Philadelphia Transportation Thread

[Busy Bee]

[thoughtcriminal]

Originally Posted by Mr Saturn64

Now they're saying that there will be a press release at 10 tomorrow morning.

not to read the tea leaves too much, but if it were a *MAJOR* announcement, like "We're building the Boulevard Subway Line", I would think they would do more than a press release - like a press conference or some media event like that.

[Mr Saturn64]

The anticipation is killing me...

[Busy Bee]

...

[Mr Saturn64]

City Council plans Roosevelt Boulevard Subway hearings following I-95 collapse

https://billypenn.com/2023/06/14/roo...medium=twitter

[Mr Saturn64]

Councilmember Mike Driscoll Calls on City to Revisit Proposed Roosevelt Boulevard Subway Extension.

https://twitter.com/BlvdSubway/statu...Cx1aqruKkuAAAA

[Busy Bee]

Good news. Not squirt-your-shorts great news though. This announcement might have been a bit overhyped.

[summersm343]

I just don't realistically see how they're going to secure funding for this project. Maybe an elevated rail line, but a subway line seems totally farfetched to me. Maybe, and hopefully, I'll be wrong

[Skintreesnail]

That was way over hyped. Is there some reason why city council holding hearings on a possible something on Roosevelt blvd is big news? Is it any better than the studies already being done? I think a subway or an el extension would be great for NE Philadelphia, and hopefully would include an extension south to the navy yard, but it would include some major political capital as well as actual capital capital. I mean i was expecting some major funding announcement and backing by some political body greater than city council.

[Busy Bee]

Trying not to mention China... Trying not to mention China...

[thoughtcriminal]

Originally Posted by Skintreesnail

That was way over hyped. Is there some reason why city council holding hearings on a possible something on Roosevelt blvd is big news? Is it any better than the studies already being done? I think a subway or an el extension would be great for NE Philadelphia, and hopefully would include an extension south to the navy yard, but it would include some major political capital as well as actual capital capital. I mean i was expecting some major funding announcement and backing by some political body greater than city council.

it's news because it's a necessary step in the process. it couldn't go forward without hearings, so at least they're having the hearings instead of saying "we're not going to bother to have hearings because the project is DOA."
that said, I agree that I don't expect much to come from the hearings.

[Busy Bee]

Where is the damn FTA in all of this? Do they have any element of that agency that looks for opportunities in American cities in a coherent fashion or do they only lift a finger until the operating agency approaches them regarding a project?

I think I know the answer and I know it's the wrong way to be doing things. We need a Transit body in a our national USDOT that does vision planning for and along with city operating agencies. So many agencies, with SEPTA at or near the top, are so underfunded and struggle with just providing basic service and maintenance that any culture of vision or expansion aspiration seems to be nearly nonexistent.

[thoughtcriminal]

One question I've had, and maybe there isn't an answer to it yet, but how would the connection to the MFL work? Would the El go back underground after leaving the Frankford terminal and connect with the Boulevard line underground, or would it remain elevated?

[Skintreesnail]

Originally Posted by thoughtcriminal

it's news because it's a necessary step in the process. it couldn't go forward without hearings, so at least they're having the hearings instead of saying "we're not going to bother to have hearings because the project is DOA."
that said, I agree that I don't expect much to come from the hearings.

Sure, it's a needed step to move forward and good, but they were really hyping it on that Twitter feed. I mean getting people excited is part of it i guess, just was hoping for something bigger.


Meanwhile:
https://billypenn.com/2023/06/14/i95...epta-staffing/

“SEPTA better commit to quick and significant improvements of service or the city is going to see a major exodus from any northern suburb employees,” rider Kristen McCabe of Media wrote on Sunday.

Especially if it does manage to pick up the ball here, the circumstance could help SEPTA’s long-term financial outlook, which has been described as a budgetary “fiscal cliff” because pandemic relief funding runs out next year.

I get that staff shortages puts them at a tough spot, but come on SEPTA, don't blow the opportunity here.

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by thoughtcriminal

One question I've had, and maybe there isn't an answer to it yet, but how would the connection to the MFL work? Would the El go back underground after leaving the Frankford terminal and connect with the Boulevard line underground, or would it remain elevated?

The vision map suggests it terminates underground.

EDIT: Actually no it doesn't upon another glance but it does seem like I gathered somewhere that is was to be an underground connection. I could be wrong though.

[thoughtcriminal]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

The vision map suggests it terminates underground.

EDIT: Actually no it doesn't upon another glance but it does seem like I gathered somewhere that is was to be an underground connection. I could be wrong though.

I've assumed it would be underground as well, but it's not a given. As you noted, the drawings are ambiguous. As I said, there might not be an answer yet, just curious.

[Nouvellecosse]

Seems odd that the MFL line connection would be underground if both lines are elevated.

[Busy Bee]

Assuming major alterations are not done to the relatively recent Frankford Transportation Center terminal it looks like you could have a guideway immediately after the station platforms descend at a royghly 3% grade - which is well within subway engineering guidelines - and enter a tunnel right before and clearing E Cheltenham Ave and running under Bustleton to Roosevelt. This would necessitate the demolition of the parking garage. The ramp could be made quite attractive with a stepped ledgestone veneer and ivy. I can see it.

Another option even though the tight yard lead turn is not ideal for revenue operation would be to build the same portal ramp on the outside edge of the yard paralleling Penn St, then under Penn St and then merging into Bustelton.

[thoughtcriminal]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

Seems odd that the MFL line connection would be underground if both lines are elevated.

the assumption for now is that the Boulevard Line is a subway line.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by thoughtcriminal

the assumption for now is that the Boulevard Line is a subway line.

If this actually happened the growth in NE Philly would be explosive.