SEPTA Vandalizes Route 23 Trolley

	The City of Philadelphia insisted that new Route 23 trolley rails be installed, on Germantown Avenue in Mt Airy when the street was reconstructed in 2008. SEPTA took that opportunity to destroy a key component of the Route 23 trolley: Mermaid Loop. Streetcar lines, especially long ones such as Route 23, need ample places to turn trolleys around in case of delays. Before the recent reconstruction, Mermaid Loop's rails curved from the street at the intersection of Germantown Avenue and Cresheim Valley Road (right side of this photo). It is remarkable that SEPTA management got away with allowing the city, state and federal governments to fund the replacement of rails while simultaneously sabotaging the return of trolleys. SEPTA has apparently never sent a pilot car (test trolley) to Mt Airy to test the new rails or overhead wires. Mike Szilagyi photo, November 16, 2008

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