Completion of any extension is at least six years away.
The Philadelphia proposals are:
Old City to Pier 70. A light-rail or trolley route would run from the now-closed PATCO station at Franklin Square (at Sixth and Race Streets) to Spring Garden Street, then down Columbus Boulevard to the Pier 70 shopping plaza. Later extensions could be made to the stadium complex and to the Navy Yard. Estimated cost: $700 million (to Pier 70 only).
A variation on that proposal would extend the existing SEPTA subway-surface trolley lines to Franklin Square via subway under Arch and Cherry Streets, and then continue to Pier 70.
Eighth and Market to Pier 70. This would extend SEPTA's subway-surface trolley service on or under Market Street to Front Street, where it would cross over I-95 and travel along the median of Columbus Boulevard, north to Spring Garden Street and south to Pier 70. Later extensions could be made to the stadium complex and to the Navy Yard. Estimated cost: $1 billion (to Pier 70 only).
The information sessions will run from 6 to 8 p.m. No formal program is planned, and visitors may arrive at any time during the open house to view presentation boards and talk to DRPA representatives. These are the locations:
Jan. 22: Painted Bride Art Center, Gallery Cafe, 230 Vine St.
Jan. 24: Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1001 S. Fourth St.
Contact staff writer Paul Nussbaum at 215-854-4587 or pnussbaum@phillynews.com.
