# SEPTA Route 6

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Public transport route in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This article needs attention from an expert in Trains, Streetcars or Philadelphia. The specific problem is: Disputed year of establishment, and any other data. WikiProject Trains, WikiProject Streetcars or WikiProject Philadelphia may be able to help recruit an expert. (September 2011)

Route 6 Via Ogontz Avenue 1948 All-Electric PCC 2117 awaiting departure on former Surface Streetcar Trolley Route 6 at Olney Transportation Center in 1984 Overview Operator SEPTA Garage Luzerne Depot Vehicle PCC streetcar (to 1986), bus Began service 1907 or 1924 Ended service January 11-12, 1986 overnight (streetcar) Route Locale North Philadelphia to Willow Grove, Pennsylvania Communities served Olney, West Oak Lane, Germantown, Ogontz, Cheltenham Township, Willow Grove Start Olney Transportation Center Via Ogontz Avenue End Willow Grove Amusement Park Cheltenham & Ogontz Avenues Loop Length 2.9 miles (4.7 km) Service Ridership 1,783,200 (FY2019) Route 6 Trolley Legend formerly to Willow Grove Park Cheltenham Av Ogontz Av Champlost Av Nedro Av Broad St │ Park Av Olney Av BSL Tabor Rd Old York Rd to Luzerne Carhouse Diagram is not to scale This diagram: view talk edit ← {{{previous_line}}} {{{system_nav}}} {{{next_line}}} →

**Route 6**, also known as the **Ogontz Avenue Line** is a former [streetcar](/source/Tram) line and current [bus](/source/Bus) route, operated by [SEPTA](/source/SEPTA) in [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia), [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania).

## Route description

Route 6 begins at the [Olney Transportation Center](/source/Olney_Transportation_Center), a core station of the [Broad Street Line](/source/Broad_Street_Line), principally traversing Ogontz Avenue in [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia), crossing the City Line at [Cheltenham Avenue](/source/Cheltenham_Avenue), and then proceeding on private right-of-way down the middle of Limekiln Pike before running as a streetcar line on Keswick Avenue in [Glenside](/source/Glenside%2C_Pennsylvania), and then mostly side-of-the-road private right-of-way until reaching [Willow Grove Park](/source/Willow_Grove_Park). The line was fully double-tracked. Streetcar service to Willow Grove Park ended on June 8, 1958, when the Pennsylvania Highway Department (predecessor to the [Pennsylvania Department of Transportation](/source/Pennsylvania_Department_of_Transportation)) acquired portions of the private right-of-way on Limekiln Pike for construction of the soon to be built [Pennsylvania Route 309](/source/Pennsylvania_Route_309) Expressway. PCC streetcars were assigned to Route 6 beginning June 20, 1948. Route 6 was cut back to a loop and terminus at Ogontz & Cheltenham Avenues at the City Line. Starting on September 30, 1968, Route 6 streetcar service was transferred the new transit authority, [SEPTA](/source/SEPTA), and buses replaced Route 6 service on January 12, 1986.

## History

The Route 6 trolley, c. 1970s

The route in [Cheltenham Township](/source/Cheltenham_Township%2C_Montgomery_County%2C_Pennsylvania)

As one of the newer trolleys to be adopted by SEPTA, the Route 6 trolley was established by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company (PRT) in 1907, although some sources[1] claim it was established in 1924, as the Glenside Line between the Willow Grove Depot and the City Line and Ogontz Avenue via Limekiln Pike. In 1929 the line was extended to Broad Street and Olney Avenue a year after the opening of the [Olney Terminal](/source/Olney_(BSL_station)) on the Broad Street Line.

This was once a popular trolley line to [Willow Grove Amusement Park](/source/Willow_Grove_Amusement_Park) (current location of the [Willow Grove Park Mall](/source/Willow_Grove_Park_Mall)). Buses replaced trolleys north of Cheltenham Avenue to Willow Grove on June 8, 1958 (PCC 2134 was the last trolley to Willow Grove). Bus service known as "6 Bus" (See below). The remaining trolley service operated south of Cheltenham & Ogontz Avenues Loop (Cheltenham Square Mall). Despite public criticism by community and transit advocates, SEPTA voted to close the Route 6 trolley line on October 23, 1985. Additionally, the plan involved the closing of the [SEPTA Route 50](/source/SEPTA_Route_50_(trolley)) trolley line along Rising Sun Avenue, although Route 6 trolleys were allowed to remain in service a little longer.[2] Buses replaced the streetcars on the remaining portion of the Route 6 on January 11, 1986, and the Route "6 Bus" renamed Route 22 on the same date to eliminate confusion over the current Route 6.

### Route 22, the former Route 6 Bus

Service on this bus route began on June 8, 1958, as the Route 6 Bus, replacing the truncated Route 6 trolley service to the Willow Grove Amusement Park. New Alternate service via Easton Road was added on September 3, 1961, replacing County Transit Company bus service. Route 6 Bus was extended to [Johnsville](/source/Johnsville%2C_Pennsylvania) via Warminster on June 19, 1966, by merging with the Route 74 bus, another former trolley line. Service was rerouted into the new [Willow Grove Park Mall](/source/Willow_Grove_Park_Mall) on August 1, 1982. Route 6 was redesignated Route 22 on January 12, 1986, with the conversion of the Route 6 Streetcar to bus operations. On September 7, 1997, service was streamlined to operate on the Easton Road and Old York Road routings between [Glenside](/source/Glenside%2C_Pennsylvania) and Warminster. Service along Keswick Avenue and Edge Hill Road, the original trolley route, was eliminated. The right of way of old Route 6 trolley is still visible along Edge Hill Road. A former Route 6 trolley car along this route can be found at the [Pennsylvania Trolley Museum](/source/Pennsylvania_Trolley_Museum) in [Washington, Pennsylvania](/source/Washington%2C_Pennsylvania).[3]

As of 2008, all buses along both routes are [ADA](/source/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990)-compliant, and contain bicycle racks. No plans are currently under way to restore the Route 6 line as light-rail service, nor are there such plans for the Route 22 line.[4]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [The History of Trolley Cars and Routes in Philadelphia (1974 SEPTA Brochure; Page 8)](http://www.phillytrolley.org/1974history/8-9.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** "SEPTA DERAILS 2 TROLLEY LINES", by Frank Dougherty; *Daily News* Staff Writer (*Philadelphia Daily News* (PA) - Thursday, October 24, 1985)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [John Mueller](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:) (July 19, 2007). [*PA Trolley Museum 071907 008*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PA_Trolley_Museum_071907_008.jpg) (photograph). Retrieved September 28, 2013. {{[cite AV media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_AV_media)}}: External link in |people= ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#param_has_ext_link))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** SEPTA (June 22, 2006). ["SEPTA Capital Budget Program and Comprehensive Plan"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081114233035/http://www.septa.org/inside/reports/CapitalBudget07.pdf) (PDF). *www.septa.org*. p. 71. Archived from [the original](https://web.archive.http://www.septa.org/inside/reports/CapitalBudget07.pdf) (PDF) on November 14, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2021.

## External links

- [SEPTA Route 6](http://www.septa.org/schedules/bus/pdf/006.pdf) and [22 Bus schedules](http://www.septa.org/schedules/bus/pdf/022.pdf)

- [Former Route 6 Trolley (WorldNYCSubway.org)](http://world.nycsubway.org/us/phila/rt6cityline.html)

- [1974 SEPTA Trolley History Brochure](http://www.phillytrolley.org/1974history/8-9.html)

v t e SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) Metro Lines Current Former Trolley routes 6 23 50 53 56 60 Proposed Roosevelt Boulevard Subway Stations List of stations Major stations 69th Street T.C. Drexel Station at 30th Street Arrott T.C. Frankford T.C. Fern Rock T.C. Olney T.C. Norristown T.C. Equipment Kawasaki LRV SEPTA PCC III B-4 M-4 N-5 Bus Routes Trackless trolley routes 59 66 75 City bus routes 6 23 29 35 37 38 53 56 60 79 Suburban bus routes 103 104 Equipment New Flyer E40LFR New Flyer DE40LF New Flyer DE40LFR Nova Bus LFSA HEV Nova Bus LFS HEV New Flyer MiDi Proterra Catalyst BE40 New Flyer XDE40 Regional Rail Lines Current Airport Chestnut Hill East Chestnut Hill West Cynwyd Fox Chase Glenside Combined Lansdale/Doylestown Manayunk/Norristown Media/Wawa Paoli/Thorndale Trenton Warminster West Trenton Wilmington/Newark Former Bethlehem Pottsville Stations List of current stations List of former stations Major stations 30th Street Suburban Jefferson Temple University Equipment Current Siemens ACS-64 Comet Silverliner Silverliner IV Silverliner V Former ABB ALP-44 EMD AEM-7 Silverliner Silverliner I Silverliner II Silverliner III Miscellaneous 1983 Regional Rail strike 25 Hz traction power system Center City Commuter Connection SEPTA Key

v t e Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Founded 1682 Communities Arcadia University Ashmead Village Cedarbrook Cheltenham Edge Hill Elkins Park Glenside La Mott Laverock McKinley (part) Melrose Park Wyncote Education Ancillae Assumpta Academy Arcadia University Bishop McDevitt High School Cheltenham Township School District Cheltenham High School Delaware Valley Minority Student Achievement Consortium Gratz College Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Salus University Tyler School of Art Westminster Theological Seminary National Historic Sites Beth Sholom Synagogue Camp William Penn Camptown Historic District Curtis Hall Arboretum Elkins Park station George K. Heller School Glenside Memorial Hall Grey Towers Castle Henry West Breyer Sr. House Milmoral Rowland House St. Paul's Episcopal Church Richard Wall house Wyncote Historic District People Reggie Jackson Lucretia Mott Benjamin Netanyahu Yonatan Netanyahu Ezra Pound Wallace Triplett See also Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district Elkins Estate Lynnewood Hall Greenleaf at Cheltenham Newgrounds Tookany Creek Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Cheltenham, England Curtis Publishing Company Einstein Medical Center Oak Lane Day School Historical railroads SEPTA Route 6 North Pennsylvania Railroad Reading Railroad Pennsylvania Railroad Regional rail lines Main Line Airport Line Fox Chase Lansdale/Doylestown Warminster West Trenton Regional rail stations Jenkintown–Wyncote Glenside Elkins Park Melrose Park Cheltenham SEPTA bus routes 6 16 18 22 24 28 55 57 70 77 80 H XH Former: C Infrastructure Cheltenham Township Police Department Philadelphia metropolitan area Pennsylvania

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [SEPTA Route 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEPTA_Route_6) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEPTA_Route_6?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.