PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by Nanyika

One subway line that was unfortunately dismantled involved the connection between the Broad-Ridge Spur and the Locust Street Subway (now PATCO).

I’m not sure what is meant by “dismantled” but the connection is still physically open and the tracks are still there. PATCO comes within a couple train car lengths of the 8th Street Spur station.


When I brought up the idea of sending the BSS through the Locust Street tunnel in the past, someone made a good point that if someone wants to get to 15th and Locust, they would just take the BSL since it would get you to Broad and Locust in much less time than taking the extended BSS.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by PHL10

I’m not sure what is meant by “dismantled” but the connection is still physically open and the tracks are still there. PATCO comes within a couple train car lengths of the 8th Street Spur station.

When I brought up the idea of sending the BSS through the Locust Street tunnel in the past, someone made a good point that if someone wants to get to 15th and Locust, they would just take the BSL since it would get you to Broad and Locust in much less time than taking the extended BSS.

Yeah the original idea of a loop connecting the 4 main squares of center city w/ frequent service would have been a game-changer. It would only take a few trains on that run to have crazy low-headways and would have been amazingly useful for navigating the city.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Yeah the original idea of a loop connecting the 4 main squares of center city w/ frequent service would have been a game-changer. It would only take a few trains on that run to have crazy low-headways and would have been amazingly useful for navigating the city.

Would you think the trains would run into a single direction? It would be efficient since I couldn't imagine the full loop taking more than 20 minutes,

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by PHL10

Would you think the trains would run into a single direction? It would be efficient since I couldn't imagine the full loop taking more than 20 minutes,

No. The Locust St tunnel is double tracked, as is the section of Arch that was built.

The never-constructed Henry Avenue Subway would have run counterclockwise around the loop, while the Ridge Spur would’ve run clockwise.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

The never-constructed Henry Avenue Subway would have run counterclockwise around the loop, while the Ridge Spur would’ve run clockwise.

Never knew that. Interesting.

[TonyTone]

So how many stations that were built and are ready to be used but are closed are currently under philly?

I know there is a station in Franisvillie that's closed, could we see this opening up with the rebirth of the area?

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by TonyTone

So how many stations that were built and are ready to be used but are closed are currently under philly?

I know there is a station in Franisvillie that's closed, could we see this opening up with the rebirth of the area?

If you mean the 12th & Spring Garden station on the Ridge Ave Spur, that's not Francisville (maybe Poplar).

[TonyTone]

Originally Posted by Jayfar

If you mean the 12th & Spring Garden station on the Ridge Ave Spur, that's not Francisville (maybe Poplar).

You're right, I don't know why I was thinking Francisville,

Thats the station though,

I assume if something gets built on that plot it will open right up

[Nanyika]

QUOTE: "When I brought up the idea of sending the BSS through the Locust Street tunnel in the past, someone made a good point that if someone wants to get to 15th and Locust, they would just take the BSL since it would get you to Broad and Locust in much less time than taking the extended BSS."

The above quote fails to take waiting times into account. In the old days, when the Ridge Spur and the Locust St. Subway were still connected, I used to find that from Erie Station, if I had missed the BSL Express, I could get to 15th & Locust much faster with a Ridge Spur train than I could by waiting for the next Express to arrive. Now people no longer have that option.

But the major advantage of restoring the connection would be as a parallel to the MFL and the various crosstown bus lines to help relieve congestion. The PATCO loop now extends under a portion of Rittenhouse Square. If the tracks were straightened out and a station built, let's say at 19th & Walnut, one could travel from there to 8th & Market in a fraction of the time it would take by bus.

[TonyTone]

Originally Posted by Nanyika

QUOTE: "When I brought up the idea of sending the BSS through the Locust Street tunnel in the past, someone made a good point that if someone wants to get to 15th and Locust, they would just take the BSL since it would get you to Broad and Locust in much less time than taking the extended BSS."

The above quote fails to take waiting times into account. In the old days, when the Ridge Spur and the Locust St. Subway were still connected, I used to find that from Erie Station, if I had missed the BSL Express, I could get to 15th & Locust much faster with a Ridge Spur train than I could by waiting for the next Express to arrive. Now people no longer have that option.

But the major advantage of restoring the connection would be as a parallel to the MFL and the various crosstown bus lines to help relieve congestion. The PATCO loop now extends under a portion of Rittenhouse Square. If the tracks were straightened out and a station built, let's say at 19th & Walnut, one could travel from there to 8th & Market in a fraction of the time it would take by bus.

So how much abandoned track and station do we have under the streets?

sounds like philly can make some good improvements just off of the old tracks and stations.

Also from looking at the transit map on google we have a lot of trans running around the area, the Regional rail goes all around the city of Philly + Northeast, why not throw some septa trains on those tracks or make the pass work on both septa and RR

[Aaamazarite]

Originally Posted by TonyTone

You sure Washington Ave never had an overhead line ?

HQ

An elevated line for Washington Avenue was proposed in 1913 as part of a network of elevated freight train lines, it was going to extend to 5th Street. All we ended up with was the 25th Street Viaduct before the plan was cancelled in 1935.

Here's the plan for those that are interested:

https://books.google.com/books?id=8v...gbs_navlinks_s

[Skintreesnail]

Originally Posted by TonyTone

So how much abandoned track and station do we have under the streets?

sounds like philly can make some good improvements just off of the old tracks and stations.

Also from looking at the transit map on google we have a lot of trans running around the area, the Regional rail goes all around the city of Philly + Northeast, why not throw some septa trains on those tracks or make the pass work on both septa and RR

here's a list here that includes the 2 on the spur line and a couple others:
https://wikidelphia.org/List_of_ghost_transit_stations

these articles have an interesting overview of the history of plans that started but never finished:
https://www.phillymag.com/news/2013/...ays-find-them/

https://hiddencityphila.org/2018/04/...t-subway-line/

we also have the city branch tunnel/cut that was used for freight that sits unused. There is a freight station at broad and noble that is now used as an internet switching hub. It would be great from an urban planning perspective to use at least some of these resources (franklin square station was at least planned to open before the pandemic), but I have a feeling a lot of this will change as we deal with an expanded work from home culture and social distancing from living with a pandemic. I'm sure there're are plenty of ways to make transit safe and effective in this environment, but are probably cost-prohibitive.

[summersm343]

Parking Lot Finally Set to Disappear at 23rd & Cherry

Current Site:


Planned development:




Read more here:
http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phill...ar-23rd-cherry

[summersm343]

Dueling Projects on Berks Street – Which Will Start First?

171 W. Berks St. current site:


Planned development:


150 W. Berks St. current site:


Planned development:


Read more here:
http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phill...ll-start-first

[summersm343]

New Apartment Building Coming on the Edge of West Poplar

1309 Cambridge St. current site:


Planned development:




Read more here:
http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phill...ge-west-poplar

[summersm343]

Sweet Renderings For Adaptive Reuse Coming to 12th & Wharton

Current site:


Planned development:


Read more here:
http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phill...mrcViT-cu5QuDc

[summersm343]

Developer to convert old factory in Wayne Junction into apartments

Article behind paywall, but can see rendering here and read more if you have access:
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...x6cXHP5mm9uV0Q

[eixample]

I'm excited about that project at 12th and Wharton. Between this project on the northeast corner of the park, the municipal lot redevelopment project on the eastern side of the park (new fire station, large vacant industrial building refitted for apartments, new apartment building built with, hopefully, a ground floor small format grocery space) and the redesign of the park itself, this area will be quite different in 5 years or so. (The park in question is Columbus Square - I assume its days with that name are numbered and it will be rechristened before long.)

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Developer to convert old factory in Wayne Junction into apartments

Article behind paywall, but can see rendering here and read more if you have access:
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...x6cXHP5mm9uV0Q

Good, progress has been slow up there. They have cleaned up a few buildings and added the BBQ restaurant but there is very little that is clearly visible to the passerby.

[TonyTone]

Originally Posted by Aaamazarite

An elevated line for Washington Avenue was proposed in 1913 as part of a network of elevated freight train lines, it was going to extend to 5th Street. All we ended up with was the 25th Street Viaduct before the plan was cancelled in 1935.

Here's the plan for those that are interested:

https://books.google.com/books?id=8v...gbs_navlinks_s

And speaking of the devil, 5 years later and the 25th viaduct is still not fixed, Streets says it's CSX & CSX is quiet as usual.