If you were to make a list of the public infrastructure projects Philadelphians most wish for this holiday season, it might include the
Reading Viaduct, completion of
Schuylkill Banks (at least that one is on the way), token-less
SEPTA travel and a buffered north-south bike lane running from deep South Philly up past Girard (OK, that one’s from my personal list). Oh, and don’t forget the extension of the Broad Street line to the
Navy Yard, a project that would liberate a growing fleet of workers from their cars and ignite residential development in the waterfront city-within-a-city.
Well, Senator Bob Casey certainly agrees with the last one.
He recently sent a letter to the Federal Transit Administration, urging them to discuss the project with SEPTA, the
Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp. (PIDC) and local labor organizations.
A 2007 feasibility study completed by PIDC and the
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission estimated the cost of a subway extension at $370 million; the project would attract 8,000 more regular riders. That price tag might sound high, but the Navy Yard is already a hotbed of job growth and innovation — imagine if companies no longer had to contend with shuttles (or the long walk from the final stop, under I-95, to the Navy Yard).
Mostly, this is newsworthy because it’s good news — it’s a public official wanting to
fund a large-scale transportation project. It’s a moment of musing about the future, and imagining a financial picture for the city that involves surplus funds for infrastructure additions (not just repairs).
Writer: Lee Stabert
Source: Philadelphia Daily News