A station rehabilitation usually brightens the faces of our customers. Oregon Station along the Broad Street Line in South Philadelphia recently received a modernization from an ambitious team of construction and design planners at SEPTA. The approximately $4 million project included updates to the station plazas, entrances and platform waiting area. An active community helped shape the exterior aesthetics of the station property during construction.
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Brand new stainless steel "roto" gates were installed (right).
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Two buildings sit atop the subway tunnel at the intersection of Broad Street and Oregon Avenue. Located at the southeast corner of the intersection, the first building is the station entrance and features a cashier booth; fare turnstiles; and an escalator or ADA-accessible elevator providing platform access. A second building on the northeast corner of Broad Street is unmanned and remains exit only, prompting the customer safety decision to remove the escalator when third-party contractors installed the main elevator prior to this modernization. Together, the buildings are more commonly referred to as headhouses.
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The shiny new stainless steel finish throughout the station.
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Flooring throughout each headhouse was resurfaced with new Terrazzo. Granite tile lines the exterior walls, patterned to form the SEPTA logo on select sides. Solid glass blocks have been integrated into station walls, deterring vandalism around window openings. Any Plexiglas or damaged window panels were removed and replaced with new glass inserts. Updated directional signs were posted throughout the station and a new cashier booth can accommodate members of the disabled community.
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Granite tile patterned to the SEPTA logo (right) and
decorative glass block (left) was installed to deter vandalism.
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Descending to platform level, customers are greeted to a brighter platform area resulting from increased lighting. Shiny new stainless steel column covers, wall cladding, benches and trash cans line the platform area. Station walls are covered in composite colored panels. The platform floor height was increased to match the height of the subway cars, making boarding the subway easier.
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New signs and composite colored panels surround the platform area.
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Exterior enhancements were completed with the help of CLIP, the Community Life Improvement Project of Philadelphia. Members worked with SEPTA to detail the station plaza landscaping. As a result, concrete planters and benches decorate both plaza areas. The Fairmount Park Commission was consulted over the perimeter landscaping between the station plaza and Marconi Park.
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Community input helped determine the landscaping
around Marconi Park and the station plazas.
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Oregon Station provides connections to SEPTA surface bus routes 7, 23, 68 and C. Recreating this vital transit link in South Philadelphia into a modern and welcoming environment helps promote the use of public transit in around the City of Philadelphia and the five county area SEPTA serves.
