RAIL SERVICE TO WEST CHESTER
Experience
Re-Establishment of Rail Service to West Chester has been a core focus throughout my years in public office. As the county seat of Chester County and one of the major hubs in both population and business in our region, West Chester deserves and needs a rail service to connect us to the greater Philadelphia area. The rail service would provide equitable transportation for all those who need it, would heavily reduce traffic congestion, and would lead to booming businesses and higher levels of employment.
In 2014, I created the Committee to Re-Establish Rail Service to West Chester while serving as Borough Council President. I recognized this as an emergent issue in our Borough, and added the rail service to West Chester’s Comprehensive Plan. I have advocated for this project for years, and have been consistently grateful for the public support the project has received from residents, business owners, and local leaders.
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Vision
In 2018, we advocated for SEPTA to conduct and publish a feasibility report for the Rail Service to West Chester. The report came back with glowing results: the rail service is not only feasible, but economically beneficial to our local region.
Today, President Biden’s proposed infrastructure bill would add $80+ billion to passenger rail in the Northeast corridor alone. With all eyes on infrastructure and public transit thanks to this bill, the time has never been better to Re-Establish Rail Service between West Chester and Philadelphia.
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Action
It is necessary to keep on track with this project. This year, I have led the application process for federal grants to support the rail service. Likewise, I have collaborated with businesses, residents, regional and local leaders to continue the push for federal and state funding. We cannot do this alone, but together, we can keep pushing.
Our project has already come so far, and continued public support is necessary to get us past the finish line. With public pressure on your end and my continued work to rally funding from state and federal leaders, we can get rail service back to West Chester. I ask for your support to continue and finish this initiative as Mayor of West Chester.