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Line of the Week

Line of the Week: 36

October 19, 2020

The 36 is a trolley line that runs from 13th & Market in Center City to 80th & Eastwick in Southwest Philly.

It runs 24 hours a day and is one of SEPTA's most frequent lines - running every 15 minutes or less, for at least 15 hours a day, 5 days a week.

The 36 is the longest of the five lines that make-up SEPTA's Subway-Surface Trolley system - traveling just over 7 miles. It was even longer between 1956 and 1962 when the western terminus was at 94th and Eastwick Place.

The 36 spends much of its time underground, from its origin point at 13th Street Station to just before the 40th Street Portal near 40th Street and Baltimore Avenue.

During this stretch, it intersects with the Broad Street Line at City Hall Station, the Market-Frankford Line at 13th, 15th, and 30th Street Stations and Regional Rail Line at Suburban Station.

It runs thru University City, which means you can take it to the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and University of the Sciences. It then runs southwest along Woodland Avenue along with Trolley Line 11, and then turns down 49th Street where the Woodland Maintenance Facility is located. It eventually leads to Bartram's Botanical Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in North America.

The 36 was established as the Elmwood Avenue Line in 1904 by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company. Original streetcar service operated between Island Road and Elmwood Avenue via Center City on Market Street to Front & Market Streets. Service rerouted into the Subway-Surface Tunnel and extended to the Westinghouse Plant in Essington on November 5, 1955 replacing Trolley Line 37 service.

If you're planning on riding, there are a few things you don't want to forget.

  • You'll want to remember your SEPTA Key! This is your "key" to not just the 36, but to all of SEPTA! If you're using your SEPTA Key, fare will be $2, your first transfer will be free and your second transfer will only be $1. Not only that, but children under the age of 12 ride free when accompanied by a fare-paying adult!  And starting 10/20, you can buy a Three Day Convenience Pass which is ideal for individuals who travel on SEPTA less than 5 days a week and visitors and tourists enjoying a multiple day stay in Philadelphia. The cost is $18 and it's good for 24 trips over 72 consecutive hours. Time starts with your first tap. It is meant for one rider. You can read up about fare here. And if you've never ridden the trolley before, check out this informative video on How to Ride!

  • Don't forget your mask! This isn't just to keep you safe, it's to keep everyone who rides SEPTA safe! Make sure your mask is covering both your mouth and your nose.

  • And finally, don't forget to keep social distance!