A long-term trolley project is chugging along with a grant from the federal government.
SEPTA received $460,000 to further its long-term trolley modernization initiative, which seeks to replace aging train cars with new ADA-compliant models and improve accessibility at stations. The grant, awarded Thursday, comes from a Department of Transportation pilot program aimed at boosting public transit access and with it, quality of life in the surrounding neighborhoods.
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SEPTA will use its funding to study the area along the Route 10 trolley line, which carries riders from Center City into West Philadelphia. The market analysis will focus on the four-mile stretch from the 36th Street station to the end-of-the-line terminal at North 63rd Street and Malvern Avenue, exploring "transit-oriented development" options for the area. This term refers to a type of urban planning that promotes mixed-use development around public transportation hubs.
Most of the project service area is considered "disadvantaged," according to SEPTA director of media relations Andrew Busch. The study will offer recommendations for land use policies and actions to increase affordable housing and equitable development near the trolley line.
The study will also examine a possible extension of the line to a location "that can be modernized for new trolley vehicles such as the Overbrook Regional Rail Station," Busch said via email.
SEPTA ordered those new vehicles from the manufacturer Alstom Transportation in 2023. The $714 million contract calls for 130 trolley cars, which will include lower floors and wider pathways than the current fleet, as well as ramps. The first vehicles should be delivered by 2027.
Despite its latest federal grant, SEPTA remains in a financially precarious position. The transit authority is carrying at $240 million deficit, which could lead to fare hikes and service cuts, and it received only $51 million in the latest state budget. Busch said SEPTA would "continue to look for more federal grant opportunities as we advance trolley modernization."
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