SEPTA Route 23

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Route 23 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 Chestnut Hill and South Philadelphia neighborhoods via Germantown Avenue, 11th, 12th Streets. Route 23 is Philadelphia's the longest streetcar route^{[citation needed]}, and was one of three "suspended" by the SEPTA board in 1992. The two others, routes 15 and 56, were then also operated by buses.

[edit] Route

Route 23 Runs from South Philadelphia, through Center City north on 11th Street and south on 12th Street, Route 23 continues northwest on Germantown Avenue through North Philadelphia, and Mount Airy to Chestnut Hill. The southern terminus is at the intersection of Broad Street and Oregon Avneue, while the northern terminus is currently located at the intersection of Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike Loop.

[edit] History

On 5 September 1976, the Route 23 trolleys were moved from Germantown Depot to Luzerne Depot, making Luzerne the operating depot for the six remaining North Philadelphia streetcar routes: 6, 23, 50, 53, 56, and 60. A pamphlet was issued by SEPTA informing the Route 23 operators of this change. After the move, the route's traditional electric street cars were replaced with "air cars", which incorporated the use of pressurized air to power certain aspects of the vehicle in order to provide greater reliability on Germantown Avenue's hills. By this time, only two trolley lines operated from Luzerne: routes 23 and 56. Along these last two routes, diesels buses were often substituted for months at at time, whenever utility construction occurred along those routes. Gone were the days when contractors were instructed to work around the streetcars. It was simply easier to suspend trolley service.

In 1992, the street car service along route 23 was suspended and replaced by bus service.