The pizza restaurant chain Sbarro on Monday filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than three years, after struggling with too much debt and lower customer traffic in the malls that house many of its restaurants.
Sbarro and more than 30 affiliates filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors with the US bankruptcy court in Manhattan.
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?”
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!
What do you do with an abandoned elevated railroad that runs 1.5 miles through the heart of Manhattan? Turn it into a 7-acre urban park, of course.
Watch this amazing video about the creation of an oasis in the middle of the nation’s largest city. It goes to show what community involvement and a desire to preserve the past, in a way that benefits present and future generations, can do.
For more information about this amazing space, click here: http://www.thehighline.org/
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