SEPTA will hold three public information sessions on the recently launched Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL) Extension study. The study is evaluating various alternatives to make a rail connection from the NHSL to destinations in King of Prussia and Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County.
Sessions will be held from 4-8 pm. On the following dates:
1. Tuesday, January 29
Valley Forge National Historical Park, Education Center
(Second Floor of the Visitor’s Center)
1400 North Outer Line Drive, King of Prussia, PA 19406
2. Wednesday, January 30
Villanova University, Garey Hall, Ground Floor, Room 10A
Spring Mill & East County Line Road (SE Corner)
Villanova, PA 19085
3. Thursday, January 31
Montgomery County Planning Commission, Conference Room (2nd Floor)
One Montgomery Plaza, 425 Swede Street
Norristown, PA 19401
The meetings will include an open house/information session with a comprehensive mapping display, followed by a presentation at 6 pm, and a workshop. Representatives from SEPTA and the King of Prussia Rail consultant team will be available to discuss the study, answer questions and take comments.
“While SEPTA’s immediate focus for the Norristown High Speed Line is making vital infrastructure improvements, long term we know that an extension of the line into King of Prussia could be an asset for that region’s growing travel, business and shopping needs,” said SEPTA General Manager Joseph M. Casey. “The information sessions will provide residents, area merchants and other interested parties with a significant opportunity to have a voice in determining the future of rail transit in the King of Prussia area.”
The NHSL currently provides service between SEPTA’s 69th Street and Norristown Transportation Centers, serving the Main Line area in Delaware and Montgomery counties, and connecting to Center City Philadelphia. The extension would provide passengers with a direct, one-seat ride from 69th Street and Norristown to various destinations in the King of Prussia/Valley Forge area.
“A rail extension into King of Prussia will be a game-changer,” said Eric Goldstein, Executive Director of the King of Prussia Business Improvement District. “It will provide a much needed public transportation alternative for thousands of people who regularly travel between Philadelphia, Main Line communities and King of Prussia, the largest suburban employment and retail center in the Region.”
The King of Prussia Rail Project includes the preparation of an Alternatives Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), SEPTA will be meeting with officials, area stakeholders and the public in order to identify a Locally Preferred Alternative. A series of meetings have been scheduled to introduce the study to the public, and solicit feedback regarding which of the alternatives should warrant further study.
The study is expected to be completed by 2014. Future activities include the preparation of a Final EIS and issuance of a Record of Decision, followed by preliminary design, final design and construction.
For more information on the study, visit www.kingofprussiarail.com or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/KOPRail. For existing NHSL service information, contact SEPTA Customer Service at (215) 580-7800.
