Station Review #177: 5th Street/Independence Hall (SEPTA)


5th Street-Independence Hall is a station on SEPTA's L line. The station is located at Market Street and 5th Street in Philadelphia's Old City neighborhood. 

History



The station was originally built in 1908 by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company as part of an extension to the Market Street line to Front Street and Chestnut Street. The station was remodeled multiple times, first in the 1950s, then in 1976. Elevators were added sometime around 2010. In 2018, the station was remodeled, and its walls were covered in murals. 

Tour

The station head-house.
5th Street-Independence Hall is a beautiful station. From everything you can see of it, one can easily tell a lot of work went into the station. 

Elevator tower

New signage.
All of the signage at this station has been replaced recently, as have most stations on the L. 

Tunnel.
Most other L and B stations don't have painted tunnels like this. 

Stairs.


Painted wall with mosaic signage

Countdown clocks, map. newspaper stand, and TVM machine
 

Faregates.
 

The platform.
The platform has a lot more work put into it than most L platforms do, though it's also a little bit thinner. 

Broken countdown clock.
I've seen similarly broken countdown clocks at Arrott Transit Center mainly. In my opinion, this might be one of the funniest ways for a countdown clock to break. 

One of the murals. 
The walls of this station are completely decorated in these murals, many of various important figures from around the time of the independence of the US. 

Train!

Bus Connections

There are several bus connections at 5th Street, these include:
 
 SEPTA:

  • 9 - 4th-Walnut to Andorra: This bus runs along Chestnut/Walnut Streets in Center City to I-76, before taking that and Ridge Avenue to Andorra. This bus runs every 30 minutes. 
  • 17 - Front-Market to 20th-Johnson/Broad-Pattison/Navy Yard: This bus runs from Front and Market to SEPTA's southern bus yard in Girard Estates via Market Street and 19th/20th streets. Buses run to there about once every 15 minutes. Some buses run to Broad-Pattison as well. Mainly on weekends, some buses also go to the Navy Yard. Service to Broad-Pattison and the Navy Yard will be discontinued in the New Bus Network. 
  • 21 - Columbus-Dock to 69th Street Transit Center: This bus acts as a relief valve for the L. The 21 runs along chestnut-walnut streets between Penn's Landing and 63rd street, before running on Market Street to 69th Street Transit Center (providing some of the only transit service in Millbourne). This bus runs about every 10 minutes. 
  • 33 - 5th-Market to 23rd-Venango: This bus runs from 23rd-Venango Loop to 5th and Market via Market Street and 19th/20th streets/22nd street. This bus run about once every 15 minutes. 
  • 38 - 5th-Market to Wissahickon Transit Center: This is a bus that runs from 5th and Market to Wissahickon Transit Center via Belmont Avenue, Mantua, and the Art Museum. The 38 runs every 20-30 minutes or so. The 38 bus seems to run near a lot of tourist sites, and a lot of people who seem to use this bus are workers for those places. 
  • 42 - 2nd-Spruce to 61st-Pine/Wycombe: This bus runs from 2nd and Spruce in Society Hill to either 61st-Pine loop in Cobbs Creek or Wycombe Loop in the Beverly Hill neighborhood of Upper Darby. The 42 runs via Chestnut-Walnut in Center City, before going towards Spruce Street in West Philadelphia. This bus runs about once every 15 minutes. In the new bus network, this will be realigned to run along Lombard and South Streets in Center City. 
  • 44 - Front-Market to Gladwynne and Ardmore: This is an express bus that runs from Front-Market to City Avenue, with most trips running past that to Ardmore. A few trips a day run to Gladwynne, replacing the old 121 bus. 
  • 48 - Front-Market to 27th-Allegheny: This bus runs from Front and Market to the Allegheny depot at 27th and Allegheny. The 48 uses Arch and Market streets for some reason, as well as 29th Street. There is service on this route every 15 minutes. 
  • 57 - Whitman Plaza to Rising Sun-Olney/Fern Rock Transportation Center: This is a bus that runs along various streets north south from Whitman Plaza to Rising Sun-Olney Loop or Fern Rock Transportation Center. Around Center City however, this bus mainly runs along 3rd and 4th Streets. The 57 usually runs every 12-15 minutes, though is plagued with issues of unreliability due to traffic and it's length. 

Other: 

  • Phlash Downtown Loop: This is a bus that drives around Center City Philadelphia and links to the Art Museum. The two Phlash routes are geared towards tourists, and run a bus every 7.5 minutes or so. 
  • Navy Yard Shuttle Center City Express: This is a bus that runs from 11th and Market to the Navy Yard via I-676 and I-95. This bus runs every 20 minutes outside of the four hour gap it has between 10 am and 2 pm. 

Points of Interest Near 5th Street

Independence Hall is here, as well as Independence Park. There are several museums, the US Mint, and a lot of other important historical sites. This area is a major tourist destination. While people do live nearby, this definitely isn't the focus of this station, or the area as a whole. 

Statistics


Name: 5th Street-Independence Hall
Agency: SEPTA
Line(s): L
Locality: Old City
Municipality: Philadelphia
County: Philadelphia
State: Pennsylvania
Ridership: 3986 riders per average weekday (2018)

Amenity Checklist


Accessible: ✓
Bathrooms: ×
Bicycle parking: ✓
Clean Station: ✓
Connections to other transit routes: ✓
Easy passage for each side: ×
Existence is justifiable: ✓
Fare Payment Kiosks (if applicable): ✓
Good Wayfinding: ✓
Indoor Shelters: ×
Maps: ✓
Multiple entrances/exits: ✓
Adequate Parking: ✓
Safe to use: ✓
Seating: ✓
Shelters: ✓
Station In Good Condition: ✓
TVMs: ✓
Ticket Offices: ✓
TOD: ✓
Train Departure/Arrival Info (countdown clocks): ✓
Updated/Useful Signage: ✓

Final Verdict: 8.5/10

Station Directory


--------Philadelphia County--------
Frankford Transportation Center
Church
Erie-Torresdale
Tioga
Somerset
Huntingdon
York-Dauphin
Berks
Girard
Spring Garden
2nd Street
5th Street-Independence Hall
8th Street
11th Street
13th Street
15th Street
Drexel Station at 30th Street
40th Street
46th Street
52nd Street
56th Street
60th Street
63rd Street
--------Delaware County--------
Millbourne
69th Street Transportation Center 

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