DETAILED RED ARROW ROUTE CHANGES (Effective 28 August 06)

NO CHANGES ON ROUTES 106, 109, 114, 116, 117, 118, 125, and 305

ROUTE 100
Weekdays to Norristown: New 09:15 Bryn Mawr local, 18:48 Norristown local departs 3 minutes later, new 18:55 Hughes Park local
Weekdays to 69 St: New 09:40 local from Bryn Mawr, new 19:23 express from Hughes Park, 19:22 departs Norristown 1 minute later, 19:38 departs Norristown 2 minutes later

ROUTE 101
Weekdays to Media: 07:00, 07:20, and 07:40 locals now express, 07:43 local to Springfield departs 1 minute earlier, new 08:00 Media local, 08:13 Media local departs 7 minutes later, 08:43 Media local departs 3 minutes earlier, mid-day service (pre-construction) restored, departing 69 St at :00 and :30 between 09:00 and 13:00 and every 20 minutes between 13:00 and 15:40
Weekdays to 69 St: 08:06 departs Woodland Av 1 minute earlier, 08:28 departs Scenic Rd 2 minutes earlier, new 08:40 Media local, 09:02 departs Media 2 minutes earlier, new 09:20 from Media, mid-day service departs 5 minutes later between 09:32 and 13:02; 20 minute headways between 13:40 and 16:20

ROUTE 102
Weekdays to Sharon Hill: 07:10 and 07:25 Sharon Hill locals now Express, 07:45 departs 2 minutes later, new 08:30 Sharon Hill local, mid-day service restored to depart at :15 and :45 mid-days 08:45 to 12:45 and 20 minutes from 13:10 to 15:50, add 14:15 Aldan local (school tripper)
Weekdays to 69 St: 07:59 departs Sharon Hill 1 minute earlier, 08:22 departs Sharon Hill 2 minutes later, 08:35 departs Sharon Hill 5 minutes later, new 09:00 Sharon Hill local, mid-day service 30 minutes between 09:29 and 13:23 and 20 minutes from 13:42 to 16:20

ROUTE 103
Weekdays to Ardmore: Minor run-time adjustments
Weekdays to 69 St: 07:18 and 14:20 depart Ardmore 2 minutes later, 16:26 departs 2 minutes earlier, 18:52 departs 3 minutes later, 19:22 departs 8 minutes later

ROUTE 104
Weekdays to Newtown Square/West Chester: Overall run-time adjustments all day
Weekdays to 69 St: 06:16 departs Newtown Square 2 minutes earlier, new 06:48 from Springfield Rd, 07:17 departs Newtown Square 4 minutes earlier, new 08:00 local from Newtown Square, 08:25 departs Newtown Square 2 minutes later, new 09:19 local from Newtown Square, 08:55 departs West Chester University 10 minutes later, 09:25 departs WCU 5 minutes later, 10:20 through 13:50 from West Chester depart 5 minutes earlier, 13:15 Friday only non-stop express from WCU restored for the school year, 14:20 local departs Newtown Square 3 minutes earlier, 14:45 and 14:55 depart Newtown Square 2 minutes earlier, 14:20 local from WCU departs 2 minutes earlier, 15:20 express from WCU departs 5 minutes earlier, 15:50 express from WCU departs 3 minutes later, 16:11 departs Newtown Square Corp Campus 1 minute earlier, 16:20 express from WCU departs 8 minutes later, 16:50 express departs WCU 3 minutes later, 18:00 and 18:28 depart Newtown Square Corp Campus 5 minutes earlier, 17:20 express departs WCU 3 minutes later, 17:50 and 18:20 locals depart WCU 5 minutes later, new 18:49 local from Newtown Square , 20:05 and 21:05 depart Newtown Square 1 minute earlier, 22:06 departs Newtown Square 1 minute later
Sunday: 17:35 to Newtown Square and 18:14 return trip eliminated

ROUTE 105
Weekdays to Ardmore/Paoli: 05:20 departs 5 minutes earlier, overall run-time adjustments
Weekdays to 69 St: 06:40 departs 63- Malvern 2 minutes later, 08:35 departs City Line/Haverford Av 2 minutes later, all trips between 08:10 and 19:15 depart Paoli 5 minutes later, 09:05 from Ardmore eliminated, 10:17 departs Ardmore 6 minutes later, 11:18, 12:18, and 13:18 depart Ardmore 5 minutes later, 14:09 departs Radnor 4 minutes later, 16:16 departs Radnor 2 minutes later, 17:15 departs Radnor 5 minutes later, 18:27 departs Ardmore 6 minutes later
Saturday to Paoli: Run-time adjustments
Saturday to 69 St: All trips between 07:50 and 11:50 depart Paoli 10 minutes later, all trips between 13:00 and 16:00 depart Paoli 5 minutes later

ROUTE 107
Service merged with former Route 122, operating over the 122 segment between Clifton Heights and Springfield Mall with an extension to Lawrence Park via Sproul Rd, late evening round-trips added

ROUTE 108
All runs now assigned to Red Arrow; school trippers in service for school year
Weekdays to Philadelphia International Airport: 15 minute mid-day service to 84-Crane between 08:55 and 13:55, service to Airport Business Center reduced to one trip per hour, 20:25 to ABC departs 5 minutes earlier, 21:00 to UPS departs 10 minutes earlier, new 21:10 to UPS, 21:25 to UPS departs 5 minutes later, 21:40 to UPS departs 10 minutes later, new 22:15 to 67-Elmwood, overall run time adjustments
Weekdays to 69 St: 06:37 from Airport Business Center departs 3 minutes later, 07:20 departs 67-Elmwood 5 minutes later, major departure time adjustments entire day

ROUTE 110
Weekdays to 69 St: 06:30 and 07:30 from Springfield Mall cut back and originate at Pilgrim Gardens, 20:00 from Springfield Mall eliminated

ROUTE 111
Weekdays to Penn State/Chadds Ford: 22:22 to Chadds Ford cut back to State Rd/Township Line Rd, overall run-time adjustments
Weekdays to 69 St: 06:25 departs Chadds Ford 15 minutes later, 07:30 from State Rd/Township Line Rd departs 12 minutes later, 07:10 and 07:45 express from Chadds Ford depart 5 minutes later, 14;10 and 15:10 depart Chadds Ford 5 minutes later, new 14:30 from PSU/DelCo, 15:05 departs PSU/DelCo 15 minutes later, 17:00 and 18:00 depart Chadds Ford 5 minutes later, 17:30 from Chadds Ford departs 5 minutes earlier, 20:31 from Franklin Mint cut back to PSU/DelCo, 21:35 from PSU/DelCo cut with service replaced by 21:05 express from Chadds Ford

ROUTE 112
Two additional express trips to Delaware County Community College in both directions, departing 69 St at 10:10 and 11:10 and departing DCCC at 13:05 and 16:05

ROUTE 113
Overall run-time and inbound departure time adjustments to accomodate new routing to Harrah's Chester Downs complex

ROUTE 115
Weekdays to Brookline: 19:35, 20:10 and 22:05 depart MacDade Mall at 19:05, 19:50, and 21:35
Weekdays to MacDade Mall: 20:50 departs Brookline at 20:30

ROUTE 119
Weekdays to Chester: 07:05 from Boothwyn now originates at Cheyney, departing at 06:45
Sunday to Chester: Run-time adjustments

ROUTE 120
Full school-year service restored, all weekday trips with the exception of one early evening short-turn trip, to provide one-seat ride to Cheyney

ROUTE 123
Weekday, Saturday, and Sunday run-time adjustments
Saturday to 69 St: 11:05 departs King of Prussia 5 minutes earlier, trips departing King of Prussia from 11:40 through 19:40 depart 10 minutes earlier, 20:20 departs King of Prussia 5 minutes earlier

FOR SALE... SEPTA'S DIGNITY

Anyone who isn't aware that SEPTA is in a financial crisis apparently has been living in another planet (or, for a more regional perspective, Kensington). Well, apparently, SEPTA has taken its ability to sell advertising to new levels that were unforseeable two years ago.

First, SEPTA began plasterning ads on the tops of its buses, which are about aesthetically appealing as vomit on the stairways of City Hall station. Then, SEPTA dropped it's policy prohibiting alcohol advertising, against the loud protests from Philadelphia officials. Now, comes the latest ad blitz - a single company/product purchasing all the advertising at a particular transit hub.

The transit hub in question is 69 Street Terminal. And, in a move that should really make those who were less than enthusiastic about alcohol ads even less so, the company that has pulled this off - by not only buying every available ad spot but also hanging at least two very visible banners of the barrier of the upper level of the main hall and brand new hanging ads in the main waiting area - is none other than that great, wholesome, family friendly beverage...

Heiniken.

Yes, that's right, SEPTA has all but sold out 69 St Terminal to a beer company.

Perhaps SEPTA could put some of that suds money to use by making the restrooms inside the terminal, well, less of a bio-hazard. The restrooms at 69 St are so bad, that if Upper Darby's L&I officers saw the same conditions at a privately owned building, restaurant, or bar, I guarantee you those places would be padlocked.

SOME RED ARROW CHANGES

Without having done a route-by-route review as of yet, here are a few of the more notable changes that took effect on Monday:

101/102 - Pre-construction service has been restored; mid-day 101 trolleys depart for Media at :00 and :30 after the hour; mid-day 102 trolleys depart for Sharon Hill at :15 and :45 after the hour

108 - Additional early evening service added between 19:00 and 22:00

110/111/117 - The bus stop at Penn State/Delaware County has been relocated to the new driveway to the front of the Commons Building

111 - Trip time adjustments to/from Chadds Ford

113 - Now service the new Chester Downs racetrack/slots parlor* at 4 St/Morton Av; additionally, the SEPTA web site now indicates that buses will terminate/originate in Marcus Hook at 4 St/Green St instead of Delaware Av/Green St

119 - New trip between Chester and Cheyney University added

120 - All weekday trips, with the exception of one early evening trip, are one-seat rides between 69 St and Cheyney (which was long overdue; the shuttles that were initiated a few years ago should never have seen the light of day)

Meanwhile, on Monday, the day of the schedule change, there were no new timetables available at 1234 Market, Suburban Station, or Market East. On Tuesday, new timetables were available at 1234 Market, however, not all of the new timetables were printed out at any location. As of yesterday, timetables for the 100, 104, 105, 108, 110, 114, and 118 were photocopied as opposed to the printed timetables for all other routes. To not have the new timetables available to the public on the day they take effect is just staggering.

And, to top it all off, yesterday, there were still timetables available for the old 122 route at 1234 Market. Brilliant...

* - Slots parlor subject to Harrisburg figuring out what the hell they're doing...

RED ARROW CHANGES THIS WEEKEND

Some major timetable changes are in place on the Red Arrow side starting next Monday. For starters, the 122 will be absorbed into the 107, while the 107 will be extended from Springfield Mall to the Lawrence Park Shopping Center in Broomall. This will be the third different route designator for service between MacDade Mall (or what's left of it) and the Springfield Mall in the past 5 years. The 122 service was previously known as the 111 before the 111 was re-branded as the 110 express service between 69 St and Granite Run Mall (with an extension to Chadds Ford).

The 101/102 will revert back to it's standard scheduling as opposed to the same departure/arrival times that had been in place due to construction on the MSHL main line between Drexel Hill Jct and 69 St. The 108 will now be operated entirely out of Red Arrow as opposed to the current Red Arrow/Southern split, presumably as a cost saving measure. Will try to post more information as it becomes available...

CAR v. TROLLEY IN U.D.

SEPTA "Transit Police" are on the scene of a car v. trolley accident at Bywood Station on the 101/102 main line in Upper Darby; 1 patient has been extricated from the struck car and is being treated by Delco Medics 101 and 108. There are no reports of injuries to any passengers on the trolleys, as the incident occured within the past 20 minutes. As expected, service is being disrupted while the investigation is under way. Shuttle buses should be operating soon (if they're not already) between 69 St and Shadeland Av/Drexel Hill Jct.

IT'S ON...

The worst case scenario has come true...

SEPTA's City, Red Arrow, and Frontier divisions are officially on strike. The strike began shortly after 00:01, when TWU 234 and SEPTA couldn't reach an agreement on a new contract. The union claimed it had made progress with SEPTA in agreeing to a sliding scale payment plan for health care, based on a proposal by Philadelphia City Controller Jonathan Saidel, who floated the idea late last week. As of right now, no talks are scheduled...

There are reports at 01:20 that there are still passengers stranded on the subway-surface platforms at 15, 19, 22, and 30 St stations. Also, white-shirts are reporting approximately 40 picketers at the north gate at Midvale.

There will be a lot more to come over the next few days...