On the heels of President Biden signing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, Philadelphia set to receive millions in federal funding for transportation
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is announcing that the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will receive an award of $15,000,000 in discretionary grant funding from the Department of Transportation. This Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant will fund projects to renovate and improve the 19th and 37th Street Trolley Subway Stations to make repairs and ensure they are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible. Major improvements will include installing elevators as well as further reconfiguring the stations to make them fully accessible, raising the platform heights to accommodate future accessible trolley cars and ensuring resiliency by waterproofing the stations.
“Today, I am proud to say that Philadelphia can begin to take action on a project to make its public transportation more accessible, incorporating equity into our Nation’s plans to invest in infrastructure. This funding will go towards improving the transportation hubs in Center City and West Philadelphia, removing barriers to independence for people with disabilities and connecting them to major centers of commerce in the city. As we build back better, investing in infrastructure is absolutely critical. I will continue to advocate for resources to come to Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania,” said Senator Casey.
“SEPTA is thrilled to be awarded a RAISE grant to make greatly needed accessibility improvements to our 37th and 19th Street trolley stations, which provide vital access to employment, healthcare and education for residents of West and Southwest Philadelphia,” said SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie S. Richards. “These will be the first trolley station accessibility projects to advance under SEPTA’s transformative Trolley Modernization Program. We are grateful to the U. S. Department of Transportation for recognizing the value of these projects and to Senator Casey, Congressman Evans and our Congressional delegation for supporting investments in transit accessibility.”
The RAISE grant program is the main discretionary grant program for major road, rail, transit and port projects. With RAISE grant funding, SEPTA will undertake renovations and improvements at its 19th and 37th Street Trolley Subway Stations in Philadelphia. As 19th Street Station is in Center City Philadelphia, it is immediately proximate to many businesses within the largest job center in the Philadelphia region. In West Philadelphia, 37th Street Station is located on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, near Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, within the second largest job center in the region. The net benefits of the project are estimated to be between 4.4 and 11 times its cost.
