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SEPTA Wissahickon Transportation Center

Arora Engineers (Arora), serving as a subconsultant to McCormick Taylor, provided Electrical and Fire Life Safety & Fire Protection Engineering Design services for new Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Wissahickon Transportation Center. The new Wissahickon Transportation Center is located at 5000 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia PA, adjacent to the existing SEPTA facility.

The $45 million transportation center is crucial to SEPTA’s success, if not its survival, in a post-COVID world. To ensure that all the buses have enough room to easily maneuver, SEPTA purchased a four-acre site. The new facility has two parts: a waiting area along Ridge Avenue and a three-sided depot lined with bus bays. This will make it easy for commuters to get off one bus and walk quickly to the next.

SEPTA will also be able to run more buses, increasing its service on the 10 routes by 20%. The extra capacity will also allow SEPTA to enhance express bus service on Roosevelt Boulevard. Together, those measures could cut commuting times significantly. Construction is expected to be complete in 2025.

SCOPE OF SERVICES INCLUDED:

Arora provided the following scope of design services:

Electrical:  Arora anticipated that the incoming service to the site is salvageable and that the upgrade to the electrical system would include power distribution, convenience receptacles, and lighting for both the building interior and exterior. Site lighting was designed by the civil engineer and Arora provided circuiting for it within the building. Arora anticipated LED lighting technology were to be used throughout to reduce maintenance and energy usage.

Fire Alarm: Arora provided the conceptual designs for the Fire Alarm and Detection system that will consist of a control panel, annunciators, wire, and conduit. Arora did a layout of all devices including smoke detectors, pull stations, monitor and relay modules, horn, and strobes.

Fire Protection: Arora provided conceptual designs for the Fire Sprinkler system including diagrammatic piping layouts incoming fire service, head end equipment and connectivity to the Fire Alarm System.

Arora also attended project meetings to coordinate procedures, technical approach, review designs, and one site survey. The Design Team conducted on-site surveys of existing Electrical, Fire Protection and Special System conditions. The scheduled facility visit was coordinated in advance so that operations were not affected.

Renderings Courtesy of SEPTA

  • SEPTA Wissahickon
  • SEPTA Wissahickon
  • SEPTA Wissahickon
Owner

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)

Location

Philadelphia, PA