Philadelphia's lack of highways and freeways.. . (Pittsburgh, Lancaster: new house, design, architecture)

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

You're designing roads in South Jersey?!? NJDOT built 295 with a disconnect at 42 & left it that way for about 50 years before starting to build the missing piece. Do you realize that hell will freeze over before NJDOT would consider this plan?

Don't know how old that specifc poster is but one of them is 19. They're just talking. Having fun speculating.

[gwillyfromphilly]

Originally Posted by kyb01

Where are the billions going to come from to do any of this??

I think the main problem is that mass transit isn't considered a high priority when it comes to funding. This country spends billions of dollars on other functions but when it's time to finance transportation infrastructure, this country has all of a sudden becomes "cheap". Trains and buses are generally seen as a "luxury" rather than a "necessity" in the United States.

[jennifercheswold]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

You're designing roads in South Jersey?!? NJDOT built 295 with a disconnect at 42 & left it that way for about 50 years before starting to build the missing piece. Do you realize that hell will freeze over before NJDOT would consider this plan?

Ik haha! It was just an idea of what could happen. I think that a beltway should be made. Have you been on Philly/NJ highways during the summer? That shore traffic is horrific. I think the idea of the beltway is to allow people from the suburbs be able to travel to the shore without causing all types of traffic problems on the Walt Whitman, 76, and 95.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by jennifercheswold

Ik haha! It was just an idea of what could happen. I think that a beltway should be made. Have you been on Philly/NJ highways during the summer? That shore traffic is horrific. I think the idea of the beltway is to allow people from the suburbs be able to travel to the shore without causing all types of traffic problems on the Walt Whitman, 76, and 95.

We have the money to do whatever we want, so the cost argument is a complete red herring. We find trillions to bomb Iraq and Afghanistan, so we could find billions to fund transportation infrastructure, if we want to.

No wants to build trains, because "public transportation is for losers." People in the suburbs would rather pile into their suvs and sit in traffic, because they have the money to pay the car note and the gas. And that way they can continue to look down on the losers in the city who take septa.

Because of all the NIMBY arguments and such, apparently the traffic situation in Philly just isn't a big enough problem. If people want to sit in traffic on the way to work and on weekend trips, then let them rot. Build another stadium, or whatever...

[rdflk]

It is interesting that Philly doesn't have a "beltway" around it. Does Boston? Does NY? And that PA and NJ didn't get together on building one. But Jersey has ITS OWN issues, so technically there's nothing in it for Jersey, to have a beltway around Philly.

Traffic driving North and South "by-pass" Philly to the EAST by gong through NJ anyway, to the west by taking the Blue Route (476) (and farther west by going down through central PA).

For Philly to be as old (colonial) and congested as it is....since the beginning (and how it grew developed from colonial times, and topography, etc) -- I don't think the roads highways and their locations are THAT bad.

I lived by the airport. So yeah when I need to get to Mt Airy, or Elkins Park...is it a pain...but c'est le vie. It is what it is. I look at the options and pick one

TRUST ME:
-- the Schuylkill and the Blue Route on a BAD day -- are better than the major commute routes in and around DC!
-- getting to the Philly airport is a BREEZE compared to getting to Logan in Boston (or at least it was, maybe Boston's improved that since I drove to it years ago)
-- Philly HAS a major cross town road -- 676, the Vine Street Expressway goes UNDER the city. And there ARE major east/west or diagonal streets...they just have so many lights....but they're going through a city. (Erie, Girard, Germantown. Frankford, Aramingo Grant, Street Road, Cottman, etc. They're just not ROADS.

I'm not from the NE, but it DOES seem as if there was a better way for people to get from the Boulevard to the Betsy Ross, that would be a good thing....but with GOOD access only from 95 that's a BIT of of pain. If you're in the Belfield/Wingohocking, Old York Road area of the BLVD....to get to the Betsy Ross you have to take Erie Avenue or Wyoming and then Castor to come over to try to get to Aramingo....there clearly could be a more 'direct way' to get over to the bridge...but whatever.

But overall...I don't think Philly highways are THAT bad...considering the major factors at hand.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by jennifercheswold

Ik haha! It was just an idea of what could happen. I think that a beltway should be made. Have you been on Philly/NJ highways during the summer? That shore traffic is horrific. I think the idea of the beltway is to allow people from the suburbs be able to travel to the shore without causing all types of traffic problems on the Walt Whitman, 76, and 95.

Hon, I lived in Cherry Hill for over 40 years & worked in Philly most of the time. I used PATCO for some locations & drove to others. I'm willing to bet that I know more about shore traffic than you do. If you don't mind wasting your time making up new roads, knock yourself out. Just be aware that NJDOT won't be doing it.

[jennifercheswold]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

Hon, I lived in Cherry Hill for over 40 years & worked in Philly most of the time. I used PATCO for some locations & drove to others. I'm willing to bet that I know more about shore traffic than you do. If you don't mind wasting your time making up new roads, knock yourself out. Just be aware that NJDOT won't be doing it.

It's just an idea. And believe me I know shore traffic. I live on the main line and would take my son to baseball practice in jersey and during the summer, especially on weekends, it would take us an 1:30 to 2 hours to get from the main line to Voorhees.

[Avalon08]

Yet Southern California has one of the most advanced highway systems in the country and their traffic is horrendous at all times of the day AND night. I'll take Philly's traffic any day.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by Avalon08

Yet Southern California has one of the most advanced highway systems in the country and their traffic is horrendous at all times of the day AND night. I'll take Philly's traffic any day.

And most of SoCal has no charm and character, that is the result of modern highways.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by cpomp

And most of SoCal has no charm and character, that is the result of modern highways.

I haven't been there in about 5 years. I may go this year because I'm curious about what exactly has changed in downtown LA that keeps Angelinos crowing about how cool DTLA is now. I'm pretty skeptical, tbh.