SEPTA wraps up two major station projects, names Sauer assistant GM

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) late last week marked completion of a $31.5 million reconstruction project at the Wayne Junction Station.

Located near the border of Germantown, Pa., the Wayne Junction Station has been a regionally significant transportation hub since it was opened by Reading Railroad in 1881, SEPTA officials said in a press release.

The project to revitalize the antiquated facility had been deferred due to funding constraints, but a $4 million Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Livability Grant awarded in 2011 served as the catalyst for SEPTA to advance the initiative, agency officials said.

"We have great partnerships at the federal, state and local levels that enabled this project to be a success," said SEPTA Chair Pasquale Deon Sr. "Efforts like these support key parts of our transit infrastructure, and are crucial to sustaining and growing economic development in the greater Philadelphia region and throughout the commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

The station serves more than 321,000 riders on an annual basis.

Meanwhile, SEPTA yesterday opened the Regional Rail 9th Street Station in Lansdale, Pa., marking the agency's first new railroad station in almost two decades.

The new station represents a public-private partnership between the agency, Lansdale Borough, Lansdale Parking Authority and Stoltz Real Estate Partners, SEPTA officials said.

The new station features 78 permanent spaces and 125 temporary ones.

Additionally, all trains operating between Lansdale and Doylestown Stations will stop at the new 9th Street Station.

At the same time, SEPTA also promoted Scott Sauer to assistant general manager of system safety. The agency's chief officer of system safety since 2013, Sauer will continue to report directly to General Manager Jeffrey Knueppel.

Throughout his 25-year career at the agency, Sauer served as a trolley, bus and Market-Frankford Line operator, as well as a transportation manager. In addition to his responsibilities at SEPTA, Sauer has been active with Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI).

During his 10-year stint as a member of SEPTA's System Safety team, Sauer has worked to expand the agency's safety education programs through OLI presentations and by spearheading the annual system-wide Safety Awareness Day.

He's also worked to increase the number of community programs provided by SEPTA safety officers, agency officials said.