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The history of the 400 series charter routes and where is the location of the old Luzerene depot
Topic Started: Nov 2 2009, 03:15 AM (3,067 Views)
frankl3217
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thanks for posting the direct links. my browser did not show them.
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MichaelBug
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CVPI19
Nov 2 2009, 03:15 AM
When SEPTA start the charter routes a.k.a. the 400 series and why were they created? Plus where is the location of the old Luzerene district and what became of the property after SEPTA closed it?
The "400" routes came about sometime in the mid 1980's when federal regulations went into effect which prohibited SEPTA & other transit systems from running school-only service with any vehicles bought with federal funding. (The rules basically state that any school trips have to be also open to the general public, at least in theory.) SEPTA (& earlier, PTC) had actually operated the school trips for decades previously.

The early timetables referred to the 400 routes as "Specially Routed Service" without route numbers. AFAIK, it was around 1988 or 1989 that SEPTA first began listing the routes as "400-series" routes.

If you look at a timetable for a 400-series route, you'll notice that the names of the schools it serves are never mentioned. Interestingly, LANTA in the Lehigh Valley also has 400-series routes for its similar school operations.

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silverliner_2
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MichaelBug
Nov 3 2009, 08:35 AM
CVPI19
Nov 2 2009, 03:15 AM
When SEPTA start the charter routes a.k.a. the 400 series and why were they created? Plus where is the location of the old Luzerene district and what became of the property after SEPTA closed it?
The "400" routes came about sometime in the mid 1980's when federal regulations went into effect which prohibited SEPTA & other transit systems from running school-only service with any vehicles bought with federal funding. (The rules basically state that any school trips have to be also open to the general public, at least in theory.) SEPTA (& earlier, PTC) had actually operated the school trips for decades previously.

The early timetables referred to the 400 routes as "Specially Routed Service" without route numbers. AFAIK, it was around 1988 or 1989 that SEPTA first began listing the routes as "400-series" routes.

If you look at a timetable for a 400-series route, you'll notice that the names of the schools it serves are never mentioned. Interestingly, LANTA in the Lehigh Valley also has 400-series routes for its similar school operations.

To add, Pittsburgh's Port Authority Transit managed to skirt a loophole in the regulations and what school trippers they ran simply got re-designated as short trippers of the regular line routes they operated over, displaying regular route numbers and destinations. Most afternoon school trippers were not in the public timetables, and simply operate as extras along with the line service, as they all operated inbound to downtown...

As with here in Philly...the regulars know to avoid the school trippers and don't use them anyway.

Erie's EMTA still runs school-only service with selected buses equipped with the addition of the flashing lights and stop signs you see on regular school buses. At other times of the day and week and year, they run regular transit service. EMTA usually outfits the oldest buses in their fleet with these lights. Back in 1990, it was a number of their PA-funded Neoplan AN440's that got the lights. As time went on, the torch of school duty moved to their Orion I fleet. Currently, their RTS fleet and some of the oldest New Flyer D40LF and D35LF buses wear the school bus lights....
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Tritransit Area
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Wow, I didn't know EMTA did this as well. I thought only Amtran outfitted their older buses with the lights and stop arms for school service.
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philabob1
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silverliner_2
Nov 8 2009, 07:16 AM
MichaelBug
Nov 3 2009, 08:35 AM
CVPI19
Nov 2 2009, 03:15 AM
When SEPTA start the charter routes a.k.a. the 400 series and why were they created? Plus where is the location of the old Luzerene district and what became of the property after SEPTA closed it?
The "400" routes came about sometime in the mid 1980's when federal regulations went into effect which prohibited SEPTA & other transit systems from running school-only service with any vehicles bought with federal funding. (The rules basically state that any school trips have to be also open to the general public, at least in theory.) SEPTA (& earlier, PTC) had actually operated the school trips for decades previously.

The early timetables referred to the 400 routes as "Specially Routed Service" without route numbers. AFAIK, it was around 1988 or 1989 that SEPTA first began listing the routes as "400-series" routes.

If you look at a timetable for a 400-series route, you'll notice that the names of the schools it serves are never mentioned. Interestingly, LANTA in the Lehigh Valley also has 400-series routes for its similar school operations.

To add, Pittsburgh's Port Authority Transit managed to skirt a loophole in the regulations and what school trippers they ran simply got re-designated as short trippers of the regular line routes they operated over, displaying regular route numbers and destinations. Most afternoon school trippers were not in the public timetables, and simply operate as extras along with the line service, as they all operated inbound to downtown...

As with here in Philly...the regulars know to avoid the school trippers and don't use them anyway.

Erie's EMTA still runs school-only service with selected buses equipped with the addition of the flashing lights and stop signs you see on regular school buses. At other times of the day and week and year, they run regular transit service. EMTA usually outfits the oldest buses in their fleet with these lights. Back in 1990, it was a number of their PA-funded Neoplan AN440's that got the lights. As time went on, the torch of school duty moved to their Orion I fleet. Currently, their RTS fleet and some of the oldest New Flyer D40LF and D35LF buses wear the school bus lights....
Two notes. One, the 1988+/- time frame seems to be correct from my recollection as well. Many of these routes operated previously as specials, etc and not necessarily shown in timetables (e.g. 27's to Roman and Hallahan were shown on transfers as RHS, West Catholic/West Phila had WCS/WPS, etc). It seems on some routes these are disappearing - on 27's timetable there are shorts from Wissahickon to Saul in the AM and from Saul to Center City in the afternoon shown in the footnote area of the timetable.

Two, not all regular riders avoided the 'charters'. When I rode 27 I often took the 442 that passed my stop at about the same time as a 27 trip - many students preferred the regular 27's and the 442 often ran close to empty. The problem was that 442 ran right to Hallahan, then to City Hall, so many Hallahan girls chose to ride with the Roman boys on the 27.
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CVPI19
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A friend of mine who used to go to Little Flower in the 70s told me that she used to take the 53 all the way to Luzerene since its across the street from the school.
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Jayayess1190
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silverliner_2
Nov 8 2009, 07:16 AM
Erie's EMTA still runs school-only service with selected buses equipped with the addition of the flashing lights and stop signs you see on regular school buses. At other times of the day and week and year, they run regular transit service. EMTA usually outfits the oldest buses in their fleet with these lights. Back in 1990, it was a number of their PA-funded Neoplan AN440's that got the lights. As time went on, the torch of school duty moved to their Orion I fleet. Currently, their RTS fleet and some of the oldest New Flyer D40LF and D35LF buses wear the school bus lights....
Found another transit agency in PA called EMTA: Link
Edited by Jayayess1190, Nov 9 2009, 04:11 PM.
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CACrafter88bk2504
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CVPI19
Nov 9 2009, 02:14 AM
A friend of mine who used to go to Little Flower in the 70s told me that she used to take the 53 all the way to Luzerene since its across the street from the school.
How many times was your friend late for school? I mean,up until David Gunn (who came on board as SEPTA's GM between 1979 through 1984), during the 1970s, especially after the Woodland fire,
SEPTA's streetcars suffered from shoddy maintenance and conditions associated with the depots in those years were less than ideal. The streetcars broke down at least once a week, and the 53 was a line in itself, notably in upper Germantown and towards the end in West Mount Airy with those leaves and slick tracks.

I personally think Luzerne was hardest hit during those years. Luzerne had dozens of aircars that really weren't cared for the way they should have been, and some of the air cars at Luzerne at that time looked as if they haven't been serviced since the end of World War 2, Korea, or the start of Vietnam.
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CVPI19
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CACrafter88bk2504
Nov 12 2009, 03:52 PM
CVPI19
Nov 9 2009, 02:14 AM
A friend of mine who used to go to Little Flower in the 70s told me that she used to take the 53 all the way to Luzerene since its across the street from the school.
How many times was your friend late for school? I mean,up until David Gunn (who came on board as SEPTA's GM between 1979 through 1984), during the 1970s, especially after the Woodland fire,
SEPTA's streetcars suffered from shoddy maintenance and conditions associated with the depots in those years were less than ideal. The streetcars broke down at least once a week, and the 53 was a line in itself, notably in upper Germantown and towards the end in West Mount Airy with those leaves and slick tracks.

I personally think Luzerne was hardest hit during those years. Luzerne had dozens of aircars that really weren't cared for the way they should have been, and some of the air cars at Luzerne at that time looked as if they haven't been serviced since the end of World War 2, Korea, or the start of Vietnam.
Not sure but she doesn't use SEPTA anymore instead she uses a motor scooter to get around I wouldn't be surprised that she was late if the trolleys broke down I will ask her when I see her.
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