Biggest Philadelphia Regional Infrastructure Waste (Jenkintown, Atlantic: 2013, homes, luxury)

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by bryson662001

I am not sure that it can be called a failure but I live in Abington township which is covered by by Septa train lines and every time I see one at a crossing I marvel that this huge, heavy, expensive machine is used to transport a relative handful of people per trip. It seems like over kill to me. Could they invent something smaller, lighter and cheaper to do the same thing?

I used to take the Warminster/R2 and Doylestown/R5 trains on a regular basis commuting to work in Center City and they were usually close to full by Jenkintown. I did consider myself lucky that there were essentially four lines (including the Airport/R1 and West Trenton/R3) within close proximity of me.

One could argue that transportation priorities may have shifted further west but nonetheless I don't see any track being adjusted for light rail. There's not enough room on, say, 611/Old York Road or 63/Easton Road, for a dedicated bus lane let alone a conga line of cars left with no transit alternatives.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by bryson662001

I am not sure that it can be called a failure but I live in Abington township which is covered by by Septa train lines and every time I see one at a crossing I marvel that this huge, heavy, expensive machine is used to transport a relative handful of people per trip. It seems like over kill to me. Could they invent something smaller, lighter and cheaper to do the same thing?

Not to overkill it, since others have already pointed this out, but I recently had to get up to Lansdale during evening rush hour several times, but those trains are not only crowded, they are uncomfortably crowded. You're missing something. Even one time on a mid-day inbound trip and a weekend winter day trip to Doylestown I took, they were pretty crowded. Where you are there are probably other lines running on the track as well - but I'm pretty sure West Trenton and Warminster get a pretty decent ridership.

Not only that - but as someone who typically takes the bus, subway, Chestnut Hill West, or Chestnut Hill East, I don't often get to see SEPTA operating in its full glory. The express trains can make the run from Market East to Lansdale in about 40 minutes. I don't really know how that compares to a car, but it sure seemed like we were making great time every time I did it.

[pman]

fwiw it would be far cheaper to speed up trains and add cars (or bilevels) than to build a new expressway.while septa trains sometimes carry 500 people njt trains move up to 1400 at a time.a bus seats about 55.

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by pman

fwiw it would be far cheaper to speed up trains and add cars (or bilevels) than to build a new expressway.while septa trains sometimes carry 500 people njt trains move up to 1400 at a time.a bus seats about 55.

Center City Tunnel is too low for bi-level , SEPTA needs to high level platform all its stations and buy High Capacity EMU's. Once the restorations are eventually done to West Chester , Reading , Parkersburg , Allentown , Newtown and New Hope the system will be overstressed...and those EMU's will be definitely needed by then. Septa needs to restore the Trolley system aswell , buses can't handle the increased ridership. SEPTA should buy Toronto's new Modal which can hold up to 120 people.

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by NJhighlands87

Ill give you Bordentown and Riverton...if Burlington and Roebling are considered revitalized now, I cringe to think what they were like 10 years ago.

I agree light rail mass transit is a great thing and something south Jersey needs more of, it would just have been nice if the price paid for the River Line had gotten us direct access to Philly, or late night service. It would also be nice to see more transit villages and other TOD along the line 10 years in.

Theres a project south Bordentown underway which will add a new station , Cinnaminson project will restart soon , Delanco and Riverside have stalled due to the economy and demand , Beverly - Edgewater Park recently got some developer attention , Burlington Towne Centre has some projects underway , so does Trenton and Camden within a 10min walk of the stations. The is supposed to go up to West Trenton where it would meet the SEPTA West Trenton line and Proposed NJT West Trenton line which would go to Hoboken.

[stuckinsj]

I would love to see west trenton and extension of Riverline but it ant gonna happen. Its not even on NJT's radar.

[pman]

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey

Center City Tunnel is too low for bi-level , SEPTA needs to high level platform all its stations and buy High Capacity EMU's. Once the restorations are eventually done to West Chester , Reading , Parkersburg , Allentown , Newtown and New Hope the system will be overstressed...and those EMU's will be definitely needed by then. Septa needs to restore the Trolley system aswell , buses can't handle the increased ridership. SEPTA should buy Toronto's new Modal which can hold up to 120 people.

the stations themselves are fine with the exception of platform length (mainly septa's doing, paoli had been 18 cars long). you have to remember it was built for much higher ridership. septa is a long way from being overstressed with the exception of the condition of some railroad assets. parkesburg won't add much ridership, it's a relatively small place and the main ridership is in lancaster and is already riding amtrak. rolling stock, otoh, is already at capacity at rush hour.

[NJhighlands87]

Theres a project south Bordentown underway which will add a new station , Cinnaminson project will restart soon , Delanco and Riverside have stalled due to the economy and demand , Beverly - Edgewater Park recently got some developer attention , Burlington Towne Centre has some projects underway , so does Trenton and Camden within a 10min walk of the stations. The is supposed to go up to West Trenton where it would meet the SEPTA West Trenton line and Proposed NJT West Trenton line which would go to Hoboken.

I've read about the Bordentown South project and it looks very attractive, IMO Bordentown itself would make a nice spot for some development, though the downtown in thriving already. I thought Cinnaminson already had a complex at the station? I guess they're working on a second? Riverside would be glorious if they could get their act together; I'd move into the watchcase in a second if they turned it into lofts. I'd also love riverline access to West Trenton, it would make for a quicker commute to Temple. NJtransit service to West Trenton would be nice too (I think there are freight rail tracks that connect already), but if you could take riverline from Trenton to West Trenton I don't see the need for a whole new line. It would be nice if Septa stretched a line up to New Hope/Lambertville.

With most of the Riverline development, it seems I hear a lot more planning than I see action ( I guess that's the case with development anywhere). It's sad so see the gleaming Transit Villages in places like Morristown and Rahway and realize those riverline towns could have a smaller, cheaper version but don't. I would love to see more development in Burlington Town Center; our old colonial capital deserves to be more of a destination.

[kidphilly]

RR in Philly is well under capacity IMHO but much may be also due to a lack of job creation in the core to create demand. The system is set up in the core better than almost any other in the US

[stuckinsj]

the Housing crash and recession killed alot of the redevelopment along the riverline. Riverside destroyed two huge turn of the century factories and now they are just grassy lots right next to the station.... that town is pretty stupid also for driving away the Brazilian population that was reviving the downtown.