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SEPTA and Mural Arts team up on ‘Routes to Roots’ to get you to Philly’s green spaces

Trying to visit Philly parks this summer? Consider taking the bus. Don't know what route to take? Check out 'Getting to Green: Routes to Roots.'

A SEPTA bus is parked at Fourth Street and Oregon Avenue during the unveiling of a new SEPTA Route 7 bus wrap as part of a collaboration between Mural Arts Philly and SEPTA to get people to use public transportation to get to the city's green spaces.
A SEPTA bus is parked at Fourth Street and Oregon Avenue during the unveiling of a new SEPTA Route 7 bus wrap as part of a collaboration between Mural Arts Philly and SEPTA to get people to use public transportation to get to the city's green spaces.Read moreMiguel Martinez / For The Inquirer

Buses wrapped in ads are a common sight in any city, but have you ever seen a bus wrapped in mural art?

On Saturday, the art project “Getting to Green: Routes to Roots” officially began, with artist Shira Walinsky’s painting unveiled on SEPTA’s bus Route 7. The initiative is aimed at getting folks to explore city parks on public transportation.

“Knowing what route to use can be confusing,” Walinsky said. “Especially for non-English-speaking immigrants and refugee communities.” So, she partnered with media producer Laura Deutch to create a visual arts project to inform Philadelphians that they can get to public parks for the fare of a bus ticket.

The unveiling of the art is part one of a two-phase initiative by the artists, Murals Arts Philadelphia, SEPTA, and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.

For the next eight weeks, Route 7 (33rd and Dauphin to Pier 70 on Columbus Boulevard) leaves behind its classic white color for a lime background decorated with trees, animals, people waiting at a bus stop, and rivers. This first stage is meant to raise awareness of the city’s 576 parks, and “make the connection between them and the neighborhoods visible,” said Walinsky.

Although Route 7 is the only one to showcase the mural, Routes 38 and 9 are also part of the project. Route 7 runs river to river, all the way to FDR Park in South Philadelphia; Route 38 can take you to the heart of Wissahickon Valley Park; and Route 9 leaves you just a transfer away from Houston Meadow in the Andorra section.

This information is coming in handy for community members such as Rosalba Muñoz, who emigrated from Mexico to Philly in 2006.

“We use the bus for everything, but I didn’t know the 7 could take me to FDR Park,” Muñoz said in Spanish. “Then again, navigating the public transportation system has been a hassle because of the language barrier.”

The second phase of “Getting to Green: Routes to Roots” will aim to ease that issue by creating posters with icons that can visually guide people.

Beginning in July, until 2024, Mural Arts will roll out 10 posters with information on how to get to the closest park on the following SEPTA bus stations: JFK Boulevard and 17 Street; Market and Fifth Streets; 22nd and Winter Streets; Market and 10th Streets; Midvale and Henry Avenues; 29th Street and Ridge Avenue; Snyder Avenue and Swanson Street; Oregon Avenue and 20th Street; 39th Street and Girard Avenue; and Belmont Avenue and Monument Road.

The timeline for the posters is yet to be determined because this is a developing project. But organizers of “Getting to Green: Routes to Roots” encourage people to follow their social media channels for opportunities to join community charter tours, watch Deutch’s video stories about Philly residents and parks, and be part of curated activities.

In the meantime, Mural Arts executive director Jane Golden hopes the project encourages Philadelphians to “explore the city beyond your neighborhood.”