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The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has designated the Darby Road Extension alternative as the preferred site for the proposed Paoli Intermodal Transportation Center.

The decision is a "critical first step" in the center's development, SEPTA officials said in a prepared statement. To be located in the heart of the Paoli Business District in Chester County, the transportation center will feature a fully accessible regional rail station that also will accommodate SEPTA buses, private shuttles, taxis, pedestrians and bicyclists.

The Darby Road Extension will require that the existing North Valley Road Bridge be demolished, Darby Road be extended across Lancaster Avenue over the track and a new bridge be constructed, agency officials said.

The extension was one of three options presented at an open house in October 2012. Public input was evaluated by Gannett Fleming, which then presented SEPTA with an alternative analysis report.

The chosen option "is a smart, community-based solution," said Michelle Kichline, chairman of the Tredyffrin Board of Supervisors.

The new center also will feature a multi-story parking structure. In addition, roadway, streetscape and track improvements are planned to enhance rail service and improve traffic flow in the area.

The existing Paoli Station, which serves about 1,300 riders daily, is located along SEPTA's Paoli/Thorndale Regional Rail Line and Amtrak's Philadelphia/Harrisburg Keystone Corridor.