Railroad Forums 

  • Newtown Rail Trail may be stifled...

  • Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.
Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.

Moderator: AlexC

 #1412699  by roadmaster
 
This is one cursed route. First septa eschews it and now one recent example of a well organized NIMBYism in realtion to trails in the last five years to substantiate my claim that there has been activism against trails, steps to the plate and hits a homer. I guess the line will be an ugly monument for another few years.

My two cents - if the Cynwyd trail can exist with little to no impact to the neighbors whose properties abut the trail, the Buck's county snowflakes should have nothing to worry about.

I also wonder if there will be a proliferation of locked Newtown threads in any rails to trails forums.
 #1412881  by rslitman
 
There is also one other "missing" segment of this trail: south, from the park in Rockledge where the current southern terminus is located to Rhawn Street and then across to the Fox Chase Station.
 #1412884  by SemperFidelis
 
It's interesting, but for all of our distaste for many brands of what we derisively call NIMBYs, these folks actually make a point that we've been asking them to make for as long as I can recall:

While the original (anti-rail) NIMBYs in is fight did not have a valid point, according to pro-rail types, as they had either purchased homes near an active rail line (provided they had lived in the area for some time) or a rail line with suspended service (newer buyers) and should have taken the status and/or potential future of the rail line into account when making such a major purchase, the newer (anti-trail) NIMBYs, no matter when they purchased a home, did so in a place where there was no recreational trail.

As long as the NIMBY term has been thrown around in the pro-rail community it has been noted that the people raising these objections are generally people who, had they done thier research before spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a home, could/should have foreseen the possibility of a rail line being reactivated/ expanded/upgraded/rebuilt etc. due to thier homes' proximity to a rail line of whatever status. So, oddly enough, people who tend to rather liberally and derisively use the term NIMBY might now find themselves as bedfellows to anti-trail NIMBYs.

Personally, to try to be a little understanding, I think some on the pro-rail side tend to be a little less than fair when dictating what they feel the average homeowner should feel obligated to research and consider when purchasing a home. To the vast, vast majority of people even active railroads simply do not register...much less historic lines that might see activation. To most people, just finding a home that is affordable, near decent schools, with an acceptable crime rate, and with demographics we are comfortable with and feel as part of a community within are far above whether or not an old RDG or PRR line that is buried in trees and whose rails haven't been shined in a few dozen years might see service again. That isn't to say thier position against these highly valuable rail line, with benefits crossing political lines and ranging from economic to environmental to social, isn't unfair as well...I just think we sometimes get carried away labeling decent people with a cute little acronym because it is easier than putting ourselves (folks who love railroads and know thier benefits) in thier (folks who are probably just as passionate about things we don't give a rat's ass about) shoes.

Off the soapbox...now!

That all being said, I really hate the kind of NIMBY that wants to rip up a useful rail line so they can go snowmobiling or build another housing development. Those people are useless.

Edit: Hope I didn't offend anyone...except the last people I mentioned. Just trying to stick up for people who don't know any better.
 #1419712  by rwk
 
So I guess people don't research before they move if there is any public transit like trains in their area if they will need to get to their job. But then most people are probably ignorant of railroads, except when they take their kids on a train ride somewhere like Strasburg, etc. For most people, crime rates and schools are the most important things when choosing an area to live. Railroads, active or not are probably down on the list. But those people would complain if a rail line gets re activated for heavy freight trains right by their house, or a new highway is built nearby. Anything that affects their quality of life or the value of their home will cause them to complain. It is also a crying shame that SEPTA is destroying the link between the Lehigh Valley and Philly by ripping up old tracks north of Quakertown, we no longer have any train service in Allentown area since Conrail/SEPTA left Allentown in Sept 1979 and Bethlehem on June 30, 1981. The Lehigh County planners think that buses to Philly are enough. My aunt and uncle have lived in Newtown since 1979, Delaware 2 years before that, and Allentown. My mom's sister and husband. They lost train service in Jan 1983 before the big SEPTA strike that was a result of the transition from Conrail to SEPTA operation of the regional rails, service was out until July 1983 on the electric lines because of the strike. But, my aunt and uncle have a train a few miles away in Woodbourne. My uncle used to take Amtrak from Trenton to NY in the 1980's and some of the 90's for financial jobs in NY, now he works closer to home in NJ and drives to work. Less stressful. I guess losing the Newtown line is no big deal when there are nearby rail lines with train service like the West Trenton line. But, for my area we have to drive 30 miles south on 309 to the nearest rail station because the dimwits at SEPTA have no interest in diesel train service or building new electrification on non electric lines which means that the former diesel lines can't have any commuter train service if SEPTA won't run diesel service or build new catenary to run the Silverliners. Also, could they even run trains outside their service area to Bethlehem or Reading? It was different when PennDOT funded the service and Conrail crews ran it. Could NJT extend from High Bridge to Allentown? They do run into Philly, so there are NJT trains that run into PA. NJT runs diesel trains unlike SEPTA, and now they have dual modes to run into NY from diesel lines. That would be the answer for Quakertown to 30th St. service. The issue with passenger trains in Allentown, Bethlehem now is that the only rail lines available are NS freight lines, except a spur in Allentown which was the old LV passenger main. The LV freight line through Allentown is being ripped up for a trail I believe. NS recently said that they have no capacity for commuter trains on their lines through the Lehigh Valley. The Phillipsburg, NJ area now has just one track on the Lehigh Line for all rail traffic. But, NJT could extend from Hackettstown to Phillipsburg, the line sees very little freight traffic. But, the Pburg station is a bad location for a station, limited parking, steep steps down to the tracks, no handicap access.
 #1504254  by R36 Combine Coach
 
rwk wrote:But, NJT could extend from Hackettstown to Phillipsburg, the line sees very little freight traffic. But, the Pburg station is a bad location for a station, limited parking, steep steps down to the tracks, no handicap access.
The last passenger rail service in the Lehigh Valley area was NJT's RVL to Pburg until 1983. West of Hackettstown, track is restricted speed.

And yes, Lehigh Valley should have more rail service. With Bieber closed down, Trans-Bridge seems to have a monopoly on commuter/regional traffic now.
 #1504299  by rcthompson04
 
Northampton Twp. Is infamous for absurd local politics so this is not surprising. We have several examples of rail trails not being a problem. The Chester Valley Trail and other segments along the old Newtown Branch have no issues. I have not heard of any issues along the sections of the old Newtown Square and Chester branches that have been turned into rail trails. There are several others without issues as well.