Route 56 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator | Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Began service | 1907 (first) TBD (second) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ended service | 1992 (as a streetcar line) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Route | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Philadelphia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Communities served | Nicetown, Hunting Park, Juniata Park, Frankford, Tacony | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Start | Venango Loop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Via | Erie Avenue, Torresdale Avenue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
End | Torresdale-Cottman Loop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Length | 7.9 miles (12.7 km) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Journey time | 45 minutes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ridership | 3,008,278 (FY19) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SEPTA's Trolley Route 56, the Erie and Torresdale Avenues Line, is a former streetcar line that is now served by bus. It is operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The line runs between the Tioga and Tacony neighborhoods primarily along Erie Avenue and Torresdale Avenue. Route 56 was one of three "suspended" by the SEPTA board effective June 12, 1992. The two others, Routes 15 and 23, were then also operated by buses as of the same year; however, the Route 15 Trolley has since been restored back to trolley as of September 5, 2005.
Route 56 begins at West Hunting Park Avenue and 23rd Street, better known as the Venango Street Loop. Five blocks later at Pulaski Avenue, SEPTA Route 53 joins Route 56 along Erie Avenue. Route 53 is another former streetcar line that was converted into a bus route. Both routes intersect with Broad Street and connect to Erie Station on the Broad Street Subway Line, as well as Germantown Avenue, which carries Route 23. Route 53 leaves Erie Avenue at 10th Street turning north toward Luzerne Carhouse, while Route 56 continues towards its eastbound destination. Route 53's original terminus was the Luzerne Carhouse, which was shared by Route 56 for storage. East of Sedgley Avenue near 2nd Street, Route 56 runs parallel to the Trenton Line on the line's north side. The east corners of the intersection of Front Street, contain sites such as St. Christopher's Hospital and a local ball park known as Lighthouse Field.
When Route 56 meets Erie-Torresdale Station at Kensington Avenue in Juniata Park, Erie Avenue turns into Torresdale Avenue. The station is an elevated section of the Market-Frankford Line above Kensington Avenue. East of the station, a loop for Route 56 exists on the south side of the intersections of East Hunting Park Avenue and Frankford Avenue, which includes bridges over Tacony Creek for Torresdale and Frankford Avenues. While most of Erie Avenue and Torresdale Avenue between Kensington and Frankford Avenues contain visible signs of the former streetcar line within the pavement, east of this loop few remnants of the former trolley line remain.
South of the line, Bridge Street and Harbison Avenue both lead to Bridesburg (SEPTA station) and I-95, although Harbison Avenue is better able to handle the traffic. Robbins and Levick Streets lead to and from the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge as do two streets at the terminus of the line. Disston Street is an otherwise non-notable residential street that leads to Tacony (SEPTA station). Prior to the line's eastern terminus, Torresdale Avenue becomes part of eastbound PA 73, which turns onto southbound Princeton Avenue on its way to I-95 and the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. The line finally ends at the Torresdale-Cottman Loop, on the corner of Torresdale and Cottman Avenues, where the eastbound and westbound sections of PA 73 merge.
Route 56 was established in 1907 and originally ran from the intersection of West Hunting Park Avenue and Pulaski Avenue then down Pulaski to Erie where it ended at 2nd Street. As with all trolleys in Philadelphia, its rail gauge was 5 ft 2+1⁄4 in (1,581 mm). [1] [2] In 1926, the western terminus was moved to its present location; in 1928, the eastern terminus was moved northeast to the Torresdale-Cottman Loop.
In March 1941, the line was re-equipped with PCC cars, which provided all trolley service until 1992. [3]
Route 56 was suspended as a trolley in 1992, and replaced by bus service, along with Route 23. During 1994, fan trips were provided by Brill Built #8534 & Kawasaki LRV #9111 trolleys, revealing dedicated lanes on Erie, such as the right-of-way on Toronto's 512 St. Clair line. In 1997, SEPTA attempted to make this suspension permanent, but cancelled the proposal after public outcry from commuters. As of 2009, all buses are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and contain bicycle racks. "Night Owl" service is also available. [4] In 2014, SEPTA general manager Joe Casey stated in an interview that there are currently no plans to restore trolley routes 23 and 56 due to the need to address SEPTA's backlog of deferred State of Good Repair projects for the system. [5] However, SEPTA's Subway-Surface Trolley replacement project will include studying the possibility of restoring route 56 as well as routes 23 and 45 to light rail. [6]
The Broad Street Line (BSL)—also known as the Broad Street subway (BSS), Orange Line, or Broad Line—is a subway line owned by the city of Philadelphia and operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The line runs primarily north-south from the Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia through Center City Philadelphia to NRG station at Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia; the latter station provides access to the stadiums and arenas for the city's major professional sports teams at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, about a quarter mile away. It is named for Broad Street, under which the line runs for almost its entire length.
Transportation in Philadelphia involves the various modes of transport within the city and its required infrastructure. In addition to facilitating intracity travel, Philadelphia's transportation system connects Philadelphia to towns of its metropolitan area and surrounding areas within the Northeast megalopolis.
The SEPTA subway–surface trolley lines are a collection of five SEPTA trolley lines that operate on street-level tracks in West Philadelphia and Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and also underneath Market Street in Philadelphia's Center City. The lines, Routes 10, 11, 13, 34, and 36, collectively operate on about 39.6 miles (63.7 km) of route.
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. SEPTA PCC II vehicles are used on the line.
Route 13, also known as the Chester Avenue Line, is a trolley line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) that connects the 13th Street station in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the Yeadon Loop in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, although limited service is available to the Darby Transportation Center in Darby, Pennsylvania. It is one of five lines that are part of the Subway-Surface Trolley system.
SEPTA's Subway-Surface Trolley Route 36 is a trolley line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) that connects the 13th Street station in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the Eastwick Loop station in Eastwick section of Southwest Philadelphia, although limited service is available to the Elmwood Carhouse. It is the longest of the five lines that are part of the Subway-Surface Trolley system, and was even longer between 1956 and 1962 when the western terminus was at 94th Street and Eastwick Avenue. From 1962 through the 1970s, it was at 88th Street and Eastwick Avenue, making the route 16.2 miles (26.1 km) long. Since 1975, it only goes as far as what was once 80th Street at the southern edge of the Penrose Plaza shopping center parking lot.
Route 10, also known as the Lancaster Avenue Line, is a trolley line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) that connects the 13th Street station in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the 63rd Street–Malvern Avenue station in the Overbrook section of West Philadelphia. It is one out of five lines that is part of the SEPTA's subway–surface trolley system and is 11.6 mi (18.7 km) long. It is the least used subway-surface trolley line, but unlike Route 11, the most used subway-surface trolley line, it has overnight service.
Juniata is a working class, predominantly Hispanic and Caucasian neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, which is a section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Juniata is located south of the Juniata Golf Club in Tacony Creek Park. It is bordered to the east by Frankford, to the west by Feltonville, and to the south by Harrowgate and Port Richmond. The neighborhood is bordered by G Street to the west, Juniata Park to the north, Tacony Creek to the east, and by SEPTA rail tracks to the south. Juniata shares the ZIP code of 19124 with the nearby neighborhood of Frankford.
19th Street station is a subway station in Philadelphia. It is located underneath Market Street in Center City Philadelphia, and serves all routes of the SEPTA subway–surface trolley lines. The station was opened by the Philadelphia Transportation Company in 1907.
Girard station is an elevated rapid transit station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line. It is located at the corner of Front Street and Girard Avenue in the Fishtown neighborhood.
Erie–Torresdale station is an elevated rapid transit station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, served by the SEPTA Market–Frankford Line. It is located at the intersection of Kensington, Erie, and Torresdale avenues in the Juniata neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia. The station is also served by SEPTA City Bus routes 3 and 56, both of which are former trolley lines.
The City Transit Division of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) operates almost all of Philadelphia's public transit, including all 6 trolley, 3 trackless trolley and 70 bus lines within city limits. Some of the bordering municipalities are served by the City Transit division, despite not being part of the city. For example, Cheltenham Township has 13 city division routes and no Suburban Division ones. The City Transit division also operates the 400 Series routes which are designed to serve students attending schools in the city of Philadelphia.
U.S. Route 13 is a U.S. highway running from Fayetteville, North Carolina, north to Morrisville, Pennsylvania. The route runs for 49.36 mi (79.44 km) through the Philadelphia metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route enters the state from Delaware in Marcus Hook, Delaware County. It continues northeast through Delaware County, passing through the city of Chester before heading through suburban areas along Chester Pike to Darby. US 13 enters the city of Philadelphia on Baltimore Avenue and runs through West Philadelphia to University City, where it turns north along several city streets before heading east across the Schuylkill River along Girard Avenue. The route turns north and heads to North Philadelphia, where it runs northeast along Hunting Park Avenue. US 13 becomes concurrent with US 1 on Roosevelt Boulevard, continuing into Northeast Philadelphia. US 13 splits southeast on a one-way pair of streets before heading northeast out of the city on Frankford Avenue. The route continues into Bucks County as Bristol Pike, heading northeast to Bristol, where it turns into a divided highway. US 13 becomes a freeway in Tullytown and continues north to its terminus at US 1 in Falls Township, near Morrisville. US 13 roughly parallels Interstate 95 (I-95) through its course in Pennsylvania.
SEPTA Trolley Route 23 is a former streetcar line now operated with buses. It is operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The line runs between the Chestnut Hill and Center City neighborhoods via Germantown Avenue, 11th, and 12th Streets.
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 (SEPTA) in Northwest and Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It connects to the East Falls to the Port Richmond, and runs primarily along Allegheny Avenue.
SEPTA Route 66 is a trackless trolley route in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It connects the Market–Frankford Line at the Frankford Transportation Center to Wissinoming, Mayfair, Holmesburg, and Torresdale along Frankford Avenue, which is US 13 and includes the historic, colonial Frankford Avenue Bridge.
Elmwood Carhouse is a SEPTA Subway–Surface Trolley Carbarn was constructed in 1981 to house the current Kawasaki LRVs that run on Subway-Surface Routes 11, 13, 34 & 36. Route 10 which also uses Kawasaki LRVs was housed here from September 1992 until September 2005, now with the return of Surface Streetcar Trolley Route 15 back to streetcar operations, Route 10 returned back to Callowhill Carhouse.
SEPTA Route 53 is a former street car line and current bus route, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The line runs between the West Mount Airy and Hunting Park neighborhoods primarily along Wayne Avenue.
SEPTA Trolley Route 50 is a former streetcar line that was operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
Cheltenham Avenue is a major east-west road in Southeastern Pennsylvania. It is served by many SEPTA bus routes, trolleys, regional rail, and subway. Cheltenham Avenue is designated an unsigned quadrant route numbered State Route 2035 in its western section. It also is a major borderline; it defines the border between Springfield and Cheltenham townships, and Cheltenham Township and the City of Philadelphia, with the latter also being the Montgomery County and Philadelphia County. A section of the road along the Philadelphia–Cheltenham border is part of Pennsylvania Route 309.
An early city ordinance prescribed that all tracks were to have a gauge of 5' 21⁄4"