The U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) two $25 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) grants.
The first grant will be used to modernize the agency’s trolley system. SEPTA will improve trolley capacity and on-street station accessibility as well as make service faster and more reliable.
The second grant will be for the City of Philadelphia’s school zones traffic safety project in North Philadelphia. Funding will be used to make safety improvements around six schools and high-injury corridors. Work includes installing highly-visible crosswalks, raising crosswalks, and redesigning road signage and traffic signals for better visibility.
“SEPTA’s trolley system is a vital part of our region’s transportation network, serving tens of thousands of customers every day,” SEPTA General Manager and CEO Leslie S. Richards said. “This project represents an important next step for SEPTA’s Trolley Modernization initiative, particularly for transit riders living in Southwest Philadelphia. We are grateful to the City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation for partnering with SEPTA on this application and thank our Congressional delegation for delivering these critical funds.”
The funding is through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
U.S. Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) praised the grant awards.