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Excellent points, and I wasn't suggesting throwing money at the schools and hoping the problems go away (that has been a proven failure for many years). I was more getting at outreach and programs that somehow target youth born into unfortunate situations.
And to add to your point about infrastructure, it would benefit the economy and give Philadelphia a much needed boost and face lift.
I would also suggest a portion of funding to replace traffic lights, light posts, trashcans, crosswalks, etc. small changes (yet expensive), but that would do wonders to improve the aesthetics and QOL for people who walk the streets and provide more visual appeal for visitors.
For example, strolling Park Ave or Michigan Ave is truly enjoyable due to how beautiful and well-kept the boulevards are. Walnut, Chestnut, Market and especially Broad look rather drab and slightly rundown in comparison. The improvements I suggested above are well worth it to market and improve Philadelphia as a beautiful American city.
It may seem like a caviar issue, but its really not, and with all things the city wastes its money on, this would at least do something to improve the quality of our streets.
I said things like this long ago. Make Broad more green and flowers added and the median too.
Broad has the width and sidewalks should be adequate to add aspects of Michigan Ave Chicago or planters with flowers changed by the season. Tourist LOVE to see this and reputations increase.
But the more you build and add .... the more cost to maintain. Nothing is build it and it just stats that way.
Tourist love to be impressed by details.
Early April before tulips even bloomed it seems
On N Michigan Ave Chicago. But planter blocks seen.
Early April video before most flowers planted
But still shows the planters that do restrict the sidewalk
Still too grand to lessen.
Broad could truly be a avenue in a facelift with more green to flowers too.
Add aspects of this on Broad. In a size workable.
Can be spaced within blocks and parts of the median.
To planters of whatever size works. Doesn't need to be extravagant.
Took these pictures maybe 6-years ago. Some years more tropical,
some less with more just flowers. Then seasonal plantings change.
Good to see Septa willing to work with the counties in extending it's rail options.
Sucks that the city hasn't been getting any rail attention whatsoever.
If there are currently dormant branch lines that gets reopened, then that can potentially also benefit the city as a previously nonexistent branch line just by dint of interlining means higher frequency service within the city.
I said things like this long ago. Make Broad more green and flowers added and the median too.
Broad has the width and sidewalks should be adequate to add aspects of Michigan Ave Chicago or planters with flowers changed by the season. Tourist LOVE to see this and reputations increase.
But the more you build and add .... the more cost to maintain. Nothing is build it and it just stats that way.
.
This is a topic we agree on. This would fall under general infrastructure improvements in Philadelphia, and though it may cost more money upfront, there would be tremendous benefits to the QOL on the street and attraction of the city if there were a landscaped median on Broad or Market Street, or decorative traffic poles and light poles on Walnut / Chestnut. They are the city's most prime boulevards and they should be treated as such.
The Benjamin Franklin Parkway is the exception, that is a beautiful stretch of road and is one of the few American streets that reminds me of Paris.
I do wish for another Barnes quality museum and a few cafes so people can stop and enjoy the stretch a bit more though.
That’s fantastic news! When these going back out to allentown, pottsville, bewark, and newton?
Phoenixville will probably see rail service before the Lehigh Valley does. There are apparently talks already underway involving SEPTA, Norfolk Southern, and Chester County. NS is historically hostile to regional passenger service operating on its tracks, but the right-of-way is wide enough that two additional tracks could be added to the two already there, IIRC, and what I've heard through the grapevine is that NS may be willing to give SEPTA rights over its freight route on the old Reading main line.
Pottsville is in Schuylkill County and beyond Reading; sure you didn't mean Pottstown? That's another place that could use it. I said to a local Realtor who showed me around the place, "Were this Northern Virginia, this place would look like Alexandria." It doesn't, but the raw material is there, and so is the potential.
Newark, Del., already has Regional Rail service - the State of Delaware contracts with SEPTA to run trains across northern New Castle County. Roughly every other Wilmington Line train extends to Newark.
I doubt we will see service restored beyond the city line on the Newtown Branch anytime soon, no matter how much Newtown or Bucks County desires it. The good news is, if anyone managed to get Montgomery County and Bryn Athyn Borough on board with reinstalling the tracks on what is now a rail-trail, service could be provided without electrification (the stumbling block to prior efforts to restore R8 Newtown service; SEPTA insisted on it and Bryn Athyn objected to the proposal on aesthetic grounds) with the purchase of dual-mode locomotives. Such creatures (the New Haven had them) have proved difficult to maintain and unreliable in the past, but a friend of mine who works in the industry tells me that New Jersey Transit has had a good experience with the Siemens-built dual-modes it bought a few years back.
Phoenixville will probably see rail service before the Lehigh Valley does. There are apparently talks already underway involving SEPTA, Norfolk Southern, and Chester County. NS is historically hostile to regional passenger service operating on its tracks, but the right-of-way is wide enough that two additional tracks could be added to the two already there, IIRC, and what I've heard through the grapevine is that NS may be willing to give SEPTA rights over its freight route on the old Reading main line.
Pottsville is in Schuylkill County and beyond Reading; sure you didn't mean Pottstown? That's another place that could use it. I said to a local Realtor who showed me around the place, "Were this Northern Virginia, this place would look like Alexandria." It doesn't, but the raw material is there, and so is the potential.
Newark, Del., already has Regional Rail service - the State of Delaware contracts with SEPTA to run trains across northern New Castle County. Roughly every other Wilmington Line train extends to Newark.
I doubt we will see service restored beyond the city line on the Newtown Branch anytime soon, no matter how much Newtown or Bucks County desires it. The good news is, if anyone managed to get Montgomery County and Bryn Athyn Borough on board with reinstalling the tracks on what is now a rail-trail, service could be provided without electrification (the stumbling block to prior efforts to restore R8 Newtown service; SEPTA insisted on it and Bryn Athyn objected to the proposal on aesthetic grounds) with the purchase of dual-mode locomotives. Such creatures (the New Haven had them) have proved difficult to maintain and unreliable in the past, but a friend of mine who works in the industry tells me that New Jersey Transit has had a good experience with the Siemens-built dual-modes it bought a few years back.
Wow, MarketStEl, of all people, I thought you would know more on this topic...
The Reading RR used to carry passengers through Phoenixville, Royersford, Pottstown, Reading, then up to Pottsville. There was also a line that used to go to Newark, NJ.
Wow, MarketStEl, of all people, I thought you would know more on this topic...
The Reading RR used to carry passengers through Phoenixville, Royersford, Pottstown, Reading, then up to Pottsville. There was also a line that used to go to Newark, NJ.
Basically: Any extension of SEPTA service outside SEPTA's operating territory would require buy-in from whatever transit agency provides service in that other area. (Just as Delaware pays for SEPTA Regional Rail service in New Castle County. The state also owns four Silverliner V coaches outright. They're identified with "Property of the State of Delaware" plaques near their doors.)
In Reading's case, that would be BARTA. I don't think Schuylkill County is in its service area. I'm not even sure public transit operates in Pottsville.
Basically: Any extension of SEPTA service outside SEPTA's operating territory would require buy-in from whatever transit agency provides service in that other area. (Just as Delaware pays for SEPTA Regional Rail service in New Castle County. The state also owns four Silverliner V coaches outright. They're identified with "Property of the State of Delaware" plaques near their doors.)
In Reading's case, that would be BARTA. I don't think Schuylkill County is in its service area. I'm not even sure public transit operates in Pottsville.
Right. And I don’t think SEPTA should even concern itself with Berks County. They should be focused on West Chester, Pottstown, and Quakertown.
Right. And I don’t think SEPTA should even concern itself with Berks County. They should be focused on West Chester, Pottstown, and Quakertown.
Why not? Berks County already has a sizable commuter rate to SE PA. Even if SEPTA doesn't take over bus operations in Berks County, it could still benefit greatly from having rail service restored in that area. The most realistic and less costly scenario would be to extend the Manayunk/Norristown Line to Reading.
I do agree that extending SEPTA into Schuylkill County would be ridiculous. If rail service is ever restored to that area, it would be better served by Amtrak.
Phoenixville will probably see rail service before the Lehigh Valley does. There are apparently talks already underway involving SEPTA, Norfolk Southern, and Chester County. NS is historically hostile to regional passenger service operating on its tracks, but the right-of-way is wide enough that two additional tracks could be added to the two already there, IIRC, and what I've heard through the grapevine is that NS may be willing to give SEPTA rights over its freight route on the old Reading main line.
Pottsville is in Schuylkill County and beyond Reading; sure you didn't mean Pottstown? That's another place that could use it. I said to a local Realtor who showed me around the place, "Were this Northern Virginia, this place would look like Alexandria." It doesn't, but the raw material is there, and so is the potential.
Newark, Del., already has Regional Rail service - the State of Delaware contracts with SEPTA to run trains across northern New Castle County. Roughly every other Wilmington Line train extends to Newark.
I doubt we will see service restored beyond the city line on the Newtown Branch anytime soon, no matter how much Newtown or Bucks County desires it. The good news is, if anyone managed to get Montgomery County and Bryn Athyn Borough on board with reinstalling the tracks on what is now a rail-trail, service could be provided without electrification (the stumbling block to prior efforts to restore R8 Newtown service; SEPTA insisted on it and Bryn Athyn objected to the proposal on aesthetic grounds) with the purchase of dual-mode locomotives. Such creatures (the New Haven had them) have proved difficult to maintain and unreliable in the past, but a friend of mine who works in the industry tells me that New Jersey Transit has had a good experience with the Siemens-built dual-modes it bought a few years back.
I meant Pottsville as diesel service from Philadelphia went all the way up to Pottsville via Reading.
I meant Newark, New Jersey as it used to run. I forgot about the other Newark!
I wonder if the battery electric locomotives can work for these routes. They're used in some other parts of the world and they draw power when they can, but otherwise run off their batteries.
There are some communities not doing fantastically well along these routes, but are very densely built in their cores due to the geography and age of establishment of these cities. Train service to them makes sense both in terms of throwing these communities a lifeline and to get more of the state legislature and the counties onboard with improving SEPTA. I think there's a way to do this that can help align a much larger region's interests.
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