State transportation officials have signed off on $2 million for SEPTA’s T5 trolley modernization along Elmwood Avenue, the busy corridor that links West and Southwest Philadelphia to the rest of the city. The cash will help pay for low-floor, ADA-compliant vehicles, new on-street stations and shelters, upgraded traffic signals, and street tweaks like pedestrian bump-outs and stormwater drainage improvements. Design work quietly started in 2024, and SEPTA is aiming to kick off phased construction in 2027 with the project wrapped up by the end of the decade.
Funding and the ARLE program
The money is coming out of a $27 million round of Automated Red-Light Enforcement, or ARLE, grants that PennDOT says will support 51 safety projects across Pennsylvania. According to PennDOT, ARLE takes net revenue from automated enforcement and puts it back into intersection safety and mobility upgrades. State officials said the T5 award scored well for its potential to cut crashes and improve accessibility along Elmwood Avenue.
Local reporting and project elements
Local outlet West Philly Local first surfaced news of the $2 million grant and laid out what riders can expect: on-street platforms, signal timing upgrades, ADA ramps, and stormwater upgrades along the route. That coverage also notes that T5 is the new name for the former Route 36, and that the modernization push formally kicked off in 2024 while design work continues in the background. SEPTA is planning more community outreach and design review materials in the coming months as the agency moves the project toward final plans.
What SEPTA says riders will see
On its Trolley Modernization site, SEPTA says the Route 36 T5 project will bring in low-floor vehicles, longer platforms for level boarding, shelters, real-time information displays, and stop rebalancing that is meant to speed trips and boost reliability. The agency’s capital plan lists design work running through 2026, followed by phased construction from 2027 through 2030. Riders who want to get into the weeds can check out proposed stop maps and engagement materials on SEPTA's project page.
How ARLE grants are funded
PennDOT explains that ARLE runs on net revenue from automated red-light and speed enforcement systems, with priority given to projects where crash data shows red-light running or a higher risk of serious collisions. The program is competitive and scores applications on safety benefits, cost, and regional impact. For more about who qualifies and which projects have already been funded, see PennDOT's ARLE program.
Vehicles and next steps
On the vehicle side, manufacturers are already at work on SEPTA’s new trolley cars. Alstom has built mock-ups and is advancing U.S. production plans that will feed into SEPTA’s rollout schedule for the modernized fleet. Riders are being promised level boarding, audible and visual announcements, and longer cars that can ease crowding once they enter service. For recent details on vehicle design and production, see Alstom.
Design work is slated to continue through 2026, and SEPTA and city partners say they will bring the public into the loop on final station locations and construction timing. For those who want to stay ahead of the detours, local outlets like West Philly Local and SEPTA's project page will be the spots to watch for outreach dates and construction updates.
