The Worst Transit Project in the US is Cancelled 

Here I am in south western Zimbabwe being invested in the first world problems of eastern Pennsylvania. This is fascinating stuff.

Being from Detroit, it blows my mind that there are cities in the US that have such mass transit systems. Metro Detroit is the very definition of an apocalyptic suburban nightmare from which there is no escape.

I love the fact that your name is known by the SEPTA board - keep speaking truth to power.

i love learning about cancelled rail lines on the other side of the world

Been to KOP once. Your description as a "car infested hell hole" is spot on.

Huge win. I hope the funds are reallocated smartly and other programs get accelerated

Also an unpopular opinion, I’ll happily pay 0.5% more in local wage taxes to get the Roosevelt Blvd extension built.

This is the most elaborate job application I've ever seen

I just love how you always strike a perfect balance between being highly serious on one hand, and a qualified shitposter/memer on the other. Top-tier content as always!

When Alan publishes a new video, I feel the moral obligation to stop what I was doing a watch it.

Navy Yard extension and RBS would be the most logical rail extensions if SEPTA is going to do any line expansions. Hopefully they'll move on to doing what they should have this entire time.

As a person who lives in the Philly area it’s very exciting to see stuff actually get done. Hopefully these funds are used correctly

I'm a bit concerned about how they said "paused" instead of "cancelled", though IDK if that's just to appease supporters or if they actually intend on "resuming" it at any point (hopefully not). And yeah, I used to commute out there from West Philly using NHSL and unless you drive for the last mile, your commute gets twice as long anyhow. hardly matters if the station is right next to the mall or not cause all the offices in the area are spread out.

Heading out to Temple next week for an admitted grad student event. Thanks for giving me some good ice breakers for discussions with my fellow transit nerd peers.

10 thousand some daily riders on the KOP extension vs 120k projected daily riders for Roosevelt blvd line for the same price is all you need to hear. Suburbs need better transit access but not to the detriment of Philadelphians

I definitely understand that one-seat argument. Where I'm at on Long Island, I live along the western Montauk Branch and because of it, direct service to and from Penn is very limited so I'm stuck changing at either Jamaica or Babylon. This is because of a number of factors, firstly the branch is not electrified (they could at least electrify it between Babylon and Speonk where they have a yard) and most of it is single-track. The LIRR has 160 miles of diesel territory and only 22 percent of its fleet is diesel. Said diesel fleet keeps breaking down, and only a small amount of said diesel fleet can turn on electric mode to enter Penn. However, there was light at the end of the tunnel for a bit when in 2021, the LIRR partnered with Alstom to test batteries (the US's first) on the Oyster Bay Branch on electric trains so they could run on the diesel branches. But while initially successful, this proved to be too expensive, and the experiment ceased in July 2022. And an example of transit that goes to a mall DONE RIGHT is Newport station on the HBLR in Jersey City. Unlike other malls in the US, Newport Centre is very much a thriving mall (they still have SEARS!) and it's mostly thanks to transit. It's the most popular stop on the HBLR (which stretches across Hudson County from North Bergen to Bayonne) by far, and that's on top of the mall being near a PATH station! The HBLR also connects to the PATH at Exchange Place and Hoboken Terminal as well. Private Spanish shuttles from Union City and the GWB also go to Newport.

Now we need to convince septa to build the Roosevelt subway.

LGA Airtrain in NYC is also canceled. This week was a bad week for transit boondoggles lol.

I really like Philly, and I have ridden on virtually all of Septa’s various transportation ( including the commuter lines). I have also traveled on the Patco line out to NJ. I’ve driven to King of Prussia and have tried to get into Center City using I-76; it took nearly 2 hours at the height of rush hour on the rainiest Friday --what a total nightmare! But once I was able to park the car, I used the public transportation to all the places I wanted to see.

I used to live in Reading. I hoped so much for a train ride into Philadelphia. Instead I had to drive to King of Prussia Mall and ride a bus in. That bus was always stuck in the grid-locked traffic of 76. It sucked. At least I wasn't the one driving but I would have absolutely loved a straight train ride in.

This guy would make for a really good executive for Septa or any other railroad or railway in America.

I used to drive Roosevelt Blvd and I have a lot of sympathy for all the "Road Warriors" who have to drive on the Blvd. It is Philadelphia's 75 MPH stroad version of Mad Max's Fury Road, but with more crazy drivers, accidents, and the daily hit & runs. SEPTA needs to do the Roosevelt Subway!!

So what does a metro/tram/light rail do that a bus can't? Here in San Jose they just sit empty, take up twice as much scarce road real estate, and are a taxpayer's money sink. Such a colossal waste for politicians to bring a 'je ne sais quoi' sensation to voters.

I'm from Lancaster. Please keep up these updates about PA transit, they're very interesting.

Please cover the recently proposed incredibly stupid "autonomous vehicle lane" proposal between Ann Arbor and Detroit. We almost had regional rail in SE MI, but rich white people in the Detroit suburbs voted it down Wayne (Detroit) and Washtenaw (Ann Arbor) counties voted for it (the latter by a large margin), Oakland county was basically a tie, but Macomb county crushed it, causing the plan to fail. And now they want to make a special highway lane for autonomous cars. It makes me want to scream.

as a philly resident, honestly i wish we'd just wasting time thinking up new projects and just run our train and bus service more frequently. If anything is going to attract regular ridership, that's it.

The road construction and motor vehicle manufacturers started killing mass transit even before the 1955 National Highway Defense Act . The 2 previously mentioned lobbies increasingly bought up bus, transit and longer rail lines . My grandmother told me back in the 1920s & 30s & first half of the 1940s ,even in our medium sized important manufacturing town ( since Reagan Rust Belt town) , buses and trams ran 24/7 , 365, no bus (or tram stop downtown ) was further away than a couple blocks . We also had a large state and national train station which from you could ride to our closest two largest cities 6 to 10 times per day or night and south, southwest and southeast 4 or 5x a day or night .US has been a private motor vehicle based transportation system for 70 some years and it sucks !

KOP is one of the biggest malls in the country. The traffic around the area is absolutely awful. Thousands of people from the city works there. Not everyone lives in center city. Most transportation systems have transfers.

If a line in Germany gets about 9000 passengers per day, installing some light rail or at least a street car is not uncommon.

I would bet a sizeable chunk of change that SEPTA will Screw the Pooch on the Roosevelt Blvd job too. They will make it light rail, or even worse, a busway. Like MTA just did for the Brooklyn Express.

Spending this much would have been crazy considering SEPTA can quickly run buses from Norristown Transportation Center to King of Prussia (under 4 miles) with the flexibility of stopping at major job centers.

I used to ride the Septa R5 line from Exton in Chester County to 8th Street in Philly every day back in the 90s. This was just after the Blue Route finally got finished and right around the time the Rt 30 by-pass went in. King of Prussia was such a hell hole you could feel the anger radiating off it as far out as Blue Bell. Ugh, the memories! I live in the Netherlands now where transit works and we have no traffic. Nice to know that good ol' PA is still stuck in the past. Thanks for the great video.

The title of "worst transit project" is a pretty bold claim, considering some of the decisions Seattle's getting ready to make on its light rail system. I'd love it if you'd spend some time talking about the West Seattle/Ballard light extension currently in planning. Instead of a hub station, our light rail network is poised to be broken up into a multitude of tiny lines - you talked about a "one seat ride", well, many trips here are poised to require *three to five transfers*. And I'm not talking regional trips - I'm talking about trips inside the city, in the same county, on the same light rail / bus system.

W I think its crazy how in philadelphia suburbs, something like this can even be considered. I'm from the Boston area and I would kill for this kind of extension near me (on already existing tracks in a place where it actually makes sense btw)

Interesting that I76 is a two lane highway with a shoulder. Here in the UK, that’d be “only” a dual carriageway, not a “proper” motorway (with special motorway rules). Heck, having a hard shoulder at all is sadly increasingly a novelty in England. Most multi-lane highways with shoulders have had the shoulders used up for a “free” lane. There has been a lot of controversy as this directly caused vehicle deaths, when the “system” to mark the outermost lane as blocked on the LED signage didn’t recognise a car broke down in that lane. Also sometimes drivers ignore those signs because the lane looks free and then they have a fatal accident. So it’s just terrible all round, on top of the baseline awfulness from feeding lane inflation.

Seriously though, if septa could use the money for this to do the boulevard subway it would be amazing. And the fact that it would have an estimate 125,000 riders per day, who pay say 2 dollars per trip for a fare, they would get over 200,000 dollars per day which could easily help them offset costs and maintenance. And at minimum they should put the money into trolley extensions, new light rail, or service to reading. Especially in conjunction with amtrak

Tbh, I think spending money on a dumb public transit project is still better than allocating more resources to building more car infrastructure. At least there is a possibility that it will be somewhat useful eventually. It's not like they're gonna use that money for something sensible now. It'll be wasted on even dumber shit so the cancellation is NOT a success. The Roosevelt Subway would make total sense which is exactly why it won't happen :D

The people relying on public transit are not the same people that can afford to shop at King of Prussia Mall.

Lived in Western Montco for almost 20 years. This good video barely scratched the surface of how messed up this area is. it’s not just the Schuylkill. There are THREE major highways that all intersect at KOP and feed into the Schuylkill. When this project was fast-tracked, it wasn’t for the mall. It was for the hi-rises planned at and around the KOP golf course next to the mall. Well, the hi-rises are now there, the developers and politicians have their money, the suburbs have exploded even more and there is still no effective transportation solution - rail and/or roads - to serve the area.

So glad this video came up in my RU-vid recommendations! I moved back home to the Philly burbs (Montgomery county just outside northeast Philadelphia) after COVID enabled work from home. The KOP line sounded a little sus from what I read in the news, but until this video I had never heard of the idea of the Roosevelt Boulevard subway! I live just off Red Lion road so if there were a stop there enabling easier access to more stops downtown than the few regional rail stations like 30th street and Suburban Stations, that would be fantastic! I just subbed so I’ll check your back catalog, but please let us know whatever can be done to advocate this project!

I’m glad bright line has the vision to actually redevelop along their stations as that’s the only way they are going to stay solvent. Occasional riders can love to have a train option, but they will not provide the revenue

I lost it at the it’s always sunny intro

I'm really impressed by how quickly you got this one out

Of the 12 SEPTA City Bus Routes that you displayed, 7 of them do not even reach Center City, but has a major connection with either the Broad Street Line, the Market-Frankford Line, or both, and only one Bus Route stays west of the Schuylkill River, the 52, and the 21 & G are the only Bus Routes on this list that cross the Schuylkill.

Transfers aren't necessaraly bad . The Tokyo Metro and JR lines all have many transfers depending on where you are going . But if your transfer includes long waits then it will not work .

As a german i find it werid that theres something called the King of Prussia extension to a transit line in the US i coudn't imagine that there would be something like the George Washington street in germany

I just watched this to see all the place names near where I grew up 50 years ago, and got an enjoyable transit vid out of it, too! Thanks!

Excellent video good sir the bit of hummer at the end was very good as well as a pro welder i would like to offer my services to oversee all rail connections 😊. But good plug👍

Having lived in and around Northeast Philly for most of my life, holy shit is the roosevelt extension the thing everyone in my family has been begging for since I can remember. We just LOVE to take 1 to 2 buses and the El just to get to North Philly without a car -_-

In Cities Skylines density around stations would just result in noise complaints anyway lol.

Funny part is the Norristown High Speed tramway line runs out there, within maybe a mile of the KoP Mall. I had to use it to get to work for awhile in the late 90's. There was never any reason for a spur to the mall to cost anywhere near as much as they claimed. Most of that money was meant to line someone's pockets.

That Roosevelt Boulevard Line looks so sweet! Fingers crossed I want it yesterday!!!

You know, after looking at the sector in Google maps, I think that car infested hellhole might be somewhat generous. There's probably more square footage occupied by roads in that neighborhood than there is in all of the buildings served by those roads.

Toronto has actually accomplished something very similar to the KoP extension. The Line 1 extensions into York Region (current and future) are more of a waste in that they run to less dense, suburban areas. The Vaughan extension has been criticised because the area is basically big-box stores and parking lots. Even with new planned residential buildings and TOD, there might still not be enough ridership. Ever. Then there is Line 4, which is really the line to nowhere, it is the least used of the TTC lines. David Gunn, he of Amtrak and MTA Grumman fame, even said it was a waste and that the city should have expanded transit in downtown. And these costly projects have continually taken higher priority over the Ontario/Relief line, which would run actually run downtown and help alleviate Line 1 and Line 2 crowding.

I really REALLY hope now any funding can be allocated for the Roosevelt Blvd extension

I lived in Lansdale for years. What we need is high speed transit in an east-west direction, running from W Trenton, to I95 at Newtown, past the industrial parks in Horsham and Warminster, (put a station on 611) Ambler & 309, plymoth mtg mall, KOP mall, paoli, West Chester, concordville. 50k+ riders a day.

"Worst transit in the US"... I think Elon Musk and his Vegas Loop could have a word.

The money saved on KOP cancellation could be used to extend the Morristown/Manayunk Line to Reading. This line would still serve KOP by the way of the old Valley Forge stop( This stop is located in Valley Forge National Park-The old station building is still there). This line would also serve Phoenixville, Pottstown, and the final stop into Reading. This line extension wouldn't need 4 billion dollars.

SRPRA is most likely why this project was nixed. Amtrak is gonna provide a superior service on existing track. I ride the keystone line every day, and it's packed. SRPRA is going to have double the population to draw from and be more effective in reducing traffic along the paved hell that is 422 and 76.

Vancouver BC did it with the Skytrain with the Millennium Line extension but it branches off the existing Expo 86 line. Now they've even added another extension very recently to a line with less ridership than this "shopping mall line"

Maybe the money can be put towards a new rail project

Well, CLEARLY from the animations, the big problem is it didn't stop at any stations. 😉

SEPTA had started, the abandoned a project to extend the Market-Frankford line to Northeast Philly in the early 60's. In fact I believe some of the tunnels still exist from that line.

Lmao as a former Duval resident, that Jacksonville burn is definitely deserved. The Skyway is such a piece of shit

I get so pissed when I see a rail line that they spent billions of dollars to elevate just go over some roads in a low density area. Naw dawg, put the rail lines on the ground and build bridges or tunnels for the cars with the road budget. That way we can have much more transit with much less money.

King of Prussia seemed like a bad place for this type of expensive transit project anyway good to hear 👍

Rt 123, 124, and 125 go to King of Prussia too; with two going from Center City, and it scheduled to take less than an hour to get there.

The Roosevelt Blvd. subway extension, which should be tried as an elevated line to save costs over tunnelling, is a great idea with strong ridership potential. But good lucck getting the local match or getting the Pennsylvania legislature to back it. I think the Broad St line should also be extended into the Navy Yard, but SEPTA rejected that too. SEPTA does have a good plan to upgrade most of the rest of its subway stations to ADA compliance.

So the name King of Prussia comes from the King of Prussia Inn originally constructed by Welsh Quakers, who in turn named it after King Frederick II because he supported Washington during the revolution. As a National Park/National Historical Park enjoyer, I'd rather see the Pottsville Line restored up to Pottstown so that Valley Forge or Valley Forge Park stations (or both) would reopen, that way the park would attract more people and is easier to get to by transit means. Plus Valley Forge Park station is on the eastern end by KOP so it would help the KOP people too. Not to mention the line would be connected directly to Center City as shown by Manayunk/Norristown And yeah, that Jacksonville Skyway is...something to say the least! I mean sure both the Miami Metromover and the Skyway are free and yes the Metromover is successful, but the Metromover is successful because it supplements Metrorail as well as Brightline. The Skyway only supplements a BRT and not a proper system. A Jacksonville system HAD potential in the 70s, but the US government then was like "Build people mover, it moves people lol"

Great video! I'm glad it was canceled because it never made sense anyway. There is a slight possibility that the Sixers will move their operations into the Navy Yard instead of Center City. If that is the case, then it's finally time to extend the BSS one stop south.

100% thought this video was gonna be about the LaGuardia airtrain

I remember when the King of Prussia Mall opened in the 1960s. I worked at an office park (200 N Warner Rd) in the 1980s. Horrible planning. It’s a suburban disaster.

I wish we coud just stop selling new cars and slowly demolish the highway system,

As an avid thomas the tank engine enthusiast, a professional Halloween engineer costume wearer, (overalls, genuine hat, and painted mustache starting at age 4), and someone who screamed choo choo after finishing a chug chant at their first college frat party wearing a thomas costume, and lastly, someone who copies all of your well thought out positions, i feel i am also qualified for the board. Although I have also considered applying for Pete's position as well.

While the idea of the Schuylkill Valley Metro is dead, isn't the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Commission looking into restoring service from Center City to Reading thru Norristown, KOP, Phoenixville, and Pottstown? I know it's AMTRAK and not SEPTA, but is there any chance it ever becomes reality?

I love that you called KOP a "car infested hell hole". That is a perfect description, along with all of Delco, lol.

My old turf! Used to ride a two-car train with internal engine, much like these, from Reading down to Philly in the 1960s when I was growing up in the “Pretzel Capital.” Makes such sense to restore the full line. I can imagine it would bring new life to Reading, which I just saw ranks third from the bottom among cities in terms of average income among the top 5%. Better than the poorest city in the US, as it used to be. And my dad used to call 76 the “Sure Kill Expressway.” I remember those jams well, and experience them every time I visit from Seattle, where we definitely have our share.

I wonder r u gonna do another ratings video for cities anytime soon??? I really wanna see u talk bout cities like Baltimore, St Louis, Detroit, etc. tbh!

"The Norristown high speed line" otherwise known by the locals as the Wild Mouse because riding it is like riding a cross between a roller coaster and a speeding train. I've ridden it back in the 1990s. So glad I moved from Philly area.

I had an idea a couple years ago for a monolithic machine (kinda like the TBM) designed to cut and cover subway tunnels along existing highways while not impeding the flow of traffic. The machine would have a blactop across it in a giant 800' long 30' high arc.

Now this is a certified hood classic

Cost overruns without actually building it?

Plus....KOP is a complete traffic Nightmare! Still trying to understand WHY anyone would ever purchase property in this area.

This is just another example of the lack of planning in the Philadelphia region. The extension looks more like a shuttle service with the mall as an intermediate stop. So sad.

... If that Roosevelt Blvd. subway actually happens, they NEED to also allow it to be used as a pedestrian underpass! That road is SO scary to cross on foot!

Alan, Awesome video! I have comment and a question. 1. Thank you for singing the "KYW". That is certainly a nod to the locals! :) 2. Given the way that SEPTA is made up, how likely is it that we will see them go forward with the Roosevelt Blvd Extension? I personally would love to see that, as I HATE the Boulevard, but you do mention that this has been tried several times before, and to no avail. I'm just curious about that. Thanks!

I was a Tow Truck Driver in the Philadelphia area for a Longggg Timeeee. Since I was a child and PTC changed to SEPTA it SUCKTAS!!!! I was just there about 3 weeks ago and it was at least 8 years since I was home. I would love to see what would happen to the Boulevard. The 5th and Butler Express!!!!

Your use of the vine boom is gold 😂

Liam is mad. Yay liam.

I have mixed feelings about the cancellation bc on one hand, yeah there are much better projects for septa to fund. but selfishly on the other... I live out near KoP and now I don't get train :( Interesting development tho. Hope Roosevelt line finally gets built. And Schuylkill Valley Metro... eventually.

When you said "KYW," I thought you were gonna sing the whole thing... "KYW...news radio...1060..." lol

As a KoP resident I'm pretty glad that this got the axe--Not out of being a NIMBY but just because this was just too much of a cost and such a bad design for the levels of ridership they expected. I was excited when I first heard about it but each subsequent update was a real headscratcher and made me less optimistic. To really make it worth it, you've got to have a direct connection to Center City. With the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority firing that plan back up again, I'm more hopeful since it will connect two urban areas to KoP and make it easier to travel across the region.

Dude, we really need someone like you out here in California!

As someone who grew up in KOP, I was hype to see an opinion of why the extension plan sucked that wasn't solely the dogwhistle of "it'll shuttle in crime from Philly". I'd like to visit my family more often, but christ, doing so reminds me how strongly I hate that area!! I lived ~19yrs wedged in between 2 highways!! My radicalization began quite young & only got worse LOL. Would like to hear thoughts on the Amtrak lines in PA if you're ever interested in talking about that. Keep it up (:

3:55 OMG Thank you for that statement.

There is nothing express about the Schuylkill Expressway. Went to school in Philly, for four years.

In the 80’s a coworker and I were noodling business ideas as we worked in rocket engineering, and “hire a scapegoat” was one our favorite. So yes; they should hire you. 😄

Dear Alan, marvelous idea to put yourself on the poster board as the new SEPTA general manager. Humbly think your presence, insight and effort will make a ton of difference in Phillie. Cheerio

I love that you're closing thought is "Want me to stop complaining? Fine, let me do it for you."

Transport cuts are everywhere these days. I can think of a plethora of cancelled, postponed and scaled back services in GB recently. The attitude of most politicians is 'hey we get drivers take us to work who cares'