Major construction on the Market-Frankford subway line could inconvenience students and West Philadelphia residents trekking across the city this summer.
As part of a $567 million reconstruction of the El line begun in 2000, SEPTA has scheduled weekend shutdowns for several stations past 52nd Street this summer, tentatively beginning April 21 at 8 p.m. and possibly continuing through the fall, said Felipe Suarez, a spokesman for the transit agency.
Officials do not yet know exactly when these shutdowns will occur.
The construction plan includes renovations for six West Philadelphia stations from 46th Street to Millbourne Station on 66th, with new elevators, passenger waiting facilities and art installations in the works, Suarez said.
Suarez said the city is undertaking the construction project to address problems related to the aging structure of the El system, which was built in 1907.
"If we didn't do construction now, there's no telling what would happen or how safe [the El] would be," Suarez said.
The renovations have been scheduled to take place mostly in the summer to try to minimize the inconvenience to area residents and businesses, Suarez said.
He said that the city will provide counseling services to businesses affected by the construction.
But Penn City and Regional Planning professor Sidney Wong said that city may not be adequately compensating businesses for lost revenue.
"From a structural perspective, [the El] does need to be updated and modernized," he said, adding that "there must be better ways in which to mitigate the effects of construction."
Bereket Solomon, a manager at Dahlak, located at 4708 Baltimore Ave., said that his restaurant may already have experienced losses because of the ongoing renovations.
"When there's construction work, people who don't drive aren't going to come around and business goes down," he said.
College sophomore David Schiff, who travels into West Philadelphia several times a week, agreed that it may be area residents and not Penn students who are ultimately affected by the construction.
"It's the people who use it every day -- the commuters -- that are going to be hit," he said.
SEPTA officials, however, say the work will help commuters by alleviating traffic congestion in West Philadelphia.
The completion is scheduled for 2008, but Suarez cautioned that delays often occur.
SEPTA made similar El shutdowns due to the same construction project last summer, forcing travelers to use shuttle buses provided by the city to get to and from West Philadelphia.
People looking to go past 52nd Street during the shutdowns should transfer to a bus at the 40th Street station, Suarez said.
