PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread X

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by allovertown

Your bizarre defenses of the indefensible continues to astound. Who would take the positions you take? I don't really care about how clean the highways are. But they're undeniably incredibly filthy to an almost absurd extent. I rarely get on 95, but when I do I'll frequently see large pieces of debris like entire bumpers, a giant shredded tire, etc. and then next time I use the highway weeks later, they'll still just be there. Saying the highway shoulders are dirty is really an incredible understatement. They're downright hazardous.

They are very dangerous. What if you have to pull over quickly and there's a huge piece of debris in the shoulder? Or along the miles of 95 in Philly with no shoulder at the moment because of construction? The debris just piles up in the lane of traffic pushed to the side. Constantly see people bobbing around this stuff.

Not to mention, if you live along 95 as many do in Old City, Northern Liberties, Fishtown, Port Richmond, etc...that debris (because it's literally never picked up) ends up blowing off the highway down into the neighborhood. The areas under and along 95 look just as bad as 95 because it just ends up blowing over the walls or coming down through the gutters on 95 and spilling on the streets below.

It's gross and indefensible. It's such an easy problem to fix and like, our leadership doesn't see it at all or thinks it's some intractable difficult to solve problem.

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

They are very dangerous. What if you have to pull over quickly and there's a huge piece of debris in the shoulder? Or along the miles of 95 in Philly with no shoulder at the moment because of construction? The debris just piles up in the lane of traffic pushed to the side. Constantly see people bobbing around this stuff.

Not to mention, if you live along 95 as many do in Old City, Northern Liberties, Fishtown, Port Richmond, etc...that debris (because it's literally never picked up) ends up blowing off the highway down into the neighborhood. The areas under and along 95 look just as bad as 95 because it just ends up blowing over the walls or coming down through the gutters on 95 and spilling on the streets below.

It's gross and indefensible. It's such an easy problem to fix and like, our leadership doesn't see it at all or thinks it's some intractable difficult to solve problem.

Yea, I don't really care if they're street sweeping it. But the large debris is unsafe.

This is literally a problem that a crew of a two with a truck could handle and likely have time to spare each week.

[Justin7]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Because the Airport Line requires passage over Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, it requires Amtrak dispatching. By extension, this also incurs fees on SEPTA’s behalf (not to mention that Amtrak also provides electricity for the line, along with owning Track 2 into the airport and never using it).

Trains can’t run any more than they currently do because Amtrak will not allow its most profitable and efficient line be clogged with Airport Line trains. Operations have improved slightly since the realignment of Arsenal Interlocking (thereby separating the Media/Elwyn Line from the NEC, ensuring it needs no Amtrak dispatch), but any Airport train still must travel over a few miles of the NEC before taking the flyover and heading to the airport.

SEPTA themselves also probably don’t want to pay the obscene fees that come with running more trains. This is why the lowest farebox ratios belong to the Airport, CHW, and Cynwyd lines. All must go over Amtrak trackage and are also therefore dispatched by Amtrak. This is why CHW hasn’t returned to pre-COVID frequencies (the CHE doesn’t suffer from these issues, as it runs entirely on SEPTA ROW and uses SEPTA’s electricity).

In the old days, these lines (except the Airport Line) were all PRR, so there were no fees involved. Dispatchers would give non preferential treatment to trains, as they were all run by the same company.

Infrastructure-wise, the line could probably handle one more train an hour (headways of 20 mins) before causing severe congestion. I’ll be working on Arsenal Interlocking this summer so I’d be happy to report if any improvements are made specifically for the Airport Line.

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan

This is perfectly worded. Without divulging too far into what I do and who I work for, I am very much involved in this relationship. This isn't a knock against anyone here, but I don't believe the general public realizes the degree to which SEPTA's operations are beholden to Amtrak. Any SEPTA train that enters the Northeast Corridor or Keystone Line is subject to Amtrak's dispatching, which constitutes a pretty significant portion of delays among NEC commuter railroads. Additionally, each SEPTA train that travels along Amtrak territory drives up the propulsion, access, and capital costs that SEPTA must foot. If the general public knew as much as some of us in the transportation industry know about this relationship, then they would be furious.

In regards to the Airport Line, wouldn't the section between PHIL and 60th Street interlockings present a major operational challenge? I don't know why it was designed this way, but the ROW narrows to a single track between those two interlockings. The track area can't easily be expanded either, as the bridge that carries Elmwood Avenue over the ROW would need to be widened. I love the Airport Line and believe that it is a HUGE asset to the city and PHL (and the main reason why I prefer PHL over other US airports); however, I would love to see 15-20 minute headways if operationally possible.

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

1. Track 5 is actually not Amtrak, it’s Conrail owned and is NS/CSX’s access to the NEC to/from the high line. It is not electrified and can’t be used.

2. All four tracks are used by Amtrak between the Airport Flyover and 30th Street. However, the Airport Line has recently been restricted to using only Track 1. You’ll notice that when you take an inbound train that you are running on the “wrong side” of the NEC. Trains used to use a short connection to track 4 (still extant), but Amtrak canned that because it then required Airport Line trains to cross over all four tracks to get back to 30th, thereby effectively shutting down the NEC in that section.

Thank you for the details on this. Much appreciated. So if the infrastructure could handle a 20 minute headway then the issue is financial, which means it could theoretically be negotiated away. I'm pretty much back to where I started:

Originally Posted by Justin7

I think PHL is fine, but Septa's airport line needs to run later and more frequently.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

They are very dangerous. What if you have to pull over quickly and there's a huge piece of debris in the shoulder? Or along the miles of 95 in Philly with no shoulder at the moment because of construction? The debris just piles up in the lane of traffic pushed to the side. Constantly see people bobbing around this stuff.

Not to mention, if you live along 95 as many do in Old City, Northern Liberties, Fishtown, Port Richmond, etc...that debris (because it's literally never picked up) ends up blowing off the highway down into the neighborhood. The areas under and along 95 look just as bad as 95 because it just ends up blowing over the walls or coming down through the gutters on 95 and spilling on the streets below.

It's gross and indefensible. It's such an easy problem to fix and like, our leadership doesn't see it at all or thinks it's some intractable difficult to solve problem.

I was actually in Fishtown & Northern Liberties earlier this week for work and drove around a little after and ended up at Aramingo near the newer 95 on/off ramps, and under the ramps there was sooo much trash and leftover mounds of dirt. Does Penndot or anyone plan to clean up the trash and landscape the dead spaces, or that's the way it will stay?

[JohnIII]

When it comes to Pennsylvania Highways they have many problems and the reasons why are numerous; for starters many people in Philadelphia don't care about their surroundings and when people litter all over the place its a lot to trash to clean up; fines for littering should be high and they should be enforced.

Pennsylvania Highways in the Philadelphia are also old; in many cases laid out a long time ago especially with the Schuylkill Expressway dating back to the 1940's and 1950's and even with upgrades.

With the Philadelphia area its not really easy to build highways that are large due to location; I-95 was built but the question of communities around the highway probably affect how wide or how much can be done to the highs I'd guess; I know when they went thought Olde City they destroyed a lot of historic areas. When it came to the Schuylkill Expressway when it was built there were also major issues because at the time the Pennsylvania Railroad had land along the river and it restricted space for the highway so you have a 2 lane highway riding on the side of steep hills and in downtown literally over the Schuylkill River west bank; at high tide the river flows under the highway.

I worry a good deal about Pennsylvania highways in Philadelphia because in many cities of the same size or even smaller you see 6 lane highways and the traffic justifies it; when you look at the population of Philadelphia he need highways of equal size and the more the city grow the need for larger, clean, upgraded highways will be necessary; the problem is what will be done?

I have wondered if double decker highways in Philadelphia are possible and will help this problem and it will be easier for I-95 or the Roosevelt Expressway but not for the Schuylkill Expressway because of the bottle neck between Vine Street south to the Arsenal Bridge; but what do any of you think?

Friends, I should bring this up I guess; the topic over all seems to be infrastructure and congestion; whether its the Airport Line or Highways or some areas building construction and at some point its not simply about discussing highways but with it comes to skyscrapers its about supplies and movement of products as well as people. In Philadelphia there is a tunnel that runs from 8th and Arch and allows for truck deliveries to areas of downtown; likewise there are tunnels for foot traffic; at some point to ease congestion in the streets. In the 30th Street Station District its possible and already built in because Walnut, Chestnut, Market, and 30th Street are double decker streets but between the Schuylkill River to Broad Street its not really easy to ease congestion.

Highways and Railways; timing and the practicality to expand in a cost effective way while being aware that the city is growing seems a huge topic; a daunting task especially when one location has different parameters than another in the same city

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by allovertown

I've decided that there's only one explanation for someone who seems personally offended by every even mild criticism of philly, someone who has an excuse for every 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 decision this city has ever made. Somehow, and I truly don't know how, but the city of Philadelphia itself has gained sentience and has created skyscraper page account. My best guess is some old supercomputer in city hall got struck by lightening and this is the result.

There's a few around here and the Chamber of Commerce should hire some of these folks, as their ability to spin just about anything is amazing. If someone is being negative just for the sake of it of course that is a different issue but I have seen posts that go so far the other way that it's no longer based in reality.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by JohnIII

When it comes to Pennsylvania Highways they have many problems and the reasons why are numerous; for starters many people in Philadelphia don't care about their surroundings and when people litter all over the place its a lot to trash to clean up; fines for littering should be high and they should be enforced.

People litter everywhere. Yes, fines should be issued and enforced.

PENNDOT doesn't pick it up. That's the difference.

Like I said. Every time I'm in Maryland I see high way crews working on the side of the road. It's the VERY rare exception here. And when I do see them, it honestly looks like the guys doing the work don't give a sh*t about how well they're doing their jobs. When I see the equivalent people doing their work in NJ, I swear to god I get the impression they're the kind of people who like hedge their lawn with hand scissors. The work is important and I'm sure there are people who be'd more than willing to do it.

Further, much of the debris you see on the highway isn't "litter" per se but car parts that come off either by themselves or in accidents. Things that fall off the backs of trucks, etc. Much of the gunk is just left over sand and salt from the previous winter that never gets swept and ultimately grows that rare Philadelphia fauna that you find only in places that never clean their streets: Curb Weed.

[summersm343]

Flaster Greenberg upsizing and relocating Center City office in sublease agreement with another firm

Flaster Greenberg has signed an eight-year lease to relocate its Philadelphia office to Three Logan Square, where it will take 16,000 square feet of space on the 33rd floor and have an option to absorb the remaining 4,000 square feet to accommodate potential growth.

Financial terms of the deal were not revealed. The move becomes effective on Feb. 1.

Since October 2016, the Cherry Hill-based law firm has occupied 10,000 square feet at 1835 Market. Co-Managing Partner Jordan LaVine said the firm had originally signed a five-year lease at 1835 Market. It was set to expire this past Jan. 31 but the firm asked for a one-year extension to see how the office space market shook out post-pandemic.

LaVine said Flaster looked at numerous options but ultimately went with Three Logan partly because it was already fitted for a law firm. Flaster is subletting the space from Reed Smith, which signed a long-term lease in 2011 on 115,000 square feet on floors 28 through 33 at the signature office building owned by Brandywine Realty Trust. It moved in 2014. The Philadelphia Business Journal reported earlier this year that Reed Smith was looking to give-back some space at Three Logan.

Reed Smith Chief Operating Officer Nick Bagiatis said in a statement the firm will downsize from six floors to five in the building.

“We are recalibrating our real estate footprint in response to the firm’s broader move to flexible working; we remain strongly invested in the Philadelphia region and well positioned to serve our clients there," he said.

Article behind paywall here:
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia...rg-relocating-to-three-logan-square.html

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

People litter everywhere. Yes, fines should be issued and enforced.

PENNDOT doesn't pick it up. That's the difference.

Like I said. Every time I'm in Maryland I see high way crews working on the side of the road. It's the VERY rare exception here. And when I do see them, it honestly looks like the guys doing the work don't give a sh*t about how well they're doing their jobs. When I see the equivalent people doing their work in NJ, I swear to god I get the impression they're the kind of people who like hedge their lawn with hand scissors. The work is important and I'm sure there are people who be'd more than willing to do it.

Further, much of the debris you see on the highway isn't "litter" per se but car parts that come off either by themselves or in accidents. Things that fall off the backs of trucks, etc. Much of the gunk is just left over sand and salt from the previous winter that never gets swept and ultimately grows that rare Philadelphia fauna that you find only in places that never clean their streets: Curb Weed.

Many (many) moons ago I can still remember one of my first times crossing the border into MD and marveling at how clean the highway was vs what I had just witnessed on the way down. I also remember how they had weigh stations opened and operating to get the illegal overloads off of the roads, which does a lot of damage.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by allovertown

Somehow, and I truly don't know how, but the city of Philadelphia itself has gained sentience and has created skyscraper page account. My best guess is some old supercomputer in city hall got struck by lightening and this is the result.

Come on, have you seen the technology they're using in City Hall? A City Hall Super Computer probably has the processing power of an old Gameboy Color. I don't know how the city became sentient, but fancy tech from City Hall is at the bottom of the list of possibilities for me.

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Come on, have you seen the technology they're using in City Hall? A City Hall Super Computer probably has the processing power of an old Gameboy Color. I don't know how the city became sentient, but fancy tech from City Hall is at the bottom of the list of possibilities for me.

A very good point. But on the flipside I could see them throwing money into something useless like this instead of towards fixing real issues

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

Many (many) moons ago I can still remember one of my first times crossing the border into MD and marveling at how clean the highway was vs what I had just witnessed on the way down. I also remember how they had weigh stations opened and operating to get the illegal overloads off of the roads, which does a lot of damage.

You pay to drive through MD. Extra $$. It's no coincidence.

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

Yeah, whatever. You always have an excuse. Every interstate you drive on outside of Pennsylvania looks 1000% better than 95 or 76 in Pennsylvania.

I was just in Columbus OH two weekends ago. Highways also spotless. Maryland spotless. Delaware, close to spotless. Hell, even the Staten Island Expressway is spotless.

Have you been on the PA turnpike? With those obscene fees they are able to provide a higher level of maintenance. 95 and route 1 in DE are TOLL ROADSs. The NJ Turnpike and 95 in MD are TOLL ROADs. They collect hundreds of millions in dedicated revenue to maintain those roads- you get what you pay for. This isn't complicated. I was on the turnpike over the summer for about 150 miles each way- so little, if any notable trash and generally speaking the turnpike pavement is in good condition. The trip also cost me $30 or $35 round trip. Have you not seen the EZ pass hardware on these roads you are praising?

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by allovertown

Your bizarre defenses of the indefensible continues to astound. Who would take the positions you take? I don't really care about how clean the highways are. But they're undeniably incredibly filthy to an almost absurd extent. I rarely get on 95, but when I do I'll frequently see large pieces of debris like entire bumpers, a giant shredded tire, etc. and then next time I use the highway weeks later, they'll still just be there. Saying the highway shoulders are dirty is really an incredible understatement. They're downright hazardous.

I've decided that there's only one explanation for someone who seems personally offended by every even mild criticism of philly, someone who has an excuse for every 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 decision this city has ever made. Somehow, and I truly don't know how, but the city of Philadelphia itself has gained sentience and has created skyscraper page account. My best guess is some old supercomputer in city hall got struck by lightening and this is the result.

Positions? Its called reality- I live there. These are all pertinent facts but people who mindlessly complain with no context, research or understanding of how things work or are paid for don't like being faced with facts that dont fit their agenda. I notice no one on here claims to complain about ANY of this stuff, they just come here and vent. I have submitted dozens of complaints to Penndot about road conditions, including debris on shoulders. Have you? My guess is a complaint here on a forum about construction isnt likely to yield any official response from PennDOT. If these issues are major, people should be making a stink about it to politicians and the agency responsible. That's all that counts. BTW, if you didnt know 76 and 95 extend outside of philadelphia and 95 shoulders are in bad shape all the way through Delco to the DE state line, especially the section in chester (that isnt Philadelphia BTW) so the issue we are talking about is a PennDOT district 6 issue, not a COP issue. The City has almost nothing to do with interstates so saying that taking this "position" is a ploy to defend the city government makes absolutely zero sense. None.

People need to get a grip on reality. I am getting attacked for saying toll roads are better maintained that general interstates. Really? This is an unacceptable comment on this forum?

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by cardeza

You pay to drive through MD. Extra $$. It's no coincidence.

Depends on your route but at the time the route I used I did not pay anything (I83).

[Londonee]

I emailed PENNDOT and asked years ago why our highways and off-ramps are routinely covered in piles of sh*t. Nothing says welcome to this world class city like litter-strewn roadways….

Anyways, their response - and I’m paraphrasing a bit - was something like: 50% of their annual highway sweeping budget goes to the Philadelphia-area, despite the Philadelphia Area only representing like 2% of the total road area/length that they are responsible for.

Now, there’s a million things wrong with this logic - but I also do blame the city for not screaming at the top of their lungs about this at the state level. At the end of the day, it’s our city that looks like sh*t and the bureaucrats responsible live 150 miles west and don’t give a flying fu#$.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by cardeza

Have you been on the PA turnpike? With those obscene fees they are able to provide a higher level of maintenance. 95 and route 1 in DE are TOLL ROADSs. The NJ Turnpike and 95 in MD are TOLL ROADs. They collect hundreds of millions in dedicated revenue to maintain those roads- you get what you pay for. This isn't complicated. I was on the turnpike over the summer for about 150 miles each way- so little, if any notable trash and generally speaking the turnpike pavement is in good condition. The trip also cost me $30 or $35 round trip. Have you not seen the EZ pass hardware on these roads you are praising?

I don’t even know why I’m bothering…..but 95% of the PA turnpike passes through lightly used rural areas with miles and miles between anything resembling civilization. There’s a lot of reasons why there’s not a ton of litter on these stretches.

The highways and off-ramps encircling the city see thousands of cars every hour - the sheer volume and density creates more instances of collisions and accidents resulting in tires/car parts, etc. as well as good old fashioned litter; the massive amount of construction in the region creates industrial debris from trucks; etc. etc. etc.

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by Londonee

I emailed PENNDOT and asked years ago why our highways and off-ramps are routinely covered in piles of sh*t. Nothing says welcome to this world class city like litter-strewn roadways….

Anyways, their response - and I’m paraphrasing a bit - was something like: 50% of their annual highway sweeping budget goes to the Philadelphia-area, despite the Philadelphia Area only representing like 2% of the total road area/length that they are responsible for.

Now, there’s a million things wrong with this logic - but I also do blame the city for not screaming at the top of their lungs about this at the state level. At the end of the day, it’s our city that looks like sh*t and the bureaucrats responsible live 150 miles west and don’t give a flying fu#$.

Originally Posted by Londonee

I don’t even know why I’m bothering…..but 95% of the PA turnpike passes through lightly used rural areas with miles and miles between anything resembling civilization. There’s a lot of reasons why there’s not a ton of litter on these stretches.

The highways and off-ramps encircling the city see thousands of cars every hour - the sheer volume and density creates more instances of collisions and accidents resulting in tires/car parts, etc. as well as good old fashioned litter; the massive amount of construction in the region creates industrial debris from trucks; etc. etc. etc.

Yep and they conveniently ignore that half of the Turnpike's funding is generated from the tolls in SEPA.

[TonyTone]

Originally Posted by cardeza

You pay to drive through MD. Extra $$. It's no coincidence.

Originally Posted by cardeza

Have you been on the PA turnpike? With those obscene fees they are able to provide a higher level of maintenance. 95 and route 1 in DE are TOLL ROADSs. The NJ Turnpike and 95 in MD are TOLL ROADs. They collect hundreds of millions in dedicated revenue to maintain those roads- you get what you pay for. This isn't complicated. I was on the turnpike over the summer for about 150 miles each way- so little, if any notable trash and generally speaking the turnpike pavement is in good condition. The trip also cost me $30 or $35 round trip. Have you not seen the EZ pass hardware on these roads you are praising?

Originally Posted by cardeza

Positions? Its called reality- I live there. These are all pertinent facts but people who mindlessly complain with no context, research or understanding of how things work or are paid for don't like being faced with facts that dont fit their agenda. I notice no one on here claims to complain about ANY of this stuff, they just come here and vent. I have submitted dozens of complaints to Penndot about road conditions, including debris on shoulders. Have you? My guess is a complaint here on a forum about construction isnt likely to yield any official response from PennDOT. If these issues are major, people should be making a stink about it to politicians and the agency responsible. That's all that counts. BTW, if you didnt know 76 and 95 extend outside of philadelphia and 95 shoulders are in bad shape all the way through Delco to the DE state line, especially the section in chester (that isnt Philadelphia BTW) so the issue we are talking about is a PennDOT district 6 issue, not a COP issue. The City has almost nothing to do with interstates so saying that taking this "position" is a ploy to defend the city government makes absolutely zero sense. None.

People need to get a grip on reality. I am getting attacked for saying toll roads are better maintained that general interstates. Really? This is an unacceptable comment on this forum?

You're seriously holding this position.

Remind me again where the toll for 495 is in Delaware?

Also Funny you mention Chester since they finally repaved the whole strip from the DE LINE & put in a new median wall after how many years?

And since you're holding on to the "Toll Roads pay for maintenance" what you're implying is that if we have a Toll for 95 right at the DE-PA or by the airport Line it would be in impeccable shape.

In fact the best part of 95 in Philly is from the Airport to the Broad St exit & the new section they just rebuilt in Fishtown.

76 in NJ or past City Ave is not in "Bad shape" it actually gets better.

How about we just admit PENNDOT and every other City management is 🞵🞵🞵🞵 with knowing how to spend funds.

Stop making excuses for the city dude it's really sad.

[SEFTA]

There will have to be a tax-by-the-mile solution.
The more you drive the more you pay
w business incentives
Something will have to be done with low-mileage/electric cars.
"Lexus Lanes" in Florida are a pain