
 Poplar & 26th
 Girard & 26th
 Girard & 27th
 Girard & 28th
 Girard & 29th
 Girard & 31st
 Girard & 33rd
 Girard & 34th
Schuylkill River
I-76.svgUS 30.svg I-76 /
US 30
Schuylkill Expressway
Girard & 39th
 Girard & 40th
to Subway-
Surface lines
 Girard & 41st
 Girard & 42nd
Harrisburg–Philadelphia THO
 Girard & Belmont
 Girard & Merion
 10 
Lancaster Avenue
to 13th Street (Subway)
 Girard & Lancaster
 10 
Lancaster Avenue
to 63rd / Malvern
 Girard & 49th
 Girard & 51st
 Girard & 52nd
 Girard & 54th
 Girard & 56th
 Girard & 57th
 Girard & 59th from Callowhill Depot
 Girard & 60th
South to Callowhill Depot
North to Lansdowne Avenue
 Haverford│Girard
(
Haddington
Loop
)
 61st
 62nd
Passing Siding
63rd to Felton
 63rd
non-revenue track
to 63rd & Lansdowne  10 

Route 15, the Girard Avenue Line, is a trolley line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) along Girard Avenue through North and West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As of 2007, it is the only surface trolley line in the City Transit Division that is not part of the Subway–Surface Trolley Lines (although it is designated as such on SEPTA's rail maps). SEPTA PCC II vehicles 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, with extensions in 1902 and 1903.[6] Service was "bustituted" 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.

On April 29, 2012, the east of Frankford Ave the line started being operated by buses due to major reconstruction; west of Frankford is still run by PCC II. Trolleys terminated at Frankford and Delaware Avenues (Northern Liberties Loop) while buses terminated at Girard Station under the Market-Frankford Line. As of January 2020, the full line is being substituted by a bus bridge to allow for rolling stock maintenance, track repairs, and a nearby highway expansion. Trolley service was originally anticipated to return in late 2021.[7] As of August 2023, six of the 18 cars have been restored,[8] and SEPTA expects that trolleys will be in service in the fall of 2023.[9]

Route

The Girard Avenue Line's 8.4 miles (13.5 km)[2][3][10] route runs along Girard Avenue and Richmond Street. The western terminus of Route 15 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), where both Girard Avenue and Route 15 briefly overlap, along with the SEPTA Route 10 trolley. The line leaves Lancaster Avenue and resumes its way along Girard Avenue. After crossing over the Philadelphia–Harrisburg 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 over the Girard Avenue Bridge.

After entering Brewerytown, 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 in the future, however SEPTA has removed all connecting track & overhead wires for Route 23 at this location in 2014 completely ending any connection to the North Philadelphia Trolley Network. Directly east of the SEPTA Main Line at 9th Street, 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.

In 2011, SEPTA completed a new loop for Route 15 at the intersection of Frankford and Delaware Avenues, reached via new trackage down Frankford from Girard. On April 29, 2012, SEPTA began using this loop. This loop is across from the Rivers Casino which opened in September 2010, and is also a natural turnback point due to high ridership turnover at Front Street and Girard for the Market-Frankford Line. The loop will be the temporary eastern terminus of Route 15 when SEPTA finishes replacing track on Richmond between Girard Ave and Ann Street between spring and late 2012, due to Interstate 95-related reconstruction along Richmond Street (see section below).[11]

Girard Avenue ends at Exit 23 on I-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 southwest corner of the intersection of Richmond Street and Westmoreland Street.

In addition to the Frankford and Delaware loop, two other short-turn loops exist: at 41st & Parkside, just west of the Philadelphia Zoo, and at 26th & Girard (a bidirectional "in-line" cutback utilizing 26th and Poplar Streets and Girard and College Avenues). No scheduled runs use these loops. Another such loop, located at Richmond Street & Cumberland Avenues, was frequently used when Richmond Street was 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. This loop has since been removed. 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 Assembly 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.[12] The line opened from Second Street to 31st Street[13] 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.[14]

Extensions were opened east to Palmer Street in 1866 (looping via Palmer, Beach, and Shackamaxon Streets[15]) and to Norris Street in 1875.[13] 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,[14] extending the line west to 60th Street in 1900.[13] 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.[14] 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,[13] and eventually replaced the Bridesburg Line entirely to Bridesburg. In 1992, SEPTA replaced trolley service along Routes 15, 23, and 56 with buses.

PCC cars were first introduced to Route 15 on Sundays (and later on Saturdays as well) in 1948 using postwar cars at Callowhill Depot that would have been otherwise idle on the weekend. They provided all service on the 15 in June 1955 after a cascade of postwar cars from other lines occurred when used PCC cars were purchased from St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri.[16] Service was cut back to Richmond & Westmoreland on February 24, 1956. PCCs provided all trolley service until SEPTA replaced the trolleys with buses on September 13, 1992. Trolley service returned briefly to Route 15 later in the 1990s using Kawasaki cars from Route 10 temporarily made surplus by water main replacement along the surface portion of Route 10.

2005 trolley restoration

The 15 line returned to trolley service on September 4, 2005 after having been served by buses for thirteen years.[17] To prepare for the resumption of trolley service, SEPTA spent a total of $100 million, including rehabilitating the tracks and repairs to the overhead wires. The rolling stock for Route 15 consists of PCC II cars, which are 1947 St. Louis Car-built PCC streetcars that had been completely rebuilt by the Brookville Equipment Company at a cost of $1.3 million per trolley in 2003-2004. 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.[18]

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.[19] 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.[20]

In 2018 a comprehensive analysis of SEPTA's surface operations called for abandonment of trolley operations citing the rail car's inability to get around double-parked cars and other obstacles.[21]

Port Richmond reconstruction and I-95

Route 15 east of the new Northern Liberties loop is being rebuilt as part of a reconstruction project for Interstate 95. The components of the I-95 project related to Route 15 include reconstruction of Girard Avenue's bridge over Aramingo Avenue, and widening and partial realignment of Richmond Street. All the tracks in these areas will be replaced, except for the Richmond & Cumberland loop which will be removed. Also part of the project is the construction of four separate bridges for Conrail tracks over a realigned Richmond Street to replace the low-clearance nuisance bridge left over from the former Port Richmond Yard. The new bridges, rationalized in width to current Conrail trackage, will provide much greater road clearance by virtue of being relocated away from underneath the I-95 viaduct. Route 15 east of Frankford Avenue to the Frankford and Delaware Avenue station and the SugarHouse Casino will be served by a shuttle bus for the duration of the project, which is expected to last through 2018.[22] On January 21, 2020, SEPTA officials announced that buses would be replacing the streetcars along the whole route for a period of at least 18 months.[23]

2020 redesign plans

Proposed new logo for the Girard Avenue Line under the SEPTA Metro wayfinding project[24]

In 2021, SEPTA proposed rebranding their rail transit service as "SEPTA Metro", in order to make the system easier to navigate. Under this proposal, services along the Girard Avenue Line will be rebranded as the "G" lines with a yellow color, with each service receiving a numeric suffix. Local service would become the G1 Girard Avenue Local.[25][24] In addition, there are plans to extend the 15 from 63rd Street and Girard Avenue further west to 69th Street Transportation Center. This route would follow the 30 route along Haverford Avenue and Cardington Road between 63rd-Girard and 69th Street Transportation Center. [26] Following a period of public comment, Route 15's proposed name was simplified to "G Line."[27]

Future rolling stock

In 2023, SEPTA awarded Alstom Transportation the contract to furbish 130 new low-floor trolleys, with an option for 30 more. The trolleys will be of Alstom's Citadis family and will be 80 feet in length and fully ADA-compliant, which the current PCC-II trolleys from their rebulid in early 2000's are. The trolleys will be distributed among SEPTA's Route 15 and its subway-surface lines in Philadelphia, and its Routes 101 and 102 in neighboring Delaware County. The first trolley is expected to be delivered from Alstom in the Spring of 2027, with the last trolley to be delivered some time in 2030.

2023 trolley restoration

As of July 7, 2023 the I-95 reroute work had been substantially completed, but trolley service not yet restored. The Billy Penn at WHYY Newsletter reported that SEPTA officials had stated that several of the now twice refurbished PCC-II cars were in testing on the route and "at least" eight would be ready by "the end of the summer [2023]." [...] "The plan is to use trolleys and buses to serve Route 15, which allows us to deploy the restored trolleys while maintaining frequency on the route,” a SEPTA spokesperson told Billy Penn.[28] As of August 2023, six of the cars has been restored, and SEPTA had announced a partial restoration of trolley service starting September 10, 2023.[8] However, citing the need for more operator training, the agency has delayed the restoration, though still expects to resume trolley service sometime in the fall of 2023.[9]

Stations

All stations are in the City of Philadelphia.

Neighborhood Station or stop Connections Notes
Haddington–
Carroll Park line		 63rd & Girard (EB) SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 31
63rd & Haverford (WB) SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 30, 31
62nd & Girard (EB)
62nd & Haverford (WB) SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 30
61st & Girard (EB)
61st & Haverford (WB) SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 30
60th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 30, 46
59th & Girard
57th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport G
56th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport G
54th & Girard
52nd & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 52
Mill Creek–
Cathedral Park line		 51st & Girard
49th & Girard
Girard & Lancaster (EB) SEPTA Trolleys: SEPTA Trolleys 10
Merion & Girard
Belmont & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 43
Parkside 42nd & Girard
41st & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 40
40th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 38, 40
39th & Girard
34th & Girard Access to Philadelphia Zoo
Fairmount–
Brewerytown line		 33rd & Girard (WB) SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 32
31st & Girard
29th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 7, 48, 49
28th & Girard
27th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 7
26th & Girard
Poplar & 26th (EB) SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 32
Stillman & Poplar (EB)
25th & Poplar (WB)
Fairmount–
Cecil B. Moore line		 24th & College
Corinthian & Girard
20th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 33
19th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 33
Ridge & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 61
17th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 2
16th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 2
Broad & Girard SEPTA Rapid Transit: BSL Broad Street Line (at Girard)
SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 4, 16
West Poplar–
Yorktown line		 12th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 23
11th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 23
Poplar–
Ludlow line		 8th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 47
7th & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 47
5th & Girard
Northern Liberties–
Olde Kensington line		 4th & Girard (WB) SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 57
3rd & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 5, 57
2nd & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 5
Front & Girard SEPTA Rapid Transit: MFL Market–Frankford Line (at Girard)
SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 5
Fishtown Frankford & Girard SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 5, 25
Richmond & Frankford SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 25
Frankford & Delaware SEPTA City Bus: Bus transport 25, 43 Access to The Fillmore

References

  1. ↑ "Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. May 2013. p. 40. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-09-22. Retrieved 2014-06-19.
  2. 1 2 "SEPTA - Spring 2012 Route Statistics" (PDF). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-24. Retrieved 2013-06-28.
  3. 1 2 "SEPTA - Media Guide" (PDF). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-17. Retrieved 2013-07-17.
  4. ↑ "The history of trolley cars and routes in Philadelphia". SEPTA. June 1, 1974. p. 2. Retrieved 2014-06-11. An early city ordinance prescribed that all tracks were to have a gauge of 5' 21⁄4".
  5. ↑ Hilton, George W.; Due, John Fitzgerald (January 1, 2000). The Electric Interurban Railways in America. Stanford University Press. ISBN 9780804740142. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
  6. ↑ "1974 SEPTA Trolley History Brochure". Philadelphia Trolley Tracks (PhillyTrolleys.org). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. 1974. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  7. ↑ Sasko, Claire (22 January 2020). "SEPTA Says the Historic Route 15 Trolleys Will Return Late Next Year". PhiladelphiaMagazine.com. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  8. 1 2 Sharber, Cory (16 August 2023). "SEPTA's Route 15 historic trolleys to return Sept. 10". WHYY. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  9. 1 2 Saunders, Brian (7 September 2023). "Return of SEPTA's classic trolleys delayed until later this fall". PhillyVoice. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  10. ↑ "Cash-short SEPTA presses on with capital program". Railway Age. October 1, 2004.
  11. ↑ "2012 Route 15 Rail Renewal". Philadelphia Trolley Tracks (PhillyTrolleys.org). Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  12. ↑ Public Laws 241 and 242 of 1859 and 1862 of 1861, reprinted in Law Department of the City of Philadelphia, A Digest of Laws Relating to the City of Pennsylvania, 1865, pp. 111–113 (appendix)
  13. 1 2 3 4 Demery Jr., Leroy W. (November 2011). "U.S. Urban Rail Transit Lines Opened From 1980" (PDF). publictransit.us. pp. 37–40. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-04. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  14. 1 2 3 American Street Railway Investments, a Supplement to the Street Railway Journal, 1897, p. 198, 200, 204
  15. ↑ William B. Atkinson, The Philadelphia Medical Register and Directory, 1875
  16. ↑ Schneider, Fred W. III; Carlson, Stephen P. (1983). PCC From Coast to Coast: Interurbans Special 86. Glendale, California: Interurban Press. pp. 144, 152. ISBN 0-916374-57-2.
  17. ↑ "Route of the Week - 15". www.iseptaphilly.com. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
  18. ↑ "Philadelphia's PCCs Return to Service." Railway Age. Vol. 205, No. 10, p. 30. October 1, 2005.
  19. ↑ citypaper.net Archived 2015-10-01 at the Wayback Machine Amy L. Webb (2004). "Communication Breakdown." Philadelphia City Paper. September 30, 2004.
  20. ↑ "Changing Skyline: Welcome Back Girard Avenue A Street Reborn" Philadelphia Inquirer January 9, 2004.
  21. ↑ Saska, Jim (21 June 2018). "Overhauling its bus network may be on SEPTA's schedule soon". WHYY.org. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  22. ↑ "SEPTA Route 15 Trolley Detour in Fishtown, Port Richmond". 95revive.com. PennDOT District 6. January 2016. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2014-02-26. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
  23. ↑ "SEPTA taking Girard Ave. trolley off the rails; 78 percent of fleet can't pass inspection". January 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  24. 1 2 "Wayfinding Recommendations". SEPTA. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  25. ↑ Vitarelli, Alicia; Staff (September 7, 2021). "SEPTA Metro? Transit agency mulling big changes including new name, map, and signage". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  26. ↑ "SEPTA Bus Revolution proposed network". SEPTA. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Design Concept Feedback". planning.septa.org. SEPTA. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  28. ↑ Prihar, Asher (2023-07-07). ""Historic trolleys will return to Girard Avenue service in September, SEPTA says"". Billy Penn at WHYY. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
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