Infrastructure Philadelphia

1 infrastructure

1.1 transportation

1.1.1 airports
1.1.2 roads
1.1.3 bus service
1.1.4 rail
1.1.5 walkability


1.2 utilities

infrastructure
transportation

30th street station in 2016.

philadelphia served southeastern pennsylvania transportation authority (septa), operates buses, trains, rapid transit, trolleys, , trackless trolleys (electric buses) throughout philadelphia, 4 pennsylvania suburban counties of bucks, chester, delaware, , montgomery, in addition service mercer county, new jersey , new castle county, delaware. city s subway, opened in 1907, third-oldest in america.

market–frankford line train departing 52nd street station.

beginning in 1981, large sections of septa regional rail service far suburbs of philadelphia discontinued due lack of funding. several projects have been proposed extend rail service these areas, lack of funding has again been chief obstacle implementation. these projects include proposed schuylkill valley metro wyomissing, pennsylvania, , return of media/elwyn line wawa, pennsylvania.

philadelphia s 30th street station major railroad station on amtrak s northeast corridor, offers access amtrak, septa, , nj transit lines.

the patco speedline provides rapid transit service camden, collingswood, westmont, haddonfield, woodcrest (cherry hill), ashland (voorhees), , lindenwold, new jersey, stations on locust street between 16th , 15th, 13th , 12th, , 10th , 9th streets, , on market street @ 8th street.

airports

control tower @ philadelphia international airport

two airports serve philadelphia: philadelphia international airport (phl), straddling southern boundary of city, , northeast philadelphia airport (pne), general aviation reliever airport in northeast philadelphia. philadelphia international airport provides scheduled domestic , international air service, while northeast philadelphia airport serves general , corporate aviation. in 2013, philadelphia international airport 15th busiest airport in world measured traffic movements (i.e. takeoffs , landings). fourth largest hub , primary transatlantic gateway american airlines. septa s airport regional rail line provides direct service between center city railroad stations , philadelphia international airport.

roads

william penn planned philadelphia had numbered streets traversing north , south , tree named streets traversing east , west, 2 main streets broad street , high street converging @ centre square. plans have since expanded include major highways span other major sections of philadelphia.

traffic heading philadelphia on interstate 95 during morning rush hour.

interstate 95 runs through city along delaware river main north-south artery known delaware expressway. city served schuylkill expressway, portion of interstate 76 runs along schuylkill river. meets pennsylvania turnpike @ king of prussia, pennsylvania, providing access harrisburg, pennsylvania , points west. interstate 676, vine street expressway, completed in 1991 after years of planning. link between i-95 , i-76, runs below street level through center city, connecting ben franklin bridge @ eastern end.

roosevelt boulevard , roosevelt expressway (u.s. 1) connect northeast philadelphia center city. woodhaven road (route 63), built in 1966, , cottman avenue (route 73) serve neighborhoods of northeast philadelphia, running between interstate 95 , roosevelt boulevard (u.s. 1). fort washington expressway (route 309) extends north city s northern border, serving montgomery county , bucks county. u.s. 30, extending east-west west philadelphia lancaster, known lancaster avenue throughout of city , through adjacent main line suburbs.

the ben franklin bridge, viewed @ sunrise center city toward camden, new jersey

interstate 476, commonly nicknamed blue route through delaware county, bypasses city west, serving city s western suburbs, providing link allentown , points north. similarly, interstate 276, pennsylvania turnpike s delaware river extension, acts bypass , commuter route north of city link new jersey turnpike new york.

however, other planned freeways have been canceled, such interstate 695 running southwest downtown; 2 freeways connecting interstate 95 interstate 76 have replaced girard avenue , south street; , freeway upgrade of roosevelt boulevard.

the delaware river port authority operates 4 bridges in philadelphia area across delaware river new jersey: walt whitman bridge (i-76), benjamin franklin bridge (i-676 , 30), betsy ross bridge (route 90), , commodore barry bridge (us 322). tacony-palmyra bridge connects pa route 73 in tacony section of northeast philadelphia new jersey s route 73 in palmyra, camden county, , maintained burlington county bridge commission.

bus service

philadelphia major hub greyhound lines, operates 24-hour service points east of mississippi river. of greyhound s services in philadelphia operate to/from philadelphia greyhound terminal, located @ 1001 filbert street in center city philadelphia. in 2006, philadelphia greyhound terminal second busiest greyhound terminal in united states, after port authority bus terminal in new york. besides greyhound, 6 other bus operators provide service center city greyhound terminal: bieber transportation group, capitol trailways, martz trailways, peter pan bus lines, fullington trailways, , bus division new jersey transit. other services include megabus , bolt bus.

rail


suburban station art deco architecture

since days of rail transport in united states, philadelphia has served hub several major rail companies, particularly pennsylvania railroad , reading railroad. pennsylvania railroad first operated broad street station, 30th street station , suburban station, , reading railroad operated out of reading terminal, part of pennsylvania convention center. 2 companies operated competing commuter rail systems in area, known collectively regional rail system. 2 systems today, part still intact connected, operate single system under control of septa, regional transit authority. additionally, patco speedline subway system , nj transit s atlantic city line operate successor services southern new jersey.

part of schuylkill river trail, considered best urban trail in nation

philadelphia, once home more 4,000 trolleys on 65 lines, 1 of few north american cities maintain streetcar lines. today, septa operates 5 subway-surface trolleys run on street-level tracks in west philadelphia , subway tunnels in center city. septa reintroduced trolley service girard avenue line, route 15.

today, philadelphia regional hub of federally owned amtrak system, 30th street station being primary stop on washington-boston northeast corridor , keystone corridor harrisburg , pittsburgh. 30th street serves major station services via pennsylvania railroad s former pennsylvania main line chicago. 30th street amtrak s third-busiest station in numbers of passengers of fiscal year 2013.

walkability

a 2015 study walk score ranked philadelphia fourth walkable major city in united states.

utilities

fairmount water works, philadelphia s second municipal waterworks.

historically, philadelphia sourced water fairmount water works, nation s first major urban water supply system. in 1909, water works decommissioned city transitioned modern sand filtration methods. today, philadelphia water department (pwd) provides drinking water, wastewater collection, , stormwater services philadelphia, surrounding counties. pwd draws 57 percent of drinking water delaware river , balance schuylkill river. public wastewater system consists of 3 water pollution control plants, 21 pumping stations, , 3,657 miles of sewers. 2007 investigation environmental protection agency found elevated levels of iodine-131 in city s potable water. in 2012, epa s readings discovered city had highest readings of i-131 in nation. city campaigned against associated press report high levels of i-131 results of local gas drilling in upper delaware river.

exelon subsidiary peco energy company, founded philadelphia electric company in 1881, provides electricity on 1.6 million customers in southeastern pennsylvania area including city of philadelphia , of suburbs. company has on 500 power substations , 29,000 miles of distribution of transmission lines in service making largest combination utility in state.

philadelphia gas works (pgw), overseen pennsylvania public utility commission, nation s largest municipally owned natural gas utility. serves on 500,000 homes , businesses in philadelphia area. founded in 1836, company came under city ownership in 1987 , has been providing majority of gas distributed within city limits. in 2014, philadelphia city council refused conduct hearings on $1.86 billion sale of pgw, part of two-year effort proposed mayor. refusal led prospective buyer terminating offer.

southeastern pennsylvania assigned 215 area code in 1947 when north american numbering plan of bell system went effect. geographic area covered code split in half in 1994 when area code 610 created, city , northern suburbs retaining 215. overlay area code 267 added 215 service area in 1997, , 484 added 610 area in 1999. plan in 2001 introduce third overlay code both service areas (area code 445 215, area code 835 610) delayed , later rescinded.

an effort approved on 2005 provide low-cost, citywide wi-fi service city. wireless philadelphia have been first municipal internet utility offering in large city, plan abandoned in 2008 earthlink pushed completion date several times. mayor nutter s administration closed project in 2009 after attempt revitalize failed.