Philadelphia Transportation Thread

[Phil_North]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...it_agency.html

Interesting article. Nice to see that improvements have been recognized.

[Phil_North]

This article explains a bit more about the award itself.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...sit_Oscar.html

[summersm343]

For years, the city, regional planners and residents have looked at Roosevelt Boulevard and daydreamed of bringing heavy-rail mass transit to the wide, high-traffic corridor that bisects Lower Northeast Philadelphia. But now, given the high cost of such an endeavor, it appears to be time to lower the bar and look at less expensive light rail or even simply bus service improvement options.

“The idea for this project is to take a fresh look at the corridor and to look at every alternative that would run on the street as opposed to under the street or over the street,” said Greg Krykewycz, manager of DVRPC’s office of transit, bicycle and pedestrian planning and one of two project managers for the study.

Pending final PennDOT approval, the $200,000 year-long study will begin this summer and will call out four development options for transit along the Boulevard. Each option will fit into one of the following categories: 1. existing service and low-cost/high-impact investments – least expensive 2. a “better bus” or “Bus Rapid Transit [BRT]-lite” system 3. a full-fledged, exclusive-right-of-way BRT investment and 4. a light rail transit option – most expensive.

In light of that multidirectional travel, this study will look at how to extend the transit not only to Center City and University City but to Bucks County and Montgomery County, as well.

http://planphilly.com/articles/2013/...-other-options

[K 22]

Originally Posted by summersm343

http://planphilly.com/articles/2013/...-other-options

I like the idea of a Roosevelt Blvd. LRT, personally, but it would need to connect to one of the existing rail lines to be worth it.

Question would be which one: do you connect with the El at Frankford or the subway at Hunting Park or Olney or Fern Rock.... or could you conceivable do both?

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by K 22

I like the idea of a Roosevelt Blvd. LRT, personally, but it would need to connect to one of the existing rail lines to be worth it.

Question would be which one: do you connect with the El at Frankford or the subway at Hunting Park or Olney or Fern Rock.... or could you conceivable do both?

They are studying ways in which this line would connect to both the Market-Frankford El and the Broad Street Line.

[summersm343]

When SEPTA’s New Payment Technology (NPT) smartcard system rolls out in the fall of 2013, there will be the obvious changes that should enhance the rider experience – say sayonara to tokens – as well as the most basic of upgrades at many stations.

For instance, only about half of SEPTA’s Broad Street Line (BSL) and Market Frankford Line (MFL) stations have token vending machines. At stations lacking the machines, passengers must pay the two-dollar base cash fare. They must pay exact fare, and they miss out on the discounted $1.55 token rate. As part of the NPT program, though, SEPTA will install vending machines at all MFL and BSL stations.

http://planphilly.com/articles/2013/...o-all-stations

[summersm343]

US Airways to Begin Direct Flights to Brazil

US Airways on March 4 filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation for the rights to operate daily, year-round service between Philadelphia and Sao Paulo, Brazil. US Airways will begin service between Charlotte, N.C., and Sao Paulo on June 8 using frequencies leased from another carrier. A successful application would mean that service could continue and the Philadelphia route could be added.

The service is tentatively set to begin in October 2014, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported. It will be the first direct flight from Philadelphia International Airport to Central or South America, the article noted. Philadelphia International has several direct flights to European destinations but none to South America or Asia.

http://www.centercityphila.org/press...ents031913.php

[summersm343]

The Zoo is proposing a Regional Rail train stop at 34th and Mantua Ave.

A new study proposes a SEPTA station at 34th Street and Mantua Avenue, a short walk from the zoo's south entrance.

Although the zoo was built on its West Philadelphia site in 1874 partly because of handy rail access, the original Zoological Garden station at 34th Street and Girard Avenue closed in 1902, a victim of Pennsylvania Railroad expansion.

Now, congested highway access and limited parking have convinced zoo leaders that a new train station would increase attendance and ease traffic.

Kenneth Woodson, the zoo's vice president of community and government affairs, said the zoo would "pursue aggressively" a new train station.

A new station, with rail platforms, elevators and stairways, and requisite environmental work and track relocation, could cost about $60 million, said architect Robert P. Thomas, an author of the new rail feasibility study for the zoo.

Thomas and other planners also looked at putting the train station by the zoo's main entrance on 34th and Girard, where the original station was. But that could cost about $200 million because of the challenges of trying to build amid the converging Amtrak and SEPTA rail lines there, he said.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...hilly_Zoo.html

[donoteat]

Less money, mo' problems.

More money or less service.

That was the familiar essence of SEPTA's capital-budget presentation Tuesday, as the agency noted how little $308 million will buy these days.

In two hearings at its Center City headquarters, SEPTA officials outlined what they described as a bare-bones spending plan for construction, new vehicles, and growing debt service.

Cuts in state funding have reduced SEPTA's capital budget 25 percent since 2010, and if Harrisburg doesn't come up with more money, the transit future is grim, said Catherine Popp-McDonough, SEPTA's director of capital budgets.

The shortage of money "will severely hamper SEPTA's ability to bring our system to a state of good repair" and will leave many projects unfunded for the foreseeable future, she said.

Most of the money in the $308 million capital budget is earmarked for overhauling existing vehicles ($56.5 million); buying new buses ($40 million); installing a federally required automatic train-control system ($45 million); repairing bridges, stations, and other facilities ($35.5 million); and paying principal and interest on debt ($51 million).

What it won't do is buy new rail cars, subway cars, or trolleys. About half the Regional Rail fleet is 37 to 39 years old, even with the recent purchase of 120 new Silverliner V cars.

And SEPTA won't fix the decrepit City Hall subway station, the busiest stop on the Broad Street line.

It won't extend rail lines to Wawa or King of Prussia. It won't restore rail service to Newtown or Quakertown. It won't put trolleys back on the tracks in Chestnut Hill, Germantown, or South Philadelphia.

"SEPTA is in a capital-funding crisis," Popp-McDonough told hearing officer Joseph O'Malley, who will make nonbinding recommendations on the budget proposal to the SEPTA board before it votes next month.

SEPTA officials note that other public transit agencies have considerably larger capital budgets: NJ Transit, $1.15 billion; Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, $905 million; Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, $800 million.

Gov. Corbett has proposed a plan to increase transportation funding $1.8 billion after five years. Most of that money would go to highways and bridges.

Recently, State Sen. John C. Rafferty Jr. (R., Montgomery), chairman of the Transportation Committee, proposed a more ambitious funding plan that would provide $2.5 billion after five years, including $510 million for transit agencies.

Most of the public testimony at the first of two hearings Tuesday was critical of SEPTA's paltry spending but sympathetic to its funding plight.

"This budget is a disaster," said Alfred Achtert of Upper Darby. "Not only for the authority, but for the region and the commonwealth."

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...ter_quot_.html

Pretty sure at this point the only thing that will get Harrisburg to wake up is a bridge collapsing with a packed regional rail train on it.

[summersm343]

Water taxis coming to the Central Delaware. Could see the system expanding in the future.

Water taxis are coming to the Central Delaware. Under pressure from the Federal Transit Administration to use $970,000 in grant money that was awarded several years ago, DRWC today published an RFP seeking someone to build four Shorelink Shuttle Terminal sites (aka, water taxi docks, wharves and related infrastructure), along the waterfront. The winning bidder has to meet ADA requirements, FTA requirements, and the DRWC's women and minority hiring requirements.

The marina at the Penn's Landing Basin, next to the Hyatt, will be the taxi's home port. The other three stops: Next to the current ferry landing dock at Walnut Street; adjacent to Dave & Buster's at Pier 19 and Festival Pier.

Forkin said the DRWC already has the actual vessels, which can be rented out for private use. The grants require the docks be built by fall of this year. Taxi service won't begin until next spring.

http://planphilly.com/articles/2013/...jects-progress

[Hamilton]

Originally Posted by donoteat

Less money, mo' problems.

Pretty sure at this point the only thing that will get Harrisburg to wake up is a bridge collapsing with a packed regional rail train on it.

Seems that, with a Tea Party Republican general assembly and governor, they'd only see that as ammunition for shutting down SEPTA.

Hopefully 2014 will bring a more city-friendly government.

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by donoteat

Less money, mo' problems.


http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...ter_quot_.html

Pretty sure at this point the only thing that will get Harrisburg to wake up is a bridge collapsing with a packed regional rail train on it.

Originally Posted by Hamilton

Seems that, with a Tea Party Republican general assembly and governor, they'd only see that as ammunition for shutting down SEPTA.

Hopefully 2014 will bring a more city-friendly government.

And u know what else? There's supposedly a clause which states that private funds cannot be used for capital projects. Without any kind of funding in place, whether it be from state, federal or elsewhere, how in the hell does anyone expect anything to get done?!

The state is in a state of crisis, and it has shit in place to pretty much keep it that way...

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

And u know what else? There's supposedly a clause which states that private funds cannot be used for capital projects. Without any kind of funding in place, whether it be from state, federal or elsewhere, how in the hell does anyone expect anything to get done?!

The state is in a state of crisis, and it has shit in place to pretty much keep it that way...

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

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by quattordici

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

Do you know much about the state of Georgia? I see you're in neighboring Alabama; I'm just curious. Do they cater well to their transit agencies, particularly to MARTA? Given that, do they allow for private funding for some of their more pricey projects?

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

Do you know much about the state of Georgia? I see you're in neighboring Alabama; I'm just curious. Do they cater well to their transit agencies, particularly to MARTA? Given that, do they allow for private funding for some of their more pricey projects?

Jonboy, Georgia perfected what Harrisburg is now up to years ago. MARTA gets absolutely zero State funding. What's more, the State dictates to MARTA how it spends its money. Our only funding is from a one percent sales tax in the two core Counties of the metro (Fulton & DeKalb) and from whatever Federal grants they can snag. It's sickening.

Private funding is not prohibited though, as far as I know. I don't believe that option has ever materialized here, to be honest (except for the BeltLine - and the transit portion is still several years away).

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

Jonboy, Georgia perfected what Harrisburg is now up to years ago. MARTA gets absolutely zero State funding. What's more, the State dictates to MARTA how it spends its money. Our only funding is from a one percent sales tax in the two core Counties of the metro (Fulton & DeKalb) and from whatever Federal grants they can snag. It's sickening.

Private funding is not prohibited though, as far as I know. I don't believe that option has ever materialized here, to be honest (except for the BeltLine - and the transit portion is still several years away).

That is just bullshit. The state is basically telling its largest transit provider (and one of the largest in the country) to pound sand while at the same time dealing a double-whammy to its most populous counties, and for what?

You know, public transit improvements and enhancements are (or at the very least, SHOULD be) top needs for this country. Yet, state governments continue to screw over their transit agencies, causing many to fall into states of disrepair.

At least Georgia hasn't prohibited the use of private money for capital infrastructure improvements like Harrisburg has. Funding has to come from somewhere. If not from private funds, then where? Raising the gasoline tax isn't exactly going to help a whole hell of a lot.

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

That is just bullshit. The state is basically telling its largest transit provider (and one of the largest in the country) to pound sand while at the same time dealing a double-whammy to its most populous counties, and for what?

You know, public transit improvements and enhancements are (or at the very least, SHOULD be) top needs for this country. Yet, state governments continue to screw over their transit agencies, causing many to fall into states of disrepair.

At least Georgia hasn't prohibited the use of private money for capital infrastructure improvements like Harrisburg has. Funding has to come from somewhere. If not from private funds, then where? Raising the gasoline tax isn't exactly going to help a whole hell of a lot.

Exactly, on all points. To add insult to injury, the bus systems in our burgeoning suburban Cobb & Gwinnett Counties receive State funding and the Regional Express bus network is totally funded by the State. Their passengers are funneled into the MARTA train system to complete their trips, complete with free transfers.

Our gas tax - one of the lowest in the country, is only allowed to be used for roads & bridges by law.

[Hamilton]

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

That is just bullshit. The state is basically telling its largest transit provider (and one of the largest in the country) to pound sand while at the same time dealing a double-whammy to its most populous counties, and for what?

You know, public transit improvements and enhancements are (or at the very least, SHOULD be) top needs for this country. Yet, state governments continue to screw over their transit agencies, causing many to fall into states of disrepair.

At least Georgia hasn't prohibited the use of private money for capital infrastructure improvements like Harrisburg has. Funding has to come from somewhere. If not from private funds, then where? Raising the gasoline tax isn't exactly going to help a whole hell of a lot.

They see it as a government giveaway for minorities and lower-income people who are not like them. They don't realize that fewer people on the highways means less wasted time commuting for suburbanites and lower freight costs for businesses. Everything is narrow-minded us-versus-them reactionary thinking.

[atlantaguy]

^More Tea Party fallout. I can't wait until 2014.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

Do you know much about the state of Georgia? I see you're in neighboring Alabama; I'm just curious. Do they cater well to their transit agencies, particularly to MARTA? Given that, do they allow for private funding for some of their more pricey projects?

I am quite familiar with Georgia. I don't know particularly getting at, my opinion comes from experience, not the level of funding received by the agency. Though, I should have specified, I was speaking of the agencies' rail systems.