Upper Darby Township Mayor Tom Micozzie joined SEPTA and local elected officials on Monday to unveil plans for construction of a new 431-space parking garage at the 69th Street Transportation Center.

The 69th Street Parking Garage project – a concept the Mayor first started pushing shortly after he was sworn into office nine years ago – is a partnership between SEPTA and Upper Darby Township that will meet the needs of SEPTA’s growing transit ridership, as well as support local business and economic growth.

The project, which is expected to break ground in the spring of 2019, will increase the number of available parking spaces at the transportation center from the current capacity of 182 spaces to 520 spaces. The 431 spaces will be added as part of the parking garage while an adjacent surface lot will contain an additional 89 spaces.

“This parking garage represents another major step forward for our ongoing efforts to rejuvenate the 69th Street Business District, while also making it easier for area residents to utilize public transit,” said Micozzie. “One of my major goals has been increasing the capacity for parking at the 69th Street Transportation Center, which is a major hub for the region’s public transit system and serves 35,000 riders each week day.

“But this parking garage will benefit more than just SEPTA riders — the additional capacity will make it easier for shoppers to visit businesses in the 69th Street area, as well as individuals attending events at the Tower Theater.”

The Mayor said that when he had taken office, seed money from the state was designated to Upper Darby for the stalled Gateway project along Garrett Road. Recognizing the need for additional capacity, Micozzie flexed the funds in coordination with SEPTA to prepare the site to make the project “shovel ready.”

Additional construction costs of the garage will be funded through Act 89, the state’s comprehensive transportation funding law passed in November 2013. Act 89 has enabled SEPTA to embark on its “Rebuilding the System” program, a comprehensive initiative to reinvest in the transit network throughout the region.

“SEPTA has moved quickly to utilize Act 89 funds system-wide, making long-needed infrastructure upgrades and replacing equipment that has long outlived its usefulness,” said SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale T. Deon Sr. “These efforts are critical to sustaining our transportation network and growing economic development in the region and throughout the state.”

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