ChrisinAbington wrote:Having grown up in Lansdale with family still there, this announcement makes sense and is no surprise. The American Olean Tile property has been a glimmer in the borough's eye for years. I remember hearing new station ideas about 15 years ago about the same time the last big station/parking rehab at Lansdale was completed. It's not about the current station, it's about the improved access to what I'll still call American Olean. I don't know the details behind what the current plans for the property contain, but it is a big amount of space in the borough, and that it wouldn't fit well as a rehabbed park particularly. There's going to be lots of people working there, and probably living there at some point.
Now as for the Lansdale parking lots, the private garage is going up as the Madison parking lot will be turned into a multi-storied condo development. Their plans looked good to me as the new dwellings will be basically right at the Lansdale station itself, and the private garage will handle both new residents and possibly some of the cars that used to park at the lot for Main St businesses and commuter parking. If SEPTA wants to double down on layered parking at their station lots and put in a skybridge, I have no complaints. It's right in the middle of the borough, potentially offers access to businesses, and may free up some land near the station. Now if they keep the day rate low, that's a better question...
So before you jump off a cliff or foam at the mouth (especially you 25) about how this is a typical SEPTA boondoggle, just keep in mind that this is actually land use planning at work. Get people walking and taking the train in town instead of driving. Yes, it's a shame for Fortuna (I used to walk to the station from my house), but good for more people hopefully in the long run.
I'm not foaming of anything, thank you very much.
A station there would effectively kill any real capacity expansion on the doylestown branch AND kill any expansion towards quakertown.
Smart land use? They all ready have a station there. It is not smart land use to move the station away from the downtown core.
Please do not patronize me with comments about walking, as some residents can't or have great difficulty walking.
Right now they can store a few sets leaving one track through to doylestown. Where would those trains stage at the new station????
If it's anything more than a temporary lot, then it'll be a sign to me to abandon the little hope i have left of RRD actually becoming BETTER in my lifetime. Thus far it's only gotten worse.
