New Amtrak Plan Could Help Market East Suck Less

Does Amtrak’s plan to run a new high-speed bullet train straight through the heart of Philadelphia sound crazy? Maybe a little. But writer Eric Jaffe, writing for The Atlantic Cities, says it might help spur the renovation of the (ahem) gritty Market East shopping area—part of an overall plan that includes renovating The Gallery, reducing 10th Street traffic, encouraging more hotels, and generally transforming the neighborhood into “Times Square Lite.” But the critical piece is shifting the city’s main rail hub from 30th Street Station to Market East. “Those are lofty goals for a district that’s been down so long,” Jaffe writes. “But what makes this particular plan so viable is that it improves on what Market East already offers, rather than trying to overhaul the entire district from scratch.” [The Atlantic Cities]