Agreement reached on river trolley line

The Delaware River Port Authority and the city of Philadelphia announced an agreement Monday on a route for the proposed Delaware River trolley service.

As expected, the line will run from City Hall along Market Street, with branches at the river going up to Girard Avenue and down to Pier 70. The service would include a transfer with the Route 15 trolley.

The DRPA estimates the project will cost about $500 million.

In an earlier interview, Rina Cutler, deputy mayor for transportation and utilities, said that she had pushed hard for a light rail line along Market Street, saying that it would better connect the riverfront to Center City and the existing SEPTA transportation network. She also said that she didn’t expect the line to duplicate the service of the Market-Frankford El, which runs under Market Street (http://www.planphilly.com/rina-cutler-aims-keep-it-real)

No decision has been made on who would run the proposed line, which will now face an environmental analysis.

Posted by Anthony Campisi. Contact the reporter at campisi.anthony@gmail.com

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