15/GIRARD UPDATE The first of 18 newly overhauled PCC cars has been completed. According to Bill Monaghan's Trolley Driver web site, 2750 - which has been renumbered to 2320 - is expected to be at Elmwood sometime in March. The rehabbed PCC cars will be given the green and cream livery as historic PCC 2732.

IGGLES/BUCS SERVICE The only extra service that will be offered for Sunday's NFC Championship game will be Sports Express trains on the Broad Street line between 12:28pm and 2:28pm, with Express trains running every 10 minutes and locals running every 12 minutes. SEPTA reported nearly 9,700 riders at Pattison station for Saturday's Vick-timization of the Falcons in the NFC Divisional Series game. Unlike this past weekend, there will tentatively be no Navy Yard shuttle to the Vet.

MORE ON CHESTNUT STREET Several news outlets have reported that the closing of the 500 block of Chestnut (around the Independence Mall area) is costing SEPTA nearly $500,000 in added expenses, based on the re-routing of the 9, 21, 38, and 42 buses off of Chestnut. Currently, there is no SEPTA service on Chestnut east of 7 St, which essentially negates the entire reconstruction of Chestnut. The closing of Chestnut is drawing a lot of opposition, including from City Councilman (and vocal critic of Emperor Street) Frank DiCicco, whose son Christian is a SEPTA Board member. Interesting tidbit: Despite all the complaining from SEPTA - all of it justified - most of SEPTA's positions on Chestnut (and for that matter, most other major issues) are being advanced by Chief Spokesman/Apologist/Liar Richard Maloney, instead of by Fearless Leader, or even some high ranking AGM. It does seem rather bizarre that the chief executive officer of the nation's 5th largest transit system can't be bothered to address these issues on her own. Then again, this is SEPTA...

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... The SEPTA Board (more specifically, SEPTA management) thumbed it's collective nose at the people of Fox Chase and Lawndale at last month's board meeting by approving a plan to allow single track operations along the R8 Fox Chase line between Newtown Jct and Cheltenham Jct, near the Cheltenham station. SEPTA's decision effectively will give CSX the right to remove the catenary from the outbound tracks, preventing double track service from ever being restored. DiCicco, gubernatorial appointee Robert Wooten, and board Vice Chairman James Schwartzman voted against the proposal. This could be a precursor for SEPTA doing the same thing on the R3 West Trenton between Neshaminy Falls and West Trenton. However, considering the R3 section in question is on the home turf of SEPTA Board Chairman/Radio Impressario/Turnpike Commissioner/Land Developer Extraordinaire (did I leave anything out?) Pasquale T. Deon, Sr. - Bucks County - then I don't think that's ever going to happen. Stay tuned...