General Membership Meeting: The History of, and Plans for the Newtown Trolley Bridge

The Newtown Electric Street Railway Company operated an electric trolley line from 1897 to 1923. At the turn of the century, hourly trolley service was offered to Doylestown, Langhorne, Bristol, and Trenton via Yardley. With railroad connections, one could reach New York in just over 2 hours. The Newtown trolley entered the Borough on South Lincoln Avenue, turned west on Penn Street, and then north on State Street, where it traveled over the Newtown Creek and on to Doylestown.

The Newtown Creek Bridge Project envisions a pedestrian bridge at the site of the Old Newtown Trolley Bridge and would connect Frost Lane in Newtown Borough with Sycamore Street in Newtown Township. The historical remnants of the original trolley bridge will be highlighted. Newtown Borough and the Newtown Creek Coalition are partners in the planning for the bridge project and support for an application to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for funding.

Mike Sellers is the President and Co-Founder of the Newtown Creek Coalition, a Pennsylvania Non-Profit and IRS qualified entity. The mission of Newtown Creek Coalition is “To improve, protect, and preserve the Newtown Creek, and to encourage appropriate use of this natural and historic resource.”. Mike has served on the Newtown Borough Council, chaired the Borough Planning Commission, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Zoning Hearing Board. He has had a law practice on S. State Street in Newtown Borough for many years.