A map of the potential Roosevelt Boulevard Subway. (Image courtesy of BlvdSubway/Twitter)
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is planning to look at potential options for adding a subway or rail line on Philadelphia's Roosevelt Boulevard.
The Philadelphia Business Journal reported Nov. 1 that in a public assembly hosted by Pennsylvania Rep. Jared Solomon, representatives from PennDOT and two other local transportation bureaus — the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), and the Philadelphia Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability (OTIS) — discussed the proposed rail project.
Its proponents have long called for its creation to better connect Northeast Philadelphia to Center City and make one of Philly's most dangerous roads safer.
The idea for a subway along Roosevelt Boulevard dates back more than a century, according to the Business Journal.
Ashwin Patel, a senior manager at PennDOT, said at the meeting that his agency would study what is feasible — whether it be a subway, an elevated rail line or more dedicated bus routes. That research would be done as an expansion of the city-administered Route for Change program for Roosevelt Boulevard, released in spring 2021.
The plan covers various short-term alternatives to making the road safer, like designated bus lanes and more direct bus routes, Patel explained. The program's long-term solutions include rapid transit buses or making changes to the boulevard's surface to make it more closely resemble either the Ben Franklin Parkway or the Vine Street Expressway. The scope of Route for Change did not include a subway or rail solution.
Cost of Progress Will Be High
For Solomon, the commitment from PennDOT is a step toward progress. In the meeting, he said many of his constituents have told him that they "want to see change on the Boulevard," and he is pushing for a form of rapid transit.
In addition, he noted that starting within weeks, and taking place over the next few months, he will continue to host community sessions to gather input he hopes will inform the study.
Solomon, a Democrat, said that "the name of the game is public engagement."
"Hopefully, when that study comes out it's going to embrace rapid transit, and then next is securing the dollars," Solomon said.
Though an updated cost in today's dollars has not been put forth, Patel told those at the public forum that some estimates are as high as $1 billion to $4 billion per mile for a subway project.
"If you start to throw out the 'b-word,' whether it's the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York or the ongoing connectivity work in Los Angeles with rapid transit, other cities are not intimidated, don't cower from the billion number," Solomon said. "They respond to it, they rally around it, and they execute on a unified vision."
He is hoping for buy-in from business leaders, community leaders and nonprofits alike, along with government agencies like SEPTA, PennDOT and OTIS, the Business Journal reported. He believes their backing can lead to a more efficient movement of goods and services in and out of Northeast Philadelphia. Businesses and schools, too, would benefit from rapid transit in the Northeast, Solomon said.
Like many other leaders in Philadelphia, he is eyeing the 250-year anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence in 2026 as a milepost for major projects — not for completion but for substantial progress.
"I see 2026 as a great marker because 2026 in Philadelphia is where we'll be welcoming the nation to Philadelphia and Pennsylvania," Solomon said. "It would be good to advance this project to where people see the future of an interconnected city in a way we've never seen before."
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