Hal
Sat, 05 Feb 2005 07:34:10 -0800
Yes, I know, and actually it is quite simple- THE STREETS WERE THER FIRST This is a situation where the railroad is crossing the street. The streets were there first, laid out in the 1600's, built in the 1700's, paved in the 1800's. The railroad came second, about 1885 when the B&O Station was built at 24th & Chestnut. THE BARGIN BETWEEN THE CITY & THE RAILROAD The railroad tracks in question were constructed by the Schuylkill River East Side Railroad Company, a subsidiary of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, around 1885. Around 1885 the City of Philadelphia enacted an ordinance allowing the B&O to run tracks into the City, but required the Railroad to build tunnels in some areas - such as under Eakin's Oval/25th Street, while in other areas the ordinance gave limited permission for the railroad to cross some city streets at grade- like Locust and Walnut. B&O'S AGREEMENTS In return, for permission to cross the City's Streets; 1) the B&O Railroad agreed to provide passenger service for the citizens of Philadelphia; 2) the B&O Railroad agreed to assume liabilty for accidents along the tracks, and 3) the B&O Railroad agreed to move or relocate it's tracks if there was a conflict B&O BECAME CSX The B&O RR was acquired and merged into CSX. CSX in 2005, is still bound by the bargains that it's predacessors agreed to in 1885. OTHER EXAMPLES IN PHILLY There's another great example of the "old way" that railroads & cites co-existed - tunnels and viaducts. The Railroad used to run down Market Street from West Philly, down Washington Ave as well... Between 1850 and 1900 the City of Philadelphia worked with railroads to elevate rail lines, or put them in tunnels. The "25th Street Viaduct" is one example, the "West Philadelphia Elevated" that runs over Drexel and U-Penn is another. Perhaps the best example is Pennsylvania Avenue, just north of the Ben Franklin Parkway... In the late 1800's Pennsylvania Avenue was once a maze of maze of train tracks that separated the Fairmount & Spring Garden neighborhoods from the "new" riverfront park known as "Fairmount Park" Back then, North Philadelphia was the center of wealth and power, with opera houses and mansions. Along the Schuylkill, the City had just acquired a couple acres of former industrial riverfront, and later was busy converting West Fairmount Park into the grounds of the Centennial Exposition. However, there was a railroad separating the residents and the new riverfront park- sound familiar? To enable residents to reach the new and expanded riverfront known as "Fairmount Park", the Reading Railroad built a tunnel and put their train tracks UNDER Pennsylvania Avenue, so that the City and residents could safely reach the City's new Riverfront park.. Yes, that wide stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue is actually hollow, there's a huge (unused) train tunnel underthere . http://www.sewerhistory.org/articles/whregion/1900_aa07/index.htm http://www.sewerhistory.org/images/bm/bmt3/1900_bmt305.gif There was, and has been through history, a focus on the need for Philadelphians to be able to walk to their parks. Pedestrian access to the Riverfront was always important, they even put the Spring Garden Street Trolley underground (that's the tunnel you use, westbound on Spring Garden to avoid Eakins Oval) When the B&O Railroad built the tracks that CSX is now using, the agreement was to put the tracks ungrounded along 25th Street, and connect into the Pennsylvania Avenue tunnel- so that the railroad wouldn't interfere with pedestrian access. So- kinda of interesting that we've done this once before, and back then the Railroad cooperated with the City. Hal Schirmer Esq. 1805 Ridge Road Sellersville, PA 18960 215-530-8274 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sheldon Isaac" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <bike@list.purple.com>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2005 9:34 AM Subject: [BIKE] Trail Rail ctossing > This is a recent post in a thread on the phl.transportation newsgroup > > I was wondering about his point: > > "is it prudent for government to install an at grade railroad crossing for > pedestrians? The railroad is a dangerous place." > > Does anyone know how the crossings, eg with fences and gates, were > negotiated in such places as indicated on the page > http://freetheriverpark.typepad.com/photos/safe_pedestrian_train_cro/index.h > tml > Liability? etc? > > Have Philly advocates contacted people in those places, and found out how > they did it? > > Thanks, > Sheldon > ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "bike." To subscribe or unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. See also http://bcgp.blogspot.com/ and http://www.bicyclecoalition.org/
