[volguus zildrohar]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

There are a lot of things SEPTA needs to do. I will now organize them into priorities:

1. Build the Boulevard extension already! Of all the proposed Philadelphia subway projects, the Roosevelt Boulevard extension is the oldest, most dearly needed, and most important. Currently, there are only two rail spines in the Great Northeast: the R7 to Trenton and the R8 only to Fox Chase. The Boulevard subway (which could run down Bustleton instead, at least to the Boulevard) would provide a key heavy rail spine throughout the Northeast the bus routes could easily feed into; as rapid transit, it would be much faster than buses running down this key spine. In addition, the projected ridership of the Boulevard Subway would be higher than most currently developed projects elsewhere in the nation!

This is the big argument, ridership. The trip from virtually any point north of Cottman Avenue to Center City is too long and indirect if you aren't near Regional Rail. This had to be the intention of several of the spur routes proposed for the system.

2. Replace the bus routes with trolleybus routes. Currently, Philadelphia has three (3) trolleybus routes, all radiating out from Frankford Transportation Center. In order to be energy-efficient, we must expand this trolleybus system by expanding the amount of trolleybus routes are available.

I don't see this happening for the simple reason of the additional infrastructure (i.e. catenary).

This might work as a better option for BRT which would make sense as a replacement for routes that are less about getting people around neighborhood to neighborhood as feeding people to a rapid transit route. Several routes that run out of Frankford fit the bill as well as others like the 48 and 32, in particular.

3. Expand the Regional Rail System to make it more modern: Three

There are gaps to be sure. The Regional Rail system I think is logistically better assembled than virtually any other in the country thanks to the Center City Connection. Even New York currently doesn't have so seamless a system. What amazes me is that SEPTA gives it so much attention as opposed to CTD but there are simple improvements that seem to languish while stations are renovated - which seems to be the extent of their concern for CTD.

Less important rail and transit expansions number into litany, but some include: extending the 10 to Overbrook (and St. Joe's?), trolley restoration of the 23 along Germantown Ave, trolley restoration along 23 ROW in CC (north to Temple?), trolley restoration along the 56, possible conversion of R7 CHW or R8 CHE to 3rd rail feeding into the BSL, West Philadelphia Streetcar Loop, Light Rail along Delaware Ave, Rail Restoration to Reading, Rail Restoration to Quakertown and thence Bethlehem, PATCO/NJ Transit rail expansion in South Jersey, either (a) feeding into the PATCO tunnel or (b) feeding into Walter Rand with River Line-type DMUs, rail service to the Art Museum and Zoo via the City Subway, a Center City loop subway, a MSE/RBE connection (where Bustleton meets the Boulevard), 100 extension to KoP, etc. etc.

All good ideas but here's an interesting addition: Last winter when PATCO held public forums about the waterfront transit plan, there was information regarding other parts of the city lacking adequate transit connections and one of the things noted was a lack of a direct connection between the Art Museum Area and University City/30th Street.