Transportation : Development News

Philadelphia's 30th Street Station is the second busiest train station in the country, but you wouldn't know it by the sparse pedestrian traffic on adjacent Market Street, a spot surrounded by two historic buildings and within 1,200 feet of more than 16,000 jobs. While a steady stream of cars zip in and around 30th Street Station, there is little to recommend hoofing it anywhere but to a friend's idling car.

That is poised to change with the transformation of the station’s outer parking lane along Market Street into a 40-foot wide sidewalk. The project, expected to be completed by Labor Day and a collaboration of Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell, the Planning Commission, the Streets Department, Amtrak, Brandywine Realty Trust, the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, and a host of University City institutions, is part of a broader PennDot initiative.

The University City District also sees this project as a foundation for the creation of an inviting and animated public space, one that would provide amenities like abundant and comfortable seating, sun and shade, and trees and plantings. In the spirit of public placemaking, UCD is holding a contest to name Philadelphia’s newest public space. The winner gets a $500 gift certificate to Amtrak and pretty rare bragging rights.

To enter, submit your suggested name, reasons for choosing it (up to 150 words), your name, phone number and email to [email protected] by midnight on Sept. 30. A winner will be chosen by a 10-person jury that has yet to be selected. Winner will be announced on or around Oct. 19.

If you’re looking for hints – UCD's work on this space will be informed largely by the Project for Public Spaces’ "lighter, quicker, cheaper" placemaking interventions. According to a news release issued by UCD, a future phase of development that would include food kiosks, plantings and a permanent buffer from Market Street is likely. First, however, movable tables and chairs and seasonal plantings will set the stage. Also envisioned are activities that will draw people to the space, like yoga classes or music performances.

Source: Lori Klein Brennan, University City District
Writer: Joe Petrucci

A small borough in Delaware County is looking to celebrate its heritage in the upcoming 7th annual OcTrolleyFest. OcTrolleyFest is a unique fete of Darby Borough's rich history, which examines transportation, desegregation, and Darby's relationship with surrounding boroughs and Southwest Philadelphia.

OcTrolleyFest is the pride and joy of husband and wife John and Jan Haigis, who are widely known for their love of singing, history, and Darby Borough. These passions helped to inspire OcTrolleyFest, which "brings more attention to history and brings people together," John Haigis points out. His wife gushed "people can reconnect with Darby and people who've moved away can see there's still stuff going on in Darby."

The festival's calling card is the use of an old fashioned trolley, which provides free rides between Darby and Southwest Philadelphia the day of the festival. The rides act as rolling history lessons, as docents aboard the trolleys discuss the many historic buildings en route. Some participants, naturally including the Haigis duo, also impersonate historical figures important to Darby.

OcTrolleyFest is remarkable for Darby, since the low-income, high-crime borough is not used to festivals. The borough has been widely known for its crime, political bickering, and severe flooding for decades. Haigis' festival gives residents a chance to forget about all this for at least a day, and as the pair would eagerly say, hopefully instills a sense of civic and historical pride in borough denizens.

John and Jan Haigis have a lot of heartwarming memories from previous celebrations. John's favorite memories are punctuated by the time rock-and-roll chart-topper Charlie Gracie performed. As for Jan, she relishes the "150th anniversary of the horse-car line (now the Route 11 trolley) from Philadelphia to Delaware County" in 2008. She also fondly reflects on last year's event, which honored the century anniversary of the formation of the Darby Hilldales, which was a wildly success Negro League baseball team.

As for this year's OcTrolleyFest, scheduled for October 15, there are still some question marks as to what the Haigis couple will do. "There will be scarecrows for kids and a pumpkin parade," says Jan Haigis. However, the trolley route is still to be determined, especially since SEPTA is doing construction on the preferred route between Darby, Yeadon, and Southwest Philadelphia. John and Jan definitely want to reach out to local cemeteries in Collingdale and Southwest Philadelphia to recognize the work of African American visionaries who are buried there. With these uncertainties in mind, John Haigis promises there will be "music, fun, and surprises."  

Sources: John and Jan Haigis
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Thanks to the enthusiasm and financial support of West Central Germantown residents, commuters using the Tulpehocken Station can now feel the decades fly backwards as they wait for their train. That's because SEPTA finished the historical renovation of Tulpehocken Station, on the Chestnut Hill West Regional Rail line this summer.

With this in mind, it was not an easy process. From 1978 until recent years, SEPTA constantly told community groups that there was not enough money to repair the station. "From 1978 and on, the building was basically abandoned," says Jeffrey Smith, a man on a mission to preserve Germantown's history. In 1982, SEPTA even tried to demolish the building, although neighbors succeeded in thwarting that.

However, things began to look up in 2007, when the West Central Germantown Neighbors established a committee to salvage the building. This spurred the National Trust for Historical Preservation to come up with a grant to rehabilitate the station. The problem was the grant required a local match. However, "I raised $5,500 from neighbors and apartment owners," says a very proud Smith.

The final step that put the wheels to the rail of the Tulpehocken preservation was SEPTA's federal stimulus funds, of which SEPTA allocated $700,000 to the dated station. This enabled SEPTA to install 2 heavy-duty plywood floors using 60 percent of the structure's existing lumber, according to Smith. In addition, the station received a brand new roof. At this point, "the building was restored to historic standards," boasted Smith, who cited the station shell's approval by the Philadelphia Historical Commission.

With this long fought preservation, Smith is not quite satisfied. After all, it is hard for the man who bought the rights to Germantown's famed historic logo to rest on his laurels. "I'm trying to get a lease from SEPTA to make the building commercially viable," said Smith. Smith hastened to add that SEPTA has been a supportive partner throughout the recent process, pointing out the meetings he had with top SEPTA officials.   

Source: Jeff Smith
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Consider it crowdsourced city planning. The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation's Master Plan is open for public comment until August 26. Since June 13, when the summary report was released, Master Planning Manager Sarah Thorpe says about a hundred comments have come in, and the entire effort has been a significant public process. "Urban planning has changed a lot over last 30 years," says Thorpe. "Today, people are very interested in how the environment develops. We are addressing different problems and a different demographic."

Essential to the new master plan is access. It's not your 18th century waterfront model. When I-95 was built, the Philadelphia stretch of the Delaware river was an aesthetically bereft industrial zone best left to longshoremen. Interstate 95 is a huge barrier, says Thorpe of the 1960s era public works project that was once considered a beneficial rampart. "People didn't want to live next to a sugar factory or a coal yard." Now, she says, the highway keeps residents from what they want. The main point of the DRWC's master plan is to make 95 less of an impedance.

Philadelphia 2035, the citywide planning effort, is underway, but Thorpe says the waterfront couldn't wait. While there are actually 47 streets that cross over or under the interstate, "it's more of a perceived barrier in peoples' minds."

The new plan creates connections in two ways, says Thorpe: by adding destinations to  the riverbank, and by making connections more attractive through lighting and landscaping. Several early action projects, the Race Street Pier and Washington Avenue Green, were completed during the Master Plan design phase as a way to give the public a glimpse of the future.

As far as feedback, Thorpe says comments have ranged from overarching issues like density, boat access and parking, to small problems like typos in the document. After the August 26 deadline, Thorpe and team will compile public input, make judgement calls on priority, and expect to release the final revised version in October. But, stresses Thorpe, it will be a living document, subject to accommodation and change.

Source: Sarah Thorpe, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
Writer: Sue Spolan

The 4-percent increase in ridership that SEPTA announced last week isn't surprising considering it follows national trends and that gas prices have surged higher.

However, considering fare increases and little improvement in area unemployment, the increase of 13 million trips in the last fiscal year (July 1-June 30) is encouraging. The total of 334 million trips on SEPTA's buses, trains and trolleys were the Authority's highest yearly total since 1989.

SEPTA had cut its capital budget by 25 percent last year, keeping some improvement plans on ice. SEPTA General Manager Joseph M. Casey cited an increased focus on SEPTA's aging infrastructure and customer-service initiatives as reasons for the positive report.

"We look forward to the possibilities ahead as these conditions improve," he said in a news release.

Regional Rail trips increased by nearly 500,000 and nearly broke a ridership record set in 2008. In addition, passenger revenue exceeded budget projections by $22 million, or 5 percent. A list of all SEPTA's recent reports is here.

Source: SEPTA
Writer: Joe Petrucci

If you're the sort of hard-living live music fan who goes out regularly to see rock, hip-hop or indie bands perform, you may be under the impression that Philly has enough venues to satisfy the needs of every slam-dancer and head-nodder in the city. And yet Avram Hornik, a local nightlife entrepreneur whose Four Corners Management company operates a handful of beloved local bars, begs to differ.

To wit: In less than eight weeks, inside the former Spaghetti Warehouse restaurant at 10th and Spring Garden streets in Center City, a midsize but upscale concert space known as Union Transfer will introduce itself to the city. (A train depot of the same name once operated there.) Hornik is a partner in the venture, as is Sean Agnew of R5 Productions. Agnew will be booking bands with the help of a third partner: the New York-based Bowery Presents. "We had all been aware of each other," Hornik wrote in a recent email, "and were just waiting for the right time and the right space to open a live music venue."

And while Philly may in fact have its fair share of spots to take in touring or local live acts, Union Transfer, Hornik says, will be something truly unique: large enough to handle 1,000 fans, but with ample parking nearby and a central location, convenient to the freeway. In fact, Hornik claims that the project's ultimate goal involves "showcas(ing) bands that have passed by the city because there hasn't been the space to play."

If the architectural renderings and the minor details that have already been released are any indication, that'll be an easy goal to reach. Union Transfer, for instance, which was designed by local firm Fishtank PHL, will be home to a D&B Audiotechnik sound system, professional-level lighting, both a mezzanine and a balcony, and--get this--parking for 150 bicycles.

The party kicks off on Sept. 21, with an inaugural concert featuring Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

Source: Avram Hornik, Four Corners Management
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Local bicycle entrepreneur Brian Hackford, refers to his third Keswick Cycle shop as "somewhat of a personal victory." Keswick is a high-end bicycle outpost with locations in both Glenside, Montgomery County, and Cherry Hill, N.J., and Hackford plans to cut the proverbial ribbon on his third retail space sometime this August, at 4040 Locust Street in University City--the former home of Strikes Bowling Lounge.

To hear Hackford himself tell the tale, the fact that he managed to secure the location at all is by far the most dramatic bit. University City and bicycle shops, it seems, have not always gone hand and hand.

"I've been trying to get on Penn's campus for seven years," he insists, In today's economic climate, of course, landlords aren't nearly as picky. (The 4,000-square-foot shop is being rented by Campus Apartments.) And it didn't hurt that Hackford's rental agent was himself a cycling enthusiast.

As for the Keswick Cycle retail philosophy, it tends to take bikes just a touch more seriously than your average cycle shop. Keswick sells and repairs bikes, of course, and all manner of biking gear and apparel is on offer. But you'll also find a 'fit studio' at the new shop, where pros and hobbyists alike can be properly fitted for an appropriately proportioned ride.

A grand opening celebration, Hackford says, will likely be planned for September, once school is back in session.

Source: Brian Hackford, Keswick Cycle
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at least, those of us who care deeply about things like regional bicycle trails have been talking (and talking, and talking for years) about someday completing a trail -- or perhaps even a series of trails -- which connect one part of our region to another. And on June 23, as it happens, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and the DVRPC joined forces here in Philadelphia to host the Active Transportation Summit, a day-long conference during which the ultimate goal of creating a regional trail network for the Delaware Valley was discussed and debated by a seriously impressive group of both local and out-of-town trail enthusiasts.

One of the main goals of the summit, says the Pennsylvania Environmental Council's Spencer Finch, was to "reinforce the partnerships" among the various agencies that have the power to make a regional trail network a reality. "The picture of the jurisdictions is so fragmented," Finch explains. "There's so many different state, federal, and county agencies just here in the metropolitan Philadelphia region, so completing a regional trail network is a challenge."

A number of guests who've successfully tackled that challenge elsewhere, however -- including the former Portland, Ore., Pedestrian and Bicycle Coordinator Mia Birk -- shared stories about how they managed to complete regional trail networks in their own section of the country.

The second major goal of the summit, Finch adds, was to celebrate and promote the good news that regional cyclists may not be aware of.

"There's over $76 million of funding already dedicated to construction of multiple trail segments around the region," he says. "In the next two years, you're going to start seeing groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings (for new regional trail segments) almost every month. You're going to start seeing the city and the region transformed before your eyes."

Source: Spencer Finch, Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) has been working for quite some time now on what it's referring to as a "master plan" for the future of development along a six-mile stretch of the Central Delaware Riverfront, from Oregon to Allegheny avenues.

And now -- finally, after months of waiting -- the public is being invited to experience the final presentation of the plan at 6:30 p.m. on June 13, in the Pavilion at Festival Pier. "What we're going to be showing," says DRWC president Tom Corcoran, "is a plan that makes parcel-by-parcel recommendations as to what our consultants believe would be the best use of all that land."

Along with comments by Mayor Nutter and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Alan Greenberger, a 45-minute Power Point presentation will be revealing a host of hugely exciting potential plans for the riverfront, including a wetlands park with marshes and aquatic life in South Philly, somewhere between Mifflin Street and Washington Avenue. Other possibilities include an aquatic theme park at Penn's Landing, as well as a longer-term plan to complete a deck over I-95 from Front Street to the waterfront, in between Walnut and Chestnut streets.

"Part of what will make this plan achievable," says Corcoran," is that it's had a tremendous amount of citizen input, and it's not being done by a group of planners working in a vacuum."

This presentation, by the way, will be the last chance for the public to provide feedback. So in other words, if you have any interest whatsoever in the development that will soon be taking place along the Delaware -- and especially if you'd like your voice to be heard -- this is an event you really shouldn't miss.

Source: Tom Corcoran, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Regularly maintaining the entire network of SEPTA's regional rail stations is certainly no simple task. It's also far from affordable, and with a total of 280 separate stations, there's nearly always some sort of renovation happening somewhere in the system. But there's little doubt that the Allen Lane Station, which is located on SEPTA's Chestnut Hill West Line in Mount Airy, has been the cause of one of the biggest ongoing frustrations for the public transportation agency. SEPTA officials spent nearly 10 long years in the planning phase of the station's upgrade, which didn't officially get under way until early 2009. And yet according to SEPTA officials, the $8.1 million project is finally nearing its end.

Once renovations are finished at the end of May, this registered historic site--which was designed by the prominent architect Frank Furness in the 19th century--will be nothing less than a gleaming SEPTA showpiece; a brag-worthy destination, even, for a public agency that has drawn its share of consternation in recent years.

That's partially due to the fact that the station, according to SEPTA's Wendy Green-Harvey, "was renovated not only because it was in a state of disrepair, but also to make the station fully ADA-compliant." An ADA-accessible path, for instance, along with wheelchair ramps leading directly to train platforms, has been constructed. A new audio-visual PA system has been installed. And passenger amenities, such as benches and shelters, have been improved. As Green-Harvey explains, there are just a few minor items that still need to be completed, such as landscaping, painting, and installing handrails.

So by the time spring weather gets around to showing itself in Philly, SEPTA's Chestnut Hill West Line riders, at least, will have something clean and new to look forward to: an historically significant rail station that is finally getting the recognition it deserves.

Source: Wendy Green-Harvey and Heather Redfern, SEPTA
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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The initial draft version of Philadelphia2035, the prodigious, 216-page guide to the next 25 years of the city's physical development, was first made available to the public (as a downloadable PDF) back in mid-February. But for four hours throughout the afternoon of March 23, members of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission hosted an informal gathering at the Center for Architecture, where physical copies of the draft were presented to the public. More than 100 Philadelphians stopped by during the course of the day.

The purpose of the open house, according to the PCPC's Alan Urek, who acted as one of the event's hosts, was to put the draft recommendations of the plan's citywide component on exhibit for literally anyone who was interested in reviewing it, or leaving comments of their own. Five different stations, each displaying a blown-up portion of the plan, were arranged in a semi-circle in a small room behind the AIA Bookstore. And next to each station was a large flipchart, upon which visitors were encouraged to comment.

"Philadelphia is very friendly to senior citizens," read one such comment. "We choose to live here because of the walkability and activity occurring in metro-center."

"Survival of the fittest," read another note. "Deannex [the Northeast]."

"Did we reach all corners of Philadelphia (during the open house)?" Urek asks. "Probably not. But I was quite encouraged that of the people that came, virtually everyone I talked to had a positive perspective [of the plan]."

Urek also emphasized that for approximately one more week, even those when didn't attend are welcome to post comments and suggestions online. All of those comments, Urek says, will be seriously considered before the revised draft is presented to the City Planning commission in about three weeks. The plan's citywide version will then be finalized in May, and a release party will be held in early June.

Source: Alan Urek, Philadelphia City Planning Commission
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Sarah Clark Stewart, Campaign Director for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, says while her organization has grown considerably over the past few years in Philadelphia proper, the activity has been decidedly less sin the suburbs.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but that's essentially why the Coalition organized its first-ever Biking the Suburbs Conference, which happened Feb. 12 at the Montgomery County Fire Academy in Conshohocken. At the workshop-style conference, cyclists who live or work in Delaware, Chester, Montgomery or Bucks counties not only had the opportunity to learn about the most pressing bike advocacy issues affecting their communities today--they also had the chance to interact with other like-minded area cyclists.

One of the main goals of the conference, says Clark Stewart, was to encourage the attendees to become just as politically involved as urban cyclists tend to be. "We want to help them advocate for whatever it is that they want," says Clark Stewart, "whether it's a new bike lane, or better conditions on the streets for bicycling."

To that end, planners from each of the four counties represented directed hour-long conversations about current transportation projects that directly affect suburban cyclists. Attendees learned how to go about the process of getting their own bike lines developed, for instance. They heard about the status of the high-profile Chester County and Schuylkill River trails, and about the controversial Betzwood Bridge project. They also learned about upcoming plans to create a more bike-friendly West Chester.

"I hope [the attendees learned] that there's a lot of potential to have an impact on their own place of residence," says Clark Stewart. "And that we want to help give them the tools they need to make those improvements."

To learn more about bicycle advocacy projects in your own community, visit the Bicycle Coalition online.

Source: Sarah Clark Stewart, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Those of us who live, work and shop in South Philly have driven past the iconic SS United States countless times over the years. It is currently berthed in the Delaware River, directly across Columbus Boulevard from IKEA. Very few of us, though, seem to truly understand the hugely important role the ships plays in our country's maritime history. For starters, it was the largest ocean liner ever built in the U.S. It was also the fastest to ever cross the Atlantic. And in its mid-century heyday, it was known for shuttling political dignitaries and Hollywood superstars alike.

Unfortunately, due to its exorbitant maintenance costs, it has also been widely assumed that the grand ship--which has been referred to by Mayor Nutter as a "national treasure"--would soon be headed for the scrap yard. That all changed on Feb. 1, however, when it was announced that the SS United States Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing the ship, had managed to purchase it from its most recent owner, Norwegian Cruise Line. The $5.8 million price tag was covered by the local philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest.

But now that the ship has been saved, and with the Conservancy planning to transform it into something of a floating entertainment complex--complete with a museum, a hotel, and retail--the big question has to do with whether or not the ship will actually remain in Philadelphia. "The simple answer," says Dan McSweeney, the Conservancy's Executive Director, "is there's a decent chance the ship could stay in Philadelphia as a redeveloped stationary attraction. There's also a decent chance the ship could go to New York or Miami for the same purpose."

The Conservancy says it now has 20 months to find a group of public and private partners interested in developing the SS United States.

Source: Dan McSweeny, SS United States Conservancy
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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