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  • Discussion Related to the Reading Company 1833-1976 and it's predecessors Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway.
Discussion Related to the Reading Company 1833-1976 and it's predecessors Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway.

Moderator: Franklin Gowen

 #1477813  by jrevans
 
Hal wrote:
rwk wrote:Why is SEPTA so blind to the transportation needs north of Lansdale?
Bump - well, let me chime in...
Because they can.
I thought that it was because SEPTA wanted to be a bus company, not a railroad....

<ramble mode>
At least they are restoring service to Wawa:
https://www.septa.org/business/bid/100k ... amjp-3.pdf

With dual-mode electric / diesel locomotives like NJT has, the center city tunnel is no longer a hindrance.

Seeing the trail taking over North of Quakertown is sickening to me. Sure, I like trails and all, but that could be a very important transportation corridor to the Lehigh Valley again.

Service to Reading again would be nice, but NS apparently has no room for passenger trains.
</ramble mode>
 #1533056  by jrevans
 
Yeah, you guessed it. More ROW being formally assimilated into trail. Sad:

https://www.mcall.com/sports/outdoors/m ... story.html

Construction began late last month as crews started removing the old railroad ties that line the bed of the 3.2-mile stretch, which will run from Veterans Park in Richland Township north through Springfield Township and to the Lehigh County line near Coopersburg. The trail will connect to the Saucon Rail Trail, which is being extended a half mile south through Coopersburg to the Bucks County line.

The connection with the Saucon Rail Trail will result in a continual, 11-mile stretch of publicly accessible trails that should be ready by late fall.

Paul Gordon, Bucks County Planning Commission senior transportation planner, said the crushed stone trail in Upper Bucks will be 12 feet wide and cost up to $1.6 million. It will be paid for with money from the state’s Marcellus Legacy Fund, which distributes gas well impact fees for counties and municipalities to use for recreation and other projects. Monster Paving of Ambler is leading the construction.

The railroad ties should be removed by mid-March, Gordon said. Work then will move on to drainage, the placement of road crossings and the installation of a boardwalk.
“One of the more unique features of the trail will be an 800-foot long boardwalk in the vicinity of the Springfield Street bridge,” Gordon said. “There are also some natural resource features along the trail corridor including some rock outcroppings and Tohickon Creek tributary stream crossings. North of Mine Road, there are also some open vistas in the PPL power line corridor.”
SEPTA is pretty much a joke. We're paying exorbitant turnpike tolls to fund "state-wide" transit, and they can't even get service back to Quakertown.
 #1536146  by rdgrailfan
 
Montgomery, Bucks and Lehigh planning "departments" are NOT transit orientated, highway OH BOY lets go!!! DVRPC is not much better due to the makeup of the counties and the failure to develop a broad based planning board. MONTGOMERY COUNTY has no interest in increasing anything with the word railroad in it,
I would not be surprised if Leslie Richards looks at both the former Reading and PRR mainlines as perfect for a new highway for high speed bus service or just a new highway. Of course Richards will have a trail for walkers added to keep the greenflies happy . Related branch lines would become bus feeder lines with walking and bike trails!!!! Cost reduction achieved and walkers are happy!!!!
Revenue from the Turnpike is actually decreasing, no magic solution here....money is going into general service programs defined as public service related transit programs. In other words yes turnpike gives money, Hburg diverts into traffic studies, sidewalks, bike paths and a host of other transit related items. The wizard of Oz lives!
SEPTA and the related unions pay (BIG) for professional lobby services, neither get their moneys worth, they are using the reverse horn of plenty approach...All this money goes in and nothing comes out!!!! In other words they do not want to ruffle anything while the competition is walking all over them robbing the piggy bank.
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