SEPTA Renames Stop On Market Frankford Line
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - SEPTA has renamed the Fifth Street stop on the Market Frankford Line in an effort to make its service more tourist-friendly.
With the Fourth of July season here, SEPTA GM Jeff Knueppel hopes the small change will make a big difference:
"The timing was perfect to make the announcement today that Fifth Street is now Fifth Street/Independence Hall."
The stop on the Market-Frankford Line describes for out-of-towners what they'll find at Fifth Street.
"We thought about Independence Mall -- but heck, that's not a good one." Knueppel says. "We didn't want people to think this was a place to go shopping."
He says given the historical significance of the area, selling the naming rights to the Fifth Street station was not a consideration.
Knueppel says SEPTA has applied for a $7.8-million federal TIGER grant to help pay for a $19.5 million overhaul of the Fifth Street station.
At a news conference to announce the change, City Councilman Mark Squilla said Fifth Street/Independence Hall is now a destination stop:
"I think it's something that makes so much sense. It's something that we probably should have did years and years ago."
SEPTA has replaced station signs and street signs to reflect the change.
