[youngniems]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan

TBH, the Boulevard Subway needs to be a project that both SEPTA and PennDOT partner on. As it stands, Roosevelt Boulevard works for no one: pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, or even motorists. The solution is simple: The inner lanes of the Boulevard need to be buried between 9th Street and the city line, with PennDOT allowing space for a culvert carrying a Boulevard Subway. Simultaneously, the outer lanes of the Boulevard could receive a road diet, bike lanes, and pedestrian improvements. This solution would work for all users: the 100,000+ projected riders in the Northeast would finally have a proper rail connection to Center City, pedestrian and cyclist safety would increase exponentially, and motorists looking to quickly traverse the Northeast would have a much better trip.

Also, the BSL is nowhere near as bad as the El. I live in the Northwest and take the Regional Rail or buses into the city now. I recently took the El from 30th Street to Girard to enjoy a night out in Fishtown. I could NOT believe how bad it has become on the El: the cars are wholly unsanitary. The El wasn't even this bad when I was growing up in West Philly in the 2000s. The BSL feels a lot cleaner to me (although it can still get dirty), and at least we have acquired grant funding to make a significant portion of the BSL stops ADA accessible. I completely agree that 13th, 11th, and 8th Street need work. At this point, even 2nd Street doesn't look as good as it did pre-pandemic.

Thank you! SEPTA absolutely needs to clean up the El. I have also taken it my whole life growing up it was the 60 from Port Richmond to K&A into Center City and nw work frequently takes me from Center City up to Frankford and the NE. It was always rough around the edges but right now it is an absolute disgrace. While it doesn't get the press as Center City and surrounding neighborhoods, the NE is one of the fastest growing parts of the city that would absolutely benefit from a subway in more ways than KOP would with a light rail line.