With a transformative transportation law now on the books, Pennsylvania's largest transit system has turned from planning for "doomsday" to "payday" as it decides how to allocate a twofold increase in capital spending.
"With new state funding on the way from the recently signed transportation law, SEPTA has switched from doomsday threats to promises of a grand restoration," reports Paul Nussbaum. "SEPTA will move quickly to replace aging vehicles and infrastructure, to keep trains and trolleys running on routes that had been threatened with extinction, deputy general manager Jeffrey Knueppel told the SEPTA board Thursday."
"In addition to railcars, bridges, and power stations, the plans include new trolleys, new overhead power lines for trains, improvements to the Center City trolley tunnel, many miles of new track, shored-up rail beds, new communications and signal equipment, repaired maintenance facilities, more handicapped-accessible subway and elevated stations, and, eventually, rebuilt subway station and pedestrian concourses beneath City Hall," explains Nussbaum.
"'This is an extremely exciting time for us,' Knueppel said Thursday, calling the planned projects 'transformative' for the transit agency."
Read the full story: SEPTA announces ambitious capital-improvement plan
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