Saturday, April 13, 2013

Come out tomorrow during Super Sunday to help celebrate the 100 year birthday of Media's Trolley. Here are the details.

Here's Septa's official press release on the 100 year celebration of the Media Trolley to take place at tomorrow's Super Sunday.  You can't think of Media without also recognizing the iconic trolley that has made this town unique.  Septa will be providing a specially wrapped trolley replicating a historical trolley-car of the era.

A special "Thanks" to Councilwoman, Monika Rehoric who was contacted by Septa to help make this event possible. 


Celebrating SEPTA’s Centenarian
Route 101 Media Trolley Marks 100th Year in Service

PHILADELPHIA, PA (April 12, 2013) — A milestone birthday deserves a special
celebration and SEPTA will commemorate the 100th birthday of the Route 101 Media
Trolley Line with festivities throughout the year.

The Route 101 centennial celebration includes the wrapping of one current Media Line
car to look like the trolley did when it was first rolled out on the tracks by the
Philadelphia and West Chester Traction Company on April 1, 1913. This unique trolley
will be in service over the next year, making its in-service debut from 69th Street
Transportation Center to Media on Saturday, April 13. The birthday edition of the Route
101 will also take part in Media’s Super Sunday festivities on Sunday, April 14, when the
vehicle is stationed by the Media Theater (104 E. State Street) for photo opportunities
and the chance for history buffs, transportation enthusiasts and the public to get an up
close view of the special car.

“We’re excited to have SEPTA partner with us and support our Super Sunday activities
by bringing the Route 101 birthday trolley to Media,” said Media Borough Council
member Monika Rehoric. “This is a great opportunity for our residents to learn about our
past while celebrating the Borough’s future.”

“The Route 101 has been a fixture in Media and the surrounding community since its
service commenced,” said SEPTA General Manager Joseph M. Casey. “We knew that we
needed to recognize the impact the trolley has had on transportation in the borough for a
century.”

What is now SEPTA’s Route 101 was the last trolley line built by the Philadelphia and
West Chester Traction Company. Construction on the Media Line began in May 1912;
less than one year later, operations were up and running, with service scheduled for every
30 minutes. Over the years, the line was expanded to run on a more frequent schedule,
with more vehicles to accommodate passengers at more stations.

SEPTA Celebrates Route 101’s 100th
Page 2

In April 1936, the Philadelphia and West Chester Traction Company was reorganized
into the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company. The new company utilized a
marketing firm and created a red and cream symbol with the words “Red Arrow Lines”
outfitted on the company’s buses and trolleys. The term “Red Arrow” became
synonymous with bus and trolley service operating in Philadelphia’s western suburbs.

Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company maintained the Red Arrow lines until
February 1970, when SEPTA assumed their operation. Since that time, SEPTA has
conducted numerous improvements projects to the line, the largest of which was a result
of the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2008. From
September 2009 - August 2010, an extensive program was undertaken to rehabilitate
track, ties, signals, power systems, station renewal and other elements necessary to
upgrade service, safety and comfort on the Route 101 Media and the Route 102 Sharon
Hill Lines.

“Our investment in the Route 101 not only demonstrated SEPTA’s commitment to the
customers we serve, but it was also an acknowledgement of the region’s transportation
history,” said Casey. “We invite the community to help us celebrate the Media Line and
100 years of service to Delaware County by riding the trolley and catching our
historically wrapped ‘birthday’ vehicle at events and on the line over the next year.”

3 comments:

  1. It's refreshing for a change to see something getting done by this Borough Council. I look forward to checking this out.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Other than existing, what exactly did anyone on borough council do?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hear nothing but crickets chirping

    ReplyDelete