Train and Transit Service Improvement | Newark Delaware Sustainability Initiative

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Train and Transit Service Improvement:

Last updated: Sep. 27, 2010

A SEPTA train at the Newark Station

Map of SEPTA and MARC Train Service near Newark, Delaware

Newark, Delaware is currently served by three public transit agencies or services: AMTRAK, SEPTA, and DART First State. AMTRAK is a national passenger rail system. Although Newark is on AMTRAK's busiest line, the Northeast Regional, only one train a day stops in Newark in each direction. These trains provide rapid travel to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., and New York. SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority), provides several trains both to and from Newark, during rush-hour only, which travel to Wilmington and continue to Philadelphia. DART First State, a Delaware-wide bus system, has a number of bus routes which service Newark regularly throughout the day.

The Goals of this Initiative:

This is a long-term and open-ended initiative. Some of the goals are more ambitious than others, and some will be more easily achieved than others. The goals are:

Improve the frequency of SEPTA train service to Newark, particularly, adding trains returing later in the evening to allow after-dinner return trips to Newark, and adding weekend service.
Improve the frequency of AMTRAK train service to Newark, particularly, increasing the number of trains per day stopping in Newark, with an eye towards making AMTRAK usable for commuting or day-trips to Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York, and Washington D.C.
Extend SEPTA or MARC (Maryland's local train system) so that the SEPTA and MARC systems connect, either in Newark or in another nearby city, allowing travel to Baltimore on the more affordable local train systems, and creating commuter rail service in North East, MD and Elkton, MD.
Increase visibility of currently available transit options so that Newark residents and University of Delaware students better utilize their existing options.

Why?

Demand is already increasing: The University of Delaware is already seeking to build transit-oriented development around Newark's train station, which will increase demand for rail service. UD, in response to increasing pressure to build on more of its space, has been scaling back on-campus parking and making it more difficult for students to use cars on campus; better rail service will make it easier for students to travel without cars. Increasing economic pressure has also made it more difficult for students to own cars and for families to own additional cars.

Transit makes efficient use of resources: Better transit can reduce the need for Newark residents to own and use cars, which can save money and reduce both their cost of living and environmental impact. Having fewer cars on the road reduces traffic and makes life easier for those who do drive, and also reduces the need for road building and expansion as the city grows. Even people who rarely or never ride transit still benefit from the reduced traffic.

Making Newark more accessible by rail can stimulate the local economy: As commercial areas appear around the train station and as rail service becomes more regular, Newark can become a destination for rail travel, drawing in people from nearby towns for shopping and events.