The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will receive $15 million federal grant to modernize infrastructure and improve passenger access at its 30th Street Market-Frankford Station. The grant, which the CEO Council for Growth enthusiastically supported, will be made through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grants program. The grant will fund approximately 39 percent of the $38 million project, and will leverage more than $23 million in additional state, local and private funds, including a $2 million commitment from Brandywine Realty Trust.

Served by the Market-Frankford Line and five Trolley Lines, SEPTA’s 30th Street Station is the multi-modal nexus between Center City Philadelphia and University City, the first and second largest employment centers in the Greater Philadelphia Region, respectively. The Market-Frankford Line is the workhorse of the SEPTA system, carrying nearly 200,000 daily riders, with a total ridership of 94.6 million unlinked trips in FY 2016. The five Trolley Lines carry over 70,000 riders every day. Combined, the Market-Frankford Line and Trolleys serve 25,000 trips every day at 30th Street Station. In the last 15 years, station usage has increased more than 23 percent. 30th Street Station is a vital regional hub connecting thousands of daily passengers to world-renowned commerce, education and biomedical centers.

The CEO Council for Growth has recognized the need for investments at 30th Street when it developed, “Connecting the Region: A Transportation Strategy for Greater Philadelphia,” a clear and succinct investment portfolio that supports the growth of our economy. Among other identified project areas, the strategy emphasizes the advancement of the 30th Street District Plan and Schuylkill Yards development by investing in Market-Frankford Line capacity improvements and our intercity passenger rail stations at 30th Street Station, Newark, Trenton and a new station at Philadelphia International Airport.