Getting to Green: Route XH
July 8, 2024
SEPTA partnered with Mural Arts and Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) on Getting to Green: Routes to Roots - a multidisciplinary public art project aimed at inspiring Philadelphia residents to use public transportation [aka SEPTA] to explore the city’s green spaces. Through unique artwork including hand-drawn maps - riders are encouraged to discover new pathways and routes.
You might be surprised by how quickly you can travel from urban areas to green spaces on SEPTA.
Route XH covers a distance of approximately 7 miles and links Broad-Erie to Cheltenham-Ogontz while serving the Tiogan and East Mount Airy neighborhoods. This route traverses three major roads - Cheltenham Avenue, Greene Street, and Washington Lane - as it winds through the city's Northwest section. Notably - XH connects with the Chestnut Hill East Line at Washington Lane Station and also with the Broad Street Line at Erie Station - providing seamless access to Center City and South Philadelphia. Notable destinations served by Route XH include Germantown Friends School, Drexel School of Medicine, Awbury Arboretum, and Greenleaf at Cheltenham.
On weekdays - Route XH operates 111 trips and accommodates 2,390 passengers. It averages 76 trips on weekends. What sets Route XH apart is that it is one of seven lettered bus routes and the only one with two letters. That being said - in 2025 - Route XH will be discontinued and replaced by Route 81 as part of the new bus network.
Route XH stops at Washington Lane Station on the Chestnut Hill East Line which is a short walk to Awbury Arboretum - a free public garden and farm serving the historic Germantown neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia.
Awbury was originally the summer estate of the Cope family. Henry Cope - a Quaker shipping merchant and prominent Philadelphia civic leader and abolitionist - purchased Awbury in 1852 and named the estate after the village of Avebury, England from which his family originally emigrated. Awbury soon became a year-round home for members of the extended Cope-Haines family. Various Victorian and Colonial Revival houses were built between 1860 and the 1920s forming a unique cultural landscape. Except for the Francis Cope House (1860-62) which serves as the Arboretum headquarters and the Carriage House - all of these are currently privately owned.
Awbury’s grounds were laid out in the 19th century in the English landscape garden tradition with the advice of the celebrated horticulturalist William Saunders - designer of the National Cemetery at the Gettysburg Battlefield and of the Capitol grounds in Washington, DC. Long vistas are framed by clusters of trees and shrubs which are interwoven with open space creating stunning visual contrasts.
Concern for the preservation of this piece of open space led to the establishment of the Arboretum in 1916 by members of the Cope family for public use as an arboretum for the “quiet enjoyment of nature” and for educational purposes. In 1984 - the Awbury Arboretum Association was established as a not-for-profit corporation entrusted with promoting the well-being of the Arboretum for the benefit of the community.
Today Awbury Arboretum is an extraordinary 56 acres of greenspace and is the largest remaining island of open space in this part of the city.
There is a pedestrian entrance to the Arboretum directly across from Washington Lane Station. From there - you can enjoy the pond and meadow. Follow Station Road towards the Cope House and AdventureWoods or cross Washington Lane to visit the Farm at Awbury. Click here to see a walking map of the grounds.
Don't miss the springhouse and pond where you will be met by the State Champion River Birch (Betula nigra). It is a standout among the 140 species of trees there - some more than 100 years old!
Keep kids of all ages busy counting frogs and exploring other wildlife on the grounds.
Now that you know the WAY TO GO - here are the WAYS TO PAY:
Bus fare is $2.50 cash [exact change required] or $2 if you have a SEPTA Key card with Travel Wallet or have one of these passes loaded to your SEPTA Key card: Monthly or Weekly TransPass or TrailPass, Convenience Pass, Neighborhood Flex Pass, or Anywhere FleX Pass.
No SEPTA Key card? No problem! Tap your contactless credit card, debit card, smart phone or watch to ride SEPTA buses, subways, and trolleys. Or check out SEPTA Key Tix - the new and convenient way to pay for transit using your smartphone!
And don't forget - Kids under 12 ride free when accompanied by an adult and Seniors 65+ ride free with a SEPTA Key Senior Fare Card!
Getting to Green: Routes to Roots is a collaboration between two local Philadelphia artists. Shira Walinsky has created over 40 murals in Philadelphia focusing on people and maps. Laura Deutch uses media and participatory art to explore connections between people, places, and their stories.
