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Your thoughts on Phoenixville to Great Valley Train
In a story I reported on in Monday's edition of The Phoenix, I mention a proposed to plan to utilize existing rails extending from Phoenixville to Great Valley to serve a potential passenger rail service. The line was previously used for freight trains, but has since been discontinued by Norfolk Southern Corporation, the company that owns the rails. Barry Cassidy, Executive Director of Main Street CDC, is working on the project with Borough Councilman Carlos Ciruelos, D-East, and a reputable engineering firm, Gannett Fleming, Inc.
Cassidy and the consultants are currently working on the scope of the project to determine whether a passenger rail line from here to Great Valley would be feasible and successful. This seems to be not simply another "what if" project that constantly changes depending on who you talk to, such as the Schuylkill Valley Metro. Rather, Cassidy and the consultants have a detailed nine-week schedule for the plan, by the end of which they will have a fully detailed description and layout ready to present to local governments.
What are your thoughts on this issue? The benefits seem obvious; both bringing in new jobs and taking people here to their jobs in Great Valley. Do you believe it is feasible? Or is this another project that is simply a wash, destined for failure?
Interested to see your thoughts on this issue.
Later on,
Brian
Cassidy and the consultants are currently working on the scope of the project to determine whether a passenger rail line from here to Great Valley would be feasible and successful. This seems to be not simply another "what if" project that constantly changes depending on who you talk to, such as the Schuylkill Valley Metro. Rather, Cassidy and the consultants have a detailed nine-week schedule for the plan, by the end of which they will have a fully detailed description and layout ready to present to local governments.
What are your thoughts on this issue? The benefits seem obvious; both bringing in new jobs and taking people here to their jobs in Great Valley. Do you believe it is feasible? Or is this another project that is simply a wash, destined for failure?
Interested to see your thoughts on this issue.
Later on,
Brian
posted by The Phoenix Files at
4:38 PM
9 Comments:
Love the idea, am way too cynical that those who are proposing it can actually see it through.
can someone explain to me how this would be better than bus service? If it works I'd support it but train service for the sake of train service does not seem to make sense.
Outstanding idea...a dedicated line would drive jobs and professionals into Phoenixville. A bus line just adds to traffic. I hope the study shows what I've known for a while...that we need this!
I love it and I too as well do not think they will follow through. The roads and infrastructure in and out of phoenixville need serious improvements. Hopefully they will follow through (unlikely)
Please let’s stop trying to go back to the “good old days”. For better or worse our transportation system is based on 4 wheels and I don’t mean train cars. We need more fuel efficient cars and more efficient roads. I don’t think Mr. Cassidy can do much about the former but he can help with the latter.
Due to the lawyers, unions, environmental wackos and politicians too eager to appease these groups it is unlikely we’ll see any major expansion of the road systems in this part of Pennsylvania. However, there is plenty of opportunity to make simple, obvious changes and refinements to existing roads that might just save us all 5-10 minutes a day in our daily commutes to Great Valley, Radnor, Audubon, Exton and yes even to Philadelphia for that ever shrinking number of folks who work there.
How can Mr. Cassidy help? Perhaps he can urge PennDOT to start implementing some improvements along Route 23. For example, improving the intersection of Routes 23 and 252 so traffic can more efficiently move from either direction of Route 23 onto Route 252 south. Between 7-9 AM it takes 15 minutes to go 2 miles from the “G” Lodge to that intersection. At an average 30 MPH speed, 11 minutes can be cut-off. Between that location and the routes 724 and 23 intersecion there are probably a dozen other bottlenecks that could be eliminated or mitigated. By the way, has anyone heard how that project to control all the lights in the Phoenixville area is coming along? It has been at least 5 years since I first heard of it and was to cost at least a million.
"...yes even to Philadelphia for that ever shrinking number of folks who work there..."
Surely, Anonymous, this is tongue-in-cheek. I've been commuting to Phila for a good 20 years via 422 and 76. The volume of eastbound traffic in the morning is horrendous. Ditto westbound in the evening.
Rail lines are not outdated. Travel through Europe to see an example. Americans love their big cars and our country is being raped by the oil companies for their own profit. We need an alternative, and not the lip service Big Oil feeds us on expanding research/biodiesel, etc. We need to change our mindset. We need to step out and develop this project. It is the future.
Most of the important things in this world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. Dale Carnegie. Keep at it Barry it would be great.
Nice to see that Carlos and Barry are looking to the future...lets face it the CDC has helped develop Phoenixville.
The idea of expanding roads is always a losing proposition...it always leads to simply more traffic...which in turn means needing more roads. Train service does more than save time. It boosts property values, opens new job opportunities, and would help us grow...responsibly.
Just because it is stupid does not mean that you have to do it.
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