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| Service Enhancements | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 13 2008, 03:34 PM (1,018 Views) | |
| rider65 | Aug 13 2008, 03:34 PM Post #1 |
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Advanced Transit Fan
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SEPTA to offer more buses, late-night trains By Paul Nussbaum INQUIRER STAFF WRITER More frequent buses. Late-night trains. Better weekend service. That's what SEPTA promises in the next few weeks and months as it launches its most ambitious expansion ever. After decades of cuts, SEPTA will announce today a $10 million expansion aimed at easing overcrowding and improving daily service. The first of the 65 upgrades will begin Aug. 25, and all of the changes are to be made by Nov. 3. The changes will include such things as bigger buses on busy Route 14 along Roosevelt Boulevard between Northeast Philadelphia and Bucks County, more frequent service on Route 23 between Chestnut Hill and South Philadelphia, and after-midnight trains on the R5-Paoli/Thorndale, R6-Norristown, and R7-Trenton Regional Rail lines. "This is really unprecedented for us," SEPTA general manager Joseph Casey said. "We need to respond to increased ridership and other customer needs." SEPTA's ridership is up about 5 percent, or 38,000 trips a day, from a year ago. Rail ridership is up 12 percent, to its highest point in 25 years, and many rush-hour trains are packed with standing passengers. Casey, who became general manager early this year, credited the state's new transportation-funding law, Act 44, with providing the money to make the improvements possible. And he said more expansion may be on the way. To handle the enlarged service, SEPTA is hiring 184 bus and train operators, mechanics, cleaners, police officers, maintenance workers and customer service agents. The new bus service is made possible by the arrival of the first 40 of more than 400 hybrid diesel-electric buses to be delivered over the next four years. New rail cars also have been ordered, but the first of the 120 Silverliner V cars are not likely to be in service until 2010. In the meantime, eight used rail cars bought from NJ Transit will be added to SEPTA's fleet by October to help ease overcrowding. SEPTA will tout its improved service with a $1 million advertising campaign on TV, newspapers and radio, and it will pitch its late-night service to college students with whimsical ads on bar coasters, coffee cup sleeves, and Internet banners. The chance to add service is a big change for SEPTA after decades of route cutbacks, "doomsday scenarios," and higher fares. After lowering riders' expectations for years, SEPTA officials acknowledged the challenges they face in offering more to passengers. "Certainly, there is a risk," said Pat Nowakowski, assistant general manager for operations. "We will create expectations, and we have to work to make sure we meet them." Kim Scott Heinle, assistant general manager for customer service, said, "We don't want to invite people to a party and then have a bad time." Heinle said his staff would work to make sure details such as signs and rider information make the new service easy for passengers to use. From a rider's perspective, "this is all good. . . . The only thing I'd like to see is things they can't do because they don't have the equipment," said Bob Clearfield, chairman of the Citizen Advisory Committee, a passengers' advocacy panel that advises SEPTA. "I'd like to see more trains or more train capacity, but they're making maximum use of the equipment they have," Clearfield said. Of the 65 route changes, 26 are designed to reduce overcrowding on SEPTA buses. Nine upgrades involve adding peak-hour trips to improve service, such as the addition of 14 round trips on Route 201 in Fort Washington. And 30 of the changes are designed to improve midday, evening, weekend and late-night service, such as the addition of a 1:32 a.m. train from Trenton to give Friday-night passengers out of New York a later connection. "We're no longer a 9-to-5 society," said Charles Webb, chief planning officer for SEPTA. He said the later trains "are a test of this market. We've received a lot of requests for later service |
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| rider65 | Aug 13 2008, 03:36 PM Post #2 |
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Advanced Transit Fan
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From another forun. Thanks Bud Yes there are a few late night trains added, and its only Friday and Sats that got the extra service. I have the newest run guide for the next pick scheduled to start 09/-7/08 and I just breezed thru this thing to see the new trains so here it is.I believe the last train out of Trenton on Saturdays may actually be wrong because it shows the current last one being at 12:49 and that was recently changed to 1:01 am so maybe the new last one may leave at 2:01am???? R5 Thorndale Friday Only-8500 leaves Thorndale at 11:43 pm and goes to Market East where it spins as 8595 leaving 1:15 am to Malvern. Saturday only- 9580 leaves thorndale at 11:13pm to Roberts Yard. Temple Last Stop Saturday only 4573 leaves Market East at 11:37 to Paoli at 12:30 and spins and becomes 9582 leaving Paoli at 1:04 am to Roberts Yard. Temple Last Stop Saturday Only 9577 out of Roberts Yard leaving Market East at 1:40 am to Frazier Yard R6 Norristown Friday Only-6678 leaves 30th Street at 1:31 am to Elm street at 1:19am and spins and comes back as 6683eaving at 1:36am to 30th street . Saturday only-6639 leaves Elm at 11:39pm to 30th Street and spins as 6636 leaving 30th at 12:38 am to Elm 1:23am ands yards there overnight Saturday only 6641 leaves Elm at 12:39 am to 30th Street and spins as6638 leaves 30th at 1:38 am to Elm 2:23am and yards overnight R7 Trenton Friday only- 9786 leaves Trenton at 1:32am to Temple U Saturday only 1739 leaving Temple U at 11:46 pm to Trenton at 12:44am and spins to become new 9744 leaving Trenton at 1:40 am to Roberts Yard. TU last stop |
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| Van2006ko | Aug 13 2008, 03:52 PM Post #3 |
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Foamer
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Thank you, now about those 40 hybrids arriving by the 25th? Well good luck with that one as I haven't seen any of them yet! Unless their talking about the Second Wave of service enhancements. I guess its about time to check out Germantown Depot! |
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| redarrow5591 | Aug 13 2008, 04:11 PM Post #4 |
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Light Rail and Railroad Historian
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Something else caught my attention. The 201 is getting 14 new round trips. Frontier has always been notorious for now having enough vehicles, and now this. Where is the equipment coming from? Because I doubt that the Hybrids is going out there this fast. |
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| Van2006ko | Aug 13 2008, 04:28 PM Post #5 |
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Foamer
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From the city? where else? Like what front5151 mentioned, I think the 8000 series at Southern will be spread to other depots. As the fleet is now 100% ULSD, there's no reason for these units to stay at Southern for the time being. Thankfully Southern has an excellent maintenance and it really shows in their buses!! I live on the G BTW, so I can't get though a day without seeing a Southern bus!! I think the hybrids running outside of the city is an awful idea!! I think given to the extra weight and the engines running at higher RPMS at those speeds, they may actually get worst MPG versus their straight diesel (ISL) counterparts! This news article to support my claim that hybrids are actually worst then clean diesel!! http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/12/seattle_metros_.html At higher speeds, perfect gearing and engine RPMS will equal to better MPGS!! With the hybrids, its 100% diesel at these speeds and therefore turning the engine up over the 1900 RPM mark!! If you guys ever ride on a hybrid on the 37 you guys will notice after 40MPH the engine will be at a constant high rpm!! This also occurs on the hills as well and with the extra weight, the acceleration will be directly effected as well!! The hybrids are design to operate best in stop and go traffic in areas like Center City where there's virtual little to no hills!! For more information on hybrids! http://cata.org/news/hybrid/news_hybrid.html |
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| rider65 | Aug 13 2008, 04:56 PM Post #6 |
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Advanced Transit Fan
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Guess we could consider this an "enhancement"....well maybe not in SEPTA terms NJ Transit, SEPTA enter joint ticketing agreement By Paul Nussbaum INQUIRER STAFF WRITER NJ Transit and SEPTA will sell tickets to all of each other's stations, as part of a joint ticketing operation announced today. Tickets to SEPTA and NJ Transit destinations are now available at NJT vending machines, at rail ticket windows at the Trenton station, and at SEPTA ticket windows at Suburban and Market East stations. (SEPTA padlocked the last of its ticket vending machines in January, 2007, citing their inability to accept newly designed U.S. currency.) Fares will not be affected. Passengers will pay the combined SEPTA and NJT rate. For example, a Philadelphia-to-New York one-way fare will be $20.50, and a Hamilton-to-Philadelphia International Airport one-way fare will be $11.50. Princeton-to-Paoli would be $14. The arrangement is designed to make it easier for New Jersey and Pennsylvania residents to travel between the states, spokesmen for the systems said in today's joint announcement. The general managers of the two agencies - Richard Sarles at NJT and Joseph Casey at SEPTA - are relatively new in their positions, and both have talked about making bi-state travel less cumbersome. They also have expressed interest in creating an electronic "smart card" that would work on SEPTA and NJ Transit. I cannot wait to see how SEPTA will mess this one up. Their "plans" usually work right up until the point that they go into motion. Posted by James 01:40 PM, 08/13/2008 What about fares for the disabled? Will it be half fare on a combined ticket from PhHila/NYC? Fast action must be taken on that one as we have disabled riders with yellow cards they show to get half fare rides. Posted by Politburo 02:08 PM, 08/13/2008 Does this mean you can use an NJT TVM to get tickets for Septa rides that originate and end in PA? Does this mean an end to the absurd lines at the various terminals? One can only hope.. but I doubt it. Posted by nittany4 03:21 PM, 08/13/2008 so you can buy SEPTA tickets from a vending machine on the NJT system, but not on the SEPTA system itself? when will this transit agency break into the 1980s??? |
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| TheOneCalledA1 | Aug 14 2008, 04:47 PM Post #7 |
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Too smart for you idiots
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http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080814_SEPTA_s_rare__joy___Huge_service_expansion.html
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| Jayayess1190 | Aug 14 2008, 04:55 PM Post #8 |
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Foamer
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Can't wait! I better be the first person on this site to get photos and videos! I will be looking for them on the 18 and 23!
Edited by Jayayess1190, Aug 14 2008, 04:58 PM.
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| TRANSIT_FREAK | Aug 14 2008, 05:39 PM Post #9 |
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to Life, Love & LOOT
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Jayeyess1190 as active transit photagraphers I live along routes 18, 26, 47, and 70. YOUR ON!!!! |
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| TheOneCalledA1 | Aug 14 2008, 06:13 PM Post #10 |
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Too smart for you idiots
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I got both of you. Whether I take the train or the bus, I will be at Broad and Olney in the mornings. Theres the 18 and 26. If I take the bus or train to get home, I will go through Olney Terminal and Fern Rock, so I can catch the 18/26 again, also with the 70. The race is on
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