Parallel Tracks

Transforming Paoli into a 21st-century rail hub will take time—and lots of money.

(page 1 of 3)

In the beginning, there was a village. One boisterous St. Patrick’s Day, the burghers at Joshua Evans’ 18th-century tavern launched a series of toasts to Corsican leader Pasquale Paoli, who’d fashioned independence and democracy for his island republic. Both tavern and village now had an inspired name, and from the Revolutionary War right on through the Main Line’s creation along the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Paoli’s character remained true to its heritage.

The speed of modern life, however, tends to leave villages behind, forcing the Paolis of the world to court development as a means of preserving their profile. So while building a better train station may seem like little more than a straightforward perk for rail travelers, the implications for Paoli—and the Main Line in general—go well beyond the loading platform. Advocates believe that a retooled station, newly developed adjacent lots and upgraded surrounding infrastructure will benefit the railroads, local businesses and residents, preferably sometime before the next millennium.

For sure, the wheels have been turning slowly on the Paoli Transportation Center, an idea that was first surfaced back in the early 1990s. But with SEPTA, Amtrak, PennDOT, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), Chester County, and Tredyffrin and Willistown townships all involved, the project’s execution is no simple matter. It’s not something that can be built in isolation. Revamped roads and bridges, and mixed-use development are equal partners in the complex plan.

“It’s one of the most important transit projects in the state,” says Tredyffrin Supervisor John DiBuonaventuro, who, some 16 years later, is still calling it a work in progress.

If progress has been grudging, there are promising signs of acceleration of late. Some federal money has been allocated for road studies and construction of the station. Tredyffrin and Willistown have revised ordinances to achieve more consistency, and both are zeroing in on the necessary infrastructure changes and costs. “The two townships understand what the issues are,” says Norm MacQueen, chairman of the Willistown Supervisors. “Townships and residents are now on the same page.”

Simply put, the project must connect layers of government, shared jurisdictions and competing interests. SEPTA needs expanded parking and bus drop-off facilities to handle its growing rail ridership. Increased traffic necessitates road and bridge improvements to alleviate bottlenecks. The station property, which overlaps the two townships, falls on parcels owned by SEPTA and Amtrak.

Nobody in the equation is exactly flush with cash, so development of the property’s unused portion is the best—and perhaps only—way to pay the freight, as it widens the local tax base and requires (per federal funding) the developer to cover a share of the roadwork.

In short, the new station can’t be built until development plans are approved by the townships, and the plans cannot be completed until the infrastructure tab is determined and a private developer is aboard. (As of November, Amtrak was in negotiations with a developer.)
 

Continued on page 2 ...