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Delaware Valley Rail Passenger Vol 10 No 08
1972 - 1992 DVARP Twentieth Anniversary
1892 - 1992 Philadelphia Electric Streetcar Centennial
The
Delaware Valley
Rail Passenger
August 4, 1992
Vol. X, No. 8
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 10
Inside The Delaware Valley Rail PassengerÉ
2 Important hearings this month: SEPTA Capital Budget and rail service cuts,
DVRPC master plan for road, rail transportation projects.
3 Budget crisis continues: SEPTA asks for big cuts in train service
Rendell, DVARP call SEPTA budget cuts counterproductive.
4 RailWorks Roundup: Commuters going bonkers over subway shut-outs.
May ridership stats document Railworks cost.
Enter your ideas in DVARPÕs ridership rebuilding contest!
6 Twentieth Anniversary Special:
Bob Machler and Harry Hyde recount DVARPÕs historical origins.
9 On the Railroad Lines: Conrail repairing South Philly viaduct,
City and suburban transit updates. Ocean City threat.
11 Up and Down the Corridor: Special light rail report from Baltimore.
Meetings of Interest.
Service Cuts: What You Should DoÉ
Although transit experts and elected officials have called SEPTAÕs proposed cuts in commuter rail service counterproductive and self-destructive, the authority still doesnÕt see the other ways to balance its budget. ThatÕs why it is important for you and other passengers to speak out. Read about the proposed cuts and the budget on page 3 and 4. Then make plans to attend one of the public hearings. The Philadelphia hearing will be Wednesday, September 2, at the Hilton Hotel, Broad and Locust Sts. in two sessions at 11:00 am and 6:00 pm. See page 11 for times and places of other hearings.
Prepare a short statement describing how the cuts will affect you and your family. Will they affect your ability to do your job? Will they cause you to drive your car instead of riding SEPTA? Will they mean you will spend less time and money in Philadelphia? If you canÕt give your statement in person, mail it by September 2 to Hearing Examiner, c/o Mary Donahue, SEPTA, 714 Market St., Philadelphia, 19106.
Government officials, both in the City and in the suburbs, must be informed of the severity of these cuts and the effect they will have on the economy and their tax revenues. Urge them to attend the hearings, too.
Will SEPTA be allowed to destroy our rail service?
Only if we let them.
SEPTA Capital Budget Hearing: August 20
It is again time for public hearings on SEPTAÕs proposed FY 1993 Capital Budget, and again, SEPTA has inadequately justified its demand for $4.5 billion of public money. The number of vaguely-defined Ògrab-bag projectsÓ has increased, not decreased, and some project components appear to be duplicative. DVARPÕs Capital Budget Task Force, chaired by Don Nigro, has been given the task of reviewing the proposal and preparing a response.
The DVARP statement will sound the theme that SEPTA must change the way it proposes and implements capital projects, to ensure that the public interest is served. It will point out numerous projects which are unnecessary or too costly for the benefits they promise. Most of those projects were in previous budgets and were targets of previous DVARP criticism. The SEPTA proposal differs little from last yearÕs Capital Budget.
The Capital Budget and Plan is vital to our transportation future, as it determines the priorities and schedule for transit rebuilding and expansion. Dollars wasted on unnecessary or Ògold-platedÓ facilities are dollars which cannot be used for new or improved service. Smart investment of capital dollars can and should result in savings in SEPTAÕs problematic operating budget, but such opportunities are overlooked in the current plan. Finally, as SEPTAÕs practice now stands, the Capital Budget hearing is the only time for meaningful public input on how projects are to be carried out. Will ÒWayne Junction to Glenside Systems ImprovementÓ mean another disasterous service shutdown? Will the ÒFrankford Transportation CenterÓ include provisions for future rail service in the Northeast?
To make sure SEPTA answers these questions, come to the hearing on Thursday the 20th at 10:00 am, in the SEPTA Board Room on the third floor of 714 Market St. Make sure your city or township and county elected officials participate. If you cannot appear at the hearings, mail written comments to the hearing examiner c/o SEPTA, 714 Market St., Philadelphia 19106.
Budget documents are available for inspection at various libraries and at SEPTA headquarters. To have a copy mailed to you, send $3.50 to DVARP. Don Nigro of the DVARP Capital Budget Task Force can be reached at 609-869-9048.
ÑMatthew Mitchell
DVRPC Hearing Considers Transportation Improvements
In order to be eligible for Federal funding, all transportation projects must be listed in a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). While called a program, the TIP is actually a document listing all transportation projects that a region deems important enough to request federal funding. Both highway and public transportation projects are included.
The law requires that regions designate a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to be responsible for the plan. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is the MPO for Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania, and for Camden, Burlington, Gloucester, and Mercer counties in New Jersey. (Other MPOs cover Delaware and the other southern New Jersey counties.)
Previous to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) the TIP was prepared by assembling lists submitted by the counties, the states, and the transit agencies in the region. There was no public participation. ISTEA changed the regulations to strengthen the role of the MPO in the process and to require some public participation. Thus, this year, for the first time, transportation users have a say about their future. Also this year funds can move between highway and transit projects - depending on which mode makes its case more effectively.
The DVRPC has scheduled a "public meeting" on the TIP Thursday August 13 at 4PM on the 8th floor of the Bourse Building, 21 S. 5th St. Also, written comments can be submitted until August 28. Curiously, the announcement only listed Pennsylvania counties as being included. Because this is the first time for the public process there seem to be a few procedural bugs to be worked out. As nearly as we can determine the various bodies submitting proposed projects are still revising their lists, which hinders preparation of constructive comment. Only 17 days will pass between publication of the notice and the public meeting.ÑCB
SEPTA Proposes Major Off-Peak Rail Cuts
SEPTA has begun to define and implement the service reductions generalized in the FY92 Operating Budget Proposal. Hearing notices have appeared listing the following proposed discontinuances:
R2 Warminster - Center City, Sundays
R5 Coatesville and Parkesburg, all service
R5 Downingtown - Paoli, Saturdays
R5 Lansdale - Doylestown, Saturdays and Sundays
R6 Cynwyd - Center City, off peak weekdays, Saturdays
R6 Norristown - Center City, Saturdays and Sundays
R7 Chestnut Hill East - Center City, Saturdays and Sundays
R8 Fox Chase - Center City, Saturdays and Sundays
¥close stations: Andalusia(R7), Frankford Jct(R7), Logan(R2), Mogees(R6)
¥unspecified cuts in peak-hour express trains
¥unspecified reductions in evening service
Some of these cuts were predicted by SEPTA and criticized by DVARP during the process of adopting the current SEPTA Operating Budget. DVARP insists that the projected SEPTA budget deficit can be closed in a less-destructive manner, by mothballing unneeded equipment and increasing ridership.
At the June 20 DVARP meeting, the members present determined that the duplicative Amtrak and SEPTA service at Coatesville and Parkesburg costs $1.9 million each year, but yields only a small increase in ridership. Thus the members determined that SEPTA should yield the service to Amtrak until such time as the entire Harrisburg service is rationalized. The DVARP Commuter Rail Committee is meeting August 8 to develop a DVARP response to the remaining proposed cuts, which also include Òpeak period train consolidation and weekend service hour reductions...on all routes except the Airport line.Ó
The proposed cuts significantly reduce the usefulness of the Regional Rail system on weekends. An interesting piece of research by the City of Philadelphia has found that the weekend R8 Chestnut Hill West line service eliminations a couple years ago caused weekday ridership to decrease 25% on that line. Five out of seven of the lines which will lose some or all weekend service are currently impacted by the Railworks¨ reconstruction project. Will these cuts be the end for the Warminster, Fox Chase, Norristown, and Chestnut Hill East lines? Is this another part of the oft-alleged SEPTA intention to convert the lines to transit service by decreasing ridership so much that the subsidy becomes a political liability?
Members are urged to write and phone their elected officials, to write local newspapers, and to attend the hearings (dates and locations in the Dates of Interest section.) Those interested in circulating petitions for signatures or leafletting can contact Betsey Clark at 215-843-9039.ÑCB
ItÕs ironic that the hearings for Chester and Montgomery Counties regarding these rail service deletions are accessible only by car and bus: A strange way to give the people most affected by these cutbacks a chance to speak out.ÑTom Borawski
Rendell Slams SEPTA Budget, Service Cuts
A City document made part of the SEPTA Operating Budget hearing record takes SEPTA management to task for its weak justification of its budget and service cuts. Economic analysis completed by Chris Zearfoss of the MayorÕs Office for Transportation shows that the proposed cuts would in fact make SEPTAÕs budget problems worse. The document outlines more constructive alternatives for cutting SEPTAÕs budget.
The City is taking a strong stand against evening and weekend cuts in commuter rail service, as Zearfoss and the Rendell Administration recognize the importance of the railroad to the CityÕs economy. The document cites a report by Federal Reserve economist Richard Voith, concluding that the cuts will result in an overall 15 percent ridership loss.
SEPTAÕs plan to replace trolley service in North Philadelphia with electric buses also comes under attack. The City document reports numerous costs which are underestimated or ignored in the SEPTA plan, and denounces the ÒabrogationÓ of SEPTAÕs agreement with the City on trolley service.
In all, the City has reached conclusions quite similar to DVARPÕs. SEPTA is not using its facilities and equipment efficiently, and has done nothing to improve the ridership and revenue side of the budget equation.ÑMDM
RailWorks¨ Roundup
Bad Connections Cause Commuter Tantrums
Broad Street Subway train doors are being shut in the faces of connecting commuter rail passengers, causing shocking examples of behavior among the commuters. Subway starters (and checkers who have nothing to do with dispatching the trains) are being harangued by irate passengers. One rider was seen actually forcing the subway doors open to get on board.
Complaints received by DVARP of subway trains pulling out just as commuters are arriving have increased in the last month. While some such incidents are inevitable due to the frequency of subway service, the riders are alleging that shutting-out of the commuters is intentional. The anti-commuter sentiment of some CTD workers and their union fuels those speculations.
While passengersÕ abusive behavior cannot be justified, subway managers could do much to prevent the problems. The original schedule for the train-subway connection allows too much time; the train which passengers are trying to catch is actually the train before their scheduled connection. A flyer explaining this fact and the need to keep subway trains running for passengers at Olney and down the line, and reassuring passengers that they will arrive downtown on time would be a good immediate measure.ÑMDM
Railworks Ridership Reconstruction: What are your ideas ?
Ostensibly, The Railworks Reconstruction project will be finished on Sept. 5, 1993. DVARP feels the job is not done until the last alienated passenger is back on the rails, and has called for a Railworks Ridership Reconstruction project. What form should this project take?
¥We donÕt need more ÒZipsÓ: An infuriatingly useless piece of plastic which sold construction, not commuting.
¥Billboards. Billboards. Billboards. A prime medium for reaching drivers. The Railworks Ridership Reconstruction Program can turn into a permanent asset if capital funding for billboard sites is part of it. The nastiest, most congested traffic bottleneck areas should have a SEPTA billboard to remind drivers (to quote HP) Òthere is a better way.Ó
Railworks¨ is a registered trademark of SEPTA
Perhaps AmtrakÕs experience with billboards could be used as a Òmarketing study.Ó A good SEPTA-owned billboard site could be the Manayunk bridge. Some may carp that such a billboard would spoil the architectural splendor of the bridge. It should be pointed out that the people who could be using SEPTA but drive are spoiling the architectural splendor of our lungs. Hopefully the billboards will have something more effective than ÒRelax: Ride the ReadingÓ and less offensive than Bart Simpson screaming: ÒTraffic sucks, ride SEPTA.Ó
¥Digital Park and Ride Signs. As an adjunct to both Railworks Ridership Reconstruction and the DVRPC park and ride study (#91025), motorists should be lured out of their cars by knowing the rules of the game: when the next train leaves. The technology is already here:: electronic signs alert drivers to tunnel delays in Baltimore, while SEPTAÕs new control center will have up-to-date monitoring and communications equipment.
¥A direct mail campaign which sends a schedule and a cheap plastic magnetic schedule holder (to be affixed to the household Ôfridge) to all residents within a reasonable distance from a Regional Rail route. Each time Mr. or Mrs. Smith reaches for a microwave blintz, they will be reminded that there is an alternative to their cars.
¥Tariff structures which allow SEPTA to work with private business on group purchases of tickets.
What are your ideas ? DVARP wants to know. Send them to: RRRP Ideas, P.O. Box 546, Fort Washington, PA 19034Ð0546. The best idea (as judged by DVARPÕs Commuter Rail Committee) will receive an 8 by 10 glossy picture of Mike Quick (so what do you want, a gold medal?). Employees of DVARP or SEPTA who make over $131,721 (including profit sharing) per year are not eligible. Void where prohibited, taxed or derided.ÑTom Borawski
Ridership Update
The following figures are from page 35 of the SEPTA Revenue and Passenger Analysis for May (the latest available at press time):
Weekday Ridership
RRD LINE MAY Ô91 MAY Ô92 DIFF. %
-------------------------------------------
R1 AIRPORT 2,327 1,866 Ð19.8%
R2 WARMINSTER 5,387 3,165 Ð41.2%
R2 WILMINGTON 7,129 6,288 Ð11.8%
R3 W. TRENTON 6,874 4,139 Ð39.8%
R3 MEDIA-ELWY 8,463 7,953 Ð6.0%
R5 DOYLESTOWN 10,946 6,612 Ð39.6%
R5 PAOLI 21,310 20,037 Ð6.0%
R6 NORRISTOWN 3,633 0 -100.0%
R6 IVYRIDGE 422 429 1.7%
R7 CHESTNUT E. 5,375 O -100%
R7 TRENTON 8,211 8,882 8.2%
R8 FOX CHASE 4,241 0 -100%
R8 CHESTNUT W. 3,551 7,831 120.5%
INDICATES RAILWORKS IMPACTED LINE
Weekend ridership
RRD LINE MAY Ô91 MAYÕ92 DIFF %.
----------------------------------------
R1 AIRPORT 2,808 2,605 Ð7.2%
R2 WARMINSTER 2,273 755 Ð66.8%
R2 WILMINGTON 2,979 2071 Ð30.5%
R3 W. TRENTON 2,260 874 Ð61.3%
R3 MEDIA-ELWY 2,537 2061 Ð18.8%
R5 DOYLESTOWN 5,092 2,498 Ð50.9%
R5 PAOLI 8,640 8257 Ð4.4%
R6 NORRISTOWN 1,679 0 Ð100.0%
R6 IVY RIDGE 0 0 0
R7 CHESTNUT E. 4,063 0 Ð100.0%
R7 TRENTON 8,270 7760 Ð6.2%
R8 FOX CHASE 1,106 0 Ð100.0%
R8 CHESTNUT W 0 3,640 100.0%
DVARP History: Part 1ÑJersey Shore Origins
by Bob Machler and Harry Hyde
The Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers began in 1972 as a spinoff from the Delaware Valley Citizens Committee for Better Transportation which in turn began modestly as a small ad hoc team. HereÕs how things got started:
1971-AVC (American VeteranÕs Committee) Delaware Valley Chapter:
Two participants in a seashore outing of this group decided to add serious meaning to the trip by conducting an on-train survey of passenger opinions on the future of seashore train service. They printed a brief questionnaire, and distributed it aboard at what at that time was the only weekend and holiday train between the Philadelphia area and the South Jersey coast- the summer only train that DVARP was later to name Òthe Summer Special.Ó This train from Lindenwold to Ocean City, Wildwood, and Cape May was the only surviving shorebound train, as distinguished from year-round Monday to Friday commuter trains. It ran down to the shore in the morning and back up in the evening, while the latter trains ran up from the shore in the morning and back down again in the evening.
The AVC chapter, although a veterans group and not a transportation group, already had an interest in seashore train service, for transportation to outing sites, starting with Cape May in 1961 and too AVC national conventions in Atlantic City. The chapter, in fact, had testified at an Interstate Commerce Commission hearing in 1961, when railroad management wanted to discontinue all South Jersey seashore train service. A t the time the chapter printed and distributed some 2000 cards reading ÒKeep the Trains Running,Ó to mobilize public support. So the 1971 survey continued what the chapter started ten years earlier.
The survey, used as input to a formal report later presented in testimony to the NJ DOT, also included optional blanks for name, address and telephone number. Persons expressed such interest that it was decided to form the Delaware Valley Citizens Committee for Better Transportation.
1971-DELTRAN The DELaware Valley Citizens Committee for Better TRANsportation: The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP), founded in 1967 by Illinois attorney Anthony Haswell, sponsored a rail passenger trip from Baltimore to Gettysburg in cooperation with a the National Railroad Historical Society. On the return part of the trip, Bob Machler suggested to Harry Hyde that a local educational advocacy group for rail and other forms of non-automotive transportation be formed. Harry showed Bob his DVCCBT letterhead, and Bob suggested that the group adopt the name ÒDELTRANÓ and create a newsletter. Joseph Vranich, then a NARP official and now a well known rail advocate and author of the recently published Supertrains, gave us some added encouragement. So just as four persons aboard a train during World War II had a conversation that led to formation of CARE (Committee for American Remittances Everywhere), so was DELTRAN formed.
Harry published a newsletter and at BobÕs urging sent a copy to Frank Dougherty, the ÒPhantom RiderÓ columnist of the Daily News. The result was a full column writeup on DELTRAN and with that bit of helpful publicity DELTRAN was on its way.
DELTRAN was a financially contributing cosponsor with the Clean Air Council, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and other groups of a 1972 Drexel University transportation conference that brought together Richard Clothier, then the executive director of the Keystone Automobile Club; Thatcher Longstreth, then the head of the Greater Phila. Chamber of Commerce; and James McConnon, then chairman of SEPTA.
In June 1972, DELTRAN had a joint outing with the American Veterans Committee, at Ocean City, NJ, via a train that was later named by DVARP as the Summer Special. The train was a convenient way to travel to the South Jersey seashore: no driving hassle. However, its existence was a well-kept secret. The operating railroad at the time, the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL), expressed very little interest in advertising its train service. Bob Machler suggested that one way to let others know about the train (which also served Cape May and Wildwood as well as Ocean City) was to issue promotional timetable flyers and purchase advertisements in local/regional newspapers. If the railroad was too apathetic about doing it, then DELTRAN would do it. This became a major DELTRAN activity, perhaps to a fault, because there were many other transportation needs, some of which were far more important than access to the seashore.
But this was a pilot project and an opportunity for the new group, to get some practical experience in a transportation project with a general Delaware Valley interest. For the most part, transportation in the Delaware Valley is locally oriented. But many people from all over the Delaware Valley travel to the South Jersey seashore. This was something that could attract regional interest. It was also an opportunity to combine transportation activism with summer fun. Probably more so that any other thing, the seashore train with its comraderie brought together people who shared an interest in public transportation.
1972-DVARP The Delaware Valley Association of RR Passengers: Talk aboard the seashore train on a DELTRAN outing led to the formation of DVARP. Three DELTRAN members who were also members of the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP): Davis Dure, Harry Hyde Jr, and Bob Machler, had an on-train conversation about the idea of a chapter of NARP members in the Delaware Valley. Once again again a group aboard a train planned an organization, just as was the case in the formation of CARE and DELTRAN.
So DVARP was started. A year later, in 1973, it took over DELTRANÕs seashore-train activities. As part of the promotional and public-information effort, DVARP continued what was to be a 10-year custom (started by DELTRAN) of serving complimentary refreshments to train passengers as well as distributing literature promoting the social and environmental advantages of all rail passenger service, Amtrak, SEPTA, and PRSL etc. and to encourage membership in NARP. The plan at this time was to have DVARP handle strictly rail passenger problems and have DELTRAN continue to be an umbrella group for all public transportation advocacy. DELTRAN expanded its newsletter into the DELTRAN/ DVARP newsletter.
Over the decade from 1972 to 1982, the groups were active participants in numerous public hearings. Every year, before the opening of the opening of the weekend Òsummer specialÓ trains, proposals to shut down South Jersey Seashore train service were aired and arguments by the naysayers were refuted by testimony from the DELTRAN/DVARP team. During this time period, two important things happened: a growing national recognition of the importance of public transportation, and the birth of the casino industry in Atlantic City. In the latter, DVARP saw the possibility of a new market for rail transportation.
It was interesting to note that one member quit DVARP because a religious group which he was a member of had strong reservations about gambling. The group advised him to quit DVARP because it were promoting gamblingÑ or at least that was what his letter of resignation implied. Some of this feeling perhaps should be blamed on the members of the news media who nicknamed the planned rail improvement as the ÒGamblers Express.Ó Of course DVARP was not pro or con casino gambling, but believed that since gamblers were going to be traveling to Atlantic City regardless of any groupsÕ feelings, it made more sense to encourage them to not add to highway traffic congestion and air pollution. Consider that the anti-gambling group did not advocate the abandonment of the ÒGamblers ExpresswayÓ, officially and better known as the Atlantic City Expressway.
So the battle to save Atlantic City train service continued. Before DVARPÕs existence, service abandonments had meant that not only was passenger service lost, but often the right of way was abandoned, such as happened to the rail line to Sea Isle City and Stone Harbor. Such abandonment caused land to be transferred to other owners, making restoration of the rail line difficult at best. With increasing government involvement in transportation, DVARP knew that the longer it delayed a shutdown of the old PRSL/Conrail service the better the chance of track preservation for future service.
1976 -STRC Shore Train RiderÕs Club: The holding action against the shutdown was fought by a newly-formed sibling group which also shared DELTRANÕs newsletter. Before the actual shutdown, DVARP continued its battles at the annual public hearings. Early in 1976, Harry Hyde and his team went to four hearings in as many weeks to fight to keep the trains running. They also passed out flyers to the regular daily commuters at night at the Lindenwold Station warning them about the hearings. Other years, non-partisan voters guides were published and distributed to passengers. A ÒSouth Jersey Guide to Events and Places,Ó mostly a transportation guide with the emphasis on rail travel, was published with the support of advertisers in Ocean City, Willow Grove, and Cape May. All of this stimulated more political and public support for the trains.
But in 1982 the ÒIron CurtainÓ fell on the seashore-train track and cut off the South Jersey seashore from rail contact with the outside world. The important fact about this shutdown was that the official reason for halting service was that the tracks needed repairing. Legally, this was only a suspension of service and not a discontinuance. But in a big way this was a victory because the rights of way were NOT abandoned, the minimum, yet most important goal of the long fight. Had the DELTRAN/DVARP/STRC effort not existed, it is a likelihood that some of the the trackage would have been abandoned in 1972 and todayÕs passenger service would never had a chance.
1983 NJ-ARP- The New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers: Thanks to efforts by certain members of NARP and NJ-ARP, another newly formed group, and other interested parties; trains began running again to Atlantic City in May of 1989. The trackage to Atlantic City was not repaired, but better yet, completely replaced! A possibility for some kind of service restoration to Cape May still exists. Harry Hyde and Bob Machler were among those privileged to ride the VIP Amtrak train on opening day. (Both acquired a brief celebrity status after being interviewed for the evening TV news, Harry on channel 3, Bob on channel 6.) The rail trip also provided, a bit of nostalgia: Joe Vranich who gave us our initial encouragement, Harry Hyde, and Bob met for the first time all three together again in eighteen years
This summer DVARP marks its 20th anniversary. From its humble beginning aboard a seashore train in 1972, it has become a strong and highly respected organization. Charles (Chuck) Bode is now serving as president, following many years of service, 1978 to 1991, by John R. Pawson. John is still active as coordinator of the commuter rail committee covering problems that roughly encompass what was once old the Reading passenger system..
Before the shutdown, problems were growing on the west side of the Delaware River and threats to Amtrak were being made. John Pawson started a new independent newsletter, The Delaware Rail Passenger, as the official DVARP newsletter. The newly formed the Keystone Association of RR Passengers (KARP), shared the newsletter for a period of time.
There should be some follow-on discussion about the status of all of the above groups their failures and successes. The true success of any of the groups is their ability to mobilize or at least motivate the public and their elected officials to get things done. This discussion should be part of a future article. Meanwhile, we shall continue to celebrate DVARPÕs birthday through the next 12 months. Stay with us!
DVARP is Going Electronic
Regular readers of this newsletter have probably noticed the minor changes in format made at the beginning of the year. What you donÕt see is the increasing automation of the newsletter production process. This monthÕs Delaware Valley Rail Passenger is the first to have been produced completely by computer. Most contributors submitted their material on floppy disks, while the remainder was entered using optical character recognition (OCR) technology. Spelling checking and page layout were completed using Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, and final printing was done on an ink-jet printer.
What does this mean for you? The document processing system allows pages to be set up on the computer rather than by cutting and pasting. The production time is reduced, so we can bring you more current news. Volunteers can spend more time writing and less time making everything fit into the newsletter format. That format is now more consistent, thanks to the computer, and new features can be added to make the newsletter more interesting and easy to read. Want to contribute to the newsletter? ItÕs easy, and correspondents are always welcome; contact DVARP to volunteer.
Do you have a surplus IBM-compatible or Macintosh computer at home or the office? Consider donating it to DVARP to further improve our effectiveness.ÑMDM
On the Railroad LinesÉ
Overbrook Rail Maintenance Facility to Proceed
SEPTA will soon be taking bids for a new commuter rail car shop, to be located on the site of the former rail yards between the Zoo and Overbrook. DVARP has opposed the estimated $30 million project in past public hearings, saying the additional shop facilites are unnecessary.ÑTB
25th Street Viaduct, Lessons and Opportunity
Conrail trains get to the portside yard complex in South Philadelphia on a long concrete viaduct over 25th Street. The viaduct was built during a prosperous time for the Pennsylvania RR and is similar in age to many other concrete railroad bridges in this area. Like SEPTAÕs R6 bridge over the Schuylkill, the viaduct is shedding chunks of concrete onto passing autos.
The South Philadelphia Chronicle reported that Philadelphia Streets Dept. was Òvery concernedÓ about the structural integrity of the viaduct. Much concrete had fallen from the structure exposing the interior reinforcing steel. Upset neighbors applied pressure to both City government and Conrail. The combination seems to have been effective because the Inquirer reported only a few weeks later that Conrail would begin fixing the structure.
The lesson here is that Conrail may not be the big inflexible company that it is sometimes seems to be. Another lesson is that SEPTAÕs concrete bridges could also quickly be salvaged without years of fussing and studying. The Conrail viaduct has three track spaces, but is now used by less than one train an hour. The only passenger trains are occasional NJT baseball and Amtrak Army-Navy specials. Is there not an opportunity for this grade crossing-free railroad to serve more passengers? SEPTA, NJT, and Amtrak all could provide service to more events at the sports complex.ÑCB
MFSE
FrankfordÊElÊConstructionÊUpdate
Evening and weekend shuttle buses are back between Huntingdon and Frankford as rebuilding of the Frankford El continues. One of the more welcome elements is installation of new welded rail in several locations. The ride is much smoother now.ÑMDM
BSS
Evening,ÊSundayÊShuttleÊforÊSouthboundÊLocals
Painting work is necessitating closing the southbound local track of the subway. Shuttle buses serve most stations after 8:30 pm and on Sunday. Local trains will run on the express tracks, serving North Philadelphia and Spring Garden in addition to the regular express stops.
No progress is yet reported on the Broad Ridge Spur, which now has been out of service for over two months.ÑMDM
SSL
SummerÊConstructionÊPlans
Track reconstruction will disrupt Route 13 service this summer. All trolley service from Mount Moriah to Darby will be replaced by buses, while some trolleys will detour over Woodland Ave. from 40th to 49th. Check the electronic signs in Green Line stations for latest information.ÑMDM
STD
SEPTAÊSeeksÊContractorsÊforÊLowerÊBucks
SEPTA has advertised for proposals for private-sector operation of unspecified bus service in Bucks County. It is likely that the Oxford Valley routes 127-130 are the subjects of the contract. If so, the relatively-isolated routes are a good choice. SEPTA buses rack up thousands of deadhead miles traveling from the Frontier Division garage to Lower Bucks. Meanwhile, use of smaller vehicles may result in more savings if SEPTA contracts out.ÑTB
SEPTA Wants Transit Service Cuts
SEPTAÕs new and controversial operating budget calls for cuts in City Transit Division service, starting with an across-the-board 3 percent reduction of service levels. As already described in the budget hearings, SEPTA seeks to replace late night subway-surface trolleys with buses and eliminate all off-peak Broad-Ridge Spur service. These moves have not yet been approved by the SEPTA Board. Also proposed is the partial closing of unspecified subway stations, making them exit-only. Since SEPTA holds that no public hearings are required before the across-the-board cuts, the passengersÕ only means of protesting them is to contact their state and county officials, to ask that their Board representatives order management to cut the budget another way.ÑMDM
August ShowersÉ
Summertime means air conditioners working hard , but it also means wet seats on SEPTAÕs Neoplan buses, as condensation drips down from the ceiling level. The effect is to reduce the capacity of the buses. Surely SEPTA must have an ingenious mechanic somewhere who can prevent this problem!ÑMDM
Transit Notes: SEPTA has closed the information office at 69th St., due to budget cuts. Timetables are still available from racks throughout the station. Senior Citizens can obtain free transit ID cards at the Center City customer service center, 841 Chestnut.
Another Setback for Ocean City Service
Supporters of restored Ocean City passenger train service received another setback when NJ Transit gave in to pleasure boaters and announced demolition of the Crook Horn Bridge. Procedures and regulations for construction in wetlands and across waterways almost guarantee that once the old bridge is removed and the channel changed a new bridge can never be built.
The Ocean City Sentinel Ledger reported that NJ Transit has already awarded a $250,000 contract to remove the bridge and widen the boat channel by early September. The only objections reported by the paper were from birdwatchers concerned about nests on the bridge. New Jersey members are urged to contact their elected officials before NJ Transit accomplishes a permanent discontinuance by stealth from ignoring a line for 12 years.ÑCB
Clarifications: Some members have reported that they were unable to purchase the special post-strike Amtrak excursion tickets described last month. Our information on the temporary lifting of restrictions came from an Amtrak agent. Whether the first report was a fluke or error, the policy was changed, or other passengers were given incorrect information is not clear at this time.
The incident reported in ÒThe RROC CrumblesÓ (July 92) ocurred Thurs., June 25.
Up and Down the Corridor
News of other Northeastern commuter rail and rail transit services
A Look at Baltimore Light Rail
Streetcars returned to the streets of Baltimore recently after an absence of nearly 30 years. me new line resembles SEPTA Routes 101/102 with a three major differences. The Baltimore line goes directly to the downtown sports/tourist area, is built on an old railroad right-of-way, and uses a proof of payment fare collection system. Similarities include streetcar type vehicles, mostly separate right-of-way with sections of in street track, and mostly suburban location. Construction innovations such as slotting the rails in pavement without ties could save SEPTA many dollars if they stand the test of time.
Use of former railroad lines is often proposed for new passenger service. Cited advantages are existence of a continuous right-of-way and the resultant low cost. Baltimore shows some of the problems with the concept. The old railroad followed a creek. People tend to avoid building near noisy (and at one time smoky) main line railroads at the bottom of a valley. A view from the new line shows few potential walk-in passengers.
Magazine reports indicate that those areas with residents near the line were afraid of crime increasing as a result of the easier access from the inner-city. Those residents successfully blocked station construction. A Saturday ride found the resultant service to be almost exclusively suburban park and ride passengers traveling to the end of the line--about two blocks from Inner Harbor. This agrees with the data being obtained here from household interviews in Delaware County that suburban residents will go to Center City only if they can get directly there without any contact with inner-city residents along the way. SEPTA 101/102 cars seem to have empty off peak seats, but BaltimoreÕs cars were well filled Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.
Proof of payment fare collection requires all passengers to have a ticket, monthly pass, or transfer in their possession while on the vehicle. There are no fareboxes and operators have no fare collection duties. This permits trains to be run by only one person: much less costly than having a fare collector on every car. Success depends on honesty of the passengers and stiff penalties ($500 in Baltimore) for offenders. The system has been used in Europe, Canada, and several new west coast lines. A big question was how would it work in a eastern city. BaltimoreÕs seems to be working well--possibly because the passengers are almost exclusively suburban. How well this might work on typical SEPTA lines--where it could significantly increase speeds--is thus still unknown. One problem with the proof-of-payment system is availability of ticket machines. Unable to find a machine among construction barriers, this writer and his companion had to walk several blocks in a downpour to find one.ÑCB
Dates of Interest
DVRPC Public Meeting on TIP, Thu., Aug., 13, 4:00 at the Bourse, 21 South 5th St.
DVARP General Meeting and Picnic: Sat, Aug. 15, in Willow Grove.
SEPTA Capital Budget Hearing, Thu., Aug. 20, 10:00 at SEPTA Board Room, 714 Market St.
SEPTA Board Meeting: Thu., Aug 27, 3:00, 714 Market St., Philadelphia.
SEPTA Public Hearings on Rail Service Cuts: Mon., Aug. 31, 6:00 at Bucks Co. Courthouse. Tue., Sept. 1, 9:00 am at West Chester Senior Center.
Tue., Sept. 1, 6:00 pm at Valley Forge Hilton, 251 DeKalb Pike, King of Prussia.
Wed., Sept. 2, 11:00 and 6:00 at Philadelphia Hilton, Broad and Locust.
SEPTA on Site (Suburban Tran.): Wed., Aug 19, 7:30 to 9:30 am at 69th St. & Norristown.
Delmarva Rail Passenger Association: Thurs., Sept. 3, 6:30 at Wilmington Station. info: Doug Andrews, 302-995-6419.
Institute for Cooperation in Environmental Management: Wed., Sept. 9, 9:00-noon at Ben Franklin Building mezzanine, 9th & Chestnut. info: Richard Cook, 215-829-9470.
DVARP General Meeting: Sat., Sep. 19, 1:00 to 4:00 at 104 Edison Av., Collingswood, NJ.
Listings based on information provided to DVARP. Contact sponsor to confirm time & place.
