Getting to Green: Route 88
July 16, 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 88 is approximately 12 miles long and serves Pennypack Woods from Bethayres to Frankford Transit Center. On weekdays - Route 88 carries 638 passengers and makes 85 trips. On the weekends - it makes an average of 55 trips per day. The Route 88 connects to 16 separate bus routes at Frankford Transit Center. Besides being the depot and terminus for many bus routes - FTC is the eastern terminus of the Market-Frankford Line. Route 88 connects to the West Trenton Line at Bethayres Station.
Looking to escape the city and enjoy the great outdoors? Look no further! Route 88 will take you from FTC to Rowland Ave & Cresco Av. for amazing hiking, biking, fishing, and recreational opportunities at Pennypack Park. You can easily access the nearby recreation fields including Ramp Playground. Click here to plan your trip!
Pennypack Park [named after the Lenni Lenape Indian word for slow-moving water] winds its way nine miles following the gentle flow of Pennypack Creek from Montgomery County to the Delaware River. It encompasses over 1,600 acres of woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and fields. The park's diverse landscape features rolling hills, expansive meadows, and a network of paved and unpaved trails ideal for hiking, biking, running, and horseback riding. Home to over 150 bird species including hummingbirds, herons, warblers, woodpeckers, seabirds, ducks, and owls - it also hosts a diverse mammal population with deer, bats, foxes, rabbits, and others. Additionally the park is home to various reptile species like snakes, turtles, frogs, toads, and salamanders.
Pennypack Park is home to many historic structures including the oldest stone bridge still in use in the United States - the King's Highway Bridge. The park also features the chartered Pennpack Baptist Church from 1688 and The Verree House - a site of a British raid during the American Revolutionary War. Additionally visitors can explore abandoned railroad grades, remnants of early mills, and other historical landmarks.
And don't forget - you can bring your bike on the bus to explore and enjoy even more!
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
