IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN...

A public meeting will be held on Friday, March 18 in the Board Room at 1234 Market to discuss the preliminary FY 2006 Annual Service Plan. The meeting will begin at 10:00am. Among the proposed changes that will be discussed:

• Route 1 would be extended to Philadelphia Park in Bensalem Township, Bucks County; in addition, a route revision along Decatur and Red Lion Roads near Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which would eliminate the routing via Grant and Academy in favor of operating via Roosevelt Blvd, Comly Rd, Decatur, Red Lion, and Drummond Rd.
  
• Route 3 would be re-routed to offer direct service to the Temple University Regional Rail station, operating via Berks between 9 and 10 St (pending the city's approval to allow two-way traffic along Berks as far west at 10 St).
• Route 14 would operate direct service into the Horizon Corporate Center in Bensalem Township.
• Route 20 would be split into two routes: the 20 would remain unchanged, with some modifications to the express routing, which would operate via Roosevelt Blvd; new Route 50 would would operate over most of the same route, however it would bypass Keswick (which would still be served by the 20). The apparent goal is to make the 50 the primary route between Bridge-Pratt and Philadelphia Park. Some 20 and 50 trips would be extended from Franklin Mills to Philadelphia Park.
• Route 47 southbound service would be re-routed off of N 8 St onto N 6 St between Susquehanna and Cecil B Moore to offer direct service to the Gateway Plaza retail complex.
• The long discussed split of Route 96 would also take place: the 96 would still operate between Norristown and Lansdale, while new Route 132 would operate between Montgomery Mall and Telford, with new service to Central Montgomery Medical Center via Broad St, Horsham Rd, and N Wales Rd.
• Route 97 would be split into two routes: the 97 would still operate between Norristown and Spring Mill Regional Rail Station, however, service would be extended to the Barren Hill district of Whitemarsh Twp, via Hector St, Cedar Grove Ln, Joshua Rd, Germantown Pk, Church Rd, and Ridge Pk; new Route 90 would operate between Norristown and E Norriton Crossing (nee Penn Square) with a revised routing through Norristown State Hospital.
• Route 98 service through the Blue Bell district of Whitpain Twp would be adjusted; evening westbound service would bypass Blue Bell and operate via Germantown Pike, as would all weekend service in both directions.
• Route 129 would be modified in two locations, which have not been disclosed as of yet (the 129 map was not included in the packet that I recieved).