Changing Skyline: Money For Costly Roadwork Would Be Better Spent On Transit

English: A shot from the Pyramid Club of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge at night. First posted at: Brozzetti Gallery (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Back in 2010, Gov. Christie shocked transportation experts when he canceled construction of a new rail tunnel to Manhattan, one of the nation’s busiest routes.  The project would have doubled capacity, relieving the terrible rush-hour delays that force NJ Transit and Amtrak trains to queue up to snake through two century-old, single-track tunnels.  But Christie argued that the state couldn’t afford its part of the tab, $3 billion to $5 billion, for relieving the rail congestion.

Price wasn’t an issue earlier this month when South Jersey officials boisterously celebrated the start of another project aimed at reducing congestion.  This one will reconstruct the chaotic Camden County interchange where Interstates 295 and 76 converge with Route 42.  Fixing this one trouble spot – or, rather, making it more tolerable – will cost U.S. taxpayers just shy of $1 billion.

The different responses to these projects speak volumes about how our policymakers think about congestion. Highway traffic jams are still considered unacceptable.  But rail commuters routinely make do with antiquated systems that cause regular delays and breakdowns, like the one that left PATCO riders stranded on the Ben Franklin Bridge for 90 minutes during St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

What makes the I-295 project stand out is its staggering price tag.  Officials say it will take at least $900 million to untangle the South Jersey interchange – a sum equal to 75 percent of SEPTA’s entire annual operating budget.  Yet it doesn’t appear that New Jersey or federal officials ever stopped to ask, “Is this problem just too expensive to fix?”

Read more:  http://www.philly.com/philly/home/20130329_Changing_Skyline__Money_for_costly_roadwork_would_be_better_spent_on_transit.html

Chesco D.A.: Norco Murder Scene Was ‘Doorway Into Hell’

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WEST CHESTER — Two weeks after the grisly discovery of a body inside a burning North Coventry apartment, authorities announced an arrest in the murder of 17-year-old Kevin Allen.

Shakeem Carter, 20, of Norristown, was arraigned Wednesday morning after an investigation concluded he was responsible for the brutal stabbing death of the Norristown High School student inside his father’s home at the Hanover Garden Apartments, officials said.

Allen’s body was discovered on Feb. 12 after a neighbor dialed 911 to report a “terrible struggle,” according to Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan, who announced Carter’s arrest at a Wednesday morning new conference.

Officers from the North Coventry Police Department were the first to enter the apartment, but they had to retreat when they discovered the apartment was on fire.  Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames, but when they returned, they told police there was a body inside.

Read more:

http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130228/NEWS01/130229413/chesco-d-a–norco-murder-scene-was-doorway-into-hell-(video)?nstrack=sid:387506|met:300|cat:0|order:2#full_story\

Crime Has Some Thinking Twice About Philly Life

English: This is my own work, Public Domain Photograph, not copyrighted Ed Yakovich http://www.flickr.com/photos/10396190@N04 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

BORN-AND-RAISED Philadelphian Danielle Harvey never really saw herself moving away from her hometown.

Then, last spring, she witnessed a shooting at the same bus stop where she had been robbed about a month before.

Harvey, 24, who worked at a law office in Center City, said that she was able to shake off the robbery, in which her phone was stolen and pockets rifled through at a bus stop outside Frankford’s Margaret-Orthodox El station.

“You live in the city, this stuff happens,” she said.  ”That made me think this city is getting a little tiring to live in, but I never really imagined myself being somebody who could move.”

Then, about a month later, as she waited at the same bus stop, a man across the street from where she stood was shot in the neck.

“[The shooting] was pretty much the thing that more or less sealed it for me thinking I should get out of here,” she said.

Read more:  http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20130225_Crime_has_some_thinking_twice_about_Philly_life.html

Philadelphia, Suburbs Emerge From Sandy

English: This is my own work, Public Domain Photograph, not copyrighted Ed Yakovich http://www.flickr.com/photos/10396190@N04 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The scene at the corner of Chelten and Wissahickon avenues in Philadelphia said it all: A blue mountain bike, badly mangled and turned upside down, but still somehow tethered to a bicycle rack.

The city and its suburbs emerged shaken but largely intact Tuesday morning, after taking a night’s beating from Sandy’s high winds and rain. Some people remained in shelters, but waterways were receding in certain areas, and many residents were coming outside to survey the damage and take a deep breath of relief.

Travel remained challenging, with downed power lines and trees closing streets. SEPTA began resuming services at noon, hoping to bring the system to full strength piece by piece. Shopping malls planned to reopen Tuesday, though an estimated 1.2 million were without power across Pennsylvania.

A Peco spokesperson said total outages for Southeastern Pennsylvania reached more than 800,000 at the height of the storm, shattering previous records, and as of Tuesday morning 585,000 were without service. Restoration could take days.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20121030_Philadelphia__suburbs_emerge_from_Sandy.html

Superstorm Weakening, Worst Has Passed For Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA — A one-two punch of rain and high wind from a monster hybrid storm that started out as a hurricane battered Pennsylvania, leaving more than a million people without power as officials prepared to assess the damage Tuesday.

The storm soaked Philadelphia and its suburbs Monday night but forecasters said the worst was behind the state by daybreak Tuesday.

Major interstates around Philadelphia reopened Tuesday morning although some speed and vehicle restrictions remained in place across the state.  Additional road closures were likely in the day ahead, as the center of the storm was forecast to turn north from the Harrisburg area.

The severity of the storm in Pennsylvania expressed itself during the day Monday through a set of increasingly worrisome numbers, from the hundreds of people who fled their homes in the southeastern part of the state to the power outages affecting more than 1.2 million customers by early Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121030/NEWS03/121039970/superstorm-weakening-worst-has-passed-for-pa-

Pottstown Area Rapid Transit Fares To Increase August 1st!

Please click on the link below to learn what changes are taking place for Pottstown Area Rapid Transit (PART) users in a few days: http://www.pottstown.org/PDF/2012-part-fare-increase.pdf

Yet Another Copper Thief – Caught Stealing From Amtrak

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WEST CHESTER, PA — A father of four who struggles with a heroin addiction told a Common Pleas Court judge that he planned to pay back thousands of dollars he owes Amtrak for stealing copper wire from the railroad’s Philadelphia to Harrisburg line, but he did not say how.

William James Stauffer, 29, of Honey Brook pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of theft by unlawful taking and criminal mischief for the December 2010 theft about 800 pounds of copper electrical wire. In addition to a prison term of six to 23 months in Chester County prison and three years of probation, he was ordered to pay $28,650 to the railroad for the cost of the wire and the considerable disruption its loss caused operations along the line.

“As soon as I get back home, I’d like to get back to work,” Stauffer told Jude William Mahon, who accepted the plea agreement between the prosecution and Stauffer’s attorney. “I want to give it 100 percent to pay my restitution, and to keep my nose clean.

Read more: http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2012/01/23/news/srv0000016938238.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Philadelphia Looks To Turn Reading Viaduct Into Urban Park

Much like the High Line was in Manhattan, the Reading Viaduct in Philadelphia is an abandoned elevated railroad line that runs through parts of Philadelphia.  The idea of taking in urban views from an elevated garden style park is catching on in Philly.

This concept was a huge success in Manhattan and even got celebrities like Diane von Fürstenberg and Edward Norton involved in the project.

After eight years, two Philadelphians succeeded in lobbying city council to take control of the viaduct from the Reading International Company.  The city is presently in contact with Reading International to take control of the larger section of the viaduct.  The Center City District is working with SEPTA to create a park on the shorter section of the viaduct, which is owned by SEPTA.

The Reading Viaduct is much wider than the High Line in Manhattan and will make the space more versatile.  People are envisioning a renaissance in the area that will bring in food, entertainment, outdoor activities of all sorts, artists and housing.  The park would stimulate growth for Chinatown, eliminate blight and attract new residents.  The High Line has had a tremendous economic impact on the area of Manhattan it is located in.  Philadelphia could expect similar results.

We applaud Philadelphia’s leadership for getting on the “rails to trails” bandwagon and doing something innovative that will enhance the quality of life for city residents!

Amtrak, NJ Transit and SEPTA Trains Halted By Flood Waters From Irene

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Things have not returned to normal after Irene.  Amtrak service between Philadelphia and Boston was halted due to high water that flooded the Trenton Station and tracks, making train travel north of Trenton impossible.

SEPTA had seventeen cars stranded at Trenton when water from a nearby creek overflowed over the tracks.  The water is not expected to recede until Monday evening and then the damage will be assessed before a timeline to re-establish train service can be determined.  SEPTA still has four train lines without service: Trenton, Paoli/Thorndale, Norristown and Cynwyd.

NJ Transit trains are only operating on the Atlantic City Line.

Amtrak service between Philadelphia and Harrisburg is expected to resume about 3 p.m today.

SEPTA TO HALT SERVICE DURING HURRICANE IRENE

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All SEPTA Services To Be Suspended During Hurricane Irene. Operations to Halt at 12:30 a.m. Sunday; Services to Resume Mid-Day Sunday, As Conditions Permit.

PHILADELPHIA, PA (August 26, 2011)

In the interest of public safety, with a hurricane of historic proportions approaching the region, SEPTA will cease all transportation operations at12:30 a.m. Sunday.

All trips scheduled after 12:30 a.m. Sunday will be cancelled.  Service is not expected to resume until at least mid-day Sunday, following damage assessments and repairs. Service will resume on a route-by-route basis, based on conditions.

SEPTA strongly urges all customers who normally ride the system during this time period to make arrangements to go to your destination well in advance of the storm and be prepared to remain safely at that location until the storm has passed and service has resumed.

Announcements regarding the resumption of service will be announced through the Office of the Mayor of Philadelphia and SEPTA’s Website, www.septa.org.

All SEPTA employees normally assigned to work during the period of the shutdown or who are assigned to emergency duty are required to report to work at their assigned locations.

SEPTA Ridership Hits 22-Year High

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For the fiscal year that ended June 30, SEPTA‘s buses, subways, trolleys, and trains had about 334 million passengers, up 4 percent from the previous year and the most since 345 million in fiscal 1989.

SEPTA officials credited service improvements, higher gasoline prices, Center City population growth, and a growing use of transit by young adults.

To read the entire article from Philly.com, click here:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20110728_SEPTA_ridership_hits_22-year_high.html?ref=twitter.com

PennDOT Coughs Up Money For New Train Station In Coatesville

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This is a very interesting move for several reasons.

 

The train “station” at Coatesville is presently crap and ridership is low in part because the station is a shack with no amenities like a ticket booth or bathrooms for starters.  Having been there once it totally creeped me out.

 

Once the new station is built SEPTA has no plans to increase service.  They will “wait and see” if the “build it and they will come” mentality works.  If ridership increases, SEPTA will increase service.  SEPTA feels it makes no sense to expand ridership at a little-used station but it DOES make sense to spent $16.3 million dollars to build a new station, platforms, pedestrian overpass etc…  Hmmmmmm…

 

PennDOT wants to get in on the project with transit-oriented development that will hopefully stabilize the neighborhood and bring economic development to Coatesville.  PennDOT is committing $15 million dollars to the project and the station is not even designed yet.  (BUT THERE IS NO MONEY TO REBUILD THE KEIM STREET BRIDGE WHICH CARRIED 9400 VEHICLES PER DAY OVER THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER.)

 

Another goal is to make SEPTA riders feel safe while waiting for a train.  Okay, you get a point for that since presently it is scary.

 

The coolest part is that PennDOT is conferring with elected leadership in Coatesville, Chester County and taking the pulse of the neighborhood.  What a concept!  Getting ideas from residents.  (Pottstown might want to consider this approach instead of “Father Knows Best”.)

 

It is commendable that PennDOT wants to be involved in economic development.  Coatesville has demonstrated needs.  But, so does Pottstown which is MUCH larger and has a critical bridge which is indefinitely closed with no money allocated to repair or replace it.  I would think the Keim Street Bridge should be a priority over giving $15 million dollars to build a new train station, not even in the development stage, at a little-used SEPTA stop.  $15 million dollars should pay for a new bridge!

Pennsylvania Makes Top Ten List Of US States Reducing Oil Dependence

This should make us all proud.  Pennsylvania was ranked 7th out of the 50 states for doing the most to reduce our dependence on oil.  Because Pennsylvania funds public transit systems (like PART and SEPTA) and because of setting renewable fuel standards we earned high marks.  California ranked number 1 while Alaska was number 50.  Pennsylvania drivers spend 3.4% of their income on gas, which is the 8th lowest percentage in the country!

If you would like to read the report in its entirety you may click on this link: http://www.nrdc.org/energy/states/files/Fighting%20Oil%20Addiction_NRDC_Nov%202010.pdf

SEPTA Replacing Aging Passenger Rail Cars

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The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is spending $274 million to replace 120 passenger cars in their commuter rail system.

73 of these new cars will replace ones built in the 1960’s!!!  The first three new cars went on their maiden voyage this morning.

The new Silverliner V rail cars are being partially built in South Korea and finished in Philly.  The new cars have better air-conditioning and heating systems, wider doors, wider aisles, larger windows and wheelchair areas.  All 120 cars should be in service by mid 2011.

Pottstown Borough Creates Intermodal Transportation Center Using Federal Stimulus Grant

If you have been downtown lately, you will notice there is construction going on next to Harleysville Bank First Niagara Bank.  The old SEPTA train platform area is being renovated and transformed into an intermodal transportation center.  This is a much-needed improvement for Pottstown.  Currently, PART’s main transfer point is right in front of Argento’s restaurant and in the middle of the very busy High & Hanover Street intersection.  Those big buses take up a lot of room!

Wisely, our borough government has applied for and been awarded a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to create the intermodal transportation center.  A transportation center makes SENSE!  If you have ever been to Norristown’s transportation center you will see how organized this makes using mass transit.  Pottstown is unique as we are the only municipality in Montgomery County to have our own mass transit system.  Pottstown also has SEPTA service along with PART. 

As I am constantly posting and hinting around about Pottstown getting grants to pay for improvements, I feel it is only fair that we give public recognition to the borough for obtaining one!  Nice going and let’s get some more .

SEPTA Fares Will Increase July 1st

ATTENTION SEPTA USERS:

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) will increase fares for trolleys, buses and the subway effective July 1, 2010. 

The price of a bus / subway token will increase .10 cents to $1.55 from the current $1.45, the cost of a weekly transit pass will rise $1.25 to $22 from the current $20.75, and a monthly Zone 3 commuter rail pass will jump $12.50 to $155.00 versus $142.50.  Transfers for subway, bus and trolley riders will increase to $1.00.  Currently a transfer is .75 cents.

The vote was divided to increase fares, however, SEPTA representatives  unanimously approved their $300,000,000.00 budget for the coming year.