Route of the Week - 50
April 25, 2016
4/25/16 - 5/1/2016
Published April 25, 2016
Our Route of the Week is the SEPTA Route 50, which travels from Frankford Transportation Center to Parx Casino in Bensalem. The Route 50 also makes a stop at Philadelphia Mills Mall. As you can image, this makes the Route 50 pretty popular. In fact, last year the Route 50 traveled 24,561 miles and carried 124,540 riders.
Back in the day, SEPTA’s Route 50 originated out of Luzerne Depot, which is no longer in use. Now, that site acts as a cardboard recycling plant while the Route 50 calls the Comly District home. This route once ran from Fox Chase on Oxford Avenue, as well as through Lawndale along Rising Sun Avenue. For a brief period if time, it also shared tracks with former SEPTA Trolley Route 47. The Route 50 line then ran southbound down 6th Street to and from its southern terminus of 6th Street & Oregon Avenue. In 1976, this line used the 1934 Blackpool England "Boat Car" trolley during the Bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence.
1934 Blackpool England "Boat Car" trolley in Philadelphia
The Route 50 utilized streetcars until October 1985, when buses took over on the 50. Today, SEPTA’s Route 50 travels 943 miles a day and carries 2,395 passengers daily.
