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Delaware Valley Rail Passenger Vol 10 No 11
1972 - 1992 DVARP Twentieth Anniversary
1892 - 1992 Philadelphia Electric Streetcar Centennial
The
Delaware Valley
Rail Passenger
November 4, 1992
Vol. X, No. 11
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 15
Schedule Change Alert
Amtrak and NJ Transit rail schedules changed last month, as did SEPTA Suburban Transit schedules on all Frontier and some Red Arrow Lines. A new R5 weekend timetable was issued October 18. The next expected general change of SEPTA commuter rail timetables will be December 6.
Inside The Delaware Valley Rail PassengerÉ
2 SEPTA -DVRPC study predicts transit demand
3 Clean air law mandates auto trip reduction.
4 On the Railroad Lines: Jenkintown riders: seven schedules or one?
R3 construction plans, Weekend connection problems in Trenton.
6 Overbrook shop and U. City station construction to begin.
8 Transit News: Bus route changes, New trolley manager
10 Special Feature: Amtrak tips for Thanksgiving travel
11 Freight rail service in the news
12 News from Jersey: PATCO flap, new coalition, Woodbourne megastation?
13 Membership Matters: DVARP volunteers have a Super Sunday, Railreading
14 Up and Down the Corridor: Commuter survey results in New York.
15 DVARP Directory, Dates of Interest
Election Ô92
As the Bush administration is swept out of office by a resounding margin by votersÕ demand for change, what will this mean for mass transit and its advocates, besides an end to annual attempts to kill Amtrak? Good news for transit in general, but a loss of Delaware Valley influence on transit policy.
Bill Clinton has promoted transportation spending as a means to jump-start the economy. While Democratic bills protecting the environment and helping the economy by supporting transit will pass promptly come January, donÕt expect immediate miracles, as the first Clinton budget will not go into effect until September 1993. Due to existing budget restrictions, additional transit spending this fiscal year is unlikely, but a new administration can speed up the flow of money which has already been committed. Some of the ideologically-driven policies of the Bush administration are likely to end. For instance, there will be less drive for mandatory privatization of transit operations. But SEPTA had had one of its own in Washington, former Board Member Brian Clymer was BushÕs head of the Federal Transit Administration.
Several transit supporters-Republican and Democrat- had given up their seats in Congress before the election. Bill Gray (D-Philadelphia) resigned last year and has been replaced by Lucien Blackwell. Through his chairmanship of the House Budget Committee, Gray delivered lots of dollars for SEPTA projects in North Philadelphia. Lawrence Coughlin (R-Mont. Co.) was far more supportive of transit than his Republican colleagues. Marjorie Mezvinsky (D) is the apparent winner in the race to replace him. Peter Kostmayer (D-Bucks) was upset by James Greenwood, so the party balance of the congressional delegation is unchanged. There were no electoral suprises in South Jersey or Delaware (where Governor Mike Castle (R) traded offices with Congressman Tom Carper (D), but in North Jersey, budgetary power-broker and NJ Transit backer Robert Roe (D) resigned his seat last spring.
As influential congressmen are replaced by freshman representatives, the projects they delivered from the pork-barrel are likely to go to other districts. The good news for Pennsylvania and New Jersey is that last yearÕs Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act will not be hamstrung in reducing pro-highway bias in transportation programs. Formula grants to transit agencies and for Òflexible projectsÓ (given out by population) are likely to be fully funded.ÑMDM
RailWorks¨ Relief, but Rocky Reopening
Service on the six commuter rail lines closed for the rebuilding of the Ninth Street Branch trunk line through North Philadelphia is back to normal after an opening week marked by major delays. Most of those delays were caused by system components which werenÕt part of RailWorks¨, but most passengers were not aware of that fact. 16th Street Junction did fail one afternoon, though.
Ridership has remained pretty close to the initial figures reported here last month. Almost 40 percent of the riders who left the system in April did not return in October. SEPTA officials are embarrassed and perplexed, even though the ridership loss was right on the mark projected by DVARP. ÑMDM
for more RailWorks news and latest ridership stats, see page 6
SEPTA Looks at Long-Range Needs
A new study conducted by SEPTA and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission has projected demand for transit service in the year 2010. The study was unveiled last month at a meeting of the SEPTA Citizen Advisory Committee. Richard Bickel, SEPTAÕs Director of Long-Range Planning, explained the methodology and the results.
Census data and DVRPC projections were used to determine the distribution of population and employment in the five SEPTA counties; that data was turned into an index measuring potential transit demand and plotted on a map. The areas of good demand coincide most strikingly with the passenger rail services existing in the region 30 years ago, good evidence that transit leads, not lags, economic development.
The only exception to that finding was the central section of SEPTAÕs proposed ÒCross-County Metro,Ó paralleling Route 202. This area of business growth will certainly generate much traffic in the 21st century, but that demand is tilted towards the destination side, and comprises little trip origination. The SEPTA-DVRPC study combines origin and destination, and may overstate potential ridership of the Cross-County service as it is currently envisioned by SEPTA.
Bickel stressed that although potential transit and rail corridors were drawn on the product map, this is a study, not a plan. In taking the results to planning officials in the counties and townships, he stresses the need for focused development rather than sprawl.ÑMDM
Will Employer Mandates Save Mass Transit?
New Federal environmental regulations mandate reductions in single-occupant car travel in eight metro areas including the fourteen-county, four-state Philadelphia area. Firms which employ 100 workers or more will be obliged to reduce the number of cars used by those employees 25 percent by 1997. Will this law push enough people onto our regionÕs buses and trains to reverse the long decline in service and ridership? Not necessarily.
Informational meetings and public hearings on the measure are being held this month. One of their goals is to resolve the question of whether the goal of 25 percent increase in average vehicle occupancy (AVO) should be measured region-wide or on a zoned county-by-county basis. The region-wide approach would give the areas of highest current transit use, like Center City Philadelphia, credit for their accomplishments to date; while a zoned approach makes clear that there is room for improvement everywhere. DVARP has endorsed the zoned goals. The problems of traffic congestion and air pollution are worst in areas like Center City; and the high level of transit service already in place to those areas and meager service to sprawling suburban development makes the chance of success greater with the zoned approach.
The new law leaves it up to states to enforce the new standard; the states in turn have delegated responsibility for creating vehicle use reduction plans to employers. Each employer counts the number of persons who start work during the weekday peak hours and divides that figure by the number of cars they used to come to work. That ratio is the average vehicle occupancy. In Center City Philadelphia, AVO is currently about 2.8; in the suburbs, only 1.2.
Employers can mix or match several strategies to reduce the number of vehicles used. The most effective ones are promoting mass transit use or reducing the number of people who must travel during peak hours (through use of flexible work hours or telecommuting). Car- or van-pool matching is also effective, but the car or van used does count against the vehicle total. Southern California is already using employer trip reduction as a tool to reduce pollution, giving Delaware Valley businesses a model to look at and see what strategies have been most cost-effective. Unfortunately, the failures of the trip-reduction approach are also evident in California, where many people went back to their cars after trying transit or other modes, and some employers put more effort into bending the rules than complying with them.
Is is fair to ask employers to solve the problems caused by the private car? Maybe so. Employer decisions to subsidize single-occupant car travel by providing free parking are a primary cause of the problem. So are employer decisions to locate in areas poorly-served by mass transit and to design buildings and sites for access by car and not transit.
Will the new regulations be a Òmagic bulletÓ for mass transit operators who have lost ridership? Not if transit management sits on its hands and expects all the lost customers to reappear by magic. Management must be aggressive in adapting their service to the new and different kind of demand, marketing their service as the employersÕ best response to the new mandates, and most importantly providing the kind of service quality necessary to attract cus-tomers who are used to the convenience and comfort of the private car.ÑMDM
On the Railroad LinesÉ
Make it a NightÉ With Lower SEPTA Fares
Acting on a suggestion by Bill Polk of the Citizen Advisory Committee, SEPTA has brought back the $1.00 Wednesday night rail fare for the Christmas shopping season. The fare is good on inbound trains after 5 pm and outbound trips after 9, beginning November 11.
R1
DVARPÊTimetablesÊaÊHit
Almost four thousand copies of DVARPÕs Combined Timetable for R1 R2 R3 and R5 train service have been distributed to grateful commuters. Separate editions were printed for weekday and weekend service; they can be slipped one inside the other and stapled together, so you need only one schedule instead of seven. If you didnÕt get your copy, send DVARP a stamped self-addressed envelope for one.
Many have asked, but we have no idea why SEPTA failed to publish the Combined Timetable once RailWorks¨ was over. Three theories have been suggested. The most obvious is cost, but it wouldnÕt make economic sense to force thousands of train users to take seven schedules instead of one, and the inconvenience of not being able to find the next train to Center City must cost SEPTA some revenue.
Some have speculated that since RailWorks¨ began, SEPTA management has sought to ÒtransitizeÓ R1 passengers, training them to just go to the station and catch the next train instead of catching a specific train. While unlikely, this scenario is an awful omen for managementÕs attitude towards the railroadÕs passengers. Perhaps management delayed production of the timetable in the chaos caused by the eleventh-hour reprieve for weekend train service; but we have now gone over a month since the schedules were issued, and no changes have been made.
While DVARP is glad to help the passengers, we donÕt want to have to do SEPTAÕs job. DVARP would welcome donations to help pay the cost of printing the timetables, which exceeded $300. Distribution help from the Jenkintown Station Improvement Committee and the station agents is also acknowledged.
Two Bridge Projects
SEPTA is widening the Old York Road bridge, to allow four lanes of traffic under it. Disruptions to rail service will be limited to five weekends later this winter and spring. Meanwhile, the pedestrian walkways over Cheltenham Ave. at Melrose Park are being replaced.
Schedule Errors
DVARP has discovered some more minor errors in timetables: the Center City map in the SEPTA R1 timetable still shows Route 76 on Chestnut St.; it has been moved to Market St. The DVARP Combined Timetable left out a weekend late night inbound R5 train.
R3
SEPTAÊPlansÊMedia-LenniÊWork
A pre-bid meeting was held last month at SEPTA headquarters to brief potential contractors on the scope of work SEPTA wants done on the R3 line. The project will extend as far as Lenni station; SEPTA has previously said it plans to restore service as far as Wawa. Wawa is the point where the Octoraro line branches off from the West Chester line; the Chester Creek line branches off near Lenni. Rail will be replaced the length of the line, and a second track is to be installed between Media and Elwyn. Signals from 30th Street to Secane have previously been replaced; this project will continue the job to Lenni. The Moylan parking lot expansion previously described in these pages is part of the project; additional parking lot work will be done at Media and Elwyn.ÑMDM
Work Update: Bridge and Station Out, Some Single-Tracking
Yeadon Station will be closed for two weekends to allow replacement of the Church Lane bridge. Use Route 108 buses as an alternative. Train service to other stations will be unaffected. Expect minor mid-day delays between Jenkintown and West Trenton as SEPTA crews clear brush.
Express Service Cuts Leave Passengers Irate
West Trenton passengers are fuming over the elimination of their late-peak express train. Passengers who were used to a convenient 8:40 arrival at Suburban Station now must choose to either leave home almost 20 minutes earlier or take a train arriving at 8:52 and risk getting to work late.
R5
DoylestownÊMid-dayÊShuttle
Buses will operate in place of R5 trains from Lansdale to Doylestown until Dec. 4, while crews repair tracks. The outage is occurring weekdays from 9 am to 4 pm, so rush-hour service is unaffected. The buses are slower; southbound passengers should check posted flyers and arrive at their station 15 minutes early. Northbound arrivals may be up to 15 minutes late.
Accident Seriously Injures Engineer
On Friday, October 30th, train 9533 collided with a dump truck at Main and Church Streets near Ambler. According to newspaper reports the engineer was seriously injured and was flown to Hahnemann University Hospital while the driver of the truck was not injured.
Church St. is one of only two public grade crossings without warning lights on the SEPTA system, but the street dead-ends approximately 100 feet from the crossing and the only ÒresidentÓ on the street is the Ambler Wastewater Treatment facility. Therefore, the crossing was treated like about a dozen private crossings, which have no lights. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. Visibility at the crossing is good; there are no hedges or buildings to obscure the view of the tracks. It can be inferred from the condition of the train that the engineer is lucky to be alive. The engineerÕs compartment was ripped open. The debris littering the side of the track included the right corner of the train, the cab signal box and other controls as well as the air horn valve and trap door.
It's been a very difficult year for the Regional Rail Division. Having this engineer home with his family on the 26th of November will give us all something to be thankful for. --Tom Borawski
Toxic Legacy Derails Station Plan
Lansdale Borough will not take over and renovate their station, because they could become liable for existing toxic waste contamination on the site.
R7
WeekendÊTrentonÊConnectionsÊinÊtheÊAir
New schedules on the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor Line have added almost 15 minutes of padding time to southbound weekend trips, thereby breaking the connection at Trenton with SEPTA R7 trains. Northbound connections to Newark and New York are not affected, though.
SEPTAÕs weekend timetable wasnÕt proofread; it shows impossible connections like the NJT train arriving at 12:03 and the SEPTA train leaving at 11:58. NJT timetables drop the SEPTA connection altogether. A notice in the NJ Transit timetable attributes the delays to Amtrak work on the Portal drawbridge, about halfway between Newark and New York. Since this construction is to take place only on selected weekends, many trains will in fact make the old connections. Our advice: hope for the best, but allow an extra hour in case the connection is missed.
News compiled by Matthew Mitchell, Tom Borawski, John Pawson
RailWorks¨ Casualties
Small businesses which serve rail commuters were hurt when RailWorks¨ service disruptions caused a substantial loss in rail ridership. Though SEPTA agreed to concessions like rent reductions and giveaway offers, it wasnÕt enough to avoid layoffs and even the closing of two newsstands at Suburban Station. There is good news though; the coffee shop at Glenside station has reopened.
Overbrook Shop to Go Forward
At its October meeting, the SEPTA Board approved construction contracts for the Overbrook Rail Maintenance Facility. The new shop is to be built on part of the former PRR freight yards on the Paoli-Harrisburg line at 58th St. in Philadelphia. DVARP has been harshly critical of the project, saying that any additional car shops are unnecessary at a time when SEPTA is cutting service, not increasing it.
SEPTA already has a major Silverliner car shop at Paoli and a new shop at Frazer for the push-pull equipment, and additional facilities at Powelton Yard. On the Reading side, SEPTA has a new shop at Roberts Yard for routine maintenance and minor repairs and a heavy repair facility at Wayne Junction. Major overhauls and accident repairs are done by outside contractors.
The $30 million project is being touted for its make-work benefits, but will it become an albatross in the operating budget or will SEPTA become more efficient? SEPTAÕs plans for the future of the Paoli shop will answer that question. There are hints that the toxic chemical-contaminated Paoli facility will be closed for cleanup and redevelopment, but SEPTAÕs plans have never been spelled out.
University City station also gets go-ahead
The City of Philadelphia is now accepting bids for construction of the RRD station at the Civic Center. Shoehorned into a cramped site, the station is expected to cost $8 million. No opening date has been projected.
SEPTA Ridership Update
Ridership continues to slip on all SEPTAÕs commuter rail lines. The following figures are from SEPTA Revenue & Passenger Analysis: (courtesy of John McGee)
Weekday Ridership
RRD LINE Aug. Õ91 Aug. Õ92 DIFF. %
-------------------------------------------
R1 AIRPORT 2,061 2,061 Ð9.6%
R2 WARMINSTER 5,132 2,777 Ð45.9%
R2 WILMINGTON 6,821 6,098 Ð10.6%
R3 W. TRENTON 6,760 3,795 Ð43.9%
R3 MEDIA-ELWY 7,798 7,604 Ð2.5%
R5 DOYLESTOWN 9,944 6,275 Ð36.9%
R5 PAOLI 19,240 19,257 +0.1%
R6 NORRISTOWN 3,589 0 -100%
R6 IVY RIDGE 408 364 -10.8%
R7 TRENTON 8,121 8,411 +3.6%
R8 FOX CHASE 4,097 0 -100%
R7/R8 CH. HILL 8,054 7,451 -7.5%
INDICATES RAILWORKS IMPACTED LINE
Weekend ridership
RRD LINE Aug. Õ91 Aug. Õ92 DIFF %.
----------------------------------------
R1 AIRPORT 1,465 1,373 -6.3%
R2 WARMINSTER 903 361 -60.1%
R2 WILMINGTON 1,256 1,026 -18.3%
R3 W. TRENTON 1,141 403 -64.7%
R3 MEDIA-ELWY 1,271 858 -32.5%
R5 DOYLESTOWN 2,513 1,082 -56.9%
R5 PAOLI 3,581 3,475 -3.0%
R6 NORRISTOWN 715 0 Ð100%
R6 IVY RIDGE 0 0 0
R7 TRENTON 3,862 3,980 +3.1%
R8 FOX CHASE 492 0 Ð100%
R7/R8 CH. HILL 2,256 1,542 -31.6%
New SEPTA Office Building Preposterous?
News reports that SEPTA management is considering having a new office building constructed for them at the same time as they are slashing service leaves passengers wondering what managementÕs priorities are. However, the concept of an office move shouldnÕt be dismissed out of hand. The downtown office space market is very, very slack at the moment, and SEPTA could lock in a very competitive lease rate. There are other advantages; offices now in three different buildings can be consolidated to improve communications and save money. What DVARP worries about is the management corollary of the aphorism ÒNature abhors a vacuum.Ó If the move increases office space available to SEPTA, will SEPTA find unnecessary administrators to fill it? ÑMDM
ÒAerotrainÓ Proposal Not Funded
The Montgomery County proposal for a high-tech monorail linking Norristown and King of Prussia failed to make the final cut in competition for a Federal demonstration grant.
SEPTA, MontCo Team Up on New Maps
Three colorful maps are being distributed to Montgomery County residents as part of a cooperative project between SEPTA and the County Planning Commission. The maps show SEPTA routes and major destination points on one side, while the other side gives simple instructions on how to use SEPTA buses. Note that the map shows Route 203, which actually has been abandoned. Rail information is minimal, though the lines are included on the maps. Separate editions will be published for North Penn, Norristown, and eastern MontCo areas and are being distributed in local newspapers. With the theme of ÒCatch the Convenience and Enjoy the Ride,Ó the maps highlight SEPTAÕs marketable attributes.ÑMDM, CB
SEPTA on Site: Take Advantage of it!
Management personnel from SEPTAÕs Railroad and Suburban divisions are regularly available to listen to your comments and complaints, in the program called SEPTA-on-Site. Check the calendar on the inside back page of this newsletter for dates and places.
To get action on your comments, itÕs important for you to have full details on any incident. To make this easier, DVARP can send you special forms with spaces to record all the necessary information. For a set of personalized forms and instructions, just send us a stamped, self-addressed envelope.ÑMDM
Late Flash! Sunday Shuttles to End!
DVARP has just learned that the Sunday shuttle train operations on the R2 Warminster and R8 Fox Chase lines are to to end. Through service from Warminster and Fox Chase to Center City will be restored December 6.
Although the shuttle operation was included in the package of service cuts SEPTA said it needed to close a budget gap, it is hard to see where SEPTA saved money with this move, especially in light of statements that Òrunning two railroadsÓ during RailWorks¨ cost SEPTA $7 million additional, and an operating plan which actually duplicated service from Jenkintown to Glenside. The shuttle trains never made sense in the first place, unless management was trying to make a point about the budget.ÑMDM
Be a correspondent for the Delaware Valley Rail Passenger!
Phone news & information to DVARP 215-222-3373, message box 3
Transit News Update
BSS
ExitÊOnlyÊonÊBroadÊSt.
Budget cuts have led to further service restrictions on the subway. Three platforms have been made Òexit-onlyÓ during night and Sunday hours. After 8:30 pm and all day Sunday, passengers will be unable to enter the subway at Fairmount (north or south) or Logan (northbound). Logan will remain open for southbound passengers.
New Schedules
Meanwhile, timetables for the revised Broad St. service have finally been issued. Rush hour service is consisting of one train each of Fern Rock-Pattison local, Fern Rock-Walnut express and Olney-8th St. express, all at 7.5 minute intervals. With the end of RailWorks¨-induced overcrowding, the frequency of delays betwee********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************column construction, and poses a big challenge to construction workers. Temporary supports will be used to hold up the deck as it is replaced segment by segment. Service shutdowns will continue at night and on weekends.
STD
SuburbanÊManagementÊSolvesÊSomeÊProblems
Budget cuts this summer caused a customer service gap on SEPTAÕs suburban lines, (see September DVRP) but much of it has now been closed through more effective management. The biggest problem with closing the Customer Service Office was that senior citizens were unable to obtain transit ID cards without traveling downtown. Now applications for the cards are being accepted at the Sales Office from 10 am to 2 pm. Timetable racks were enlarged to prevent supplies from running out. Meanwhile, there have been routine signage improvements at the Terminal.
As always, STD management is listening to passenger comments and suggestions at SEPTA-on-Site, which is held on the third Wednesday of each month, mornings at 69th Street and Norristown. See our Dates of Interest section each month for details.
Direct 69th St. to Airport Service Coming!
Five years after the idea was suggested by DVARP, SEPTA is combining the Route 108 and Route U buses into a through Route 108 from 69th Street to the Airport via Southwest Philadelphia. While the convenience of direct service will attract new riders to the route, the move will save money in several ways. The slight overlap of service will be eliminated as will be Route UÕs administrative overhead, while labor costs will be slightly less when STD operators take over. This transfer of service from the City Division to Suburban meant objection to the plan by TWU local 234, which represents the CTD employees. That objection has finally been overcome.
Look for New Fareboxes
SEPTA has been testing new fareboxes from two different manufacturers. They include pass readers such as are now found on the subway turnstiles, and transfer printers, as well as increased data-recording capabilities. If you ride one of these routes, please let us know what you like and donÕt like about them. SEPTA canÕt be user-friendly if the users donÕt speak up!
Heinle to Take Trolley Post
Fulfilling a promise made to the SEPTA Board, General Manager Lou Gambaccini established the new operating position of ÒChief Officer-Light RailÓ and appointed Kim Scott Heinle to it. Heinle has filled troubleshooter roles for SEPTA throughout the Gambaccini administration. While he had been in charge of Operations Safety and Training, he had also coordinated the task force working for a more Òuser-friendlyÓ SEPTA. Every bit of HeinleÕs good reputation outside SEPTA is necessary in assuming this role, as the history of SEPTA trolley service is littered with broken promises.
Responding to the problems and to the pressure from community groups and the City, the SEPTA Board has meanwhile established a Light Rail Committee, chaired by Rep. Gordon Linton. Linton of course represents the affected community. The new Board committee should be a watchdog, checking managementÕs intent to kill the remaining surface streetcar routes.
SEPTA Seeks to Cut 53 Back
Public hearing notices were published for a SEPTA proposal to terminate Route 53 at Broad Street instead of the Luzerne Depot trolley loop. Such a move could be an obstacle to future restoration rail of service on the line. Streetcar advocates should make their views known at the public hearing or by mailing written comments to the Hearing Examiner c/o Board Secretary, 714 Market St., Philadelphia, 19102.
SEPTA Moves Ahead With Bus Route Restructuring
Another package of bus route changes has been announced by SEPTA. The wide-reaching proposal affects thousands of riders who live in North and South Philadelphia, Kensington, and Olney. SEPTAÕs primary objective is to reduce costs by eliminating duplicative service and combining inefficient routes. Three hearings on the proposals will be held next month.
At the heart of the proposal is the elimination of Route 50, which had been a streetcar route until SEPTA replaced the trolleys with buses. Route 50 service in South Philadelphia will be replaced by Route 47 service which has been relocated from 9th St. to 7th St. The latter move, which gets the buses out of the traffic-clogged Italian Market has been long-desired by SEPTA, but has faced stiff local opposition.
Route 57 service on Jefferson and Master Sts. is to be dropped. This is the only east-west route in North Philadelphia which does not make Broad St. Subway connections. New service on Delaware Ave. from Spring Garden to PennÕs Landing is to be provided by revised Route 5.
Three route segments in Kensington are to be combined into a revised Route 89, while Route 50 in Olney will be replaced by rerouted 57 service. The whole package is indeed complicated; DVARPÕs Transit Committee will attempt to make sense of it and present comments at the public hearings.
Parkside route revision hearings bring opposition
SEPTAÕs plan to replace Route 85 with an extension of Route 40 ran into an unexpected snag when Wynnefield residents took opposition to having the buses on their streets. The SEPTA plan would save about a half-million dollars a year, and potentially boost ridership by increasing both direct and connecting service to University City. Councilman Michael Nutter (D-7), quite active of late on SEPTA issues and learning quickly, has taken responsibility for finding a compromise between SEPTA and his constituents.
Transit Notes: Revised schedules (look for * on cover) were issued for the following routes: 12, 15, 22, 26, 27, 29, 47.
Transit news compiled by Matthew Mitchell
Beat the Thanksgiving Amtrak Rush!
The Thanksgiving holiday brings Amtrak its heaviest passenger loads each year. Amtrak has had years of experience to hone its plan for special holiday service, while savvy travelers have learned how to get where theyÕre going with the least hassle. For those of you who havenÕt learned from experience, DVARP offers some tips.
¥Travel before the biggest crowds do: Wednesday morning, Thursday morning, and Saturday instead of Wednesday afternoon and Sunday. If you need extra incentive, Amtrak offers special lower fares for off-peak travel. A special Thanksgiving timetable with full details about schedules and fares will be published, and should be available about 10 days before the holiday. You can also call 1-800-USA-RAIL.
¥Most unreserved trains will be standing-room only. To avoid the scramble for available seats, especially if you are travelling in a party of 2 or more, use the reserved-seat services on Metroliner trains or in Club Class. The chance to relax may be worth the extra cost. On unreserved trains, board at the very front to maximize your chances of getting a seat. Also look for trains which originate at your departure station.
¥Amtrak will operate dozens of extra trains running in advance of normal schedules. Be aware that some of them, especially between New York and Philadelphia, will operate with commuter-type equipment. That means tighter seating, no caf car, and no rest rooms on some trains. However, seats are more plentiful. Amtrak usually announces the fact that commuter equipment is being used when the train is announced. If in doubt, ask at the train information desk.
¥Purchase your train tickets in advance. Travel agents issue all Amtrak tickets, reserved or unreserved, and will get you the lowest fares, all at no extra cost.
¥Allow about 15 minutes extra travel time between Philadelphia and New York or Washington. Some minor delays are also likely; your best strategy is to get to the station and catch the next train.
¥Expect extra crowds in the stations and on the trains. Use the rest room and get your snacks in the station.
AmNotes: More ÒSmoke-FreeÓ Trains
¥Amtrak has expanded its smoking restrictions effective with the October schedule change. Smoking is now completely prohibited on all trains with running times under 2 1/2 hours. In our area, this includes the New York-Philadelphia Clocker trains, Amtrak local trains from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, and New York-Albany service.
Trains which run with three cars or less are already smoke-free. The new timetables now show a no-smoking symbol for all trains which do not carry a car for smoking. Amtrak continues to experiment with different lounge-car smoking restrictions on long-distance trains.
¥The X-2000 tilting trainset from Sweden is now in regular service on selected Metroliner runs. Amtrak is testing the technology for possible use when the New Haven-Boston electrification is completed. The tilt-trains allow increased speed through curves, reducing the need for expensive relocations of the right-of-way.
¥Amtrak monthly tickets are now good for unlimited use; the 46 trip punch card has been eliminated. A new refund policy on monthly tickets has also been instituted. See Amtrak ticket agents for details.ÑMDM
Energy Bill Increases Transit Benefits
President Bush signed legislation which whittles down the imbalance in Federal tax subsidies for private cars and mass transit. Among other provisions, the bill increases the tax-free limit on employer-provided transit passes to $60 per month from the previous $21 limit. Now, only the part of the transit benefit over $60 per month is taxable; whereas previously if the benefit exceeded $21, all of it was taxable. The new law is a breakthrough, as the tax subsidy of employer-provided parking has been capped for the first time. Parking benefits with market value over $155 are taxable on that part over $155.ÑCB
Rail Freight in the News
Freight railroads make an important contribution to the economic competitiveness of our region. The service has been in the news lately: what are the issues? The rail freight industry has changed dramatically in the last 25 years, as small and large railroads merged to form megacarriers like Conrail, increasing automation and elimination of age-old work practices have greatly reduced the number of rail employees, and railroads promote ÒintermodalÓ shipping with trucks and ships.
Change in our area has come as the result of Canadian PacificÕs expansion into the US with the purchase of the Delaware and Hudson lines. To maintain some competition when Conrail was created from formerly competing railroads, the Federal government granted D&H trackage rights over Conrail. CP has inherited those rights and now seeks to use PhiladelphiaÕs port as a new gateway to the north and west. Conrail wants those rights ended now that the D&H is in the hands of big and strong CP. Conrail controls a crucial access point to the port, and is charging CP dearly to use it. CPÕs response has been to ask Pennsylvania to sponsor a new route to the independent Philadelphia Belt Line tracks on Delaware Ave. in the name of competition and increased shipping activity. Meanwhile, businesses along the waterfront are concerned about the effect of restored train service on Delaware Ave.
A compromise is likely, and restaurant and bar developers will be told that the port is for shipping first. A broad package could satisfy both sides, if funding for modernization of other Conrail lines is found. That work would raise bridges and lower tracks to make it possible for Conrail to run Òdouble-stackÓ trains through Pennsylvania. The very-efficient trains carry ocean-going containers stacked on special flatcars. They have been at the heart of the intermodal revolution in rail freight.ÑMDM
Truckers Seek Easing of Safety Rule
The Federal Highway Administration is proposing a rule change which would increase the amount of hours truck drivers can spend behind the wheel by almost 50 percent. Presently, drivers are limited to 70 hours of duty in an eight-day period. The mandated rest periods and limits on in-service hours prevent accidents by reducing driver fatigue (the primary cause of over 40 percent of truck crashes), but trucking companies want to gut the rule to increase their profits. Like many other truck safety regulations (especially speed limits) violations are frequent.
A survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety uncovered the shocking fact that 19 percent of long-haul truckers admitted falling asleep at the wheel, even with the present limits. Even the Teamsters union is opposing the change. To find out more, call Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH) at 1-800-CRASH12.
Fumo in PATCO Flap
State funding for PATCO service was held up for a time last month by State Sen. Vince Fumo (D-Philadelphia). Fumo objected on the grounds that the cash-starved City has not received any rental payments from PATCO under the lease of the City-owned Locust St. subway to the bi-state agency. Fumo has taken aim at the Port Authority in the past, mainly to get an increased share of patronage in its port and bridge activities. While there was never a serious threat to shut down service, Fumo still feels that subsidies to New Jersey riders are too high.ÑMDM
NJ Transit Forms Coalition
Following the model started in Philadelphia and taken nationwide, NJ Transit has established a Statewide Transit Coalition, to promote mass transit and lobby for increased funding for it. To join the coalition, write to the South Jersey Transit Advisory Committee, One Penn Plaza East, Newark, NJ 07105.
Coalition Proposes ÒHub StationÓ at Woodbourne
A group including area businesses and a railroad consultant and prospective operator (Newtown Short Line Corp.) has publicized its plan for a superstation and commercial development in Bucks County, where highways I-95 and US 1 intersect with the R3 West Trenton Line and the Conrail Morrisville Line (Trenton Cut-off). Plans for new passenger service over the Morrisville Line are driving the proposal: NJ Transit is considering extending its New York-Trenton service into Bucks Co., while SEPTAÕs proposed ÒCross-County MetroÓ would also use the tracks.
The new station is intended to be a park-and-ride hub for Lower Bucks, which has an increasing number of commuters bound for Mercer Co. in New Jersey, especially the Princeton area. The promoters say that the new hub would ease traffic and air pollution and spur economic development. The price tag: $100 million, but the transportation element of the project is only a fraction of the total.
Fort Washington: Lights! Gutters! Acquisitions!
Fort Washington Station is receiving some long needed maintenance, in-cluding new gutters and new lights. A new parking lot is being acquired for the station which appears to be the nearby car dealership. Now all we need is passengers to fill the lot. Perhaps SEPTA can take a page from the real estate industry's book and use low-power FM radio to give train info to commuters on highway 309.ÑTB
Congress: an Incremental Boost for High-Speed Rail
Congress has approved $30 million of seed money for high-speed demonstration projects in key short-distance corridors. Rather than purchase expensive new technology such as TGV or mag-lev, existing lines will be upgraded for higher speeds. Four of the five corridors have been announced: they are Chicago to Detroit, Milwaukee, and St. Louis; and Miami to Tampa via Orlando.ÑMDM
Railreading
Car-Free in Philadelphia has just been published. The book takes a cue from the long-successful Car-Free in Boston, and provides instructions for reaching hundreds of destinations by public transit. The basic premise is that in both cities, public transit is so comprehensive that city residents can sell their car and live more economically by relying on transit. $6.95 from Camino Books. Full review next month.
Two recent magazine articles are of local interest. Passenger Train Journal for September includes ÒMarketing AmtrakÓ an interview with a leading travel agent who shares tips for planning your train trips. Railfan and Railroad for October has a feature telling the history of the New Hope and Ivyland RR, the tourist and industrial line in Bucks County.ÑMDM
Information Wanted
If you or someone you know drives to Center City regularly, the DVARP Commuter Rail Committee would like to know how long it takes, so it can make comparisons with rail travel times. Please ask your colleagues at the office how long their trips take, then send us a note or call DVARP Voice Mail: 215-222-3373, message box 2.ÑJRP
Volunteers Make Sunday Super
Super Sunday festivities in Center City last month included a DVARP booth staffed by a half-dozen loyal volunteers. Their activities included distribution of DVARP brochures and newsletters, and soliciting signatures for petitions opposing weekend cuts in commuter rail service and asking for restoration of streetcar service in Philadelphia.
Public response to the petition drive was excellent, as the volunteers pointed out how everyone benefits when transit service is improved. Many people had a particular interest in the weekend rail service as they used it to get to the celebration. The trolley mesage got across with a display of photos of good streetcar service in other cities.
The DVARP traveling show went to the Ambler Octoberfest next, building the same kind of transit awareness in the suburbs, and promoting transit as an issue in the election. While this should end this season of DVARP participation in community fairs, volunteers who would like to participate in outreach activities over the winter and next year should call Volunteer Coordinator Betsey Clark at 215-222-3373, message box 5.
Newsletter Mailing Update
In the second month of our permit mailing, Post Office service seems to have improved. If you received your newsletter after October 15, please save your mailing label and contact us. We expect that this newsletter will be delivered to the Post Office on Monday, November 9. Thank you for bearing with us during the transition; the dollars DVARP saves with the permit mailing are being used to increase the size of the newsletter and strengthen DVARPÕs other efforts.
Up and Down the Corridor
News of other Northeastern commuter rail and rail transit services
More North Jersey Light Rail?
NJ-ARP and local officials in North Jersey are leading a movement for additional light rail service in the area surrounding Newark. A route connecting the Newark City Subway to Newark Airport and Elizabeth is already on the drawing board; the new coalition wants an extension north to Paterson, and additional branches to the Meadowlands & Montclair. Many of these branches would follow the successful formula of using existing rail lines.
ÒFare DealÓ Part I Announced in New York
The MTA is reforming the transit fare structure in New York, with the goal of promoting intermodal trips and increasing automation. Step 1 of the process is underway, with fare cuts on bus lines in eastern Queens and far south Brooklyn which act as feeders to the subway. Since there is no transfer available between the two modes (except a few specific routes), these passengers had to pay two separate fares. In Staten Island, all transfers between rail and bus are now free. New York will implement equivalents of our TransPass and TrailPass once new collection equipment is installed in subway stations.
Metro-North Surprisingly Good, LIRR Unsurprisingly Bad
A NY State Assemblyman who had hoped to score campaign points at the expense of Metro-North found that 64 percent of riders in a survey he conducted rated the commuter line Òpretty goodÓ and 31 percent more rated it Òexcellent.Ó Fast service and a seats-for-all policy have a lot to do with the commutersÕ satisfaction.
However, on the Long Island, passengers had little good to say. In awarding the railroad a C grade in the latest official survey, commuters complained about poor on-time performance and overcrowded trains.
European Railways Embrace Privatization
British Prime Minister John Major and his Government have announced their intent to completely privatize British Rail. The move was long-anti-cipated, but comes at a tough time for the railway. The recession has cut into both passenger and freight revenue, putting the InterCity and Railfreight sectors into the red, and increasing the deficits of the London commuter and rural passenger services.
Reorganization along functional lines and shedding of parts of the business, coupled with reduction in staff and reinvestment in rolling stock brought a financial turnaround to BR in the last decade. Then the Conservative government policy of privatization of nationalized industries could be applied to the railway. The Government plan provides for free-market competition in running trains, with the operators to pay trackage fees to an authority which owns and maintains the tracks. Observers in the UK forecast chaos if such a system with dozens of train operators replaces the unified (at least to the passengerÕs eye) train service. Administrative headaches are also predicted in sorting out contract offers and making sure that service is provided to unprofitable locations and at unprofitable hours.
The accounting system of separate operation and track authorities has been in place in Sweden for several years now. The Government there owns and maintains the rails in the same way that it owns and subsidizes roads. SJ, the national railway company, and a few private competitors all pay user fees to the track authority, but the competition is closely regulated.
Other countries are also moving closer to having private rail systems, with hopes of unloading the government railwaysÕ burden of subsidizing unneeded employees and unprofitable routes. Will this happen here in America? Bush efforts to sell all or part of Amtrak are out, but remember that Amtrak already functions as a private-sector company. The government owns all the stock.ÑMDM
Dates of Interest
SEPTA Public Hearing on Route 105 Revision: cancelled.
DVARP Commuter Rail Committee: Sat., Nov. 14, 12:00 at Chestnut Gourmet, 1614 Chestnut St., Philadelphia.
Greater Valley Forge TMA Special Presentation: ÒThe Cross County Metro: Linking the Region for the 21st Century.Ó Tue., Nov 17, 8:00 am at Upper Merion Municipal Building, 175 West Valley Forge Rd., King of Prussia. Speaker: Kyra McGrath.
SEPTA Citizen Advisory Committee: Tuesdays, Nov. 17 and Dec. 15, 5:45 pm at SEPTA Board Room, 714 Market St., Philadelphia.
SEPTA on Site (Suburb. Tran.): Wed., Nov. 18, 7:30 to 9:30 am at 69th St. & Norristown.
IEEE Vehicular Technology Society: Wed., Nov. 18, 7:00 pm at 216 Moore School, Univ. of Penn. 33rd & Walnut Sts., Philadelphia. Topic: ÒJericho Park Solid State Frequency Converter.Ó info: 569-1795
SEPTA on Site (RRD): Thursday mornings: 7:30 to 9:00 am, at Subn. Stn. on Nov. 12, 26; at Market East on Nov. 19, Dec. 3.
SEPTA Board Meeting: Thu., Nov. 19, 3:00, 714 Market St., Third Floor, Philadelphia.
note change from usual date!
Delaware Valley Citizens Coalition for Transportation (DELTRAN) General Meeting. Sat., Nov. 21, 12:00 to 1:00, location Center City TBA, call Harry Hyde at 525-1129
DVARP General Meeting: Sat., Nov. 21, 1:00 to 4:00 at Temple Univ. Center City, 1616 Walnut St., Philadelphia.
SEPTA Public Hearings on Bus Route Reorganization (Routes 5, 47, 50, 57, 73, 89, P):
1)ÊWed., Dec. 2, 6:30 at YMCA Columbia North, 1400 North Broad, Philadelphia.
2)ÊThurs., Dec. 2, 6:00 at Days Inn, 4200 Roosevelt Blvd., Philadelphia.
3)ÊFri., Dec. 4, 10:00 at SEPTA Board Room, 714 Market St.
SEPTA Public Hearing on Route 53 Cut: Thu., Dec. 3, 10:00 at PrinceÕs Banquet Hall, 1412 Hunting Park Av., Philadelphia.
Delmarva Rail Passenger Association: Dinner meeting Thurs., Dec. 3, 6:00 at Yankee Restaurant, Glasgow, DE. reservations $10.00: call Doug Andrews, 302-995-6419. Guest speakers TBA.
DVARP Transit Committee: Fri., Dec. 4, 5:00 pm to 6:15 pm at Jefferson Alumni Hall, 1020 Locust St., first floor commons, Philadelphia.
DVARP Commuter Rail Committee: Sat., Dec. 12, 12:00 at Chestnut Gourmet, 1614 Chestnut St., Philadelphia.
DVARP General Meeting: Sat., Dec. 19, 1:00 to 4:00 pm at 12 South Ave., Jenkintown.
Listings based on information provided to DVARP. Contact sponsor to confirm time & place.
Opinions expressed in The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger are not necessarily
those of DVARP or its members. We welcome your comments.
