The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) two federal grants totaling $5.61 million. The grants will be used to fund a pedestrian railroad crossing safety project at the Lawndale Station and capacity and operational improvements at the Wissahickon Transportation Center.
The grants will be made through the FRA's Railroad Safety Infrastructure Improvement Grant Program and the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Bus and Bus Facilities Grant Program. Funding for the grants came from the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, the multi-year surface transportation authorization bill, and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016, which were passed by Congress last December.
"We are pleased that the FRA and FTA see the value of these projects," said SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale T. Deon Sr. "SEPTA looks forward to utilizing these grants to provide service improvements and enhance safety for our customers."
SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey D. Knueppel stated, "The grants will allow SEPTA to advance two critical capital improvement projects. At Lawndale Station, we will greatly enhance safety and access for passengers with a new, open-air pedestrian underpass. The project at Wissahickon Transportation Center will allow one of our busiest transit hubs to meet current and future ridership demands."
SEPTA will install a 20 foot-wide pedestrian passageway at the Fox Chase Regional Rail Line's Lawndale Station that will also accommodate maintenance and emergency vehicles, when necessary. Currently, customers must cross SEPTA Regional Rail and CSX freight tracks at a signalized at-grade pedestrian crossing, and, at times, wait for stopped freight trains that can block access to and from the station. This project will also provide SEPTA the opportunity to improve security and passenger amenities at the station.
The Wissahickon Transportation Center, with 11 bus routes and located within walking distance of the Wissahickon Regional Rail Station, will be expanded to alleviate congestion. SEPTA will also include the construction of a new passenger waiting facility.
"These projects are the types of investments we aimed to leverage with increased funding made available in the FAST Act," said U. S. Senator Bob Casey. "SEPTA service is an important part of living and working in southeastern Pennsylvania, and I appreciate that SEPTA is investing in its safety and efficiency in ways that will also enhance the quality of life in the communities I represent."