Steinberg: Let’s make progress on riverfronts

Oct. 1

Commentary / Harris Steinberg
Things are starting to move along the Central Delaware – literally.

Just this week, the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) is holding hearings on transit alternatives for a light-rail line along the river. This puts the exciting possibility of creating a dense, urban, pedestrian-friendly extension of the city to the waterfront one step closer to reality. And it’s in line with the recommendations of the city’s 2007 Civic Vision for the Central Delaware, which calls for connecting future development along the riverfront with the public transit system in a comprehensive and forward-looking fashion.

At the same time, the city’s newly reconstituted waterfront agency, the Delaware River Waterfront Corp., is about to embark on an ambitious master-plan process for the seven miles of the Central Delaware riverfront from Oregon Avenue to Allegheny Avenue.

The master plan will build on the core civic values and principles that formed the foundation of the Civic Vision for the Central Delaware. The plan will turn the vision into an official working template for future public investment in infrastructure such as streets, parks, transit and the future of I-95.

These two efforts affirm the tremendous untapped potential of the Delaware riverfront and signal that city and regional leaders are serious about promoting growth along the river that is sustainable and transit-oriented.

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