Earlier this month SEPTA’s Board approved an amended Capital Budget for the current fiscal year to add approximately $95 million in funding that has been made available through the recently enacted federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
The approval means the planned overhaul to the Bristol Regional Rail Station can moved forward sooner than expected officials said.
The funds will go towards 21 projects that will benefit Southeastern Pennsylvania. In Bucks County, the bipartisan infrastructure law will allow SEPTA to increase funding for the Bristol Station Accessibility Improvement project by $7.5 million in FY 2022. The $30 million project will make Bristol Station fully ADA accessible, and SEPTA’s previous budget did not anticipate funding this project until 2027, said Fitzpatrick’s office.
“I want to thank the southeastern Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation for their unwavering support of SEPTA,” said SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale T. Deon Sr. “These critical infrastructure funds will help ensure that SEPTA can support this region through the pandemic recovery and beyond.”
Credit: Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s office
“I am glad to see that the bipartisan infrastructure law that I crafted, supported, and helped to pass is already making a difference in my district,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick, “This money will help SEPTA better serve people across Bucks and Montgomery counties, and I look forward to seeing even more projects that would only happen as a result of the IIJA.”
Work on the site began in earnest last year with which included cleaning and painting, installation of new stairway handrails, beam replacement and steel repairs
This would be the third area rail station renewed in recent years, with the Bristol Township’s Croydon Station and the Levittown Station in Tullytown Borough having overhauls completed in recent years
Its a proven that with a good train station, you attract more people into town, property values go up and everything just falls ijnto place, said Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe said last year as touch ups to the station began.
Over the five-year life-span of the federal infrastructure bill, SEPTA expects to receive approximately $500 million in additional federal formula funding. This will be reflected in the Fiscal Year 2023 Capital Budget and FY 2023-2024 Capital Program, which is currently being developed.
In addition to infrastructure repairs and upgrades, this funding will allow SEPTA to accelerate design work for station accessibility upgrades on the Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line and Regional Rail. This additional investment in design will also ensure SEPTA is prepared for the federal competitive All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP), which is a new program funded under the federal infrastructure bill.
“I am proud of SEPTA’s commitment to accessibility, including making all Broad Street and Market-Frankford Line stations fully ADA accessible,” said SEPTA General Manager Leslie S. Richards. “Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law accelerates these and other initiatives and ensures that our service is equitable and inclusive.”