Even as SEPTA faces a deepening budget strain and the threat of major service cuts starting next month, the push to extend the subway into Northeast Philadelphia is gaining traction, writes Michael Tanenbaum for PhillyVoice.
The idea was last considered in the early 2000s before interest faded.
Now, the city and PennDOT are exploring potential solutions to transportation issues on Roosevelt Boulevard, including cost and ridership assessments for a possible Northeast Philly subway extension.
Another challenge, beyond SEPTA’s budget troubles, is that construction on the proposed subway extension would not begin before 2040.
“Predicting the future is very hard, especially in the timeframes we’re talking about,” said Eric Goldwyn, a researcher for New York University’s Transit Costs Project. “Once you get to over five years, it’s like, who the hell knows? You’re trying to put guardrails and parameters around a very unknown future.”
The Transit Costs Project released a report on the Roosevelt Boulevard subway recommending reducing the original 12-station plan. Instead of extending to the Far Northeast in Neshaminy, the line would end at Rhawn Station, as roughly 90 percent of the projected ridership would come from stations at or before that point.
Read more about the push for the Northeast Philadelphia subway extension in PhillyVoice.
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