i95 Collapsed, What do we do now?

Lets talk abit about how transit might save us and how to plan for the future so that we don't have to be as car dependent.
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Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
0:25 What is i95?
1:22 Other Options?
2:27 How SEPTA can increase Service
4:58 Planning for the Future
7:11 Outro

[@alanthefisher]

This was obviously edited and written quickly so its def not perfect. A full Urbanist Episode will also be coming in a day or two 🤙🤙

[@EvilPlant1212]

What will it be about? (It’s fine if you don’t want to tell us)

[@JosuaKrause]

your point about being fully dependent on cars and having this single point of failure wouldn't that also apply if everybody used the train and a train car derailed? there are a lot of good reasons to bring public transit back but this point falls a bit flat

[@nuntius1]

@@JosuaKrause he never said in his entire life that we should use trains only

[@GetIntoItDuhh]

@@JosuaKrausethis comment has big “but sometimes wind doesn’t blow” and “but what about when sun go down?” energy. You sound like a mouth-breathing car nut; you know, the kind that smells like the weird dusty mix of crap you can dig out from between the car seats. Stop it.

[@GBR9794]

@@nuntius1 well, he is using that as a point to push hard on train but we only have so much budget for infrastructures.

[@InternetLaser]

We should do 20-30 years of community consulting before repairing it. After all, we do the same thing with transit infrastructure, and that's working out fabulously and is part of why the US is famous for its high quality transit networks.

[@misosoppa3279]

I think also the local community should be able to vote if they want the highway fixed or get a park :)

[@JohnDoe-my5ip]

We should make it into a bike trail!

[@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45]

We should also look into gadgetbahns and experimental but probably unreliable modes of transit. I hear that Elon guy has plenty of great ideas that have never failed ever.

[@scpatl4now]

I am thinking the people that live near this where all the traffic is trying to figure out alt routes might disagree

[@Natalietrans]

We should downgrade it to a Street Rapid Transit plan with a few separate lanes from traffic as a treat. We should also add massive rail transit centers at every entrance so people can drive from downtown and ride the regional rail home.

[@cobalt8619]

Notice how i95 will be quickly restored, yet the surfline (rail corridor between LA and San Diego) we have to fight tooth and nail to get funding to fix the constant mudslides that keep disrupting service

[@davidty2006]

despite last i checked to fix mudslides all you need to do is put the entire railway on a concrete viaduct.

[@Cloudrak]

@@davidty2006 What? All you need is proper drainage and retaining walls to prevent mudslides.

[@graythewolf6096]

And they will probably continue to throw money at roads until they don't have any money left. Then they will probably invest in some weird underground electric car tunnels instead idk.

[@adammitry6011]

95 is a major interstate in the east. Surfliner service is not.

[@cobalt8619]

@@adammitry6011 the 10 million annual trips taken on it "don't matter" I guess 🙄

[@leeball4]

This isn't the first time something like this has happened in this area of 95. In 1996 there was a tire fire under 95 that melted the highway. PennDOT did a good job getting the road repaired in a relatively good timeframe. Also that "AVOID NORTHEAST PHILLY" digital sign in the montage should be permanent 😂

[@rearspeaker6364]

it cant be that bad.......just avoid Kensington street.

[@jm-bv1wh]

Hey, that's where I live! But yeah, still good advice.

[@bleeka325]

I think this may be just a tinge more disruptive than that

[@MrKevoshi]

Funny I was always under the impression that NE philly is generally one of the nicer areas sans kensington.

[@jm-bv1wh]

@@MrKevoshi It is generally nice in NE Philly. I live in Mayfair, and it is a wonderful place to live.

[@MalachiMarvin]

Obviously, the only option is to drive. I confirmed this this morning when I checked the news and saw all the streets turned into parking lots. No thinking outside of the driving box is possible.

[@SnakebitSTI]

You have to drive to the station, then drive all the way into Philly when the parking lot is full.

[@levii4146]

Get ya bike out and cut through traffic

[@Fullstrengh100]

@@levii4146 LOL

[@Alex-cw3rz]

This would be a great place for an analysis to see what occurs, induced demand, numbers using public transit including how the numbers change after the bridge is fixed.

[@scpatl4now]

After the Atlanta freeway collapse, even when it was fixed there were noticeable changes in the traffic patterns. Lots of people who started working from home (3 years before covid) kept working from home, and people who changed their work hours kept that schedule. It took quite a while before it once again became a hellscape of traffic Atlanta is so famous for.

[@TomPVideo]

You could also look into travel patterns towards the end of the shutdown and how people changed, even temporarily, their commutes over this time.

[@bellairefondren7389]

Would be a great time for the US DOT and PennDOT to give some money to extend the MFL down Frankford Ave to Bucks County

[@danajorgensen1358]

@@bellairefondren7389 Market-Frankford Line? Took me awhile to figure that out and I live in the Philly suburbs. Incidentally, the MFL extension along Frankford Ave. will never happen due to the cost. It would make Boston's Big Dig highway project look like a bargain.

[@bellairefondren7389]

@@danajorgensen1358 Eh an el extension with like 7 stops has nowhere near the complexity of burying and expanding multiple big freeways. I would argue the el extension would be a bargain, from a health, environmental and engineering perspective.

[@ChrisJones-gx7fc]

A few years ago mudslides closed part of Highway 101 between Santa Barbara and LA, and Amtrak Surfliner ran longer trains to meet the increased demand. Goes to show how important rail is when all of a sudden driving becomes unavailable, and why we need to invest in rail transit more.

[@MegaLokopo]

Be careful of what you say, you are also arguing we need more roads incase transit options are not available. The real solution is multiple redundant train lines.

[@benlewis4241]

@@MegaLokopo I have no problems with spare bus capacity too

[@MegaLokopo]

@@benlewis4241 True, but I don't want to use buses just because they are cheaper and easier to implement than trains(edit: I originally said cars). I want as many options as possible in as many forms of transportation as possible.

[@benlewis4241]

@@MegaLokopo Cheaper in the short term maybe, but in maintenance, longevity and staffing rail wins every time.

[@MegaLokopo]

@@benlewis4241 I meant to say trains not cars my bad. I don't want to use busses just because busses are cheaper to implement. Sorry.

[@scpatl4now]

I have vivid memories of the collapse of Atlanta's I 85 bridges in both directions in 2017. The location was right as the freeway passes Buckhead just north of where it meets 75 to go through downtown. It was closed from the 75-85 merge to GA 400. I was able to see the smoke from that fire and actually heard the bridge itself collapse. My heart goes out to anyone who lives in the vicinity of the 95 collapse...because your life is going to change in the next couple of months. The secondary streets around me became so utterly gridlocked that car trips that took 5 mins all of a sudden would take 2 hours. Walking and biking were the fastest way to get anywhere because with Google Maps and the like taking people through any imaginable shortcut that only locals would know about...you were stuck. Luckily they were able to fix it in 43 days, which today seems miraculous that people were actually able to get their shyt together and get it done. MARTA immediately added trains and frequency and within a week to 10 days people were either working from home, traveling outside of peak times, or taking transit, so the gridlock was not quite as bad as at first. Amazingly, some of those patterns persisted after the freeways were fixed. That stretch of I 85 is one of the busiest in the country (quarter of a million cars a day at time of incident) so I imagine the situation in PHL will be similar. SEPTA needs to up their game because this could be a real opportunity to show more people that they have an alternative.

[@Daystar291]

I had just gotten my license when the 85 bridge went down and this situation with 95 immediately brought me back to our own collapse. I was honestly amazed at how quickly GA got the bridge back in operation but that month and a half was maddening. Atl traffic especially 285 South/400 side and the i-20 side seem to be backing up more and more every week as someone who’s grown up in Atl I wouldn’t wish that chaos on anyone and it might be what finally pushes me out if only for the sake of not having to plan my commute home to account for 2 hours of traffic minimum. Hopefully PA can get things sorted quickly I feel for the locals right now.

[@CaradhrasAiguo49]

I-95 in PHL is about 160K to 170K vehicles per day according to Mileage Mike's video on the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76 in PHL)

[@jerome718]

I-85 carried about 250k vehicles per day in that stretch… it was an interesting 6 weeks.

[@rebirthphoenix5646]

Definitely one of the biggest news of that year despite me never having to drive directly into Atlanta itself so it didn’t personally affect me.

[@apexhunter935]

Moral of the story: regardless of where you live or what method of travel you normally use, it's always good to have multiple options available. Because even if you don't really use or care about them, having them around when you're normal method of travel is blocked and/or restricted in some way can be quite the lifesaver for you as well as others who may find themselves in similar situations.

[@a-r]

And not even _just_ for the sake of having alternative options when things go wrong, but also to suit everyone's needs. Some are held back financially by car-dependency. Some are visually impaired and prefer walking. Some don't like the stress or danger of commuting by car every day. More options like these make for a more successful community!

[@fmccloud]

You’re right. Another loop or a I95E/W routes should be added so cars have more parallel options.

[@danrbarlow]

@@fmccloud I95W is called I81.

[@nogeagor971]

@@fmccloud Or maybe just build real infrastructure like a civilised country. How did you even manage to have worse infrastructure than some third world countries?

[@jefffinkbonner9551]

Plus more transit and people using it makes the roads more usable for people who need and/or prefer the roads, especially delivery trucks, semis, work trucks, service vehicles, etc.

[@morenofranco9235]

Ahh! Another perfect example of the "Fire Escape" principle being criminally disregarded. Lets build a single choke point! It's cheaper. Well. This is going to cost millions of lost man-hours over the next ten or twelve months. Well done Muricha!

[@rearspeaker6364]

It's hard to build a highway over Amtrak.

[@Travixty]

I'm sure the professionals that spend their lives doing this have thought about that, lmao

[@Ezekiel43]

Don't see a ton of people who always drive now going by train to work. They will just tell their employers they can't come because of the bridge.

[@danielkelly2210]

Yeah, color me skeptical on that as well. Americans are pretty transit averse even when it makes sense.

[@presidentirinavladimirovna7054]

As a truck driver that prefers to live in rural areas out in the Midwest, and hates having to be anywhere near cities and their incompetent drivers, I fully support you guys losing your option to drive and being forced to take public transport lol

[@danielkelly2210]

@@presidentirinavladimirovna7054 Lol. Cringe.

[@mildly_miffed_man1414]

@@presidentirinavladimirovna7054L way of stating it but W opinion

[@Ezekiel43]

@@presidentirinavladimirovna7054 I cycle and take public transit everywhere. Wish the infrastructure for cyclists was better. I was badly hurt when a driver cut me off in April.

[@scottydude456]

As someone living in New York, I wouldn’t mind NJT running a few trains past Trenton to 30th street for a nice and inexpensive one seat ride to Philly

[@the.abhiram.r]

they should honestly just keep it that way

[@zaybx3485]

Honestly the mega bus and chinabus are cheaper then NJT and Septa

[@the.abhiram.r]

@@zaybx3485 but the ride will be 2 hours longer because of the lincoln tunnel 😐

[@Fullstrengh100]

they want you use amtrak. I leave from Trenton to Philly a few times a week. its like $60 for a philly ticket on amtrak

[@TheElectricGhost]

​@@the.abhiram.rUnless you gotta be there fast, cheaper will always out way convenience

[@johntousseau9380]

The northeast actually has a lot of rail service compared to the rest of the country.

[@rearspeaker6364]

and it had more, but got abandoned because of cars.

[@ayaanjaved]

What about Midwest like Chicago

[@ee-ef8qr]

That isn't saying much

[@swayback7375]

@@ee-ef8qrI was going to say, more than zero?

[@SergeantTeabag]

Chicago thankfully has some regional trains (Wolverine, IL Zephyr, Illini) that run a few times a day plus an entire commuter service to the suburbs and light rail in the city. Glad to live here while I do because commuting helps a ton!

[@spencerpenguin]

This whole thing reminds me of when I lived in Santa Barbara, California and the wildfires led to the January 2018 mudflows that destroyed a ton of homes and blocked 101 for a few weeks. Only way to go south would be a 3 hour detour around the mountains. A lot of people ended up having to take the Pacific Surfliner from SB to get to their jobs in LA or Ventura (me included). This was because the tracks were cleared before the freeway was. Trains were so packed due to lack of frequency that a TON of people just did not pay for tickets and instead just squeezed in to just stand for the few stops. It was also stupid expensive since the Pacific Surfliner is not really a commuter rail. Some companies commissioned ferries to bring people south of the mudflow into Santa Barbara for jobs even! Kind of an interesting case study about how only having roads as the only option can really mess things up.

[@matthewboyd8689]

That awkward moment when your bridge collapses so you take the train and you get there much faster and then you just don't switch back when it fixed. Like when everyone had painted temporary bike lanes because the pandemic stopped all cars.

[@rearspeaker6364]

a few tesla's were destroyed that way.

[@matthewboyd8689]

@@rearspeaker6364 ever since I learned of the benefits, I got a job in town and bike to work. Fresh air riding through the park is worth every penny

[@borealwood]

@@rearspeaker6364Good.

[@TimothyBrown2010]

You forgot that collapse of I-85 in Atlanta back in 2017 and how MARTA had a hella boost from that incident... Or how every time a major event happens in ATL and it exceeds highway capacity that MARTA rail comes to the rescue and keeps Atlanta moving... Even though the suburbs continues to vote down expansion...

[@paulblichmann2791]

Because they don't want RNDS, Rapid N Delivery Service.

[@TokyoJuul8008]

​@paulblichmann2791 You can say it--I'll even say it with you.

[@thatoneguy42145]

And the more and more they wait around without voting with their heads, the more costly it’ll get 😞

[@MrIansmitchell]

I’m pretty sure whether Philly has a fire, flood, or plague of locusts, the proposed solution on this channel will include the boulevard subway

[@a-r]

The boulevard subway can aid the locusts in _very peacefully_ vacating the city, particularly through the new Locust Rapid Transit (LRT) system.

[@cuteswan]

Thank goodness no one was killed or seriously injured. Best wishes to everyone who's daily life is all effed up because of this. I mean, I live in Boston where it seems like the MBTA is intentionally trying to end itself, but a sudden hit like in PA is a real kick in the gut.

[@Kitt3ns]

The truck driver didn't make it unfortunately.

[@Somethingaweful]

The truck driver unfortunately died.

[@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45]

I think the feds are trying to sabotage the T so they can turn Boston into another San Antonio.

[@Ih8kone]

Wrong. The truck driver cost himself his life.

[@justinopepperino]

As a Vulfpeck fan and transit enthusiast that lives in the Philly metro area, you have quickly become my favorite channel.

[@cheef825]

He played Adrianne and Adrienne in one video, still waiting for it again

[@adrienvanderstraeten5465]

I don't live in Philadelphia (ideed not even in America) but I can totally relate haha

[@Foxy_AR]

Short Answer: use *T r a i n s*

[@Foxy_AR]

This is a joke, I know that the NEC exists.

[@Poltard]

Nah even better. ✨zeppelin✨

[@samiraperi467]

A fellow Adam Something enjoyer?

[@graythewolf6096]

@@Poltard Aw sweet! That means I get to do a May 6, 1937 Manchester Township New Jersey!

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

You always need trains and buses too or else you'll she how much car dependency suck

[@electrosyzygy]

also something to be said about how fast a stretch of damaged rail track can be repaired vs. this kind of overpass

[@derLenno]

Lots of reasons why properly done, redundant infrastructure is needed. Back in March, when there was a giant public transport strike in Berlin, I just... used another public transport means, plus 5 minutes of a BIRD scooter ride. Didn't waste a single second compared to my usual commute through the city. I could have also taken the bike and be there just as quickly, but it was broken at that time.

[@thomastschetchkovic5726]

We have a high speed rail system that spans the whole country, so yes

[@BajanEnglishman51]

​@@darekm6859he doesn't understand that European countries are the way they are because they're being protected by American tax paying military.....

[@derLenno]

@@darekm6859 if one of the long-distance trains fails, there will always be another train you can take instead 😉

[@Zinojn]

The worst part might be truck traffic -- hopefully they can find a good alternative route

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

They can use the NJ Turnpike but that means more expensive freight costs because they now have to pay tolls for a section that used to be toll free (and truck tolls are very expensive)

[@Demopans5990]

Cargo rail. Amazon can even have their own rail lines from their warehouses for that same day delivery

[@sylfix2680]

Hm.. a train?

[@connorscanlon6289]

I think events like these, or the failure of Southwest this past holiday season, show how vulnerable the US transportation network is at the present moment. With just one cyber attack or one overpass collapse, we can see a dramatic severance of connectivity between major corridors, costing billions in lost productivity for the duration of a service interruption. Creating new transportation options are not just more convenient, less expensive for travelers, and better for the environment. They do not just reduce the barrier to ease of connectivity. They are an essential backbone to the stability of our economy and society, and it is absurd that it continues to be an issue in the US. We are leaving ourselves far too vulnerable for comfort in our current arrangement, and something has to change.

[@thomascevallos5042]

Can't wait to see what long term effects this will have on people's transit habits. I imagine if sufficient service is provided, a few people will become permanent transit users for their daily commute. Increased surface street traffic should also have a positive effect on biking/walking numbers.

[@SnakebitSTI]

Without other changes, I suspect things will start going back to the way they were once the bridge is reopened.

[@thomascevallos5042]

@SnakebitSTI for the most part, yes I agree. At the very least, I expect a couple people minimum to pick up transit/micromobility/walking as a new permanent form of daily transit. On top of that, this won't be inspiring any new drivers so looking only at the transit mode side of the whole situation in a vacuum, I think this will be a net positive. It will come down to other factors of course. How bad does traffic get as a result. How well is SEPTA able to accommodate additional volume. How well do the streets accommodate pedestrians. I'm hoping that this situation, especially through lenses like this video, will inspire at least a couple people to improve their transit habits.

[@kaitlyn__L]

It could go either way. It could be like office workers working from home and staying there, or it could be like other road disruptions where any change is fleeting. Obviously I’m hoping it’s the former though

[@MegaLokopo]

How far do you think people bike in that traffic I mean parking lot?

[@jm-bv1wh]

Increased street traffic will be a nightmare to bikers/walkers. I just drove from Center City to NE Philly, and you don't want to be biking or walking near these. streets. Drivers are disregarding traffic lights and crosswalk signals. It is a mess!

[@engineerskalinera]

This type of collapse proves that yes, irrefutably, fuel does melt steel beams.

[@joshplaysdrums2143]

I would love an increase in frequency for the Trenton line. As the only public rail transport that connects Philly to Trenton Transit center, I really wish it was more frequent and had better scheduling. Its how I visit my family in Jersey and New York and wow does it suck.

[@LostieTrekieTechie]

They have added a couple trains per day, which isn't much but at the same time is pretty huge.

[@joshplaysdrums2143]

@@LostieTrekieTechie a win is a win! Let's hope they keep it up and don't take this away lol

[@TheScourge007]

This also happened in Atlanta in 2017, though in our case it was PVC pipe left stored under the bridge that got set on fire. Took 46 days to get repaired because state governments will move heaven and earth to get freeways fixed and damn the expense. Of course Atlanta also has a rail line alternative to get past the blocking point which helped (though I lived on the road that was primary detour route and the traffic was hell those weeks, thankfully I was able to work from home then). It was nice having people remember MARTA exists for a short bit. While I know this won't happen, I can't help but feel that a better result would actually be emergency extending of transit lines rather than rebuilding the bridge. Yes the transition costs would be much higher, but the end result would be better on multiple levels (efficiency, long term cost, air pollution, traffic deaths, etc).

[@thomaslgrice]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYeuYauYnLetZ5o #HowDoYouMARTA with Tom

[@sdeepj]

On the Jersey side, there’s NJ Transit’s River Line light rail service that connects Trenton and Camden. Once in Camden, you transfer at the Walter Rand Transit Center to the PATCO high speed line which will take you right into Center City.

[@UQRXD]

Second time this happened. A tire fire under 95 collapsed it before.

[@TheRuralUrbanist]

Damn, I guess we’re gonna need a bigger bridge… that will clearly prevent this next time.

[@sonjamikaela1277]

one more lane

[@TheRuralUrbanist]

@@sonjamikaela1277there’s the spirit😅

[@GBR9794]

@@TheRuralUrbanist XD and 10 meters taller bridge.

[@Paul_C]

No, no, no repair AND build a new interstate! GM needs the profit!

[@TheRuralUrbanist]

@@GBR9794 clearly the flames cannot reach us if we build it above where the flames end😛

[@GojiMet86]

......And this is why they should build the Roosevelt Boulevard subway up there. It would provide a great alternative for traffic. Imagine if this extension was up and running today.

[@marks5336]

The Northeast is already turning into a slum that would just speed things up.

[@KianaWolf]

I hope the driver is okay. I looked at news reports and so far it seems there haven't been any reported injuries, but there's not been any word on if the driver of the tanker was trapped in the blaze.

[@Been.Here.Since.2007]

Odd.

[@KianaWolf]

@@Been.Here.Since.2007 It does seem like an odd lack of information. My best guess is that maybe no one has been able to get to the wreck to check? I just don't want there to have been loss of life. The world has enough tragedy as is.

[@mattevans4377]

​@@KianaWolf Just keep watching and see what happens. If you never get that information, I suggest you start digging.

[@channingreganjr]

He died

[@mattevans4377]

@@channingreganjr I'd like some proof of that, if that's alright. Just wanting to make sure.

[@Ih8kone]

We need to increase train capacity on the Trenton Line.

[@IMRoberts30]

While equipment could be easily leased, train crews are harder to obtain. Usually train engineers need to be trained on the physical characteristics of the line. This process can take some time and it might not be easy for Septa to train additional crews on short notice.

[@namibjDerEchte]

In Germany they need to ride reverse-shotgun 4x during daylight and 2x during darkness (drive while supervised by proper driver) to get the solo license for that line/track. As they can multiply like this, it shouldn't take more than 2~3 days to get a 10x increase in trained drivers.

[@rearspeaker6364]

@@namibjDerEchte septa's ptc would get a workout if that happens.

[@namibjDerEchte]

@@rearspeaker6364 Might help that this assumes/requires being trained on the loco/{E,D}MUs which mostly subsumes the driver machine interface for the PTC system(s) in use. The experienced driver has to instruct about all relevant weirdnesses on that track which in this learning-by-doing/hands-on-training provides for sufficient familiarity with driving on that track afterwards. Is SEPTA's PTC don't exotic stuff, or what? Also this made me think that here in Germany we'd really need to have support for longer EMU "distributed power" configurations: 3~5 unit long rapid commuter (S-Bahn, e.g. the German "Baureihe"(≈model/type code) 1440) trains to squeeze out throughout/capacity at the expense of the tail or even both ends overhanging the platform and thus (having to) keep(ing) those platform-less doors shut. The overhang is already a thing at least when diversions to abnormal platforms happen in response to construction or having to reroute regional commuter trains because of e.g. a herde of cows escaping and wandering onto a mainline, with an effect like a medium-bad chemical tanker trying a kickflip on an interstate: traffic backed up from both directions to the blockade, with much of this traffic better off waiting for the immediate cleanup to conclude and the blockade to be lifted, and only true long distance traffic benefiting from e.g. passing the city on the other side/going the bypass route around the city instead of going straight through.

[@scpatl4now]

In Atlanta they repaired a mile on both sides of 85 in 43 days. This doesn't look nearly as bad as the collapse in Atlanta so maybe they can fix it sooner. Atlanta is as close as an apples to apples comparison as you will ever find (other than our fire was caused by GDOT storing flammable material under the freeway and a cold homeless man with a match). That stretch of road carried 1/4 of a million cars a day. Don't know what the stats are in the PHL section of 95

[@nobodynoone2500]

As a huge fan of driving, nobody should ever have to drive in or near a city, or from city to city.

[@Stone_624]

Man US Construction is terrible. I live in Japan, and this sort of event is literally a 72 hour fix. This road would be closed for about 3 days, 1000 people would make this emergency repair a top priority, And work would start IMMEDIATELY and run 24/7 until it's able to be reopened again, which would most probably be no more than 3 days for a small overpass bridge like this. PS : I LOVE the fact that you're using this to push public transportation and rail travel. This is desperately needed.

[@faheemabbas3965]

When a country is a business and not a country….

[@steffenjensen422]

Yeah, I also thought "how does this even happen?" I've never heard of anything like this happening in Germany and it sounds like it's sorta frequent in the US

[@jimbo1637]

This reminds me of the West Side Elevated Highway in New York. It also randomly collapsed one day and thankfully the city had the good sense to not replace it!

[@linksauce_1]

Thank God Moses was out of power at that time

[@bellairefondren7389]

@@linksauce_1 Moses hilariously offered his own proposals on how to replace the West Side Highway. But he was old news by then.

[@coolboss999]

Please inform me more about this? This is news to me 🤔

[@jimbo1637]

@@coolboss999 long story short, there used to be an elevated highway that ran along the west side of Manhattan from 72nd street all the way down to the Battery Tunnel. One day in 1973, an overweight truck drove across the highway, causing a section of it to collapse. The city immediately closed the rest of the highway due to safety concerns and eventually ended up tearing it down, never to be replaced. When the highway was closed, people predicted carmageddon, but it didn't actually happen. Traffic on the west side of Manhattan got marginally worse for a few weeks and then returned to normal. I think this is the best example of urban freeway removal as it shows that even a worst-case scenario where a highway is completely taken out of service overnight with no plan or prior notice doesn't produce the traffic that highway advocate claim it will.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

This is a bit different. The biggest difference is the fact I95 is a major interstate corridor while the West Side Highway only served as yet another way to get into Manhattan (and a pretty useless one at that)

[@Nick-kz6dg]

In the almost month-long closure between the Alaskan Way Viaduct closing and the replacement tunnel opening, traffic decreased and there were no chaotic jams. Just something to think about…

[@marks5336]

Philadelphia population is about three times as many as all of Alaska.

[@peskypigeonx]

@@marks5336 I see the dumb stuff you’re saying in your history, but I have to say that the viaduct is in Seattle… not Alaska

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

@@marks5336 He means Seattle. Point still stands because Philadelphia is still way bigger than Seattle

[@a-r]

@@marks5336 The viaduct is in Seattle, but the point is that traffic congestion can be decreased through "reduced demand" (e.g. less car lanes). Everyone knows cars are inefficient in the form of mass transit, which is why we get traffic jams, so cities should invest in better options for common routes.

[@Zach_Bloomquist]

Excellent presentation. You are right about the pathetic lack of rail transit service in the US caused by deliberate govt policy to get rid of anything that wasn't car or air based.

[@soaringstars314]

Even if you abandoned transit. It's will always be there for you if your car breaks down 💙

[@paulne1514]

Open the southbound exit ramp, straight to southbound entrance ramp to commercial vehicles only. As the repair crews will also be using the intersection where the northbound exit crosses the southbound entrance. All non-commercial vehicles would have to turn right. At times, the commercial trucks would have to wait for emergency crews to clear the intersection, but it’s better than having them try to get through city streets.

[@jonathanstensberg]

+1 for the Newtown Line. Sadly, the NIMBYs will forever prevent the restoration from Fox Chase, but Newtown can easily be grafted into the West Trenton Line or even the Warminster Line with about 2 miles of track parallel to the NS Trenton Cutoff. Also while we’re at it, how about a couple more stops on the end of the Warminster line, perhaps at Bristol Rd and Almhouse Rd.

[@andrewpoderis8548]

What about trail users ??!

[@CodeScrubber]

@@darekm6859 I had the Warminster Line in my backyard for 20 years, I have since moved. It boosted the property value because of the added privacy. Seriously. No effect at all.

[@CodeScrubber]

The NIMBY's will probably be worse at the Newtown end of the line, and there is no way the Pitcairn family is going to allow the Newtown branch restored thru their estates in Bryn Athn. +3 for the Warminster line extension: The tracks are still there and (barely) active. The property around the right of way is mostly industrial. The route is more between the Doylestown and West Trenton lines, a better location

[@Ih8kone]

​@@CodeScrubberAt the end of the day, the NIMBYs have no say in it.

[@TomH2681]

"What happens now?" Meanwhile in Japan: "What do you mean? It's already fixed."

[@ianhomerpura8937]

The sinkhole in Fukuoka and the damaged highways in Sendai were fixed within a week. In just ten days, the railways in the tsunami-hit towns were up and running again.

[@Charles-um5hd]

The structural steel support beams used in the twin towers had heat resistant foam covering them but it got blown off from the explosions of the jets hitting the buildings exposing the steel to the 1000 degree heat the fires from the burning jet fuel but in the case of highway overpasses usually the steel support beams underneath the concrete road deck are normally exposed.

[@andrewolson2227]

You should’ve been on their morning news channel telling them and reminding them of their rail options.

[@cocoaiscool2709]

I guess we need “✨One more lane✨”

[@JuanWayTrips]

If Los Angeles could build/extend a Metrolink line within a week when a highway bridge collapsed during the Northridge Earthquake, then this should be nothing for Philly/SEPTA! I mean, if LA could do it...

[@coolboss999]

This happened?

[@gwety4496]

@@coolboss999 he said “if”

[@JuanWayTrips]

@@coolboss999 Yup! Maybe it was 2 weeks after the earthquake, but it was pretty immediate. Metrolink was extended through the mountains up to the Antelope Valley immediately after the Northridge Earthquake because the highways connecting it to the rest of LA collapsed. It was a planned extension, but it was accelerated (by a lot!) after the earthquake so that commuters could at least take the train into LA. The line is still operating.

[@cheef825]

​@@coolboss999 yea and perhaps more shocking they didn't close it after the freeway got fixed, you can still ride it today

[@coolboss999]

Good for LA! Idk LA was capable of something like this. It would be a miracle tho if they someone decide to remove part of the freeway as a result.

[@NSHammerhead]

"You can't restore the Newtown Line, we just built a shiny, new Rail-Trail"

[@interstellarphred]

Watch how fast this gets returned to service. if it was a railway, it would be studied, reviewed and studied again, then have the funding cancelled to widen a road.

[@eaglescout205]

The Blue route is going to be packed for anyone going through Philly as a bypass. I think I also saw some closures on 130 near Betsy Ross on NJ side. Heres hoping whatever is done (mote transit or road repair) it will complete before the 42-295 interchange.

[@harveylong5878]

the blue route is a parking lot as it is anyway. now the crybabies in Marple Newton can really choke on the fumes they bitched about ruining their quality of life 30+ years ago

[@TheRailwayDrone]

THANK YOU for this video. It's all about redundancy and choice. People need to get the idea out their heads that trains are trying to take over cars.

[@rrotwang]

The exact same thing happened in California They offered the contractors 10000 for everyday day ahead of schedule It was done in a month

[@alyaxly339]

imagine if the interstate system was a giant commuter/metro system

[@rearspeaker6364]

that would be too easy.

[@RealGracefulGoose]

​@@darekm6859busses and trams.

[@TheJchulce]

3:10 unfortunately Amtrak isn't in much of a position to help either. They have major equipment and personnel shortages of their own. All over the country, Amtrak trains are running with much less rolling stock than they're supposed to. Missing coaches, sleepers, and dining cars are plaguing lines coast to coast.

[@jest0riz0r]

Something similar happened in Hamburg, Germany a while ago when a truck caught fire under a rail bridge. Luckily that bridge didn't collapse, but it was severely damaged.

[@Sammie1053]

Oh hell yes, it's like this video was made for me specifically I recently relocated to Bucks County after getting a job in Trenton. I-95 is thankfully not part of my commute but it is a part of my weekend recreation - I actually got drinks with a friend in Manayunk this past Saturday and drove home, down 95, at 12 AM Sunday, almost exactly seven hours before the collapse. Didn't know at the time that it would be the last opportunity for several months for me to _drive_ to visit my friend. In a fun coincidence, I was actually telling him about this channel (and its constant advocacy for the Broad Street extension) while we were walking around looking for a good bar! We got on the topic when I started ranting about how much I fucking hate driving on the Boulevard and would rather stick nails in my feet; it's now my only option to drive to him other than a long-ass detour on 276. However, compared to most I'm incredibly lucky transit wise. I'm literally down the street from a stop on the West Trenton line and a ten minute drive or less from a stop on the Trenton Line/NEC. Turns out I can get to my friend's place almost entirely by rail with under a mile of walking on each end. Given that we usually meet up to drink, I probably should've just been doing that this whole time. Wouldn't have had to moderate my intake as much, lol

[@d00dEEE]

I'm waiting for this to happen on the opposite coast. Look at I-5 as it passes through south Orange County into San Diego county, where there are no surface routes at all. Also note that the rail lines are closed right now, due to landslides along the tracks in San Clemente, so there's no fallback system in place (in fact, buses on I-5 are the fallback for the Amtrak closure!).

[@ianhomerpura8937]

It already happened back in 1994, when CalTrans extended Metrolink to serve more areas when the freeways collapsed during the Northridge quake. It was done within a week.

[@bonecanoe86]

My family lives in Newtown and my Dad is receiving cancer treatments at Penn. My mom & dad take the train whenever they can (and as seniors they can ride for free), but sometimes they have to be there so early that the trains don't run yet and they have to drive down 95. My mom hates the drive under normal circumstances but the prospect of having to drive on Roosevelt Blvd is especially unpleasant.

[@frafraplanner9277]

It's a major problem that transit usually doesn't start that early in the morning or continue that late at night, or when it does, the frequency is severely reduced

[@Poltard]

The intro is just americas anime theme. (Clearly true and factual.)

[@TheNodrokov]

I really appreciate that you made an effort to remember the real human cost involved in this accident and took an attitude of presenting better transit alternatives as a solution to help alleviate that, instead of just going "lol car infrastructure sucks get rekt carheads" as many in the anti-car/new urbanist community seem wont to do

[@williamlloyd3769]

Issue a contract similar to the one used to demolish and replace earthquake damaged freeway in Santa Monica, CA. Contract gave a huge incentive to fix freeway by set date or face daily penalties or rewards if finished early. Freeway was re opened early and below budget. Same type of contract was used to fix the damaged Oakland freeway flyover that was mentioned in the video. PS - Northridge earthquake damaged the 5 freeway and Metrorail did land sale business until freeway interchange was replaced.

[@mcsomeone2681]

This happened on westbound I-40 in Amarillo tx as well, unfortunately we had no good transit to make up for the delay. We used to have the rock island rail line but bnsf scrapped almost the entire line in the 70's

[@konjfful2963]

my girlfriends car recently died, no idea what happened. Now she wants to move somewhere cars are the least favored method of transportation. I also hate cars with a burning passion, so Im all for it.

[@ny2phillyholloway592]

Great video!!! Loving the action news opener. May they take heed of your advice.🙄🛣

[@missinglink4751]

When you mentioned that the US has fewer passenger rail lines now than the past, it reminded me of a story my dad told me. I live in a very rural part of the US. Lots of small towns of 20,000 or fewer people. My dad told me that my great uncle would take a train from our home town to the nearest city to go to work each morning and then take the same line back each evening. He did this every day until he bought a car in the 1960s. He started this in the 1940s. He was able to commute via rail EIGHTY YEARS AGO and we can't even do that today. We had not just one, but SIX lines in our podunk little town. The railroad itself still exists. The stations still exist but they've been repurposed. The ride time on rail was slightly faster than by car, too. There's no reason we can't do that today. We have a taxi service that's publicly ran, and they make plenty of money by driving people to the city (mostly elderly going to appointments). Profitability be damned; it was a major asset that paid for itself just by getting people to and from work. To make everything worse, traffic on the state route has gotten so bad that there's been talks of widening the road. Just one more lane!!!

[@ross2k220]

I never heard of this, but it's going to help me on my daily commute! Much love from washington state

[@darkwing.17]

A collapse like this on the I-5 in LA would paralyze traffic more than Philly. Philly has better mass transit coverage than LA.

[@ianhomerpura8937]

it actually happened back in 1994. as a result, the Ventura and Antelope lines were extended within a few days of the earthquake.

[@catylynch7909]

Thank you. This was an interesting look at the problem, and possible solutions. I live on the west coast, so I'm not familiar with I-95. In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake shook the Bay Area with incredible force. On the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which is a dual span ... eastbound traffic on the lower deck, westbound traffic on the upper ... a 50 ft. section of the upper deck fell onto the lower. The bridge was closed for a month, while repairs/reinforcements were made. Colleagues who commuted to Oakland, and beyond, had to use the Golden Gate Bridge, drive north for some miles, and cross the Bay from San Rafael, to the Oakland "side," and drive south to their destinations from there. It was a very difficult time for them. My best thoughts are with the people of the Philadelphia area, and the engineers who have a big job ahead of them

[@scottweisel3640]

Happened several years ago in the Harrisburg area too. Fuel oil tanker caught fire and the heat took out an overpass.

[@vincenthuying98]

Dear Alan, this collapse could definitely lead to something beautiful. Great episode, love the different suggestions. Cheerio

[@petelobl]

if in NJ, drive to a PATCO or take River line to it - it’s a nice ride into CC.

[@TurtleSauceGaming]

I've actually riden both the trenton and west trenton line into old city. I personally prefer the West Trenton, as I'm going to old city and it stops at Jefferson first. But coming from NB and the NE corridor line once, i had to take the trenton line. Was very surprised when it decided to go through North Philly and around to 30th station first.

[@dougjardine8545]

ViaRail Canada has a growing stock of surplus stainless steel Budd cars and LRCs suitable for both high-and low-level boarding. Perhaps they could lend a few to SEPTA to tack onto existing scheduled services?

[@dougjardine8545]

The Budd cars are 70 years old, but they were built to LAST and have been refurbished to a comfy standard. They're only just coming out of service as they are being replaced by newly-built Siemens trainsets.

[@amberdent651]

Lord have mercy I think the entire state of Indiana would be SOL if something like this took out any of the main interstate arteries running through downtown Indianapolis. They had to close I-65 to fix it (they haven't done anything to it since it was built in '69 and it was getting dicey) and it made downtown almost unnavigable.

[@euroschmau]

The problem with the Newtown line is that it has been torn up and converted into a (very pleasant) trail. I'm unsure who owns it now, but much of the former SEPTA land is under private ownership now, too. To rebuild the line will be like adding an entirely new line. The BSL extension would be a better investment, in my opinion, but extend it all the way to Neshamity and connect it with the WTR.

[@Ih8kone]

That is actually incorrect. The entire Newtown Branch right-of-way is still owned entirely by SEPTA and is least to Montgomery and Bucks Counties.

[@de-fault_de-fault]

Been waiting for this take from the minute I heard about the bridge collapse. Meanwhile, 30th Street upper level with Amtrak trains it it looks even more like Newark Penn than usual.

[@GriffenDoesIt]

Honestly, good on you for getting your two cents in while the topics hot, especially as someone with lots of local knowledge

[@IN-tm8mw]

I love talking topics about infrastructure, community and city planning. Great Video.

[@BGRANT777X]

My brain has been so damaged by the world that when I saw this my first reaction was how are the conspiracy guys going to frame this event.

[@sonicboy678]

I definitely can't blame you.

[@zew1368]

I went to make a joke about this being the government trying to force 15 minute cities when I saw the first TikTok about it. Unfortunately, the real theorists beat me to it.

[@louispetitjean1652]

Ok, but also, for the love of god, could they possibly connected NJ transit's NE corridor to septa so that you don't have to change at trenton? srsly

[@grahamturner2640]

I think there’s a non-compete clause that prevents transit agencies from getting federal funding for routes that compete with Amtrak routes, and the Northeast Corridor is Amtrak’s only profitable route.

[@louispetitjean1652]

@@grahamturner2640 nj transit goes to nyc tho?

[@dtvjho]

I drove this interstate for 2 years on my daily commute between 1988 and 1990. The fallen overpass is over an off-ramp from northbound 95 to Cottman Ave (PA state road 73). This overpass used to be a 3x3 and was heavily congested during both rush hours, and was widened to 4x4 within the past few years. Most Philadelphians know the alternate routes, mainly to switch to the Boulevard, and put up with all the lights on it.

[@cyclicmusings2661]

I heard about the I-95 collapse in Philly on the news yesterday and commented in your previous video on car free living, how you're going to make a video about it, and sure enough, you deliver.

[@timolson4809]

What would be your opinion about moving the Mfl gauge to standard for its whole route? I know this is a somewhat expensive project that the average person wouldn’t care about, but it would make so much sense to have one set of rolling stock for the whole system instead of 2 that rarely interact. Like you could extend it along the same tracks as the boulevard extension past bustleton.

[@dukeonwheels]

I hope this gets the Federal Rail Administration’s attention. The Northeast Corridor is sorely in need of an overhaul and expansion. The new Avelia Acela trains STILL aren’t in service two years after they were projected to because of old, decrepit infrastructure still stuck in the 70s. This is a great opportunity to show lawmakers that we need to improve public transit. Update existing rail lines so that the new trains can actually travel as fast as advertised and shorten travel time. Build new high speed lines. Electrify existing lines. If lawmakers are really serious about reducing the carbon footprint and congestion, electrified rail is the way to go.

[@deinemudda1049]

My town with a population of 7000 has one country road passing west east, with a branch starting in the center going North. Once there was a stupid ev broken down right in the western exit, blocking traffic. Now you gotta know, it's in Germany, so rules are stricter: for cars, these 3 roads are the only way to exit the town and nothing else is available. I felt like investigating how bad this could be, so I hopped on my bike and rode along the 2 opposite ways and damn, despite being no longer than a mile, people were waiting for 2 hours... . Forgot to add, those are simple 2 lane roads and on the "accident site" you can still pass the broken bloke, once oncoming traffic let's you do so.

[@kirklinguinihoodinithecubo8525]

I didn't know I'd find a video about someone giving really good information and tips due to a bridge falling. I live more north west of Philadelphia, so this may not be entirely helpful, but still nice to find a video about a guy wanting to help everyone out.

[@iamsandrewsmith]

Greetings from Pittsburgh -- the other Pennsylvania capital of falling bridges.

[@JustaGuy_Gaming]

The crazy thing is people always go on about how public transit doesn't make a profit. Yet that high way and the roads all cars drive on don't even remotely make a profit either. That said a lot of businesses along that highway are probably going to see hard times while they wait for it to be repaired. On top of the massive tax hikes to pay for it.

[@Orange_Juse]

You gotta add when I95 caught fire in New London this May

[@kartos.]

As someone from Philly but now living in LA, the montage was a wild flood of memories

[@Josukegaming]

Hope everyone near the collapse was okay, but this is a huge W for urbanists to hopefully push for better transit

[@buckstarchaser2376]

Big oof. I'm left with the impression that it is not always so sunny in Philadelphia after all. Several of those clips showed a rather dreary, overcast situation.

[@the.abhiram.r]

i was waiting for this video

[@EnderKiller225]

This happened to I-85 in Atlanta a number of years ago. Fire started under the bridge and it gave way a bit later

[@JohnFromAccounting]

So how will the repairs turn a profit? After all, everything must be profit driven, right?

[@TC-cd5sm]

You can thank American motor companies for buying out cash strapped public systems in the 40s-60s and then closing it's service to spur demand for private automobiles. This is why we're so car dependent. The chicken has now come home to roost.

[@MrIansmitchell]

Dude, every other country got not behind the iron curtain got rid of their mixed traffic street cars too, it’s not about the American motor companies. I promise.

[@zew1368]

@@MrIansmitchell American automotive companies did do this though. Some lines they replaced with their own busses, others they just got rid of all together.

[@Maelstromme]

@@MrIansmitchell America has less checks and balances against corporate abuse of power, so I'm not surprised we're run so badly because of it

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

I think you could get rid of I95 through Philly but it would require a massive upgrade of the NJ Turnpike south of Trenton to the current 12 lane configuration north of Trenton (outer three lanes for trucks inner 3 lanes for cars)

[@boltstrike2787]

There's a lot of people that have business in Philly, so I don't think getting rid of it is beneficial. And most that don't will just use the Turnpike or 295 anyway. I do think NJDOT can do some things to help alleviate I-95 though, particularly a few interchanges. For example, I-76 might make a good detour for a situation like this... but there's no easy way to get from 76 to the Turnpike because you have to use local roads. Building an interchange between NJ 42 (which 76 becomes past 295) and the Turnpike would be a huge help with that though. Possibly also an interchange between 295 and the PA Turnpike in Florence NJ as well (not to be confused with the interchange in Bristol, PA which was built in 2018 to close the gap on 95)?

[@davik9003]

I was waiting for this video as soon as I saw this happen.