Valley Forge Enhanced Service
SEPTA Service Gaps 2
Previously, I proposed a fix to a flawed, but desired, branch to the Norristown High Speed Line (now Metro M line). However, this does not continue all the way to the casino like KOP Rail would (shown above). This leads me to the idea of the Valley Forge Enhanced Service network: expanding frequent bus service between Norristown, the main line, and King of Prussia.
Background
The first part of this comes from the plan of route from route 98, which will be a 15 Max service between the Plymouth Meeting and King of Prussia malls. In this plan, the 98 and 125 would be extended from their planned termini with the reopening the Valley Forge Park/Port Kennedy Station on the Norfolk Southern Harrisburg line (ex-Reading Main Line). Under Amtrak’s proposed Reading service, Amtrak would go express from that stop along the south bank of the Schuylkill to West Falls before taking the Philadelphia Subdivision to Zoo Interlocking and 30th St. Thus, the 98 would provide a vial connection to adjacent suburbs north of the river.
The second route would parallel present routes 92 (future 142) and 124, splitting at the US202/PA 252 interchange for Valley Forge and Devon, continuing to Devon Station. This was conceived when Yuletide was on Devon Horse Show grounds in its first year. With it having moved to the other side the Schuylkill, the demand is kind of lost. However, I still wonder if extending some 105’s to Devon during the Horse Show once the 106 is folded back in to it as part of SEPTA’s bus revolution. The Devon Horse Show is a major event in the horse world and it would be nice to have increased service for the 2 week period. Its even broadcast on ESPN in some places!
However, this new route would have a key disadvantage as it would be relegated to the outbound side due to clearances. Thus, Devon would have to be rebuilt to be accessible in order for people to reach inbound trains, the 105/106, and points of interest on that side including the horse show grounds as well as commercial area with a bridal store and restaurant (but they demolished housing for parking-which only benefits during the Horse Show period…maybe).
The outbound side also has a steep incline, so I’m not sure how SEPTA’s busses could handle that, where the inbound side could easily be used for terminating service. Thus, this would all be too expensive for the little gain for a facility that is only used maybe 20 days a year (since there is a second event, the fall classic, the second weekend of September), with maybe another 10 dedicated to set-up and take down.
Had Yuletide make the spot permanent, they probably would’ve had the festival open for six weeks with another week or 2 for set-up/take down-which would make the site feel more lived in for more of the year (really just mid-January through the end of April and Mid-June through Labor being dead periods unless there is a private buyout (when Vanguard would do a circus) of grounds or the Club building on the corner of Dorset and Berkley (I have been in that building once for something, forget the vibe).
Route
From Devon station, it will follow Devon State Road to Spenser Road. Due to terrain, it deviates serving more residences until reaching Berwyn Baptist Road and serving Arbordeau and Jenkins Arboretum (slight bias). It the returns to Devon State Road, right where it ends and becomes Valley Forge Road-we cross the Dale Secondary/Cross County Corridor to Baptist Hill: home to 2 churches, a Jewish community center, a Muslim community center, and the grounds of Devon Troop 50 (okay, and some other person’s house and an abandoned farmstand under wires).
Just after is another housing complex, we meet the 142 and 124. At which point they split along the frontage roads around US202. Outbound (per the existing routes), these routes follow 202 North and the Chester Valley Trail (ex-Reading Chester Valley line). At the end of the road, one can access the South Eastern Post Office and Vanguard’s mail room. Inbound, it serves Gateway Shopping Center before continuing on a ramp from US202, becoming just part of the interchange-where you can see the Historic Black Powder Tavern.
At King of Prussia Town Center, it cuts through this development where the 142 and 124 continue to the King of Prussia Mall. Meeting the now 98 and 125 (the 139 will be discontinued) at the intersection of North Gulph and Goddard, all 3 services continue to the Valley Forge Casino. The 125 will deviate to serve offices where the 92/98 meet the 99. They will meet back up with the 125 at the Valley Forge Welcome Center before terminating at the train station, with route 99 continuing to Phoenixville and Limerick.
I also indicated potential short turns with the 98 serving the King of Prussia Bus terminal before terminating and the 92/Devon Branch at the Barnes & Noble on the former Valley Forge Music Fair (better known as Valley Fair) site.
Final Thoughts
I might hold bias based on growing up along the Paoli/Thorndale line, but more Main Line-KOP service really makes sense on paper. However, this area is associated with the middle-upper class.
The Delaware County (or Delco) part tends to be fairly walkable and has a lot of old town centers and nature areas in good condition.
In contrast, the Chester County parts are heavily hit or miss. Malvern, Paoli, and Berwyn have seen apartments (and mansions too for Berwyn-but there’s no path connecting all of them to the station when its under 600ft). Daylesford-the line’s least used (and likely worst) station and Strafford seeing Senior communities built relatively close by.
The mainline was built on wealth, and its quality of schools are proof of that. However, it would be nice for teenagers and 20-somethings who aren’t driving or don’t have a car to have alternatives to reach the commercial center of King of Prussia besides from the 92 (future 142)/124 at Paoli/Chesterbrook or a mix of M (which SEPTA wants better than every 15 at peak, 30 off) and bus from Villanova. Having major centers of events like Devon and Villanova ensure good support for such a service, as well as intermediate natural destinations to bolster interest.
At that, my provocative would be that even if their independent sections aren’t the strongest, combined service could be strong enough that people at intermediate points don’t have to look at a schedule (even having to change at Gulph and Goddard wouldn’t be that bad for the service cutting through KOP Town Center).
While there is a lot of evidence to support lack of expanded bus service on the mainline, there is a clearer path that could have massive impacts if it were given service-which will be next week’s topic.