Germantown

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by 2e1m5a

In the US, "German-American" Day is celebrated every year the same date as the founding of Germantown, Phila.

Quaker history runs deep as well-Penn Charter is considered the oldest Quaker school in the US (I know today considered East Falls).

The two are intertwined, AIUI: I believe William Penn encouraged Francis Pastorius to establish a settlement in his colony.

Not everyone welcomed the Germans, however: ISTR Benjamin Franklin penning some rather intemperate remarks about them in the 1700s using language similar to what Donald Trump has used to describe Mexican immigrants.*

IIRC, what's now East Falls was never part of the German Township. Its borders encompass present-day Germantown (carved out of the township as Germantown Borough in the 1830s), Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill.

*To bring that into the present, sort of:

Sometime last year, I was riding the K bus down Chelten Avenue towards Central Germantown when a woman on board warned us to beware "the Germans" that were invading the city. "And these are Germany Germans, who are worse than regular Germans," she continued.

[2e1m5a]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

The two are intertwined, AIUI: I believe William Penn encouraged Francis Pastorius to establish a settlement in his colony.

Not everyone welcomed the Germans, however: ISTR Benjamin Franklin penning some rather intemperate remarks about them in the 1700s using language similar to what Donald Trump has used to describe Mexican immigrants.*

IIRC, what's now East Falls was never part of the German Township. Its borders encompass present-day Germantown (carved out of the township as Germantown Borough in the 1830s), Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill.

*To bring that into the present, sort of:

Sometime last year, I was riding the K bus down Chelten Avenue towards Central Germantown when a woman on board warned us to beware "the Germans" that were invading the city. "And these are Germany Germans, who are worse than regular Germans," she continued.

The more things change....

[maf763]

Originally Posted by Woodlands

Somebody already mentioned this on here.. but seems like re establishing the trolley line like what they did on Girard could help ?

No it wouldn't. Germantown Avenue is not wide enough to properly run a trolley line. Traffic would get horribly backed up behind every trolley at peak hours and overflow traffic would choke the side streets. Trolleys may be more aesthetically pleasing but are impractical for the route.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by maf763

No it wouldn't. Germantown Avenue is not wide enough to properly run a trolley line. Traffic would get horribly backed up behind every trolley at peak hours and overflow traffic would choke the side streets. Trolleys may be more aesthetically pleasing but are impractical for the route.

It sounds like you might be unaware of some basic historical facts - if so, here's something short to read.

The argument for buses is as a benefit to transit riders. In that buses can go around things like double-parked cars, accidents, and detours.

The trolleys wouldn't run anymore than the buses already do - and cars already zoom around the buses at high speeds like they have a death wish and/or get backed up behind them and/or use other streets.

If anything, trolleys would run less than buses, as they have a larger capacity.

I don't really care all that much about trolley versus bus, as I'm just taking it to get where I need to go. But the 23 is I believe the route that carries the most people in the city (or did before the separation), yet only uses regular buses (as opposed to the articulated buses of the 17, 18, 33, 48, 9, 14, etc.) and only runs every 7-8 minutes peak-times (as opposed to the every 4-5 minutes of the L, 18, 17, H/XH combo). Makes for a very volatile situation. Whenever I take a 23 home during evening rush hour, I have to be mentally prepared to let at least 2 buses pass me by before one hopefully has enough room to let me on.

[maf763]

I'm well aware of the history of the 23, and used to take it when I worked in Germantown in the '80s. I take the 23 to work most days now, so am also well aware of the need for more buses at peak times, especially during the school year. Trolleys would make the situation worse, not better.