Irish Cheiftan wrote:
The city? They get in the way of surface trolley restoration; what makes you think they will build a subway...?
It is my understanding, from a PATCO study (which includes a SEPTA subway surface component) forum participant, that the concept was to build a new deeper level tunnel underneath the existing MFSE and PATCO tunnels. The MFSE would be moved into the new tunnel, leaving the existing tunnel free for conversion to subway surface operation. The new MFSE tunnel would have fewer stops along Market East in order to speed operation. This reflects a previous study of SEPTA operations that (wrongly, IMHO) suggested closing some Market East stations.
And if Penn's Landing has lasted for three decades and is not closing up, the assessment of "total failure" is misplaced.
Penn's Landing certainly has not developed to it's full potential, or even come close. It has been mired in city politics/corruption for decades. New revelations indicate that the most recent process, on which four developers spent millions generating more proposals, was nothing more than a scam to milk the developers for political contributions (read: pay to play). The city apparently had no intention of actually building anything; they just wanted the developers to think so.
Penn's Landing and the waterfront for some distance beyond could (and should, IMHO) be similar to Toronto's Queensway. It isn't, and measured by this yardstick, Penn's Landing has been an abject failure.
If Penn's Landing and the waterfront north and south were developed (or if there were concrete plans for development) at the level of Toronto's Queensway, a Delaware Avenue light rail line would make sense. Otherwise, it doesn't.
One other idea: If a subway surface line were built on Delaware Avenue, it would be worthwhile to study an extension along Washington Avenue and Grays Ferry Avenue to link with the existing subway surface routes at 49th Street. Traveling north, it could be routed onto Richmond Street or new trackage on Aramingo Avenue and Castor Avenue to the Erie-Torresdale stop on the MFSE. Aramingo Avenue has a suburban type shopping area northeast of Westmoreland.
Notice I said study: I won't commit to the concept until I see if it is viable. [/quote]
