Major Investment Study / Draft Environmental Impact Statement
1. Project Purpose and Need
1.4 Goals and Objectives
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1.4 GOALS and OBJECTIVES
Four goals and related objectives by which to achieve
these goals were established for the SVM MIS/DEIS based on the corridor's
transportation needs. The goals for SVM are:
- Transportation Goals:
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To reestablish and expand regional transit service
within the Schuylkill Valley study corridor
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To improve the attractiveness of public transit as
a commutation alternative to the automobile, by making it faster, more
reliable, more convenient to use, and more effective at providing service
to present day destinations
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To reduce highway congestion in the corridor
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To promote a seamless regional transit system
- Socioeconomic Goals
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To strengthen the older urban communities as centers
of economic opportunity
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To broaden the range and availability of public transportation
alternatives between the various urban areas along the corridor for a variety
of trip purposes
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To promote the economic development of Center City
Philadelphia as the core of the region
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To encourage transit-friendly communities, at higher
densities
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To foster transit-oriented development (TOD) around
transit stations
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To provide improved mobility opportunities to the transit
dependent
- Environmental Goals:
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To contain residential, commercial and industrial "sprawl"
development along the corridor
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To conform to the Pennsylvania Air Quality Implementation
Plan (SIP) as required by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA)
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To minimize impacts to the natural and human-made environment
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To integrate the new transit system with environmental
resources within the corridor, such as the Schuylkill River, Thun Trail,
and Valley Forge National Historical Park
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To reduce runoff impacts and maintain groundwater recharge
- Financial Goals:
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To invest resources efficiently
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To increase transit revenues
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To improve the productivity and cost effectiveness
of transit services in the corridor
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To improve the productivity of the transit system
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To select investments that build upon underused and
abandoned rail lines
1.4.1 TRANSPORTATION GOALS
The basic goal of the SVM project is to provide a fast,
reliable, convenient transit service connecting the corridor's major cities,
towns and suburban areas for the benefit of the corridor's residents, workers
and employers. The service must be accessible to where people live and
work. The system must be sufficiently convenient, rapid and reliable to
convince automobile users to switch to transit. Providing transit service
that reduces vehicle miles traveled on corridor highways and arterial roads
will reduce congestion on these roads, which has several regional benefits.
To be fast and reliable, the service must be sufficiently independent of
freight rail operations to avoid delays or inconveniences to the transit
system's riders. Equally important, the transit system can not have an
adverse impact on commercial freight system operations and revenues. To
maximize the utility of the new system, it must be well linked to existing
elements of the local and regional transportation systems, including local
roads, SEPTA and BARTA systems, Amtrak inter-city rail services, inter-city
buses and the Philadelphia International Airport.
1.4.2 SOCIOECONOMIC GOALS
A major element of the project's complementary goals
is to provide a means to stimulate and enhance the corridor's older communities
as centers of economic development and activity. To do this, service must
be linked to stations within the older urban communities and provide linkage
to the corridor's urban and suburban job centers. The transit system can
aid the older communities in many ways. Economic activity can increase,
as these centers become the hubs of the growing suburban areas around them.
Transit service, combined with good local planning, can encourage new residents
to move to the older communities, rather than contribute to increased sprawl
and highway congestion. The older communities, including Philadelphia,
will be better able to compete for new and expanding businesses as employees
can more easily reach these centers from suburban areas. People parking
to use SVM can frequent nearby businesses. Transit can increase the ability
of people with limited opportunities where they live to more easily reach
job locations where demand for workers is high and better wages are paid.
The reduced congestion on regional highways will aid the competitiveness
of the entire Philadelphia/Reading region.
1.4.3 ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS
The Pennsylvania 21st Century Environmental
Commission identified controlling sprawl as the greatest regional environmental
issue. Air quality, water quality, habitat protection and virtually every
other environmental issue is influenced by sprawl. Expanding transit to
the growing SVM corridor and focusing transit access in the older communities
and existing suburban job centers, are necessary elements of a comprehensive
sprawl management program to reduce loss of farmland and open space and
promote older communities. By shifting commuters and other travelers from
long automobile commutes to transit, with the resulting reduction in vehicle
miles traveled, the region will be better able to meet air quality goals
and improve regional air quality. New transportation systems, including
transit, are best when they minimize impacts to the natural and human environment.
By using existing railroad rights-of-way, even if widening is required,
disruptions to natural resources, human-built systems, and people will
be less than from a newly created right-of-way. The SVM system could also
be developed to allow better access to recreational, historic, and natural
resources.
1.4.4 FINANCIAL GOALS
Developing a transit system that maximizes ridership,
revenues, productivity and cost effectiveness are linked with the other
project goals. Strong linkage and compatibility with the existing corridor
and regional transportation systems is also a key to the financial success
of the SVM.
The above goals and objectives where used to evaluate
and compare the transportation alternatives considered for the Schuylkill
Valley corridor as detailed in the following chapters. The Locally Preferred
Alternative, discussed in Chapter 6, meets each
of the goals and objectives better than the other alternatives that were
analyzed.
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