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Connector Bridge Alignment Determined
The design concept team carefully reviewed the comments and ideas from park users, stakeholders and neighbors gathered from last fall’s meeting and surveys on the three posible bridge alignments. It also studied several other potential alternatives that involved structures outside of Schuylkill River Park. Upon this review, the DCT concluded that the “yellow” or “west border” alignment was the most feasible and best met the needs of the project and the community’s concerns. See and read more on the Connector Bridge page here.
Connector Bridge Public Evaluation Results
Over 500 people submitted comments or attended the November 4, 2008 public meeting about the three proposed alignment options. Thank you for your opinion! Summaries of comments and evaluations made about the three proposed alignment options have been posted on our Connector Bridge page here. Comments received on the three options being considered for the "Connector Bridge" between Schuylkill River Park Trail south of the Locust Street crossing and the Schuylkill River Park at 25th and Spruce Streets were made at the November 4th meeting, via emails and from an online survey.
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Consultant Chosen to Design the Connector Bridge between Schuylkill River Park and The Schuylkill River Park Trail
The April 2007 Crossings Settlement Agreement requires that a connector bridge be constructed to join Schuylkill River Park and the Schuylkill River Park Trail, in addition to keeping the street level crossings open at both Locust and Race Streets.
Recently, the Pew Charitable Trusts gave the Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC) a $195,000 grant to produce a conceptual design of this connector bridge. SRDC invited Free Schuylkill River Park and the Friends of Schuylkill River Park to join a "design concept team" (DCT) to select an engineering firm and to provide guidance through the design phase. To ensure participation by park users like you, we and Friends of Schuylkill River Park put up an online survey in mid-May to ask for your ideas, thoughts and concerns about the connector bridge. Those survey results are here. All of the “DCT” members (representatives from SRDC, Philadelphia Streets and Commerce Departments, Fairmount Park Commission and University of Pennsylvania) and all the engineering firms vying for the contract to design the connector bridge received this summary. We made this effort to ensure that everyone concerned with this project was well aware of the community's ideas, needs and concerns about the connector bridge as early as possible in the process.
The "DCT" met three times in May and June. We reviewed proposals and heard presentations from several engineering firms. The team selected a group of consultants headed by HNTB. The next steps are for SRDC to craft a scope and negotiate a fee with the HNTB for the conceptual stage of the project. Community meetings will be part of the design process once HNTB's contract is finalized. Completion of this design phase will allow the project to move into preliminary engineering and Final Design. The Settlement Agreement deadline for completing the bridge is October 2009.
Read online survey results about connector bridge here
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SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT SIGNED --
CROSSINGS ARE SAVED
April 24, 2007 - 1:30
PM
Read our Spring Newsletter about the Signing Event
Mayor John F. Street signed the
agreement today between the City of Philadelphia and CSX Railroad to keep the two street level
crossings to the Schuylkill River Park Trail open and made safe for park users.
In a ceremony at the Locust Street Crossing, Willian Goetz, CSXT Vice President,
and the Mayor formally signed the document. City Council President
Anna C. Verna, Councilman Darrell Clarke, and Councilman Jack Kelly, former
councilman and mayoral hopeful, Michael Nutter and many other City officials
joined park supporters for the event. Andy Toy, president of Free Schuylkill
River Park and City Council At-Large candidate, and Sarah Clark Stuart spoke for
the campaign. Read the Settlement Agreement for yourself! See all the pictures of the event here. Press stories here
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Read the Philadelphia Daily News
Editorial for April 27, 2007 here.
Read Ronnie Polanecsky's Column of April 26, 2007 here.
Read all the Media Reports on this successful campaign here.
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Councilman Darrell Clarke introduces Free Schuylkill River Park President Andrew Toy. Andrew Toy speaks for Free Schuylkill River Park and Park Users in thanking all who made the Settlement Agrreement possible.
See the other television clips from the Signing Ceremony: Click Here
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Friends of
Schuylkill River Park Plans of the link to Schuylkill River
Trail
View Plans:
Friends of Schuylkill River Park Master Plan with link to the
Schuylkill River Trail
This is a
prelimenary plan in accordance with the tentative agreement between the CSX
and the City Law Department for CSX to permit the installation of the at-grade
crossings at Locust and Race Streets and to facilitate the funding of a
pedestrian bridge to connect the two Schuylkill River Parks.
Landscaping from Race to MLK Drive
View Plans:
Schuylkill River Trail Race to MLK, MLK Plaza and overlook, MLK Plaza and Vine Fishing Pier and MLK Trellis
Conditional final
approval granted to the Schuylkill River Development Corporation for the
landscaping concepts for the north end of Schuylkill River Park (between Race
Street and Martin Luther King Drive) by the Fairmount Park Commission. Only a
change of the unsafe MLK Plaza design presents for bicyclist, rollerbladers,
skateboarders and baby strollers was considered from the November 16, 2006
Public Meeting of Park Users' suggestions. Read the
suggestions Your comments are welcomed on
our message board.
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Rainbow over the Schuylkill--submitted by Rivers Edge resident
REPORT BLOCKED ACCESS - VIEW THE LOCUST AND RACE STREET CROSSINGS
CSX Garbage Trains and Freight Trains still block access to the Schulkill River Park Trail. These trains have disrupted Park and Trail use during the week and on weekends. Trains have fouled the air with the smell of rotting garbage and fouled the air with diesel exhaust from idling droning locomotives. Do not let CSX spoil your use of the waterfront! Report Blocked Access Here
View Crossings on TrainCam here
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CSX Carries Hazardous Materials Through Philadelphia Neighborhoods
Front Page Exposé on Hazadous Material in December 2, 2005 Inquirer Read it here.
Watch video of CSX transporting tankcars of lethal chlorine gas by the Schuylkill Banks Download video (6 MB) Broadband Only - 40 seconds to download
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Garbage Trains -
Report to PA DEP trains parked for 4+ hours
Weekends call
484-250-5900, Weekdays call 484-250-5991, Send a complaint form
here
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CSX Approved Grade Crossing in Jacksonville, Florida
Why isn’t what’s good enough for Jacksonville good enough for Philadelphia!
Several miles from CSX’s Corporate Headquarters is an active rail line that crosses the Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail, a recreational trail like Schuylkill River Park Trail, Click here to see photo slide show of the crossing, (please excuse the advertising).
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Click Here for Examples of Safe Pedestrian Crossings
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| Rails to Trails Conservancy Releases Safety At Grade Crossing Report
Commissioned by Free Schuylkill River Park and supported by the William Penn Foundation in 2005, This survey examines existing rail-trail crossings in Pennsylvania and other states, documenting their safety history. Read it here.
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CSX Filed Federal Lawsuit Against the City of Philadelphia to Barricade the Park at Race and Locust Streets (October 2004)
Read the CSX Lawsuit page for all the information.
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Please help Free Schuylkill River Park insure the timely installation of the street level access by making a donation today! Click Here
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