The Great Misallocation of Resources

SEPTA is proposing to build an 900 spot parking garage on the site of the existing 540 spot south parking lot in Wyncote, Cheltenham Township. The parking garage will result in a net gain of roughly 250 new parking spots, at a cost of $30 million dollars, plus $6 million for engineering, totaling $36 million dollars.

Studies and analyses conducted by SEPTA, HNTB and DVRPC have not economically or environmentally justified the feasibility of this project. Data from the studies has been manipulated by the named agencies to project a need and downplay the harm caused to the environment and branchlines of SEPTA's railroad.

Alternatives have been presented to SEPTA, DVRPC and the Montgomery County Planning Commission, as well as regional legislators to the $36 million dollar project. Requests for a regional study of transit needs in the areas north of Jenkintown have been requested by PA-TEC, the Cheltenham Chamber of Citizens and the DVRPC's Regional Citizen's Committee to develop more cost effective and beneficial solutions to the only option developed by SEPTA. These requests have been ignored.

Standing in unity with the Cheltenham Chamber of Citizens and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission's regional citizens committee(RCC), PA-TEC strongly recommends this project for removal from the DVRPC's Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP).