Philadelphia Transportation Thread

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by quattordici

Though, I should have specified, I was speaking of the agencies' rail systems.

To each his own but I am surpirised by which rail system you would choose:

[Jelly Roll]

Originally Posted by Hamilton

They don't realize that fewer people on the highways means less wasted time commuting for suburbanites and lower freight costs for businesses.

No study I have read has conclusively proved this theory. I can think of a few done in Europe that show public transit actually increases road congestion in the areas that it is built.

[mthd]

Originally Posted by quattordici

Totally true. I'm sad to say that I'd prefer Atlanta's MARTA to Philadelphia's SEPTA.

septa's rail system serves such a higher proportion of it's metro and Philly has such a higher transit share than Atlanta that I can't imagine why you'd prefer the smaller, less well utilized system. it's newer, I guess? they both have funding "challenges..."

[SpawnOfVulcan]

To further refine what I was referring to, I was referring to the heavy rail/subway system. I'm not used to having to delineate, considering Atlanta's rail network is pretty much... the subway.

[sciguy0504]

Qatar Airways is launching Doha-Philadelphia flights in March 2014. Huge news.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?se...cal&id=9091404

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by sciguy0504

Qatar Airways is launching Doha-Philadelphia flights in March 2014. Huge news.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?se...cal&id=9091404

Very nice.

[summersm343]

Article about the extension of the Norristown Highspeed Line to the King of Prussia Mall.

http://planphilly.com/articles/2013/...uce-congestion

[j korzeniowski]

Originally Posted by PHL10

To each his own but I am surpirised by which rail system you would choose

no kidding. atlanta's system is hilariously small and lacking for a city/metro its size.

it's nice that it connects to hartsfield, but otherwise a very paltry system.

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Article about the extension of the Norristown Highspeed Line to the King of Prussia Mall.

http://planphilly.com/articles/2013/...uce-congestion

I added a blog post about that. I think it could influence future developments in the K.O.P Area.

[summersm343]

Looks like SEPTA may get even more funding than what Corbett initially proposed:

Going even beyond what Gov. Tom Corbett has proposed for transportation funding in Pennsylvania, the state senate’s Transportation Committee has overwhelmingly approved a bill that would raise new funds for roads, bridges, and mass transit

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/201...betts-request/

[volguus zildrohar]

From FB's 'Old Images of Philadelphia' this was what the El stop at 60th Street looked like in 1971. Not too many images from the graffiti era floating around.


Temple University Urban Archives

[K 22]

Originally Posted by volguus zildrohar

From FB's 'Old Images of Philadelphia' this was what the El stop at 60th Street looked like in 1971. Not too many images from the graffiti era floating around.


Temple University Urban Archives

Not too different from how many trains and stations in New York looked.

Today, this station is probably the best looking on the Market Street El.

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by j korzeniowski

no kidding. atlanta's system is hilariously small and lacking for a city/metro its size.

it's nice that it connects to hartsfield, but otherwise a very paltry system.

While "hilariously small" and paltry, it still manages to carry many more daily riders than some systems with many, many more miles of track AND provides a single seat ride from Hartsfield to four of our five major business districts, at speeds of up to 65 mph. Overall it's pretty fast, clean and modern.

Given our ridiculous and draconian constraints dictated by the State, we work with what we have.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

While "hilariously small" and paltry, it still manages to carry many more daily riders than some systems with many, many more miles of track AND provides a single seat ride from Hartsfield to four of our five major business districts, at speeds of up to 65 mph. Overall it's pretty fast, clean and modern.

Given our ridiculous and draconian constraints dictated by the State, we work with what we have.

Haha. Same can be said for SEPTA. They are underfunded by over $300 million dollars. There are many extensions and new lines that need to go into the system but can't.

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Haha. Same can be said for SEPTA. They are underfunded by over $300 million dollars. There are many extensions and new lines that need to go into the system but can't.

I fell ya, summersm343! Both of our state governments are hostile to SEPTA & MARTA, respectively.

The big difference down here is that the state doesn't give them one damn dime. But they DO have a legislative oversight committee in place that dictates how they spend the tax dollars voted in by the residents of Fulton and DeKalb Counties to support and build the system! They are hamstrung no matter what they do. It is written into law that operations and capital improvements must be a 50/50 split. They have to go before the legislature to beg for the formula to be changed if any special needs or projects come up.

It's become even worse since the Republican takeover of all branches of state government here. There are many teabaggers that just want to strangle MARTA until it becomes so irrelevant that it dies and simply ceases to exist.

[afiggatt]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Haha. Same can be said for SEPTA. They are underfunded by over $300 million dollars. There are many extensions and new lines that need to go into the system but can't.

What is the status of the proposed gas tax increase in the PA state legislature to fix the state transportation funding crisis? The last I read, the state Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill lifting the $1.25 per gallon cap on one of the gas tax components, but it was heading to the PA House with uncertain prospects.

MD and VA have raised gas taxes and other fees this year to provide more funding for transportation and transit projects. Would be good if PA can join them so SEPTA and the road & bridge maintenance budgets can get adequately funded.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by afiggatt

What is the status of the proposed gas tax increase in the PA state legislature to fix the state transportation funding crisis? The last I read, the state Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill lifting the $1.25 per gallon cap on one of the gas tax components, but it was heading to the PA House with uncertain prospects.

MD and VA have raised gas taxes and other fees this year to provide more funding for transportation and transit projects. Would be good if PA can join them so SEPTA and the road & bridge maintenance budgets can get adequately funded.

Nothing yet. They are set to vote on it before July 1st.

[summersm343]

Light Rail Line proposal from Glassboro, NJ to Camden, NJ.



http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/..._glassbor.html

[hammersklavier]

And the usual unenlightened idiots in the comments thread. All the have to do is go see how the River Line revitalized towns just a few miles away to see the proposal works.

[Jelly Roll]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

And the usual unenlightened idiots in the comments thread. All the have to do is go see how the River Line revitalized towns just a few miles away to see the proposal works.

I am very interested in what the study is going to say. Adding more rail to South Jersey can only be a good thing in my opinion. I think Woodbury City is the major winner here. Providing easier access to the County seat is a major plus. I also like that there would be a connection from Rowan to Rugters-Camden that would take less then 40 minutes and not have to get in a car. The fact that there is no rail running from Mt Holly through Mt. Laurel/Moorestown along the Route 38 corridor is a big drawback to the area to me.