From: sfsmith@pennsas.upenn.edu (Sandy F. Smith, Jr.)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Death Announcement: SEPTA Trolleys in North Philadelphia
Date: 14 Aug 92 19:32:40 GMT
Organization: University of Pennsylvania

As of yesterday (8/13/92), it's official:  the world's longest trolley line
will be no more.

SEPTA and the City of Philadelphia have agreed to a SEPTA proposal to
eliminate streetcar service on the three surviving trolley routes served from
North Philadelphia's Luzerne Depot:  Route 15 (Aramingo & Westmoreland<->63rd
& Girard), Route 53 (15th & Erie<->Torresdale), and the aforementioned line,
Route 23 (Chestnut Hill<->10th & Bigler in South Philadelphia).  Luzerne
Depot itself, which dates to 1916, will be razed.

The justification for this move (accroding to SEPTA) is twofold:  the three
routes are served exclusively by PCC cars, which, despite extensive rebuilding
in the early 1980s, are becoming increasingly costly to maintain, and the
continuing recession, which has eaten into SEPTA's ridership and revenues,
dictates drastic cost-saving measures systemwide.  (One such move is a pro-
posal to sharply cut back or eliminate altogether evening and weekend service
on many of the Regional Rail lines, which the City strongly opposes.)

The City originally opposed the move to eliminate streetcars as well, and
SEPTA did grant one (politically) significant concession: a small fleet of
four PCC cars will continue to work the Chestnut Hill end of Route 23, as a 
sop to residents concerned with maintaining the character of Philadelphia's
toniest neighborhood.  But the City dropped its opposition after receiving
the following commitments in writing from SEPTA:

1) A new carhouse will be built on the Luzerne Depot site beginning in 1994.
2) SEPTA will order new light rail vehicles, similar to those in service on
   the Subway-Surface lines to West and Southwest Philadelphia, for North
   Philadelphia service.
3) These new vehicles will be placed in service on the three abandoned routes
   by 1996.

All well and good, but past experience with SEPTA suggests that once a trolley
line is killed, it stays dead.  Some examples:

* After eliminating streetcars on Route 60 (Allegheny Avenue), the City 
proposed a demonstration project that would rebuild Allegheny Avenue with
a reserved median for trolleys.  This proposal went nowhere.

* In response to some citizens' concerns, the City did not repave 4th and 5th
Streets after SEPTA eliminated trolleys on Route 50 in the early 1980's.  
The wires were removed in the mid-'80's, but the tracks remained in place, 
and occasional noises were made about restoring service to the line.  This
year, the block of 5th Street next to Independence Hall has been repaved with
paving stones -- and no provision for streetcar tracks.

BTW, in a bit of bitter irony, the Kawasaki streetcars placed in service on
the Subway-Surface routes in 1981 are equipped with roll signs that include
all the routes listed above.

Despite obvious problems with operating streetcars on this city's narrow
streets, IMHO, there is still plenty of room for streetcars in Philadelphia's
transit mix; given enlightened City policies and a stronger committment from
SEPTA, they might even flourish.  I think the City could be persuaded on the
former; I hold little hope for the latter.
___________________
Sandy F. Smith, Jr.
Graduate Division, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania
16 College Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6378.  (Opinions mine, not Penn's)
Internet: sfsmith@pennsas.upenn.edu
 
"The God I serve don't make no trash!" -- Rev. Emanuel Cleaver, Mayor, City
of Kansas City, Mo.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad