Don't be fooled by SEPTA's foolish plans in Jenkintown

12/26/2013 - Following SEPTA's fill-up on funding from Harrisburg, SEPTA brass indicated that the plans to build a gargantuan parking terminal in Jenkintown was off the table. A read of their long-range capital budget reveals otherwise. Montgomery County has also left the garage in its long range plan, as has the DVRPC (who continues to attack PA-TEC). Read the new commentary on SEPTA's parking dreams

The truth is, this is a regional issue, and will have a regional impact on our roads and future investments in rail transit in the region. SEPTA and the DVRPC who are notorious for being anti-rail, have a vision of a "rapid transit" style system with high-level platforms and single-operator trains, but low frequency service in areas outside of the inner suburbs. Our suburban communities are choking in traffic, and as a result the regional economy of the Delaware Valley is choking. Its time for SEPTA to permanently remove this foolish plan from their drafting board, once and for all.

Oil Will Be Gone in 50 Years: HSBC

03/23/2011 - CNBC, a major news outlet reported today that HSBC has calculated that at current consumption rates, the world will have depleted the remainder of global oil supplies in less than 50 years. This assumes no growth in consumption. The threat of reduced availability of oil will have a far reaching impact on everyday life. Aside from higher prices at the gas pump, economic growth will become a thing of the past because all economies are driven by oil. Knowing what the future holds, its time to focus transportation dollars on growing the system through more service and more places served. Bicycle accommodations need to be at every station. Biking will one day be the preferred way to reach transit. Read the Article from CNBC

Parking garages will only continue to encourage us to drive more and further, especially residents in Warminster and Doylestown who already utilize Jenkintown or Glenside station because of poor service or lack of parking.

Jenkintown and Glenside Parking Garages part of SEPTA FY 2012 Budget

03/21/2011 - According to SEPTA's website, SEPTA is now sneaking in funding to advance the Jenkintown-Wyncote parking complex and station replacement project. SEPTA chief planner Byron Comati and Montgomery County planner Leo Bagley (pictured at right at a cocktail party) continue to pursue both the Jenkintown and Glenside garage projects, which will alter the fabric of the local neighborhoods and provide marginal benefit to the region. An independent study of parking demand and the appropriateness of both proposed facilities at Jenkintown and Glenside has demonstrated that the parking component of this project is not warranted. Additionally, this project is not supported by the residents of the community.

PA-TEC and residents throughout the Delaware Valley request that DVRPC and SEPTA immediately suspend this project until soundly accepted alternatives are considered. As of 3/21/2011, no alternatives to expansion of parking at Jenkintown and Glenside have been considered, for the purpose of improving access to regional rail in the northern suburbs.

Cheltenham Township turns over Township's fate to County planners

02/11/2011 - On February 9, 2011, the Cheltenham Township board of Commissioners voted to turn over control of the township's sustainability plan to Leo Bagley and the Montgomery County Planning Commission, which is pro-parking garage for several SEPTA stations in the county. The county already has (2) garages in Norristown: the courthouse garage, and the underutilized SEPTA Norristown Transportation Center parking garage. Despite being taxpayer funded, the DVRPC remains resistant to listening to the citizens of Jenkintown who do not want their quality of life degraded with added traffic and pollution from a parking garage.

The garage is the wrong solution for Wyncote and Jenkintown, and its the wrong solution for the rest of the region as well. Parking is out of control at Warminster, Hatboro, Somerton, Forrest Hills, Bethayres, Rydal and Fox Chase. Parking expansion in the zero growth inner suburbs will guarantee to attract riders from the outer suburbs, such as Newtown Township which grew another 49% since the 2000 census, like flies to a light.

DVRPC Board rejects request for study of transit needs in Northern Suburbs

12/8/2010 - DVRPC's board has decided not to take on the regional transit needs analysis study as part of the 2012 Work Study program at DVRPC.
Instead, DVRPC has decided to adopt the "Unused Rail ROW Assessment and Preservation" study. The purpose of the study will be to determine ways to use dormant rail lines, such as Fox Chase-Newtown, for purposes other than mass transportation. In the long range plan, the study will consider that "future transportation needs may not necessarily be accommodated by commuter rail or light rail, but perhaps by bus, bus rapid transit, or other modes – thus, potentially important rights-of-way do not have to be contiguous or connect with parts of the currently active rail network".
In short, the study may advocate for the breakup of dormant corridors, and consider buses as an option for long term use of such corridors.
Read the study definitions
E-mail your comments on this study and the entire 2012 DVRPC Work Study Program here
Dr. Joseph Hacker at DVRPC is the lead planner for this project.