PhilliesPhan2013 wrote:I wish I was the CEO of SEPTA. Unlike the current SEPTA administration, I have a vision: I envision the Delaware Valley and points north and west (Lancaster, the Lehigh Valley, Reading, etc) have the best rail coverage in the United States. I would push hard for funding at all levels, including federal, state, and local to raise capital. Here is what I would do (in no particular order):
IN THE CITY:
1. Have a SEPTA funded project to have either light rail or trolley service on Columbus Blvd
2. Push for a joint project with PATCO to extend service to the Parkway, with its new terminus at the Art Museum
3. If 2 doesn't pan out, then SEPTA should build a new subway line serving the Parkway
4. Possibly extend the R3 West Trenton Line back to its original destination of Newark, NJ
5. Extend the BSL north to Roosevelt Blvd, and south to the Navy Yard with the possibly of service to either PHL or New Jersey via a tunnel under the Delaware River
6. Extend the MFL further into North Philadelphia
IN THE SUBURBS:
1. Extend the R8 back out to Newtown
2. Extend the R3 back to West Chester
3. Restore full service to the Bethlehem Branch. SEPTA could even push this line into New Jersey to serve the city of Phillipsburg, NJ
4. Extend the R5 Paoli/Thorndale Line out to Lancaster
5. Push for the completion of Schuylkill Valley Metro to Reading
6. Look into the possibility of having rail service on the old Chester Creek Branch through southwestern Delaware County
7. Extend the R3 West Trenton line back to its original terminus of Newark, NJ
8. If 5 doesn't work out, then extend the R6 Manayunk/Norristownn Line to the King of Prussia Mall
9. Extend the 100 to the King of Prussia Mall
10. Rehab the Stoney Creek Branch, providing new service from Lansdale to Norristown, with an extension to the King of Prussia Mall to meet up with the newly extended R6
11. Double track the R2 Warminister Line
12. Extend the R2 Warminister Line to New Hope, PA
13. Rebuild the Newtown Square Branch, providing new Regional Rail service to Newtwon Square
14. Extend the R2 Wilmington/Newark Line to either Elkton, MD or Perryville, MD
This is my ultimate vision for rail in the Delaware Valley and beyond!
I appreciate your interest in transit expansion but these projects won't happen for so many reasons, even though I'm a dreamer at times and even started a fantasy thread (which was pointless in retrospect)
. But I'll respond to your list.
In the City:
1. There are already PATCO plans for light rail on Columbus Blvd. Unfortunately, the project has been inactive since 2009.
2. The city and SEPTA are looking instead at BRT along the City Branch which connect to Fairmount Park and Penn's Landing. A subway would be nice but way too expensive.
3. Refer to #2.
4. This is a NJ Transit project. There are many threads in the NJT forum about this.
5. SEPTA and PIDC are studying a Navy Yard extension. SEPTA studied a Blvd extension around 2001 and a subway was deemed too expensive. Right now, SEPTA/DVRPC are studying BRT-Lite along the Blvd.
6. ???????????
In the Suburbs:
1. The search function is very useful for this subject.
2. DVRPC conducted a ridership study back in 2011 and ridership estimates were low. I personally think they lowballed the ridership estimates.
3. There are plans to restore the Bethlehem Branch to Pennridge, a proposed park and ride off 309 near Telford.
4. There are currently plans to extend the Paoli/Thorndale Line to Atglen in Chester County. Lancaster County isn't part of SEPTA's service area.
5. $2 billion for a project like this is way too expensive.
6. It's already being converted to a trail.
7. You already mentioned this.
8. I don't think it's very cost effective if they're extending the 100 already.
9.
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10. Uhhhhhhhh
11. Not much room for it. Requires lots of $$$.
12. NHIRR owns the New Hope Branch north of Warminster. They're opposed to an extension of the Warminster Line.
13. ??????????
14. This would be a Maryland project.