The U.S. Department of Transportation announced it had awarded $233 million in funding for accessibility and mobility improvements to transit stations.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) said it had selected eight projects in five states for All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) grants, including $80 million for Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). SEPTA will use the funds for improving convenience for strollers and wheelchairs at trolley stations.
Officials with SEPTA said its 22nd Street, 33rd Street, and 36th Street Stations are among the busiest in the Authority’s trolley network. The stations provide access to the City Center Trolley Tunnel in Philadelphia, connecting more than 60,000 daily riders to Southeastern Pennsylvania’s largest employment centers. The $80 million will fund accessibility improvements, officials said, including the installation of new elevators and raised platforms that will make the stations fully compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.
“Accessibility is core to SEPTA’s mission, and this grant will help us deliver three new projects that will have lasting benefits for our customers,” SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer said. “With this announcement, ASAP funding is now supporting a total of eight SEPTA Metro station accessibility projects. We are grateful to our Congressional delegation for their leadership in establishing this vital program and to the FTA for its confidence in our station accessibility efforts.”
The project represents a key component of SEPTA’s broader Trolley Modernization initiative, which aims to improve safety, accessibility, and reliability along one of the nation’s largest trolley networks. The award follows a $13.3 million grant announced recently through FTA’s Rail Vehicle Replacement Program to support SEPTA’s replacement of 50-year-old Silverliner IV Regional Rail Cars.
Part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the ASAP funding is for capital projects to upgrade accessibility of legacy rail fixed guideway public transportation systems to address ADA compliance. The 80 percent matching grants provide support for improvements facility infrastructure so that it meets or exceeds ADA compliance, as well as “developing or modifying a plan for pursuing public transportation accessibility projects, assessments of accessibility, or assessments of planned modifications to stations or facilities.”
“Modernizing our transit infrastructure is part of our work to usher in the Golden Age of Rail,” FTA Acting Deputy Administrator Matthew Cahill said. ”USDOT is ensuring infrastructure projects prioritize safety, efficiency, and the well-being of American families.”