


The first bus route was Route A, established in 1923 between Center City Philadelphia and Frankford Terminal via Strawberry Mansion, Hunting Park Avenue, and Roosevelt Boulevard. Many of the numbered routes were once lettered or named bus routes. Many of today's bus and trackless trolley routes were once streetcar lines. The former Philadelphia Suburban Transit Company's Red Arrow Lines followed on January 29, 1970, after which SEPTA designated the city services as its "City Transit Division". SEPTA was created in 1962, and purchased PTC's transit operations on September 30, 1968. National City Lines (NCL) took over management of the PTC on March 1, 1955, and began a program of converting streetcar lines to bus routes. A new Philadelphia Transportation Company was formed in 1940 to assume PRT's business. Mitten, PRT itself went bankrupt in 1939. In 1902 UTC went bankrupt it was reorganized as the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company (PRT) on July 1.ĭespite efforts by Thomas E. The following year they consolidated as the Union Traction Company (UTC). In 1895 these companies began amalgamating into three large operations: the Electric Traction Company, the People's Traction Company, and the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC). Transit in Philadelphia began with multiple independent horse car, cable, and traction companies, including the privately established entities: Philadelphia Passenger Railway Company, the Thirteenth & Fifteenth Street Passenger Railway Company, West Philadelphia Passenger Railway Company, etc. The City Transit Division is broken down into seven districts (Allegheny, Callowhill, Comly, Elmwood, Frankford, Midvale, and Southern) and Contract Operations. The City Transit division also operates the 400 Series routes which are designed to serve students attending schools in the city of Philadelphia. For example, Cheltenham Township has 13 city division routes and no Suburban Division ones. Some of the bordering municipalities are served by the City Transit division, despite not being part of the city. The City Transit Division of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) operate almost all of Philadelphia's public transit, including all six trolley, three trackless trolley, and 70 bus lines within city limits. SEPTA NovaBus LFSA #8648 waits at 12th & Vine Streets in Center City Philadelphiaġ234 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
