SEPTA has scheduled three public hearings on the King of Prussia Rail Project (KOP Rail), to be held November 13 and 15, 2017. Each session will include an open house and presentation that will offer participants an opportunity to meet with the KOP Rail team; view a presentation on the plan for extending rail service to destinations in King of Prussia and Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County via SEPTA’s Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL); and submit comments, either privately or during the public hearing, on the recently published Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) and the Project’s recommended Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) route.
Sessions will be held on the following dates:
- Monday, November 13
1-4 pm (Public comment session: 2-4 p.m.) DoubleTree Hotel, Jefferson Ballroom
301 West DeKalb Pike, King of Prussia, PA 19406 - Monday, November 13
5-8 pm (Public comment session: 6-8 p.m.) DoubleTree Hotel, Jefferson Ballroom
301 West DeKalb Pike, King of Prussia, PA 19406 - Wednesday, November 15
5-8 pm (Public comment session: 6-8 p.m.) Norristown Municipal Building
235 E. Airy Street, Norristown, PA 19401
SEPTA and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) released the Draft EIS on October 13. The Draft EIS, which is available at www.kingofprussiarail.com, identifies alternatives and analyzes the effects the proposed project would have on the natural, cultural and socioeconomic environments.
During the public hearings, attendees are welcome to publicly or privately comment on the content of the Draft EIS. Individuals will be allotted two minutes to speak and those representing a group will be allotted three minutes. Sign-up sheets will be available at the public hearing registration tables. Please note there will be no responses to questions or comments from the project team during the public hearing.
The public can also submit comments on the Draft EIS in the following ways:
- Letters addressed to Ms. Liz Smith, SEPTA Project Manager, c/o McCormick Taylor, Inc. (ATTN: ECW), 2001 Market Street, 10th Floor, Philadelphia 19103
- Comment cards received at the public hearing or mailed to the address printed on the cards
- Emails received at info@kingofprussiarail.com
- Through the online comment form available at www.kingofprussiarail.com/comment.html
All methods of commenting receive equal consideration. Comments on the Draft EIS must be received by December 4, 2017, for inclusion in the public hearing record.
In addition to the public hearings, SEPTA has scheduled four KOP Rail public information sessions:
- Monday, November 6
4-7 pm, Dilworth Park
1 S 15th Street (West Side of City Hall) , Philadelphia 19102 - Thursday, November 9
4-7 pm, King of Prussia Mall Transportation Center King of Prussia Mall, King of Prussia, PA 19406 - Tuesday, November 14
4-7 pm, Upper Darby Municipal Building
100 Garrett Road, Upper Darby, PA 19082 - Wednesday, November 15
6-9 am, 69th Street Transportation Center
6901 Market Street, Upper Darby, PA 19082
The information sessions will provide the public with opportunities to learn more about the project and meet members of SEPTA’s project team at times and locations outside of the traditional public meeting venues.
For more information on KOP Rail, the Draft EIS, recommended LPA. Public hearings and information sessions, visit www.kingofprussiarail.com or follow on Twitter at @KOPRail. For existing NHSL service information, visit www.septa.org or contact SEPTA Customer Service at (215) 580-7800.