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Delaware Valley Rail Passenger Vol 10 No 05
1972 - 1992 DVARP Twentieth Anniversary
1892 - 1992 Philadelphia Electric Streetcar Centennial
The
Delaware Valley
Rail Passenger
May 5, 1992
Vol. X, No. 5
Published by the Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers in the interest of continued, improved, and expanded rail service for the present and potential railroad and rail transit passengers of southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and nearby areas.
For more information about DVARP and good rail service, please contact us:
P.O. Box 7505,
Philadelphia, PA 19101
215-222-3373
President: Chuck Bode for other officers and committee chairs, see below
Inside The Delaware Valley Rail PassengerÉ
2, 10-14 RailWorks¨ Roundup.
The whole story, from Center City to Conshohocken to Chalfont.
Ridge Ave. schedule snafu
Travel tips and construction photos.
and Tom Borawski rides the last train to LansdaleÉ
3 SEPTA Operating Budget.
Hearings are underway, as budget documents promise big cuts in rail and transit service. Is there a better way?
6 On the Railroad Lines: Commuter rail and transit news.
7 SEPTA Board approves TWU contract, welcomes new City members.
8 Break up SEPTA? Matt Mitchell says no.
DVARP does Earth Week
9 Transit tidbits from New Jersey, Amtrak to reroute Montraler
15 Up and Down the Corridor. Transit contract deal in New York.
Meetings of Interest.
DVARP Telephone Directory
DVARP is a member-supported, all-volunteer organization. Committees and task forces have been established to deal with many specific passenger rail services and issues. If youÕd like to know more about any specific topic, please write to us at the above address, or call one of the people below.
215-222-3373 DVARP main number (answering machine on this line)
215-222-3373 Chuck Bode, President and Light Rail Committee
215-552-8873 Tom Borawski, Vice-President-Transportation
215-222-3373 Robert H. Machler, Vice President-Administration
215-386-2644 Sharon Shneyer, Vice President-Public Relations
215-782-8826 Mark Sanders, Treasurer
215-659-7736 John Pawson, Commuter RR Committee (6 to 9 pm, please)
215-885-7448 Matthew Mitchell, Transit Committee and Ninth St. Task Force
215-353-0930 Bob Bodan, Octoraro Task Force
RailWorks¨ Roundup
Business is now settling down to usual on the six SEPTA commuter rail lines shut down by the $354 million RailWorks reconstruction project. The dozens of SEPTA personnel who monitored service and dispensed advice to thousands of passengers have dwindled down to a brigade of retirees counting passengers on the Òcattle chuteÓ at Fern Rock and at the downtown subway stations.
Commuters have found new routes to and from their downtown destinations. Many have gone along with the plan, and are traveling by shuttle bus or subway train. Others have refused to accept the disruption, and have chosen to drive their car or to not travel at all. Overall, the first month of the shutdown has looked much like DVARP had predicted.
Ridership Reduction
DVARP passenger counts and parking surveys confirm that ridership on the six former Reading commuter rail routes now curtailed by SEPTAÕs RailWorks project is down by about the 27% figure predicted by DVARP. About 4900 passengers are traveling through the Fern Rock Transportation Center during the inbound morning rush, 4300 in the outbound afternoon peak. These figures are down about 35%, even accounting for the overall decline in RRD ridership in the past five years. Parking lot usage is down from 25 to 40 percent, but about 500 additional cars are parked in lots and streets near Chestnut Hill West stations. Parking surveys along the R7 Trenton line show that it has attracted few R3 commuters.
Peak Hour Overcrowding
DVARP also predicted serious overcrowding of the subway in the peak hours, and that has also come true, unfortunately. While in theory, the subway and its car fleet has the capacity to carry the additional peak-hour load, the practical element of RRD passengers arriving in bunches rather than in a smooth flow has caused problems. The theoretical capacity is also contingent on smooth and reliable train operation. Even a minor disruption in service causes overcrowding, with its ripple effect on running times and reliability causing further problems.
Recommendations for Riders
As crowding and delays persist on the Broad Street Subway, DVARP and SEPTA repeat the survival strategies mentioned here last month. Following them will make everybodyÕs trip easier:
1) When riding the subway, ride at the front of the train in the morning and the end of the train in the afternoon. The other end is especially crowded because it is closest to both the RRD trains at Fern Rock and to City Hall exit 6. When you get to the station, especially at Fern Rock or Olney, walk as far as you can towards the far end of the platform before the doors close. Seats are available at the head end most of the time!
2) Travel before 5:00 pm or after 5:30. The peak load of displaced commuters is condensed into this short time, causing much overcrowding. If your company offers Òflex-time,Ó try it. Another idea is to take a few minutes to do your shopping in Center City. Not only will you avoid subway crowds, youÕll also save yourself a car trip to the mall, saving your time and our environment.
3) Use alternate stations, especially Walnut-Locust.
4) Keep riding public transportation. Even though the rail shutdown was a mistake which is inconveniencing you, leaving the system only makes things worse for all of us.
Savvy commuters have coped with the difficulties and found seats most of the time by following DVARPÕs advice to board at Fern Rock or Walnut St., and ride at the south end of the trains, where crowding is least.
SEPTAÕs response to the difficulties has been shallow. A widely-distributed flyer pleaded for passengers to use local trains which are running with much extra capacity, instead of expresses.
The Transportation Workers Union, whose members operate the subway, weighed in with a plan to protect the year-round City Transit Division passengers by running some express trains only between Olney and City Hall. Analysis of that plan shows that the TWU should stick to everyday operational and labor matters. Starting trains at Olney would only isolate and exacerbate the peaks of ridership which are causing the overcrowding, while having trains omit the Walnut-Locust stop would discourage passengers from using that stop and instead add them to the hordes at City Hall.
The DVARP plan of limited through commuter rail service via a Conrail route to Center City would have eliminated the overcrowding problem by diverting the peak of ridership off the subway.
Ridge Ave. Follies
The scheduling problems on the Broad-Ridge Spur first reported by DVARP last month are much worse than initially apparent. Not only are there discrepancies between the published subway schedule and the schedules included in commuter timetables; neither of them correspond to the actual train times! SEPTAÕs only response in the five weeks since the snafu was uncovered has been to post small signs informing passengers of the error and urging them to allow an extra ten minutes travel time. We now understand that the Broad Street schedule is to be updated shortly, based on the first monthÕs results. No word yet whether public timetables will be reissued. Check with SEPTA customer service locations at 15th St. and 841 Chestnut.
The source of the larger problem was lack of communication between planners responsible for the RailWorks alternate service and Subway-Elevated staff responsible for actually operating the service and coordinating it with ongoing service to regular Broad Street passengers.
Planners had expected Ridge Avenue trains to be operated nonstop between Girard (the junction point of the spur line) and Erie (where the peak hour trains are reversed in an upper-level yard). Subway operators balked at the change, citing the needs of the many passengers using the local stations between Girard and Erie. The planning staff acquiesced to the operating staff, but the published information was not changed accordingly.
While the Ridge Ave. spur is an important relief to overcrowding at the City Hall-15th St. subway complex, and a convenience to passengers who no longer have direct service to Market East, SEPTA has done little to resolve the problem so that passengers can use the trains with confidence. ÑMDM
What the Passengers Say
ÒSEPTA should install ticket machines at the El stops at 11th, 15th and 30th Street. This would give some of us the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance. A passenger who uses the El to 30th Street has no such opportunity. Another thing, What good will the Fern Rock center be after RailWorks is finished? Most people will still use 15th Street to get to a ball game.Ó (R5 pass-enger-TB) [note: ticket machines are available at 8th, 11th, 13th, 15th, and 30th.]
ÒThe expresses should be true Fern Rock to City Hall trains. At Girard there was much pushing and shoving by a handful of people to get on the train-- even though a local was just arriving.Ó (R5 passenger -TB)
Refunds, Refunds
SEPTA announced a ÒTrial Service Guarantee ProgramÓ shortly after the shutdown began, but its initial implementation was far from smooth. Claim cards were not available until two days after the program was announced. Some cashiers and supervisors tried to quiz the passengers before giving out the cards, instead of allowing Revenue Department staff to process the claims and determine their validity. Cards are now readily available at RRD ticket offices and from most subway-elevated cashiers, but you must specifically ask for them.
Getting the cards is only the first difficulty in claiming a refund. Completing the card requires the passenger to know the exact times of departure and arrival, the scheduled times, and the train number. While good instructions are printed on the card, most passengers do not record the information for every trip they take, and recalling departure time may be problematic. Be sure to carry a card with you, and make a note on it at the first sign of a delay.
The first refund claims have been processed and refund vouchers mailed to passengers, but the problems have not ended there. One zone 2 passenger received a refund of only $1.00 instead of his $2.15 trip cost based on the SEPTA figure of 40 trips per month. Passengers are instructed to used the vouchers as credit towards purchase of their next pass, but many obtain their pass through their employers, in the SEPTA ÒComPassÓ program. Employers are not accepting the slips, and were not even told of the refund voucher program.
While implementation has not worked well, the guarantee program is producing a public relations benefit to SEPTA which will probably outweigh the cost of refunds. It makes the altogether too rare statement that SEPTA has confidence in its service, and boosted rider confidence in the Fern Rock transfer.
On Good Friday, April 16, crews were tearing down the North Broad Street Station. There appeared to be some prefabricated structures waiting in the wings for replacement. (photo by Tom Borawski)
A Day at Fern RockÉ
Morning rush hour on weekday one went as smoothly as one could expect for a disruption of this magnitude. It was truly an achievement that the subway platform and "cattle chute" could be kept relatively clear.
There were times, during the morning rush, it could be seen how close things were being played. At 7:08 and 7:16 two trains arrived. At 7:18 the cattle chute was beginning to back up considerably until an express departed at 7:24. If that express was not on time, it would have had to haul the passengers from trains which arrived at 7:27 and, worst case, 7:33. The record shows that these last trains were met successfully by expresses.
Later, it was heard that of 124 subway cars in service, 120 of them were used to sustain this breakneck pace.
SEPTA officials were very responsive to suggestions. At DVARP's suggestion, Mr. Nick Sparozic, SEPTA RailWorks Coordinator, changed the boarding announcement format in an effort to slow people down. It was strange to see that despite being told they had 20 minutes, people still ran to catch a train that would be sitting still for 18 minutes after they boarded.
and NorristownÉ
The parking lot of the Norristown Transportation Center seemed to be little changed in the number of cars parked. If the majority of the cars were from people who used the R6 alternative, they must have had a rough time figuring out what to do. There was no sign on the old platform directing passengers exactly where to go. There were some decals placed on the prominent RailWorks notice, but on the inbound platform, one would have to get on one's stomach to read it. There was a sign behind the burglar bars of the stationmaster's office which said, "board busses at transportation center." Big help. The main sign directing passengers to the shuttle bus stop was hand written and taped to the transportation center window. There was a green sticker at the bus stop on Lafayette Street, but that was it.
Ticket office hours have doubled during the week (closing at 5:45). The ticket office is no longer open on Saturday (for the duration of RailWorks).
Éand Conshohocken
The alternate service during the afternoon rush ran dismally. The following is a summary:
Scheduled Arrival Actual Arrival Bus #/Block
5:30 5:55 8778/60
5:45 6:07 8725/58
6:15 6:28 8821/59
6:45 7:07 8558/57
7:15 7:18 8778/60
Rather than having the bus driver collect fares, SEPTA has a conductor collecting fares at Conshohocken Station. It seems a rather boring job. At least the accounting system is pristine.
R6 Buses Roaming the Region
SEPTA failed its first test of the express bus service replacing R6 trains. When traffic clogged the Schuylkill Expressway on shutdown day 5, SEPTA supervisors simply handed maps to bus drivers and told them to find their own way to Center City. One member reports that her bus arrived two hours late after circling Eakins Oval almost ten times.
R7 Buses Rude to Residents?
R7 shuttle buses have indeed sparked the predicted reponse of Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill residents who bristle at any kind of additional traffic on their residential streets. Public relations staff of SEPTA and the P.R. firm hired with RailWorks dollars have tried to smooth problems via a residentsÕ hotline.
Neighborhood anger is compounded by lower-than-expected bus ridership, as passengers refuse to park-and-ride for the shuttle service at R7 stations. The first causalty was the ill-conceived bus from Cheltenham Square Mall to the R8 line; it died a quiet death last week. Ridership was near zero for a variety of reasons, including a last-minute opening coupled with poor publicity and security concerns; but the bottom line which DVARP would have been glad to repeat (had we been asked to comment) is that it is ridiculous to expect that commuter rail passengers will voluntarily ride a shuttle bus.
Last Train to Lansdale by Tom Borawski
On April 5th at 12:15 AM the last R5 Lansdale train to pass over the ninety year-old 9th Street Branch inched its way out of Philadelphia from 30th Street Station. No special announcements. The same semi-sober crowd these late trains attract (no comment on the writer's status). The conductor mentioned, "yeah...this is the last one for six months," to several passengers. That was it. An ordinary trip.
The ride was slightly Wagnerian-- the bright construction lights blazing through the windows, the rotating yellow lights of construction vehicles (which at times were going faster than the train), the men with flashlights walking along the track. For better or worse, RailWorks was underway.
In a microfilmed copy of a 1905 Philadelphia Inquirer in the Temple University Library, a story stated that the mounting volume of accidents at grade crossings in North Philadelphia forced the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company to start the design of an "elevated" mainline into the city. Ninety years. We can only hope that the work being done now is at least equal to that of the past.
This view of the former bridge at Berks St. shows one of the complications facing SEPTA: the need to tear down large structures while protecting adjoining buildings. (photo by Tom Borawski)
Renters Rip Real Estate Office
Penn Center merchants who are SEPTA tenants allege that the Authority failed to consider the effects of the rail shutdown on their businesses. SEPTA has offered some modest rent reductions for the duration of the project, but many merchants say that this is not enough, and predict that some of their number will have to close up shop.
At Penn Center the following placards were put up by various merchants: ÒDear Valued Customer: As you know most SEPTA trains will be shut down from April 1992 to October 1992. In order to save the jobs of our employees and the survival of our business, We need your continued patronage at breakfast and lunchtimeÉÓ
The manager of the newspaper stand (near Track 1B entrance) at Penn Center gave an off-the-cuff estimate that she lost 50% of her business during the morning rush. The manager of the stand across from the ticket office said that RailWorks was Òkilling me!Ó He offered no details on how deeply his sales were impacted.
The manager of the newspaper stand at Market East pointed to ten stacks of unsold newspapers to indicate how RailWorks was affecting her.
Compiled by DVARP from reports by Betty Blake, Chuck Bode, Bob Bodan,
Tom Borawski, Bob Machler, Matt Mitchell, and John Pawson
ÒRailWorks¨Ó is a registered trademark of SEPTA
SEPTA Budget Features Major Cuts in Service
While the impending rail shutdown gathered most of the attention, SEPTA announced that hearings on its proposed FY 1993 Operating Budget would be held next month. Prominent in the hearing notice are three proposals to cut rail transit service in the City. Hearings on these proposals are to be part and parcel of the budget hearing. Hidden in the budget is a proposal to gut weekend commuter rail service, cut many express trains on the commuter lines, and cut City Transit service by 5% across the board. Separate hearings are to be held on these proposals.
Under the guise of Òcost reductions,Ó the draft budget proposes to end Saturday train service on seven lines. Sunday service would only run on the Airport Line, the R5 route, and the R7 Trenton Line. In the City, rail service cuts will end trolley service on the three remaining North Philadelphia streetcar lines, completing SEPTAÕs abandonment of that service. The Ridge Avenue subway branch would be closed mid-days and Saturdays, and late night service in the Subway-Surface tunnel would be ended.
Total SEPTA spending in the new budget would actually decline in the coming fiscal year. The spending cuts were in response to the continued decline in SEPTA ridership and revenue, and anticipated shortfalls in state funds raised by the new dedicated taxes for maintenance.
This is SEPTAÕs fourth different response to the ongoing operating budget gap. In 1987, when cuts in subsidy revenue were anticipated, a multi-tiered fare increase was proposed. An initial fare increase was accompanied by four more increases, to be implemented should subsidy fall short of the budget amount. Three years ago, SEPTA calculated revenue/cost ratios for all its routes, and proposed to cut whole routes, starting with the least renumerative, should revenue prove insufficient to cover costs. But this plan caused outrage among SEPTA Board members, leading to the next plan for operating the entire system until the money runs out, then shutting down completely. As Andrew Warren of Bucks County put it, Òeverybody rides, or nobody rides.Ó
But now, managementÕs plan is to let SEPTA slowly bleed to death.
Public Hearings: How You Can Be Heard
Although public hearings on the SEPTA budget began today, there are still opportunities for your opinion to count when the SEPTA Board makes its decision on how to balance the budget. First, the practice in previous hearings has been to keep the hearing record open for written comments one week after the conclusion of the hearings. Citizens should send written comments to the Hearing Examiner in care of
Mary Donahue, Secretary of the Board
SEPTA, 714 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106.
You can also contact your countyÕs Board representatives directly to express your opinion. Write to them at the same address.
DVARP Response and Budget Statement
In response to the SEPTA management plan to balance the budget with wholesale cuts in rail service, DVARP offers a plan which focuses instead on recovering lost ridership instead. DVARP says that the budget underestimates the money SEPTA will lose by cutting service and will lead to the systemÕs ultimate demise.
Central to the DVARP statement is a proposal to further restructure SEPTA management by increasing the autonomy and responsibility of the operating departments. The proposed management structure makes clear that SEPTAÕs primary objective, indeed its reason for existence, is to operate transportation services for the public. All other functions within SEPTA, including the all-powerful engineering and construction department, exist to support the operating departments. By reiterating that principle, SEPTA can avoid repeating catastrophes such as the current commuter rail shutdown.
Marketing is emphasized in the DVARP plan. It is a necessity if SEPTA is to regain the ridership it once had. News about the Authority in the last decade has been generally negative, as SEPTA lurches from crisis to crisis.
Finally, DVARP identifies areas for cost savings even greater than SEPTA would obtain by cutting service. Many of these simply mean running a leaner operation, particularly in the Regional Rail Division. Old dogmas must be reevaluated with an independent and critical eye; old excuses must no longer be accepted.
For example, SEPTA can cut the number of miles run by its trains by cutting the number of cars on trains where there is now excess capacity. Though Amtrak requires that all trains operated over its tracks be at least two cars, out of fears that single units will fail to trip automatic signal systems, this restriction does not apply on SEPTAÕs own lines. SEPTA continues to operate two-car-minimum trains on the three lines north of Fern Rock which have been completely cut off from Amtrak and the other commuter lines. The putative safety question must be answered definitively, especially considering that one-car trains ran safely for decades on both the Reading and the PRR.
On the Railroad LinesÉ
R2
ScheduleÊRevision
A week after the April schedule change, SEPTA issued a revised R2 Wilmington timetable. Outbound departure times on Sunday were incorrect. The corrected printing carries a Ò * RevisedÓ banner on the cover.
R3
WestÊTrentonÊSpeedup
Conrail has allowed increased speeds on the part of the West Trenton line it owns, following track repairs.
MFSE
FrankfordÊElÊUpdate
Construction season has resumed, as have night and weekend disruptions to Frankford El service. SEPTA will be operating shuttle buses in place of trains from 8:00 pm to 5:00 am nightly, and all weekend long. The weekend express bus service from Frankford Terminal (Bridge-Pratt) to Center City will operate Saturdays and Sundays.
At last, the City-operated escalator at 8th St. is back in service.
SSL
BusesÊtoÊReplaceÊNight-OwlÊStreetcars?
One component of SEPTAÕs budget plan (page 3) is to end late-night trolley service via the subway-surface tunnel. The 24-hour service is provided on Routes 10, 13, and 36. The move could be anticipated after the late-night closing of subway-elevated lines last year left an awkward situation at Center City subway stations. Now the other shoe has dropped.
The question of late-night service poses a quandary for streetcar advocates. SEPTA can identify some maintenance benefits of closing the tunnel nightly, but good service has been maintained despite the longstanding practice of closing only one night a week and occasional weekends. Subway-surface stations are unstaffed, so the potential cost-savings from the switch are much less than SEPTA obtained from closing the subway-elevated lines. If the tunnel is closed, SEPTA must choose to run trolley service only to 40th Street and connecting Market-Frankford buses (the current Sunday night practice) or replace the streetcars with diesel buses running through to City Hall. The benefits of rail service must be balanced against the benefits of a one-seat ride to Center City.ÑMDM
Subway-Surface Notes: Green Line Operations Manager David Stumpo has been hired by DART of Dallas, to manage its light rail service now under construction. Single-tracking continues on Route 34 to allow for street reconstruction. Disruptions to service are reported.
STD
NorristownÊNotes
SEPTA issued a new timetable for the Route 100 Norristown High-Speed Line on March 30. The number of Bryn Mawr local trips in the rush hour has been doubled. Repair work on the Aldwyn Lane bridge in Villanova is continuing, causing single-tracking at all hours and service delays.
Meanwhile, the new N-5 car is still being tested on the out of service track, and no date has been set for its debut in revenue service, let alone for the arrival of the remaining 25 cars of the order.ÑMDM
City Makes New Appointments to SEPTA Board
Mayor Rendell has selected Sheila Vance Lewis and Richard Voith to be his appointees to the SEPTA Board, replacing long-time Board members Judith Harris and Mary Harris. Both Harrises (unrelated) were appointed by the Green Administration, and served for over a decade. Both have other responsibilities (Judith Harris has been appointed City Solicitor) which made demands on their time. Mary Harris was absent from last monthÕs Board Meeting at which the controversial TWU contract settlement was ratified.
Lewis is a lawyer who has been on the SEPTA staff; she was involved in RendellÕs mayoral campaign. As an economist who has published several research studies on the value of public transportation, and the former chairman of the Citizen Advisory Committee, Voith brings excellent qualifications to the Board. He is an every-day transit rider, and supports regional cooperation while still looking out for the interests of City residents. He should also be an active and involved Board member, in the mold of Bucks County Commissioner Andrew Warren.
DVARP welcomes the new appointees and urges them to be strong advocates of the interests of SEPTA passengers and regional taxpayers.ÑMDM
Board Ratifies TWU Contract
In a packed SEPTA Board Room last month, the Board approved the three-year labor contract between SEPTAÕs City Transit Division and the Transportation Workers Union. The 8-3 vote followed a long back-room debate among Board members, and an hour-long public debate before the scores of TWU and media representatives in attendance.
While Board Vice-Chair Judith Harris of Philadelphia opposed the deal, the veto power of the City members was not exercised. Mary Harris, the other City member was absent. Board members supporting the pact cited the potential costs of a TWU strike which was threatened if the ratification vote failed. The Pittsburgh transit strike, ended by court order, weighed on many minds.
The central issue in the controversy was a letter of agreement initialed by Louis Gambaccini and TWU President Harry Lombardo hours after the contract settlement was announced. In it, SEPTA promised Lombardo veto power over the Òcafeteria-styleÓ benefit plan to be implemented by management. The plan, used by many other large employers, can help cut costs and improve benefits by giving employees credits which they can allocate to benefits of their choice. Savings from the plan are to be used to help pay for wage increases in the second and third years of the pact. Some Board members felt unable to vote for a contract without knowing its final cost or where the money to pay for it would come from.ÑMDM
Litter Adds to SEPTA ÒNuisance FactorÓ
DVARP member Liz Campion reports that SEPTA is seen by some as a nuisance in their neighborhoods. SEPTAÕs rules prohibiting eating on board its vehicles cause some passengers to just toss food or wrappers on the ground when the bus or trolley arrives, creating a mess at the stops. It is a wonder how people will carry a full container of food for considerable time and distance, but once it is empty (and lighter and smaller) they canÕt hold onto it for the time it takes to find a trash can. The problems are caused by a minority of passengers, but everyone, passengers and neighbors, live with the eyesore.
A cause of the problem is that there are few litter baskets at SEPTA stops or any other location outside Center City. SEPTA, the City, and neighborhood groups all expect somebody else to pay for and install them. Imaginative thinking could solve the problem and cut down on anti-SEPTA sentiment in the neighborhoods. ÑCB
Break Up SEPTA? A Bad Idea by Matthew Mitchell
One proposed solution to SEPTAÕs continuing budgetary and passenger service problems is to break it up into separate transit and commuter rail authorities. The example of ChicagoÕs RTA, parent of CTA transit, Metra commuter rail, and PACE suburban transit is often cited. But that solution is only second best. It makes the passengers pay for the sins of management.
Just as political boundaries (e.g. between counties and states) ought to be transparent to the users of public transportation, mode of transportation ought not be a barrier. This doesnÕt mean that commuter rail and transit passengers should be treated the same or have the same needs; it means that good management should create a seamless transportation system. Passengers can call one number for information on all modes of public transportation, rather than determining first who serves their destination, then calling.
Planning for one transportation mode or in one portion of a region should not exist in a vacuum. The effects of one project on another part of the total transportation system must be considered for both systems to yield maximum benefit to all. Multimodal transportation planning is more likely to choose appropriate technology to meet a need; a mode-specific agency is more likely to force its mode onto a market.
Multimodal transportation agencies should achieve economies of scale. If they canÕt, blame management, not the system. Administrative departments like Internal Audit or Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action add much to the ÒoverheadÓ of any public agency. Duplicating these bureaucracies is wasteful.
Larger agencies have more financial strength, and clout with banks and insurers. SEPTA is one of the few unifying forces between city and suburban politicians; united, it can command sufficient political support to overcome legislative deadlock, but divided the resulting agencies are reduced to footballs in partisan and parochial disputes.
While there are obvious differences in operations between transit modes, they have more in common than dividing them. The fundamental values of safe, convenient, reliable, and comfortable service apply equally to all modes. Those who choose to remain blind to the successes of other modes are just as blind as those who force their own outside ways of operation onto another mode.
Plenty of better models exist for the restructuring of SEPTA. New Jersey Transit is a successful multimodal agency. It has knit separate bus and rail operations into a well-integrated and efficient whole. If having a separate corporate identity for each mode is important, the MTA of New York has cen-tralized planning and some administrative functions, but left most operating matters to its operating agencies: LIRR, Metro-North, the TA, and MSBA.
DVARP at Earth Week
DVARP volunteers made the case for passenger trains as pollution fighters last month at Earth Week celebrations region-wide. Efforts centered on the Transportation Day display at Liberty Place, where volunteers distributed literature, showed video programs on quality rail service, and obtained signatures on petitions opposing SEPTAÕs trolley cutbacks. Volunteers staffing the booth included (left to right) Bob Bodan, Bob Machler, and Ann Boyd. (photo by Chuck Bode)
Amtrak Plans Big Changes for ÒMontralerÓ
AmtrakÕs new schedule book left a blank space in place of the schedule for the Montraler. Now that the Adirondack, the day train from New York to Montral, departs from Penn Station with convenient connections to and from Northeast Corridor points, Amtrak is planning to change the MontralerÕs southern terminus from Washington to Boston. Connections from Corridor points to Vermont would still be available, by bus and to the rerouted train.
The change will benefit Amtrak in several ways. Replacement of the overnight Washington service with a day train from Boston will allow old and hard-to-maintain sleeping cars to be retired. The new train will tap a strong travel market, much of which is intra-New England.ÑMDM
Whither (or wither?) the Keystone Corridor?
Sources say that Amtrak is not interested in giving up the Philadelphia-Harrisburg ÒKeystone CorridorÓ service, but at the same time seeks to make further cuts in the already-skeletal service. DVARP has advocated the transfer as a way to provide more service for less money. AmtrakÕs operating procedures and labor contracts are better suited to medium-distance intercity service than to what is essentially a commuter operation.ÑMDM
Dis-Union Station
King of Prussia used to have one bus terminal serving Greyhound, Trailways, and the independent operators. Now it seems Greyhound and the local operators no longer cooperate, and separate stations are too far apart to walk between them. Of course, two stations also means confusion over where to catch the bus or meet arriving passengers. ItÕs bad enough the President Bush and the automobile lobby hinder public transportation. Do the operators themselves have to discourage ridership too? Resolve this petty squabble before all the passengers are driven away.ÑCB
NJT
NewsÊfromÊNJÊTransit
NJ Transit has instituted a weekend shuttle bus route serving the State Aquarium in Camden. The service will be free of charge its first few months. Also, route 452 has been extended from Camden Transportation Center to the Aquarium.
Extension of Atlantic City Line trains to 30th Street did not occur with the schedule change in April, nor has a date for the long-awaited extension been set yet. NJT did say that baseball specials will be operated from Atlantic City to Veterans Stadium again this year; dates will be announced soon. The published NJT information line for Pennsylvania is for bus information only. For AC train information, call 609-343-7162
Renovations to Trenton Station are under way. Initial work is focusing on the platforms. A new low-level platform has been constructed at the east side of the station. The platform gives direct access from the station parking lot to rush-hour trains, a great convenience for commuters, who previously had walked across an unused track to reach their train.
NJT bus and train riders will soon have their own magazine. Continuing the micro-marketing trend of the ÒMetroVisionÓ and ÒChannel OneÓ television services, a private-sector firm has contracted with the statewide transit agency to publish and distribute the free magazine. NJT is to get space to promote its service and communicate with customers as part of the deal.ÑMDM
coming next month in The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger:
your guide for summer travel to the Shore
Up and Down the Corridor
News of other Northeastern commuter rail and rail transit services
TA Contract Settlement in New York
Members of the Transportation Workers Union reached agreement with the New York City Transit Authority on a two-year labor contract. The TWU had been working without a contract for months, but state law in New York prohibited a strike. Wages and medical benefits were the primary issues of contention. The tenuous state of the union-managed health plan hurt the TWU bargaining position, as TWU leaders had to obtain a quick infusion of cash for it. The union leadership also managed to undercut a challenge from a radical faction of its members by providing for binding arbitration should the rank-and-file fail to ratify the agreement. The radicals had sought to hold out until summer, then time a work stoppage to coincide with the Democratic National Convention.
Amtrak, Metro-North Make Grand Central Connection
The temporary arrangements to accommodate passengers traveling from Upstate New York points to Grand Central Terminal has been made permanent. Connections at Croton-Harmon have been coordinated, and Amtrak and Metro-North have made through-ticketing arrangements. The interagency agreement is a step forward for the passengers, which can and should be replicated both with Metro-NorthÕs New Haven line trains, and with the half-dozen other commuter rail carriers up and down the Corridor.
LIRR Relocates Waiting Area
As work to renovate Penn Station progresses, Long Island Railroad has relocated its ticked waiting area from the departure concourse to the 7th Ave. end of the ticket counters. DVARP urges all rail passengers departing New York to use these secured waiting areas for their safety and comfort. Amtrak and NJT passengers have a roped-off section of the main Penn Station waiting area, while the area at Grand Central can be found on the west side mezzanine.
Dates of Interest
Clean Air Week: May 4-8
TryÊTransitÊWeek:ÊÊMayÊ11-15
ask your friends and neighbors to leave their cars at home, to make everyoneÕs environment better.
Environmentalists for Public Transit: Tue. May 12, 5:30 at Clean Air Council, 311 South Juniper, room 603, Philadelphia. Info: Sara Nichols, 215-545-1832.
IEEE Vehicular Technology Society: Wed., May 13, at University of Pennsylvania, Topic: CETC: the Next Step. Info: Harvey Glickenstein, 215-569-1795.
DVARP General Meeting: Sat., May 16, 1:00 to 4:00 at Haddionfield NJ Public Library.
SEPTA Citizen Advisory Committee: Tues., May 19, 5:45 pm, in SEPTA Board Room.
SEPTA on Site (Suburban Transit): Wed., May 20, 7:30 to 9:30 am and 3:30 to 5:30 pm at 69th St. and Norristown.
SEPTA Board Meeting: Thu., May 28, 3:00, in SEPTA Board Room, Third Floor, 714 Market St., Philadelphia.
Delmarva Rail Passenger Association: June meeing info: Doug Andrews, 302-995-6419.
DVARP General Meeting: Sat., June 20, in Jenkintown.
Listings are based on information provided to DVARP. Members are advised to contact the sponsoring group to confirm time and place.
To obtain a copy of the DVARP Report and Statement on SEPTAÕs proposed FY 93 Operating Budget, please mail $2.00 for postage and handling to DVARP, P.O. Box 7505, Philadelphia, PA 19101.
A tip from DVARP member Mike McEnaney led to this photo of the Bethlehem Branch's inbound track being blocked by a ÒtemporaryÓ support structure. The structure is propping up the Cherry Avenue Bridge in Souderton. One wonders what kind of agreement the Borough of Souderton and Conrail or SEPTA have regarding this structure. Is the Borough of Souderton paying Conrail or SEPTA for the privilege of blocking their track? Is PennDOT ultimately responsible for this bridge?
DVARP Telephone Directory
If you have suggestions, questions, or ideas, please write or call DVARP. Below is an partial list of phone numbers of DVARP officers and committee chairs.
215-222-3373 DVARP main number (answering machine on this line)
215-222-3373 Chuck Bode, President and Light Rail Committee
215-552-8873 Tom Borawski, Vice-President-Transportation
215-222-3373 Robert H. Machler, Vice President-Administration
for questions about membership status & renewal
215-386-2644 Sharon Shneyer, Vice President-Public Relations
215-782-8826 Mark Sanders, Treasurer
215-659-7736 John Pawson, Commuter RR Committee (6 to 9 pm, please)
215-885-7448 Matthew Mitchell, Transit Committee and Ninth St. Task Force
215-353-0930 Bob Bodan, Octoraro Task Force
