Berks County is on the verge of new economic growth.
Residents of Berks should take a moment to recognize the strong bipartisan leadership being demonstrated by county commissioners Christian Leinbach, Michael Rivera and Dante Santoni Jr. along with Reading Mayor Eddie Moran and City Council. Their unified support for restoring passenger rail service between Reading and Philadelphia through the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority represents the kind of practical, forward-looking cooperation our region needs.
Restoring rail service would deliver meaningful benefits for Berks and the entire Schuylkill Valley corridor. Reliable passenger rail would significantly improve our region’s economy and provide residents with a safe and convenient alternative to increasingly congested highways and reduce travel times to major employment centers. It would strengthen our region’s connection to the broader southeastern Pennsylvania economy, making Berks more attractive for investment, tourism, and workforce development.
Just as important, the project would reconnect communities that historically relied on rail service, reduce emissions and support smarter, more sustainable transportation. This is essential for economic growth in this new digital world.
Federal support will be essential to making this long-discussed project a reality. That requires reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act with rail funding. I encourage readers who believe in the future of our region to contact their members of Congress and express support for reauthorization of the law including funding for passenger rail restoration between Reading and Philadelphia.
Local leaders are showing the way. Now local businesses and the public should help carry the effort forward.
Jay Sidhu
Executive Chair, Customers Bancorp, Inc.