Transit Improvements Under Way ... Slowly

When PennDOT announced it would be conducting a study to determine potential locations for a new transit center in Downingtown, some residents of the Main Line were confused as to why that station, less than 20 years old, warranted replacing.

Downingtown Station is one of the least traveled stations, according to data released from PennDOT. Of the 12 stations on the Keystone East Corridor, Downingtown is 9th out of 12 in ridership, seeing only 59,129 riders in 2010. In comparison, Paoli station played host to more than 153,000 riders in 2010. Factoring in the latest news of a $200,000 study for a new train station in Downingtown, there is a recipe for unhappy residents in towns with stations that are significantly older, or have many more average riders. 

The Ardmore train station is significantly older and less up-to-date. By examining the state's interest in Downingtown at face value, it may seem to some that PennDOT has its priorities mixed up. What residents may not know, however, is that plans for construction of a new Ardmore Transit Center have already begun, and grant money has been appropriated by the state for the project.

Downingtown has had no money for a project of any kind, and the money for the study is merely to figure out where the station would go, officials say, and what could be done with the existing station once the location changes.

The new r, in its original plan, would cost $100 million, and as Manager Doug Cleland said, "It's more expensive than we have the funding for."

Lower Merion Township has been dealing with the Ardmore Transit Center plan for more than five years, and though little headway in actual construction has occurred, the township is taking strides to reduce the cost of the overall plan and keep the burden off of the taxpayers, Cleland said.

"Recently we've been looking to put together a project that would cost less money," he said. "Transit improvements are very expensive and it's a very tight site. We would like to do as substantial a poject as we can, but we have to be realistic."

Similarly, improvements for the Paoli station are under way and Amtrak is working closely with a developer to design the improvements to the station. PennDOT spokesman Bob Garrett explained that there is some stage of improvement occurring at every station on the Keystone Line. 

According to PennDOT's planning website for the Keystone Line, Amtrak, PennDOT and the Federal Transit Authority spent $145 million upgrading tracks and signals in 2006 so that a 90-minute express service could begin from Harrisburg to Philadelphia. Despite these overall improvements, some stations had accessibility limitations and were required to conform to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"Many of the stops on the Keystone Line will require new stations to meet with ADA compliance, including Paoli and Downingtown," explained PennDOT spokeswomanb Erin Waters.

Downingtown is, in fact, one of the last stations in the Eastern Corridor to begin planning an upgrade to its facilities. How long it will take for construction on the sites with current plans poses a question only time and money can answer.