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Report
Delaware Valley Rail Passenger Vol 10 No 07
1972 - 1992 DVARP Twentieth Anniversary
1892 - 1992 Philadelphia Electric Streetcar Centennial
The
Delaware Valley
Rail Passenger
July 8, 1992
Vol. X, No. 7
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 page 11
Inside The Delaware Valley Rail PassengerÉ
2 SEPTA Operating Budget approved: Board holds up most money until it
finds out what the real budget is! Capital Budget should be forthcoming.
3 RailWorks Roundup: Construction 21% ahead of schedule.
SEPTA Control Center, railroad managers fail under pressure.
Rider decline confirmed; will there be a ridership rebuilding project?
RailWorks PR continues to drop the ball.
6 On the Railroad Lines: Broad-Ridge subway is shut down.
Suburban transit update: revised Media-Sharon Hill expresses,
and will the new Norristown car enter service this month???
7 Stony Creek Branch being rebuilt by Conrail.
8 Progress in Washington is stalling; your action is needed.
9 DVARP gets its message out at community fairs!
Highway resistance in Lower Moreland, Toronto is trackless again.
10 City still shorthanded on the SEPTA Board.
A crusade for public transit?
11 Nominations for DVARP officers are open.
Up and Down the Corridor. DVARP Directory. Meetings of Interest.
Amtrak Apologizes for Disruption
As a gesture to passengers who may have been affected by last monthÕs threatened rail strikes, Amtrak has lifted weekend blackouts from Northeast Corridor excursion fares throughout July. The lower excursion fares will apply all day on Fridays and Sundays.ÑCB
Transit Schedules Change
SEPTAÕs general schedule change affected all city and suburban bus and trolley routes last month. Route 203 will be abandoned this week. Call 580-7777 to have an updated schedule mailed to you, or stop in at SEPTA locations downtown or at the depots to pick up schedules.
SEPTA Board Approves BudgetÑ Blindfolded
At its meeting last month, the SEPTA Board passed without amendment the Fiscal 1993 Operating Budget proposed by management. The meeting was nearly as crowded as a peak hour subway train, with employees protesting threatened layoffs and business and community representatives protesting streetcar cuts. After an hour of public testimony, the Board ignored all of it. No modifications were made; no policy directives were given to staff. In the same meeting, the BoardÕs Òconsent calendarÓ tactic was used to approve the abandonment of Route 203 without its ever being mentioned in the meeting.
Two unusual steps were taken on the budget, however. A Òsuper meetingÓ is to be held with Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell to work on unspecified issues. The Board discussion indicated that the budget could be revisedÑif so desiredÑafter that meeting. Also, apparently out of concern that something harmful and irreversible could be done by the management, it must get the BoardÕs approval to spend each $60 million increment of the $600 million budget. However, the discussion suggested that following the Òsuper meetingÓ the entire Operating budget might be released rather than made contingent on the monthly Board vote which could make operations difficult.
The employees public statements seemed to hint at the possibility of aggrieved employees pressuring management by hindering the cost-cutting measures. A union flyer alluded to two management factionsÑa new Gambaccini faction trying to reform SEPTA and an old faction, left over from the Gould/Mack days, trying to turn SEPTA into a political patronage operation.
DVARP denounced the planned gutting of weekend commuter rail service and presented to the Board copies of petitions opposing rail and trolley cuts. Former Citizens Advisory Committee Chairman Dave Horwitz stated that Luzerne depot had already been stripped of everything necessary to operate streetcarsÑan allegation staff vigorously denied. (We have since learned that fareboxes and electrical equipment are also being removed from the PCCs.)
When a Board member asked about the budget, Chief Financial Officer Feather Houston indicated that details were not availableÑonly that spending levels assumed a series of undisclosed service cuts in September, October, and January.
Several points seem clear. SEPTA is rapidly losing ridership. Employee morale is disappearing more rapidly. Service is going to decrease. The Board is willing to accept staff setting and implementing policy. The Board is willing to pass a budget without knowing how it will affect the public it is acting on behalf of.
It is time for passengers to protest. We must clearly let our elected officials know that this way of doing business is NOT acceptable. If we do not write and call our county commissioners, our council members, our mayors, and our legislators, it will be our fault when public transportation ceases to be useful here.ÑChuck Bode
Next: Capital Budget and PlanÉ
SEPTA is expected to announce public hearings soon on its proposed Fiscal 93 Capital Budget and 1993-2002 Capital Plan. These documents are at least as important as the annual Operating Budget, since they establish the priorities and plans for rebuilding and expanding the SEPTA system. DVARP is already gathering information and preparing its statement for these important hearings; Don Nigro was appointed to chair this task force, and DVARPÕs committees have been asked to lay the groundwork for the project. If you want to participate in the drafting of the statement, call Don Nigro at 609-869-9048.
RailWorks¨ Roundup
Construction Progressing Well
SEPTA held a public inspection tour of the Railworks construction sites on the 24th of June. Both the statistics and the eye confirm that the reconstruction work is going extremely well. The overall project is approximately 21% ahead of schedule, according to charts released during the briefing. DVARP has encountered double-shifts and Sunday work hours during separate inspections of the site. There is plenty of incentive for an on-time job; the SEPTA spokesman added that liquidated damages for late completion is $70,000 per day.
It was revealed that SEPTA added a major objective to the project which was not mentioned during the December Ô91 public hearings: increasing speed limits on the core of the railroad. Most of the line (excepting of the interlockings) will have 60 MPH track speed. Previous limits had been 45 to 50, slowing to 20 at North Broad and 30 at 16th St. Junction. The new 16th Street Interlocking will allow speeds of 40 MPH. According to the project spokesman 60 MPH track speed as a design goal was incorporated after many of the contracts were awarded.
At a SEPTA-DVARP meeting in December, Deputy General Manager Howard Roberts lamented the money being spent on a different reconstruction project without one speed limit being raised. Whoever is responsible for the apparent last-minute change, DVARP welcomes it as the first step in the ridership reconstruction project which must take place after Railworks.
Other information released during the briefing:
¥The 9th Street Viaduct (Bridge 1.34 from Brown to Jefferson) work has advanced to where track work is now starting at the portal end. It was stated that over 15,000 rivets were replaced with bolts. The supporting columns of the viaduct are being encased in concrete at the bases to halt further deterioration caused by water collecting at street level. Approximately 70% of the viaduct has been cleaned and painted according to the project spokesman. The concrete overlay on the viaduct is now complete and the contractor has begun to install the water proofing layers atop the concrete.
¥The new Temple Station will be wheelchair-accessible via two elevators from Berks Street. High-level platforms will extend from Berks Street to Norris Street. The elevator pits have been poured. There is the possibility of parking at the station.
¥The final configuration for North Broad Street Station will include platforms at tracks 1 and 4 only. Curves near the station are being straightened to achieve higher speeds. Pedestrian access will be from street level; the tunnel will be closed.
¥The existing Temple Station will be used between shutdowns, and temporary island low level platforms will be used at North Broad Street in conjunction with the existing pedestrian tunnel.
¥16th Street interlocking is still plagued with water despite the contractorÕs extra efforts at drainage improvement. It is believed that the source is a water main or sewer and will be traced.
¥The only location catenary support structures will be replaced is at the new Temple Station. -Tom Borawski
Could Progress in Ô92 Mean No Shutdown in Ô93? No.
Optimistic reports on the progress of work have led to speculation that the Ninth Street Branch could be restored to service early. While all concerned would feel great relief if the rail shutdown came to an early end, it is quite premature to entertain any serious thoughts of that nature.
A short leap from there is the idea that work now programmed for the second scheduled shutdown could be done during the first shutdown, making the second shutdown unnecessary. That sounds great, but wonÕt happen. New sections of work are programmed to begin next year.ÑMatthew Mitchell
Passenger Losses: The Results are In
Using SEPTAÕs own ÒRevenue and Passenger AnalysisÓ for April and March, DVARP has counted a RailWorks-induced loss of over 11,000 passengers on the R2, R3 and R5. The 11,000 figure includes both weekend and weekday figures. This amounts to a loss of over 35%. If we combine the figures for Chestnut Hill East and West the following picture emerges:
Total Ridership March Ô92 April Ô92
(R7 + R8) (R8)
13,880 9851
This R7+R8 loss of 4029 passengers amounts to a percentage loss of 29%, even counting the former R2, R3 and R5 passengers now using R8. Losses on the R6 Norristown and the R8 Fox Chase canÕt be determined from SEPTAÕs figures.
DVARPÕs counts at Fern Rock indicate that there may have been a further decrease in ridership, but the losses would have stabilized in June Part of the losses can be attributed to summerÕs seasonal drop in ridership. -TB
Now What?
DVARP feels alternate diesel service could have reduced a major portion of this human tide. For R2, R3 and R5 the milk appears to be spilled. With the R6 reconstruction project finished and with the release of the Urban Engineers Inc. report on the Manayunk Bridge, DVARP believes work should start immediately on restoring Ivy Ridge service along with reactivation of the R6 line between Norristown and Ivy Ridge. The Ivy Ridge line has disappeared from the new SEPTA system maps.
Railworks should be considered to have three construction windows, not two. The first two windows are the physical reconstruction windows: bridges, track, catenaryÉ The last one, the figures show, is Ridership Reconstruction. We await evidence that a RailWorks Ridership Reconstruction plan exists. ÑTB
RailWorks PR Continues to Drop the Ball
The latest mailing from SEPTAÕs PR firm to commuter rail customers was a ÒConnections Value CardÓ good at selected Gallery merchants, and yet another sweepstakes form. While these efforts smooth the waters with irate merchants who miss their commuter customers, SEPTAÕs first priority when it spends its PR dollars must be to keep riders on the trains, and to quickly win back the lost ridership. The merchants will be worse off if the decline in SEPTA ridership isnÕt reversed.
It has been suprising that the PR people havenÕt made much of the good news on construction progress. The only information provided to the affected riders has been a flyer of pictures of the construction site. The only text on the flyer said Òmany of you asked for a progress updateÉÓ This probably isnÕt what many of us had in mind. During its big reconstruction project; the rebuilding of Harold Interlocking, Long Island Railroad produced weekly flyers without pictures, but with up-to-date information on construction progress and service changes. SEPTAÕs Connections newsletter is short on facts and long on puff pieces about minority hiring, safety programs in local schools (paid for with RailWorks money!) and the impact of the project on the local economy.
Passengers donÕt want gimmicks or giveaways; they want their trains back!
The RROC Crumbles
After a minor catenary wire split, SEPTAÕs Railroad Operations Control Center ("the RROC") apparently went on vacation for an hour or so. Railroad veterans say that the response was hesitant and inappropriate. As one who was trapped in the ensuing chaos for R2/3/5 passengers, this writer can testify that RROC-to-passenger communications failed, too. Here's our reconstruction of events:
5:09 pm: traction power was lost at Jenkintown. The 5:01 from Fern Rock, an R2, somehow caused a minor wire break that did not affect the structural integrity of the overhead catenary. The location of the wire split was over the outbound track just south of the station where the crossover lies. The middle wire of the three longitudinal wires (Òsecond messengerÓ) which hang above the track broke. Apparently nothing fell far enough to contact a train. The writer saw the R2 train later in the siding north of Jenkintown station, pantographs lowered and possibly damaged.
5:30 pm: power was restored. Apparently nothing further happened untilÉ
c. 6:50 pm: the first train, with a long consist and many hundreds of passengers, left Fern Rock station and proceeded north via the inbound track. Evidently, it picked up the stranded R2 passengers at Jenkintown; and it continued to Warminster, getting them home two hours late.
6:57 pm: the wire-repair train, which had been standing behind the previously-mentioned train, departed via the normal outbound track to Jenkintown to trim off the broken wire ends.
7:30 pm: the second passenger train, a long and crowded R3, proceeded via the inbound track to Jenkintown after the wire train had finished its work. It crossed back to its normal track and continued to West Trenton, the first train in that direction for about two and one-half hours.
c. 7:45 pm: after the wire train returned, the third outbound passenger train ran north on the inbound track and crossed to its normal track at Jenkintown. R5 passengers were thus delayed about two and one-half hours.
There were no announcements on the subway trains which could have diverted passengers to transit routes at Olney Terminal. At Fern Rock, the announcements assumed that passengers knew what was happening. However, many crews of cancelled trains told passengers more than they could have learned from the P.A. announcements.
c. 8:00 pm: normal two-track service was restored. About a dozen trains carrying outbound commuters had been cancelled.
Overnight: the wire train returned to replace the missing catenary hardware.
Was there a better way?
Veteran railroad employees say that procedure in cases of damaged but structurally-intact catenary should be to instruct engineers to drop their trainsÕ pantographs before the damage site and to coast their trains through the area. Under this procedure, trains could have passed the damaged area on the normal track with only minimal delay once the power was restored. Only after the rush hour was over and most of the dayÕs passengers were home should the wire train have occupied the outbound track.
None of this was done. Moreover, the large time lapses strongly suggest that no one was making decisions or communicating them to crews or passengers. Even conceding availability of only one serviceable track between Fern Rock and Glenside (just five miles), the time SEPTA needed to move a dozen train loads of passengers is incredible.
At such times, discussion with employees brings out the fact that there are grievous Òpeople problemsÓ within the SEPTA organization which billions of dollars of infrastructure investment cannot fix. A policy ofÒsitting tightÓ and not making decisions which may later be criticized by higher-ups is often hinted at. When action is finally taken, it is to tinker with the not so badly-damaged infrastructure, not to get the passengers through as expeditiously as possible.
In historical terms, SEPTA reminds us of the medieval Roman Church, which became obsessed with its infrastructure to the detriment of its mission to serve humanity. When will the ÒReformationÓ of public transportation begin here? ÑJohn R. Pawson
More RailWorks news on page 10
On the Railroad LinesÉ
Good news on ÒRailWorks IIÓ
The replacement of the SEPTA bridge over Old York Road in Elkins Park will not result in serious disruptions to commuter service. DVARP has learned that the contract specifications allow for single-track closures on eight weekends and a total shutdown only one weekend, a much more appropriate and passenger-friendly way to conduct the repair.ÑMDM
Information Access at RRD Stations
New information kiosks have been placed at a few RRD stations to enhance the Òuser-frendlinessÓ of the system. The kiosk at Jenkintown includes a color blow-up of the SEPTA map showing nearby streets, transit routes, and points of interest; a RRD system map, and a schematic diagram of the three lines serving the station. Its design is simple and clear, but catches the eye. The only negative point is its location well down the inbound platform from the station. If SEPTA consults with riders and residents, a standard for information can be established, to let passengers travel with confidence to new destinations.ÑMDM
BSS
RidgeÊAve.ÊShutdown
The problems on the Ridge Avenue Spur reported here last month have resulted in the total shutdown of service on the subway branch. Failure of a signal cable is blamed. The affected signals govern a upper deck, unseen by passengers, north of Erie station, where most Broad-Ridge trains are reversed. With the Olney-Fern Rock complex operating at or over its maximum capacity, SEPTA could not find a way to keep Broad-Ridge trains running without adversely affecting service on the main subway tracks.
While SEPTA officials promise that service will be restored, passengers who remember the shutdown of the R6 Cynwyd line several years ago are skeptical. They see more than coincidence that the Broad-Ridge shutdown come just days after budget hearings at which abandonment of the line was proposed.ÑMDM
City Transit Notes: The new transfer vending machines, which were being tested at Wyoming Station, are now out of service.
STD
ExpressÊChangesÊonÊMedia-SharonÊHill
In an effort to reverse the downward trend in service speeds on the 101 and 102 trolley lines, (see Feb. 1991 DVRP) SEPTA has revised peak hour express services by having all express trips run non-stop to or from Drexel Hill Junction. Passengers travelling from stations between Walnut St. and Irvington to points west of Drexel Hill will now have to change to or from a local at Drexel Hill. While this will help speed up the trolleys and win back some riders, imagine what good service would be possible if a Òtransit-firstÓ plan could end the interminable delays at Garrett Rd. traffic lights! ÑMDM
N-5 Car to Debut this Month?
SEPTAÕs Suburban Operations Customer Newsletter challenges what can only now be described as a jinx, and reports that the new Norristown car may be available for passenger service this month. It is hoped that the years of delays to the high-tech car will soon be over and the job of rehabilitating the PÊ&ÊW can be completed. The prototype car has been on the property for over a year.ÑMDM
Suburban Transit Notes: The newsletter also reported that SEPTA expects no construction delays this summer on the Media-Sharon Hill lines. Schedule highlights include new timetables on several lines, rush hour 104 changes, and numerous minor service changes. The last nightly Route 101 trip will now leave at 12:45 instead of 1:20.
Conrail begins Stony Creek Reconstruction
Conrail began the reconstruction of the Stony Creek Line, a single track between Lansdale and Norristown. The reconstruction effort is reportedly aimed at reducing mileage in servicing some Bethlehem Branch customers.
Another motive may be to expand ConrailÕs double-stacked freight capabilities. Conrail is lowering the tracks to allow 22 feet clearance at North Wales Rd. (this bridge to be replaced by PennDOT soon) The other bridges which cross the line may be demolished. One is a wooden bridge at Stanbridge St. in Norristown which appears to be deteriorated to the point of being a public hazard. The only other impediment to double-stacked cargo is the short stretch of track under catenary between Elm Street Station and CP Bridge.
The line has some drainage problems. There is reportedly a major washout near the first southbound crossing of the line with North Wales Rd. It is reported that the depth of the washout is well over 6 feet. Pools of water can be seen under the track at a near the intersection of North Wales and Morris Rd. Hopefully, PennDOT and Conrail are working to improve the drainage at this spot as it is in both partiesÕ best interest. A new development in Lower Gwynedd Township, called Blue Bell Estates, is being built near the line. A contractor working for the developer, Toll Brothers, is reportedly installing new drainage pipes under the line at the request of Conrail.
Apparently, Conrail is selectively replacing rail. No major rail storage has been seen in the area. The vintage of rail on the line observed at crossings in Lansdale and North Wales sums up the current condition of the line and the enormity of the task facing the freight carrier: ÒCARNEGIE 1905.Ó -TB
Correction: Last monthÕs DVRP incorrectly reported a doubling of local service on the Norristown Line. While there are now two Bryn Mawr locals for every Norristown express, the interval between trains was increased from 15 to 20 minutes.
Balanced Transportation Needs Your Letters to Washington
Your Congressman and Senators need to hear from you. After passing legislation authorizing significantly increased funding for public transportation, Washington is having trouble appropriating the money needed to make its new policy work. Current intentions are to reduce operating grants in favor of discretionary capital grants. (Established systems like SEPTA and NJ Transit are more likely to benefit from formula funds than from discretionary grants that are more likely to go to politically attractive projects like new systems.) Amtrak also faces funding cuts.
Some good news. The Senate Finance Committee raised the monthly limit on employer-provided transit benefits to $60 per month. More significantly, it places a $155 monthly limit on tax-free parking benefits, a rare decrease in car subsidies.
It seems like we always need to contact our legislators. We do. If we don't other interests willÑand they will get what they want to the exclusion of public transportation. Please take a few minutes and send your Congressman and two Senators brief letters urging support for:
¥ increased funding for public transportation, including operations as well as capital grants.
¥ increased funding for Amtrak, such as a dedicated penny of the gas tax.
¥ the $60 per month transit benefit and strict limits on tax-free parking.
FTA Urges Transit Agencies to Double Ridership
Although it is providing no added funding, the Federal Transit Administration has given public transit agencies a goal of doubling ridership over the next ten years. This means increasing transitÕs market share to five percent of trips. Some agencies have begun aggressive plans to achieve this goal. For instance, Chicago is proposing a major project for increasing speeds on all its commuter rail lines.
What is wrong with the Delaware Valley? Why is SEPTA ridership falling dramatically? Why is there such great reluctance to invest the needed dollars for SEPTAÕs ten year plan when the cost is a mere pittance compared to Los Angeles? We urge SEPTA to develop a more positive attitude toward increasing ridership, at the same time as we ask elected officials to balance their transportation priorities.
$300 BILLION Annual Automobile Subsidy
Why does transit have such a small share of the market? Passenger Transport recently reported that motorists are directly subsidized to a total of 174 billion dollars and indirectly subsidized by another 126 billion each year. In 1989 governments at all levels spent $33 billion to build, improve, and repair roads. Only 60% of the money came from user taxes and fees. Another $68 billion was spent on hidden costs for police, traffic management, emergency response, and routine street maintenance. 85 million drivers get free parking, which at an average value of $1,000 is $85 billion. Another large cost of our car addiction is $50 million for military operations to protect Middle East oil supplies.
LA to Spend $183 Billion to Build Rail Lines
Los Angeles is well underway on a 30 year, $183 billion effort to construct a rail system in the nationÕs highway capital. The first subway line is expected to open next March. The first light rail line is already carrying 35,000 daily passengers. 400 miles are planned, half commuter rail and half subway or light rail. In addition the bus fleet will increase by 56 percent, including 500 trolley buses. Staggering as these figures are, suburban counties are planning additional lines not included in these statistics.
If Los Angeles can justify over $5 billion a year for rail construction, what must passengers here do to get support for the few billion required to fix SEPTA and restore some of the lost service. Will nobody notice until our air is as polluted and our traffic as terrible as Los AngelesÕs?ÑCB
DVARP Goes to Community Events
As part of the effort to inform the public, DVARP has been attending community events. DVARP volunteers have obtained thousands of signatures on petitions to keep service operating, and taken those petitions to elected officials. Stacks of flyers and newsletters have been distributed, while hundreds of people have seen videos showing the benefits of good rail service.
We want to continue this effort. Members are encouraged to call with information about community fairs and events so that DVARP can arrange to be present. More volunteers are needed to attend these eventsÑsome weekends we are at multiple locations. Donations to the printing fund are also neededÑwe are spending hundreds of dollars each month on this major effort. Betsey Clark, 215-843-9039, will be pleased to hear from any member with information or who wishes to volunteer a few hours of their time.ÑCB
MontCo Residents Say ÒNoÓ to New Highway
Under pressure from suburban elected officials, PennDOT has agreed to reconsider the extension of the Woodhaven Expressway. Upon hearing of PennDOTÕs plan to extend the six-lane highway from the northeasternmost part of Philadelphia into Lower Moreland Township, residents obtained 5,000 signatures on a petition opposing the road. State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R) then arranged for a public hearing on the proposal, to be held this summer.
PennDOT now says it will consider alternatives to its original Òmax concreteÓ plan. Along with scaled-down roads, and a Òbuild-nothingÓ option, it will examine a Òtransportation management planÓ intended to reduce the need for auto traffic in the area by providing public transit alternatives and promoting ridesharing. The politicians, however, doubt PennDOTÕs sincerity when it talks about anything other than building the whole road.
Can the opposition to new roads be channelled into support for existing transit services? Only if citizens and their representatives think about what suburban roads would look like if there were not an attractive rail alternative for commuting to Center City.ÑMDM
Back on Trackless in Toronto
The Toronto trolley coaches (trackless trolleys) and PhiladelphiaÕs streetcars share similar situations: citizens want them, but management does not. Last December, Toronto Transit Commission halted its trolley coach servicesÑÒmothballingÓ the facilities. The June 22 issue of Passenger Transport reports that on June 2 TTC voted to resume trolley coach service.
The magazine indicated that the issue has been a Òhot potatoÓ for several months. Capital costs are said by management to be $95 to 140 million more than diesel buses with operating costs C$100,000 to C$2,300,000 more per year. Passenger Transport quoted the TTC Chairman: ÒIt is difficult to sell the environmental benefits of public transit while doing away with the most environmentally friendly bus the TTC has.Ó
There is a clear message here for Philadelphia public transportation advocatesÑturn up the political heat to keep the streetcar and train service. It is important for every member to write and phone their elected officials on these issues.ÑCB
City Appointments to SEPTA Board Stalled
Mayor RendellÕs appointees to the SEPTA Board (see April DVRP) are not expected to be seated until at least September. The Daily News also reports that Jettie Newkirk is to be appointed rather than Sheila Vance-Lewis. Newkirk is a family and youth lawyer. The City thus will remain underrepresented on the Board through the crucial events of the summer, as Mary Harris is in Washington and is no longer an active member.ÑMDM
Maybe SEPTA Needs a CrusadeÉ
Whether or not one agrees with Billy GrahamÕs religious pronouncements, his organization is something to be impressed by. With tens of thousands of people from city and suburbs expected to attend GrahamÕs Crusade at Vet Stadium, organizers sought a more inspired transportation plan. The result? Church groups were asked to travel by chartered bus and carpool while every newspaper ad promoting the event carried a ÒRide SEPTAÓ message.
Can this idea be replicated? It shouldnÕt be hard at all despite SEPTAÕs weak marketing lead. The ÒRide SEPTAÓ logo used in the Graham ads should be distributed to local ad agencies and publishers and its use strongly encouraged. The latter sounds like a job for the regional business leaders in SEPTAÕs coalition, who are well placed to convert the unfaithful. As is now common practice in Washington, ads would locate the nearest rail station or transit line to the advertiser. No advertiser would omit driving directions; with hundreds of thousands of SEPTA riders, transit directions are equally important.ÑMDM
Come to the Picnic!
DVARPÕs annual summer picnic meeting will be held next month at the home of Ralph Page in Willow Grove. The business agenda will take a back seat to a social agenda for the day, celebrating DVARPÕs twenty years serving rail passengers. Circle the date: August 15.
Up and Down the Corridor
News of other Northeastern commuter rail and rail transit services
New Yorkers to Get Monthly Passes
The MTA has announced a fare plan for the coming five years. A fare increase of about 20% is projected for 1994 on all three operating agencies, NYCTA (where the token rate would go from the present $1.25 to $1.50 in 1994), LIRR, and Metro-North. In a big win for passenger groups, MTA agreed to create a monthly bus and subway pass once new automated equipment is installed. The target date is 1994. Fare concessions will also be made for multi-modal commuters, though MTA has not committed to matching SEPTAÕs TrailPass.
Nominations?
The annual election of DVARP officers is coming up soon. Nominations for all positions (see list below) are now open and should be mailed to DVARP.
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. To find out more about a specific area, please 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
215-843-9039 Betsey Clark, Volunteer Coordinator
215-659-7736 John Pawson, Commuter RR Committee (6 to 9 pm, please)
215-885-7448 Matthew Mitchell, Transit Committee
609-869-9048 Don Nigro, SEPTA Capital Budget Task Force
Dates of Interest
SEPTA on Site (Suburban Transit): Wed., July 15, 7:30-9:30 am, 69th St. & Norristown.
SEPTA Citizen Advisory Committee: Tues., July 21, 5:45 pm, in SEPTA Board RoomÑ Third Floor, 714 Market St., Philadelphia.
DVARP General Meeting: Sat., July 18, 1:00-4:00 pm, Temple University Center City.
NJ Transit Atlantic City Line train trip to the Phillies: Sun. July 19. $17.00 includes round trip train fare and game admission. Call 609-343-7162 for tickets and schedule.
Virginia Rail Express Fredricksburg Line opening: Mon., July 20.
SEPTA Board Meeting: Thurs., July 23, 3:00, in SEPTA Board Room.
Delmarva Rail Passenger Association rail excursion to Delaware State Fair: Sat., July 25. SOLD OUT (info: Doug Andrews, 302-995-6419.)
Delmarva Rail Passenger Association: Thurs., Aug. 6, 6:30 at State Capitol, Dover. info: Doug Andrews, 302-995-6419.
DVARP General Meeting and Picnic: Sat, Aug. 15, in Willow Grove.
SEPTA Capital Budget and Capital Plan Hearings: date unknown, but usually in August in all five SEPTA county seats. Watch for legal notices.
DELTRAN Annual Shore Trip: call Bob Machler, 215-673-1964 for date and details.
Listings are based on information provided to DVARP. Members are advised to contact the sponsoring group to confirm time and place.
Opinions expressed in The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger are not necessarily
those of DVARP or its members. We welcome your comments.
