Streetcars they desire

Clang clang clang went the trolley. Ding ding ding went the bell. Several local community members are in the process of rolling out a plan to make trolleys the transportation system of choice in University City. While many SEPTA services extend across the Schuylkill River from Center City -- primarily the Market-Frankford line and the five subway-surface trolley lines -- there are few options for those who want to travel within University City. However, area residents hope to create trolley service from Spruce Hill, the neighborhood immediately southwest of Penn's campus, to Powelton Village, located north of Market Street near Drexel University. Trolleys would pass through the ever-expanding 40th Street shopping corridor and run along Baltimore Avenue, home to many of West Philadelphia's eclectic restaurants and shops. And by using the SEPTA tracks that already exist on many neighborhood streets, the project costs could be kept relatively low. "We would require very little new track construction to pull it off," Spruce Hill Community Association President Barry Grossbach said. But despite this, he noted that the project would still be an expensive one: Refurbishing the old SEPTA trolleys could cost as much as $1 million per car. The historic trolleys that planners hope to acquire for the project were once used by SEPTA on its North Philadelphia routes, according to University City District Executive Director Paul Steinke. And some of them, he said, were purchased by the city of San Francisco and are now being used on its famous trolley lines. Planners are currently working to raise enough funds to support a feasibility study on the project, which would provide detailed cost and ridership estimates for the proposed line. "We're trying to get it off the ground," said Grossbach, one of the project's leaders. "And we hope to make some substantial progress within the next few months." Grossbach is organizing the trolley proposal along with Jack Shannon, an area resident and the University's managing director of economic development, and a representative of University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Several other local community associations have also offered their support for the idea. According to Grossbach, the feasibility study is a necessary first step because it will provide SEPTA, the city and potential funding sources with accurate estimates of the project's cost and usefulness. And while the study will reveal some valuable information, Grossbach said there is no question that the project will have support throughout the community. "We know the desire is there," he said. "It's one of the few things out there that has met with universal appeal." Steinke praised the idea for the new service as a positive addition to University City. "I think it's a fabulous opportunity to take advantage of one of the unique attributes of our community," he said.

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