Levittown replacement official!!!

CComMack wrote:The thing about Levittown proper, is that while we associate all of the original Levittowns with touching off the wave of postwar suburban sprawl, they were laid out from the beginning to support circulator bus routes and children riding bicycles. The street plans are schematically mini-grids, and completely lack cul-de-sacs; the Levittown design predates a lot of what we "know" about suburbia, including cars being cheap enough to enable universal two-car households. If you started running aggressive feeder bus routes from the station into the Levittown subdivisions, you could cut car ownership rates and boost RRD ridership with a greater degree of financial sustainability than any parking expansion. And you could be more thorough in those accomplishments than you could in any of the sprawlburbs that came later, mimicking Levittown's style. And Levittown still has just enough community identity and cohesion that it could, if it so chose, (*ahem*) raise the funds for supporting the startup of such service.

Handy, then, that this new Levittown Station is being designed from the start with bus bays to accommodate multiple buses simultaneously.

The drawback to having all those buses feeding into Levittown Station, of course, is that you have an increasing number of Levittowners commuting north, not south...

I have been pushing local pols for feeder routes for levittown and bristol for about 9 years now. The locals need to take over at this point with the new station and own their own transit situation. Here in newtown we've been fighting for a better 130, we ended up with 2 routes, one going to the business park, and one straight through town. Unfortunately, when one runs the other does not, being that there is still only hourly service. If they do come up with something, i hope it is more successful than what the 130 turned into.

25Hz wrote:

CComMack wrote:The thing about Levittown proper, is that while we associate all of the original Levittowns with touching off the wave of postwar suburban sprawl, they were laid out from the beginning to support circulator bus routes and children riding bicycles. The street plans are schematically mini-grids, and completely lack cul-de-sacs; the Levittown design predates a lot of what we "know" about suburbia, including cars being cheap enough to enable universal two-car households. If you started running aggressive feeder bus routes from the station into the Levittown subdivisions, you could cut car ownership rates and boost RRD ridership with a greater degree of financial sustainability than any parking expansion. And you could be more thorough in those accomplishments than you could in any of the sprawlburbs that came later, mimicking Levittown's style. And Levittown still has just enough community identity and cohesion that it could, if it so chose, (*ahem*) raise the funds for supporting the startup of such service.

Handy, then, that this new Levittown Station is being designed from the start with bus bays to accommodate multiple buses simultaneously.

The drawback to having all those buses feeding into Levittown Station, of course, is that you have an increasing number of Levittowners commuting north, not south...

I have been pushing local pols for feeder routes for levittown and bristol for about 9 years now. The locals need to take over at this point with the new station and own their own transit situation. Here in newtown we've been fighting for a better 130, we ended up with 2 routes, one going to the business park, and one straight through town. Unfortunately, when one runs the other does not, being that there is still only hourly service. If they do come up with something, i hope it is more successful than what the 130 turned into.

Have you attended any meetings of the YAC/CAC?

Cornwells Heights (Like Levittown) seems like another diamond in the rough with a lot of growth potential on the Trenton Line. Seems like it would have a lot of potential to tap Pennsy residents commuting to NYC and North Jersey if they could get a 1 seat ride that can compete with the drive time up the Jersey Turnpike to Harrison, Secaucus, and Newark.

Has a consulting firm ever done a ridership projection study for Cornwells Heights since the post 2008 real estate collapse to see if the NYC commuting demographic has continued shifting to the poconos and greater Northeast Philadelphia areas?

NorthPennLimited wrote:Cornwells Heights (Like Levittown) seems like another diamond in the rough with a lot of growth potential on the Trenton Line. Seems like it would have a lot of potential to tap Pennsy residents commuting to NYC and North Jersey if they could get a 1 seat ride that can compete with the drive time up the Jersey Turnpike to Harrison, Secaucus, and Newark.

That's the market the Clockers were for.

BPP1999 wrote:

kiha40 wrote:Where does all that 24m dollars go? Does it have to cost that much?

Because if they conserved money and spent it wisely, they might have some left over, which means they'd have to seriously look at expansion, and we all know they don't want to do that.

riders are just a pesky annoyance they need to get the state money which can be ploughed into favored districts. the residents of strawberry mansion demanded septa renovate rather than rebuild their old trolley loop and they saved so much money by doing so they could redo two other loops

NorthPennLimited wrote:Cornwells Heights (Like Levittown) seems like another diamond in the rough with a lot of growth potential on the Trenton Line. Seems like it would have a lot of potential to tap Pennsy residents commuting to NYC and North Jersey if they could get a 1 seat ride that can compete with the drive time up the Jersey Turnpike to Harrison, Secaucus, and Newark.

Has a consulting firm ever done a ridership projection study for Cornwells Heights since the post 2008 real estate collapse to see if the NYC commuting demographic has continued shifting to the poconos and greater Northeast Philadelphia areas?

amtrak studied the market in 2009 or so and concluded it wasn't worth the time penalty to add the stop. nj transit service via jenkintown would be attractive for a lot of people though

Thanks for sharing 25Hz! Regarding a possible name change, I think Levittown is more widely known throughout the area than Tullytown. Maybe that is why SEPTA chose the name.

acelaphillies wrote:Thanks for sharing 25Hz! Regarding a possible name change, I think Levittown is more widely known throughout the area than Tullytown. Maybe that is why SEPTA chose the name.

I'm just thrilled to bits that finally the sewer shack that is there now is getting replaced by such an incredible Victorian revival triumph plus all the other issues fixed.

I'm so glad this is happening. I've always said for this to be on such a heavily used and vital line. The stations really need to be replaced. The station could use it. I love how they did Croydon ,or Bristol one of the newest. It will def attract more passengers. Now if only they could give Holmesburg, Tacony , and Bridesburg some type of extension of a mini station instead of those lil huts. I knw much can't be done due to the CSX Tracks but a more presentable look. Overall I'm happy.

acelaphillies wrote:Thanks for sharing 25Hz! Regarding a possible name change, I think Levittown is more widely known throughout the area than Tullytown. Maybe that is why SEPTA chose the name.

AP: I believe you are correct there...I will add that Jenkintown Station was once known as "Jenkintown-Wyncote" similar to "Levittown-Tullytown"
and SEPTA decided to drop the use of "Wyncote" hence "Jenkintown"...Levittown is the largest community served by this station and the name should
reflect this...

MACTRAXX

sammy2009 wrote:I'm so glad this is happening. I've always said for this to be on such a heavily used and vital line. The stations really need to be replaced. The station could use it. I love how they did Croydon ,or Bristol one of the newest. It will def attract more passengers. Now if only they could give Holmesburg, Tacony , and Bridesburg some type of extension of a mini station instead of those lil huts. I knw much can't be done due to the CSX Tracks but a more presentable look. Overall I'm happy.

seems to me platforms with canopies would be adequate. stations are unnecessary capital outlay , particularly for an agency that often keeps them closed

Suburban Station wrote:

sammy2009 wrote:I'm so glad this is happening. I've always said for this to be on such a heavily used and vital line. The stations really need to be replaced. The station could use it. I love how they did Croydon ,or Bristol one of the newest. It will def attract more passengers. Now if only they could give Holmesburg, Tacony , and Bridesburg some type of extension of a mini station instead of those lil huts. I knw much can't be done due to the CSX Tracks but a more presentable look. Overall I'm happy.

seems to me platforms with canopies would be adequate. stations are unnecessary capital outlay , particularly for an agency that often keeps them closed

Yea, i find a platform length canopy to be great, where as a closed waiting room is obviously useless. One reason i love jenkintown is the canopies! :D

Suburban Station wrote:

sammy2009 wrote:I'm so glad this is happening. I've always said for this to be on such a heavily used and vital line. The stations really need to be replaced. The station could use it. I love how they did Croydon ,or Bristol one of the newest. It will def attract more passengers. Now if only they could give Holmesburg, Tacony , and Bridesburg some type of extension of a mini station instead of those lil huts. I knw much can't be done due to the CSX Tracks but a more presentable look. Overall I'm happy.

seems to me platforms with canopies would be adequate. stations are unnecessary capital outlay , particularly for an agency that often keeps them closed

When I was commuting to school from Levittown, it was always much easier to get a ticket or pass at Levittown than Bristol. I can't remember if tickets are available at Bristol. It was always nice to be able to sit in the station, especially during winter, to wait for the train. I'm very happy to see this project move forward. Levittown was the most convenient to station to commute from, but Bristol was better for parking. I haven't had much of an opportunity to look at the plans, but I hope the parking improves and with the Rt. 13 overhaul, that the intersection is much easier to navigate.

jmac37 wrote: When I was commuting to school from Levittown, it was always much easier to get a ticket or pass at Levittown than Bristol. I can't remember if tickets are available at Bristol. It was always nice to be able to sit in the station, especially during winter, to wait for the train. I'm very happy to see this project move forward. Levittown was the most convenient to station to commute from, but Bristol was better for parking. I haven't had much of an opportunity to look at the plans, but I hope the parking improves and with the Rt. 13 overhaul, that the intersection is much easier to navigate.

that proves its a worthwhile investment. meanwhile the platform is crumbling at bristol but hey, students get to use the station when its open will benefit.
i have no doubt it will be a great expenditure for some people. tickets will be bought at machines or online.

Suburban Station wrote:

NorthPennLimited wrote:Cornwells Heights (Like Levittown) seems like another diamond in the rough with a lot of growth potential on the Trenton Line. Seems like it would have a lot of potential to tap Pennsy residents commuting to NYC and North Jersey if they could get a 1 seat ride that can compete with the drive time up the Jersey Turnpike to Harrison, Secaucus, and Newark.

Has a consulting firm ever done a ridership projection study for Cornwells Heights since the post 2008 real estate collapse to see if the NYC commuting demographic has continued shifting to the poconos and greater Northeast Philadelphia areas?

amtrak studied the market in 2009 or so and concluded it wasn't worth the time penalty to add the stop. nj transit service via jenkintown would be attractive for a lot of people though

Not to be off-topic but NJ Transit looked at extending the Raritan Valley Line not just to West Trenton, but beyond to Jenkintown, stopping along the way at Woodbourne or Langhorne, and Somerton. SEPTA would not have been happy if NJT selected that alternative though. Now back to Levittown, I think it's great that the station is getting a rebuild. However, wouldn't ramps be a cheaper alternative to elevators for the pedestrian overpass? The new station looks nice, almost too nice, but I'm okay with it. At least there will be more parking at a station that really can use it.