Title
Authorizing City Council’s Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to hold public hearings on the potential extension of the South Broad Street subway line.
Body
WHEREAS, The Broad Street SEPTA line has connected South Philadelphia to Center City and the rest of the Philadelphia region since 1938, and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, established in 1996, has lucrative KOZ tax breaks and hundreds of acres of potential development, a master plan has been finalized by PIDC and Liberty Property Trust, and various new businesses have located there with others expressing interest, but the lack of public transit is regarded as a serious disincentive for many considering relocating there; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Sports Stadium Complex is now home to two incredible new facilities, Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Ballpark, that have opened recently to rave reviews and strong performances by our sports teams, but are unfortunately up to eight blocks away from the nearest subway station, which has further exasperated traffic and parking congestion; and
WHEREAS, During the deliberations over funding for the stadia, there was general agreement that further development in and around the Stadium Complex would be in the best interests of the City and teams, and convenient public transit would increase foot traffic that could spur such critical economic development; and
WHEREAS, The populations of Philadelphia and South New Jersey are separated by the Delaware River and hours of traffic jams over the Walt Whitman Bridge, and while thousands of South Jersey residents currently are employed in Philadelphia, it is likely that more jobs would be created in Philadelphia if there was a public transportation option from lower South Jersey; and
WHEREAS, Certain parts of South New Jersey are older and in need of revitalization, while other portions suffer from severe and growing congestion that could be alleviated by a new public transit line; and
WHEREAS, For all these reasons, a study should be initiated to examine the feasibility of extending the SEPTA Broad Street line through the Stadium Complex, the Naval Business Center, under the Delaware River, and into South New Jersey, and City Council should research the available federal and state dollars for such a feasibility study; and
WHEREAS, The construction of such an extension could create thousands of additional jobs in Philadelphia, secure current jobs in the City, reduce traffic congestion, improve the environment, and increase the attractiveness of the Stadium Complex and Naval Business Center; and
WHEREAS, City Council should conduct hearings to determine potential public support for such an extension, as well as potential support from the business community and stakeholders such as DRPA, SEPTA, and community leaders and planners on both sides of the river; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That authority be given to the Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to hold public hearings on the potential extension of the South Broad Street subway line.
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