Philadelphia – Streetcars May Link City Hall with Riverfront Line

Rail Transit Online, August 2009

A new surface streetcar line running east along Market Street from City Hall is the preferred connection between downtown and a new LRT project along the Delaware River waterfront being planned by PATCO, the Delaware River Port Authority's (DRPA) rail transit subsidiary.

The proposal was outlined by PATCO General Manager Robert Box, who said the north-south light rail alignment along Columbus Boulevard would link Penn Treaty Park in Fishtown to the Pier 70 shopping complex in South Philadelphia, with an eventual extension to the Navy Yard.

The $1-billion-plus project is in the early conceptual stage and won't be completed for at least a decade. The waterfront line is part of DRPA's economic development strategy for the area.

The city's deputy mayor for transportation says no final decision has been made on either route. A SEPTA spokesman said the transit agency is interested in the scheme but only if there is a connection to the existing system.