Station Review #93: Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center (AMTRAK/PART)


Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center, also known as Pottstown Transportation Center, is a bus center located in downtown Pottstown, PA. The station is served by Amtrak and PART buses.

History

Pottstown was originally a train station on the Reading Railroad's main line, with service between Pottsville and Philadelphia. The original station was built by the Pennsylvania and Reading in 1867, and was only torn down and rebuilt in 1928.  

Pottstown station saw service up until 1981, when SEPTA cut back service to Norristown due to a lack of funding for more diesel trains to run with their electric trains in more far flung areas. In 1984, the station building was added to the national register of historic places. 

At some point, the bus berths near the former train station started getting called Pottstown Transportation Center. Years later, the station was renamed to Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center, after Charles W. Dickinson, the founder of PART. By that point, the Pottstown District Court also moved into the old train station building.  

Services


Multiple buses stop at Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center, including every PART bus. All buses from PART start at Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center, and most are loops. 

Amtrak


Philadelphia - Reading Thruway: Intercity bus that runs from Philadelphia to Reading, this bus runs two round trips per day and stops in Pottstown. 

PART


Blue Line: to Philadelphia Premium Outlets - Pottstown (ironically in Limerick) via High Street.

Green Line: Loop route, serves South Pottstown, Coventry Mall, Stowe, and Upland Square.

Orange Line: to West End, Upland Square, Halfway House, Boyertown, and Gilbertsville.

Purple Line: to North End, Pottsgrove, Sanatoga, and Pottstown Hospital.

Yellow Line: Loop route, serves East and North ends. 

Tour


The transit center as a whole

Bench

A few of the shelters

That same shelter from another angle 

PART map and schedule 

The old rail platform

The old station building, now the local courthouse 

Bus Connections


You would not expect a bus only transit center to have bus connections that don't just go into the transit center, yet here we are. SEPTA runs the 93 bus, which goes between Montgomery County Community College - Pottstown campus and Norristown Transportation Center. The bus stops on the side of Pottstown Transportation Center rather than going inside of it. 

In the past, SEPTA ran the 99 all the way to Pottstown, but stopped in 1996. This service got replaced by the 139, before that got truncated to Limerick. 
 
Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center could easily be improved by a modification of the route 93 bus to actually stop in the transit center itself.

Points of Interest in Downtown Pottstown


There is a lot in Pottstown, this includes: 

• Multiple stores and restaurants: enough said
• High Street Terminal: similar to Reading Terminal in Philadelphia, but make it smaller
• Smith Family Plaza: a small park next to Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center
• Pottstown Riverside Park: a larger park along the Schuylkill River
• Memorial Park: A third park, this one along the Manatawny creek
• Pottsgrove Manor: A historical house that is also now a loval history museum
• Pottstown Library: a very old and nice library
• Montgomery County Community College • Pottstown Campus: Exactly what it says on the tin
• Three Cousins Diner: A real diner
• Argento's Pizza Pottstown: Local pizza place nearby, very good pizza, I recommend it. 

There's so much here that I wouldn't even be able to mention it all without feeling like I'm missing things. 

Statistics


Name: Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center/Pottstown Transportation Center 
Agency: Amtrak, PART
Line(s): Philadelphia - Reading Thruway bus, Green Line, Orange Line, Blue Line, Yellow Line, Purple Line
Locality: Downtown Pottstown
City/Township: Pottstown
County: Montgomery 
State: Pennsylvania 
Ridership: N/A

Amenity Checklist


Accessible: ✓
Bathrooms for employees: × (In Pottstown Courthouse)
Bus Departure/Arrival Info (signs that update/screens): ×
Clean Station: ✓
Easy to get around: ✓
Indoor Shelters: ×
Maps: ✓
Multiple entrances/exits: ✓
Near places people are: ✓
Seating: ✓
Shelters: ✓
Station In Good Condition: ✓
Something related to fares: ×
Ticket Offices: ×
TOD: ✓
Updated Signage: ×

Final Verdict: 6/10

Station Directory


--------Philadelphia County--------

30th Street

--------Montgomery County--------

Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center

--------Berks County--------

Reading Transportation Center



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