by zebrasepta
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It drives up home values in the suburbs, reduces the need for parking in the rapidly growing city, and powers a $3 billion segment of the state’s economy. What’s not to love?The study was paid for by SEPTA so there might be some bias, idk.
SEPTA on Thursday laid out its case to reporters for how essential mass transit is to the well-being of the Philadelphia region and the state. The pitch came as a warm-up to a fairly large ask. The public transit agency is seeking $6 billion over the next 15 years from state and local agencies for ambitious improvements.
“We’re handling 53 percent more riders than we did in the ’90s, without adding track or cars,” said SEPTA general manager Jeff Knueppel during a morning news conference. “We’re constantly running near capacity, and that’s tough on equipment. We’re worried about being able to keep supporting the economic activity in the region.”
Among SEPTA’s big priorities for the next decade: expanding Market-Frankford Line trains from six cars to eight; modernizing trolleys to make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and able to carry more passengers; updating Regional Rail lines to replace “231 cars dating from the Nixon era”; adding a second set of tracks north of Ardsley on the Warminster Line; and extending the Norristown High Speed Line to King of Prussia.