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Pennsport residents soon will have a direct link to Center City, as well as access along the riverfront, via a light rail system.
Officials said the $364 to $514 million project will stretch east of City Hall on Market Street to the Delaware River and span Girard Avenue to Pier 70, near Snyder Avenue, on Columbus Boulevard. Other local stops will include South, Christian and Reed streets.
“If things went well — extremely well — the project maybe can be completed in five to six years,” Port Authority Transit Corp.’s (PATCO) General Manager Robert A. Box said. “Then it’s anywhere beyond that depending on obstacles or challenges we may run into along the way.”
The rail line was narrowed down from numerous options through outreach meetings with parties such as SEPTA, PATCO, the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) and City officials, in addition to input from residents at open houses dating back to 2003. The system is expected to alleviate traffic along Columbus in preparation for future development of the area, Box said.
“It’s something that the DRPA has been involved with over the years in a number of efforts, trying to develop the waterfront,” Box said. “Every time we were involved and the effort failed, the bigger issue was parking and traffic.”
The plan initially was to have extended from SEPTA’s Subway-Surface Line, which ends at 13th and Juniper streets in Center City, on Market toward Columbus and over I-95. However, the line now will be an above-ground light rail on Market.
“We looked at a number of alternatives,” Box said. “Anything we looked at trying to continue any of the underground facilities turned into major engineering issues.”
Upon reaching the boulevard, the rail would travel north to the El’s Spring Garden Station and south to Pier 70. Service could expand to the Navy Yard and sports complex during a potential second phase.
Developers also are looking into a line that runs straight from Girard to Pier 70, he said.
“You could eliminate that one, but then if you want to travel the whole distance of the waterfront, you have to get off the north branch and travel on the south branch,” he said.
While transit may be a portion of Penn Praxis’ already-in-the-works 10 objective concept that includes creating a seven-mile hiking/walking/biking trail, guaranteeing access and managing traffic along the waterfront, how it is developed ultimately will determine if it accomplishes the location’s needs, Central Delaware Advocacy Group Chairman Steven Weixler said. The group has representatives from more than 15 civic associations that span the Delaware.
“We think it’s a very good idea that the waterfront is connected to public transit and we don’t want to oppose that,” he said. “We want it done thoughtfully and in consideration with the civic vision.”
Planning efforts are too early, he added, as Penn Praxis’ goals for access include continuing the street grid to the river and the light-rail project is looking at utilizing I-95 overpasses, which is contrary to the civic vision, and is something that will be addressed during the creation of the transit plan now under way.
“As far as any further planning, it’s premature until we can integrate in the master plan,” Weixler said of the concept for which The Delaware River Waterfront Corp. has selected a consulting team to begin developing.
The transit agencies have been developing their waterfront transit plan prior to the civic vision, but are working with the Corp. and the City. The overpasses are one aspect that will be discussed, Box said.
“We’ll try to make sure what we’re looking at is consistent with what they think needs to be done,” Box said.
The DRPA and PATCO’s 2005 “Southern New Jersey to Philadelphia Transit Study” aimed to improve the region’s travel options in Jersey, Market West and the Camden and Philadelphia’s waterfronts along the Delaware.
“It’s an area that we saw that really could use a rail-transit system to make the waterfront more viable and an asset as it is in other cities,” Box said of the local waterfront.
Round One of the open houses occurred in ’03 when participants noted service was lacking from Center City to the riverfront and West Philly and that there was a need for a connection between Penn’s Landing and stores along Columbus, as well as the sports complex.
Criteria determined by the transit groups for the desired and then-undecided mode of transportation included costs; integration with current systems; land use; potential ridership; and any challenges that may arise. Six possible ways to increase efficient transit from Center City to the waterfront, including extending or introducing new options such as bus routes, trolley shuttles and light rails, along with some alternatives, were offered by PATCO and the DRPA, the two parties behind the start of the project. That list was reduced until three remained and these options were introduced to the public in January ’08.
The choices included a route that went north to Spring Garden Street along Columbus and another heading south to Pier 70. Alternative No. 1 was a trolley originating at Franklin Square, while Alternative No. 2 went underground from City Hall along Market to the river. Alternative No. 3 was a trolley looping around Franklin Square to Eighth and Market streets before heading toward the waterfront. All were examined in terms of feasibility, community impact and cost-effectiveness. The second option ultimately was the winner, but was changed to an on-street light rail.
“The ridership projected was slightly higher than the other two [Nos. 1 and 3] and really does with this alignment. It connects South Jersey, the Market-Frankford El, the Subway-Surface Line, the Regional Rail lines,” Box said. “It connects the existing transit system to the waterfront, so it really does make the waterfront accessible.”
The first phase of the project — taking it from City Hall to the river and from Girard to Pier 70 — is expected to draw 7,900 riders a day with an projected 2.3 million users a year by ’25.
The line also will create a direct transfer with PATCO at Eighth and Market, in addition to possibly transforming the Market-Frankford Line into an express, allowing the extension to take over local service. It has not yet been decided if SEPTA or PATCO will operate this new line.
Along the waterfront, the light rail will run on already-existing tracks in the median of Columbus. However, north of Reed, that median will need to be expanded to allow room for a second track.
As the waterfront develops, the city and the state are unprepared when it comes to the issue of transit along the river especially with the pending further development, said Queen Village Neighbors Association President Jeff Rush.
“You have terrible traffic problems down there right now with Ikea and the big box stores and you’re going to potentially dump another for Foxwoods,” he said.
However mass transit is a big part of the solution and necessary as an alternative means of getting to the waterfront, Rush said.
“You just can’t depend on automobiles to get people down there,” he said. “You have to have other ways to do that.”
While Pennsport Civic Association President Tom Otto wasn’t aware of all the details, he was pleased with what seems to be the plan’s intentions.
“If it’s for transportation going up and down to the many stores along there, that’s great,” he said.
However, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation also needs to do its part to keep traffic flowing especially on I-95, Rush added.
“We’ve spoken to representatives of PennDOT and there are no plans at this present time for any upgrades for the expressway.”
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