SEPTA moves ahead on capital projects

Oct. 15

By Anthony Campisi
For PlanPhilly

SEPTA’s administration and operations committees approved several contracts for capital projects and the City Hall construction project at their Oct. 15 meeting.


The administration committee approved nearly $12.7 million to Gannett Fleming Transit and Rail Systems for architectural and engineering work for SEPTA’s positive train control project.


The PTC project was mandated by the federal government in the wake of the summer’s Washington Metro crash, which left 9 dead.


SEPTA is required to have the system completed by Dec. 31, 2015, and the authority estimates the total cost of installing the system will be $100 million.


After committee members complained that the PTC requirement amounted to an unfunded federal mandate — no federal money has been allocated to assist transit agencies in installing the systems — general manager Joe Casey said that the American Public Transportation Association, an industry group, is lobbying Congress to set aside money in the upcoming transportation reauthorization bill for the project.

City Hall / Dilworth renovation
BLT Architects will be receiving an additional $2 million for its design services on the City Hall reconstruction project, bringing the total cost of its contract to about $8.5 million.


The work will focus on a segment of the station affected by planned construction at Dilworth Plaza and includes the connection between the Market-Frankford El and the Broad Street Line. 


Because the City Hall project is estimated to cost about $100 million, the authority has decided to renovate the station in phases, according to Andy Abdallah, director of contract administration.


The project was postponed during the El reconstruction because of its high cost and could be delayed again if SEPTA loses its projected funding from Act 44, Abdallah added.


SEPTA also announced two contracts, totaling $3.5 million each, to HNTB Corp. and Gannett Fleming Inc. for architectural and engineering services and engineering consulting services for power projects and work on SEPTA rights of way.


Other contracts the committees discussed include:

1. A $1.8 million contract to Vossioh Track Material Inc. for rail projects.

2. A reduction in $144,000 to Jacobs Civil Inc. for its work on the El reconstruction project. The reduction takes into account unused money and moves art-in-transit funds to another contractor.

3. An increase in $155,000 to an art-in-transit contract to Parsons Consulting Group Inc. for work on the Margaret-Orthodox station renovation. The contract will total about $3.3 million.

4. A $140,700 contract to INFOR Global Solutions, for supply and installation of an upgrade to the authority’s service call software program.

5. An additional $199,462 to Cobbs Creek Constructors for additional construction work on the El. The company’s contract will now total about $98.5 million.

6. A $100,000 increase in a contract to Payload Disposal Inc. for trash compactor services at Suburban Station. The contract now totals $625,000 and is being extended one year.

Contact the reporter at campisi.anthony@gmail.com

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal