A public meeting on the proposed Roosevelt Boulevard subway line was held Tuesday afternoon. It was the first of three meetings open to the community.
Dozens of people showed up to hear city officials discuss the proposal and to ask questions.
"It is a very transformative project. It would definitely change the landscaping of Philadelphia by putting a subway," Deputy Commissioner of Transportation Richard Montanez told NBC10. "I think we just need to do our due diligence do the proper studies, take a look at the cost."
The proposed subway system would go along the median of the boulevard from SEPTA's Broad Street Line to Neshaminy Mall, taking approximately 100,000 riders throughout Northeast Philadelphia daily.
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The transit agency is hoping to open 12 new stations along the expansion route including stations in Bucks County over a 12-mile stretch.
There are two more public meetings coming up in December that will be hosted by PennDOT, SEPTA and city planners.
- The first meeting is on Monday, December 4 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Mayfair Community Center.
- The second meeting is on Thursday, December 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lenfest Center Community Room.
A public hearing was held last month to review the funding for the possible expansion.
"Funding challenges loom large over every service and planning decision SEPTA considers, including large-scale projects proposed for Roosevelt Boulevard," SEPTA's manager of long range planning Jennifer Dougherty said in the hearing.
It is getting a lot of support as City Council went over the details about how this could possibly help residents.
Officials say Roosevelt Boulevard carries about 90,000 vehicles and about 20,000 people via bus per day and is deemed one of the deadliest roads in the country.
A majority of the council agreed that the subway line could have a tremendous positive impact on the city with the potential to bring good union jobs and boost morale. Unfortunately, plans for the subway line expansion will only be in the discussion phase until the funds become available.
