Wednesday, March 31, 2004
ROUTE 15 UPDATE
It is being reported in various newsgroups that SEPTA is planning to initiate trolley service on the 15/Girard Av line starting in June. Although there are only a handful of the 18 PCC-II cars required to run the line presently available at Elmwood, SEPTA plans to run both available PCC-II cars and the Kawasaki subway-surface cars on the 15 starting this summer. A surplus of available K-Cars due to the reduced requirements of the summer schedule will make rail service on the 15 a reality. Testing and operator training along the 15 will start as early as next week in order to work out remaining bugs along the line.
RED ARROW SETTLEMENT
Not too long after I posted an update on the UTU/SEPTA negotiations, word came from SEPTA's Ministry of Mis-Information that a tentative agreement had been reached, thus averting a strike.
According to some sources, the deal between UTU 1594 and SEPTA is virtually similar to the TWU 234 agreement ratified by its members last week. The UTU membership is expected to vote on the agreement this Sunday at the Upper Darby Fire Company hall on West Chester Pike.
Delaware County Daily Times
Inquirer
According to some sources, the deal between UTU 1594 and SEPTA is virtually similar to the TWU 234 agreement ratified by its members last week. The UTU membership is expected to vote on the agreement this Sunday at the Upper Darby Fire Company hall on West Chester Pike.
Delaware County Daily Times
Inquirer
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
ALL THAT TRAVEL FOR NOTHING
Apparently, yesterday's report in the Daily Times regarding a public meeting in Nether Providence regarding the 118 proved only partially true. This morning, township officials noted that there was a meeting between SEPTA officals and two township board members, but that it was not a public meeting as originally noted or implied by the Daily Times. One would anticipate that a public meeting will take place eventually.
STRIKE LIKELY?
Today's Delaware County Daily Times features an editorial on a threatened Red Arrow strike, which could happen on Thursday if an agreement between SEPTA and UTU 1594 is not reached. The odds of avoiding a strike appear slimmer and slimmer with each passing day.
According to some sources within Red Arrow, SEPTA is offering a three-year deal to the union, along with the same health-care proposal offered to (and rejected by) TWU 234. The report is that the SEPTA representative essentially said that if UTU "thinks they're getting the same deal as the city, they're dreaming, cause it ain't happening."
In addition, SEPTA is proposing eliminating the uniform allowance, which was reportedly not offered to TWU 234 during their negotiations. A lot of the veteran drivers may not be able to afford a strike, and there's some talk that a lot of current operators will ultimately quit rather than take a contract that they consider an insult.
On a related note, SEPTA hasn't even bothered to post any contingency information in the event that the Red Arrow is out of service to to a work stoppage. When TWU was threatening a strike, SEPTA posted it's survival guide to a city work stoppage five days before the deadline. Here we are, less than 36 hours from the UTU contract expiring, and SEPTA has said nothing, at least on-line.
Sounds like second class status to me...
According to some sources within Red Arrow, SEPTA is offering a three-year deal to the union, along with the same health-care proposal offered to (and rejected by) TWU 234. The report is that the SEPTA representative essentially said that if UTU "thinks they're getting the same deal as the city, they're dreaming, cause it ain't happening."
In addition, SEPTA is proposing eliminating the uniform allowance, which was reportedly not offered to TWU 234 during their negotiations. A lot of the veteran drivers may not be able to afford a strike, and there's some talk that a lot of current operators will ultimately quit rather than take a contract that they consider an insult.
On a related note, SEPTA hasn't even bothered to post any contingency information in the event that the Red Arrow is out of service to to a work stoppage. When TWU was threatening a strike, SEPTA posted it's survival guide to a city work stoppage five days before the deadline. Here we are, less than 36 hours from the UTU contract expiring, and SEPTA has said nothing, at least on-line.
Sounds like second class status to me...
Monday, March 29, 2004
ROUTE 118 FOLLOW-UP
Today's Daily Times also reported that officials in Nether Providence Township have scheduled a meeting with SEPTA officials over the ongoing controversy regarding the 118's routing through the Garden City district of the township (the article itself is not posted on-line, however). The 118 would be diverted off of Media Pkwy, Willow Rd, and Ryanard Rd, operating from Chestnut Pkwy and Ryanard, then via Chestnut Pkwy, Waterville Rd, Brookhaven Rd, Putnam Blvd, and Moore Rd before returning to the regular route.
The controversy over the re-routing has two members of the township's board up in arms for different reasons. Board members John Kennedy (R) and Robert O'Connor (R) had meetings with SEPTA officials in which they asked SEPTA to re-route the 118. Kennedy's ward includes Willow and Ryanard roads; O'Connor's ward includes Waterville Rd and Putnam Blvd.
Residents of the Putnam Village condominium development are also up in arms over the proposed 118 re-route. A few of the Red Arrow drivers that I talked to indicate that this may very well be a classic NIMBY case by residents in Garden City. Consider where most of the passengers on the 118 are coming from:
Chester.
In any case, a public meeting will take place tomorrow at 9:00am at the Nether Providence Municipal Building, located at 214 Sykes Ln in Wallingford. From the 118 bus, get off at Providence and Brookhaven Rds (two blocks south of the Wallingford Rail Station on the R3 Media/Elwyn). Head eastbound (towards the train tracks) on Brookhaven Rd for two blocks to Kershaw Rd (first right), turn right to the dead end to Sykes Lane.
The controversy over the re-routing has two members of the township's board up in arms for different reasons. Board members John Kennedy (R) and Robert O'Connor (R) had meetings with SEPTA officials in which they asked SEPTA to re-route the 118. Kennedy's ward includes Willow and Ryanard roads; O'Connor's ward includes Waterville Rd and Putnam Blvd.
Residents of the Putnam Village condominium development are also up in arms over the proposed 118 re-route. A few of the Red Arrow drivers that I talked to indicate that this may very well be a classic NIMBY case by residents in Garden City. Consider where most of the passengers on the 118 are coming from:
Chester.
In any case, a public meeting will take place tomorrow at 9:00am at the Nether Providence Municipal Building, located at 214 Sykes Ln in Wallingford. From the 118 bus, get off at Providence and Brookhaven Rds (two blocks south of the Wallingford Rail Station on the R3 Media/Elwyn). Head eastbound (towards the train tracks) on Brookhaven Rd for two blocks to Kershaw Rd (first right), turn right to the dead end to Sykes Lane.
RED ARROW UPDATE
The Delaware County Daily Times reported on yesterday's strike authorization vote by UTU 1594 in Upper Darby.
"They unanimously voted to give their bargaining committee the authorization to call a strike if the committee deems it necessary and appropriate," said Irwin Aronson, the union's attorney. "Certainly we don't want to have a strike, and our hope is that SEPTA will negotiate in good faith to get a collective bargaining agreement."
SEPTA officials said Sunday they are hopeful a settlement can be reached.
"We are currently in the process of negotiations and are hopeful a contract agreement will come about," said SEPTA spokesman Gary Fairfax. Daily Times
Representatives of UTU 1594 also offered the same complaints that many of our spotters in the Frankford Terminal guestbook have made for a long time:
Aronson said the employees in the suburban division have the same skills, licenses and duties and operate the same equipment as SEPTA's city employees.
"They don't deserve to be treated as a stepchild or second-class citizen," Aronson said. "It is very clear from the vote today that they don't intend to be." Daily Times
Another indication that this is the case is the apparent arrival of 3398 from Midvale to Red Arrow, as noted in a guestbook entry.
"They unanimously voted to give their bargaining committee the authorization to call a strike if the committee deems it necessary and appropriate," said Irwin Aronson, the union's attorney. "Certainly we don't want to have a strike, and our hope is that SEPTA will negotiate in good faith to get a collective bargaining agreement."
SEPTA officials said Sunday they are hopeful a settlement can be reached.
"We are currently in the process of negotiations and are hopeful a contract agreement will come about," said SEPTA spokesman Gary Fairfax. Daily Times
Representatives of UTU 1594 also offered the same complaints that many of our spotters in the Frankford Terminal guestbook have made for a long time:
Aronson said the employees in the suburban division have the same skills, licenses and duties and operate the same equipment as SEPTA's city employees.
"They don't deserve to be treated as a stepchild or second-class citizen," Aronson said. "It is very clear from the vote today that they don't intend to be." Daily Times
Another indication that this is the case is the apparent arrival of 3398 from Midvale to Red Arrow, as noted in a guestbook entry.
Sunday, March 28, 2004
NOT AS CLOSE...
Remind me never to get into the prognostication business (despite my strong showing in my March Madness office pool, where yours truly is in the lead going into the Final Four action, thanks to my picking Xavier to reach the Elite Eight before falling to Duke, along with Oklahoma State - sorry Hawk fans - and UConn taking care of business on their ends)...
After Thursday's posting that rumored a close vote among the TWU 234 rank-and-file, my prediction was just a little bit off. TWU 234 members ratified the one-year agreement reached two weeks ago by a margin of 1787-479 on Friday.
For those scoring at home, that's nearly a 3-to-1 margin, as opposed to rumors of a 50-50 split within the union.
On a related note, the union representing Red Arrow operators (UTU 1594) voted to authorize a strike in the event that negotiations break down before Thursday, when their contract expires. It appears, though, that history will follow form and the UTU will get a similar one-year deal. The contract at Frontier is scheduled to expire next Tuesday.
After Thursday's posting that rumored a close vote among the TWU 234 rank-and-file, my prediction was just a little bit off. TWU 234 members ratified the one-year agreement reached two weeks ago by a margin of 1787-479 on Friday.
For those scoring at home, that's nearly a 3-to-1 margin, as opposed to rumors of a 50-50 split within the union.
On a related note, the union representing Red Arrow operators (UTU 1594) voted to authorize a strike in the event that negotiations break down before Thursday, when their contract expires. It appears, though, that history will follow form and the UTU will get a similar one-year deal. The contract at Frontier is scheduled to expire next Tuesday.
Thursday, March 25, 2004
130 TO BE DETOURED
Starting Monday, April 5, and for the next six weeks, PennDOT will be performing construction along PA 413 in Bucks County, affecting the routing of the 130 bus. SEPTA's John Calnan told the Inquirer that the 130 would be detoured off of PA 413 via Bridgetown Pike, Langhorne-Yardley Rd, Flowers Mill Rd, and PA 213 (Maple Av), with only one stop in Langhorne borough being discontinued - Pine St at Winchester Av. The PA 413 reconstruction starts next week, however traffic is being allowed in the area during that time.
THE MARCH "RUBBER-STAMP" REPORT - ANOTHER MONTH, ANOTHER PROCURMENT MESS
One month after the SEPTA Board awarded the Silverliner V contract - which was rescinded last week amid a lawsuit and some very angry board members - the board awarded two paving contracts on the Regional Rail division which have also fallen under controversy. JMG Construction, a Pottstown based firm, filed a protest regarding the awarding of two separate contracts for "paving services for various Railroad Division parking lots" to G. Antonini Construction - one contract covers "lots throughout the five-county service area" for a two-year period; the second deals with parking lots "within the north and south regions of SEPTA's station operations" for 1 year. I'm guessing the second contract deals with Delaware and New Jersey stations, but don't quote me on it.
The attorney for JMG claimed that despite being the lowest responsible bidder, SEPTA rejected their bids and referred to an investigation by the US Attorney's office which was not elaborated upon. JMG claimed that SEPTA staff had gone to the US Attorney's office before the company could meet with the authority's Inspector General's office. SEPTA's Shyster-in-Chief Nicholas Staffeiri responded - again without elaborating - that JMG was not a responsible bidder. After some back and forth, Don Pasquale instructed staff to defer the "authorization to proceed" until JMG's protests could be heard, however the two items were voted upon as part of the consent calender.
And that wasn't the only fireworks at today's rubber-stamp session of the SEPTA Board.
Tom Dorricott of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen reported the latest piece of bad news on the on-time performance front. After coming close to reaching a 90 percent on-time rating for January, on-time performance on Regional Rail returned to normal - 85 percent. Dorricott's address to the board was fairly strong, given how things had gone from bad to mediocre to worse.
According to SEPTA's own on-time records, the cause of 704 out of the 2,723 trains delayed was "travel" - including "Amtrak travel" - which "the BLET feels that SEPTA is using ... as a euphemism for 'we don't know why the train was delayed.'"
More comments from the BLET - including Dorricott's address to the board - will be posted within a matter of days, time permitting.
Immediately following the report of the Shyster-in-Chief, everyone at the board meeting awaited Fearless Leader's monthly report. And here it is, in its entirety:
"I have nothing to report this month."
Well, after calling out Inquirer reporter Jere Downs earlier this week (though not mentioning Downs by name), it's rather surprising that Fearless Leader would have nothing to report this month (and yes, I'm being a little scarcastic).
On a related note, I did address the board on a subject in which SEPTA's senior management needs to work on - COMMUNICATION. Based on last week's events, that appears to be a concept foreign within SEPTA, though fortunately for Fearless Leader, I didn't go that route. And she better be lucky, because I probably would've read her the riot act.
The issues that I raised was the poor internal communication between the people who recieve detour information from the municipalities and the garages (the October fiasco in which Red Arrow failed to warn its drivers about the Halloween parade detours, but Frontier did). I told the board about my conversation with West Chester's borough manager in which he insisted that West Chester Police were notifiying SEPTA (and given SEPTA's track record recently, I'd be inclined to believe him rather than Fearless Leader - or about 90 percent of the rotating resumes at 1234 Market; in hindsight, I should've said that too, but that's another story).
Also raised by your blogmaster was the way SEPTA informs the public about schedule changes. The press releases issued by the Ministry of Mis-Information and the page in the Metro paper always seem to differ. I also took SEPTA to task over the way they brushed off recent evening service reductions on the 92 and 133 as "minor schedule changes." Believe me, eliminating any trips on a line which normally has 60 minute headways is not a "minor schedule change."
But, other than that, it was a fairly boring "rubber-stamp" session.
The attorney for JMG claimed that despite being the lowest responsible bidder, SEPTA rejected their bids and referred to an investigation by the US Attorney's office which was not elaborated upon. JMG claimed that SEPTA staff had gone to the US Attorney's office before the company could meet with the authority's Inspector General's office. SEPTA's Shyster-in-Chief Nicholas Staffeiri responded - again without elaborating - that JMG was not a responsible bidder. After some back and forth, Don Pasquale instructed staff to defer the "authorization to proceed" until JMG's protests could be heard, however the two items were voted upon as part of the consent calender.
And that wasn't the only fireworks at today's rubber-stamp session of the SEPTA Board.
Tom Dorricott of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen reported the latest piece of bad news on the on-time performance front. After coming close to reaching a 90 percent on-time rating for January, on-time performance on Regional Rail returned to normal - 85 percent. Dorricott's address to the board was fairly strong, given how things had gone from bad to mediocre to worse.
According to SEPTA's own on-time records, the cause of 704 out of the 2,723 trains delayed was "travel" - including "Amtrak travel" - which "the BLET feels that SEPTA is using ... as a euphemism for 'we don't know why the train was delayed.'"
More comments from the BLET - including Dorricott's address to the board - will be posted within a matter of days, time permitting.
Immediately following the report of the Shyster-in-Chief, everyone at the board meeting awaited Fearless Leader's monthly report. And here it is, in its entirety:
"I have nothing to report this month."
Well, after calling out Inquirer reporter Jere Downs earlier this week (though not mentioning Downs by name), it's rather surprising that Fearless Leader would have nothing to report this month (and yes, I'm being a little scarcastic).
On a related note, I did address the board on a subject in which SEPTA's senior management needs to work on - COMMUNICATION. Based on last week's events, that appears to be a concept foreign within SEPTA, though fortunately for Fearless Leader, I didn't go that route. And she better be lucky, because I probably would've read her the riot act.
The issues that I raised was the poor internal communication between the people who recieve detour information from the municipalities and the garages (the October fiasco in which Red Arrow failed to warn its drivers about the Halloween parade detours, but Frontier did). I told the board about my conversation with West Chester's borough manager in which he insisted that West Chester Police were notifiying SEPTA (and given SEPTA's track record recently, I'd be inclined to believe him rather than Fearless Leader - or about 90 percent of the rotating resumes at 1234 Market; in hindsight, I should've said that too, but that's another story).
Also raised by your blogmaster was the way SEPTA informs the public about schedule changes. The press releases issued by the Ministry of Mis-Information and the page in the Metro paper always seem to differ. I also took SEPTA to task over the way they brushed off recent evening service reductions on the 92 and 133 as "minor schedule changes." Believe me, eliminating any trips on a line which normally has 60 minute headways is not a "minor schedule change."
But, other than that, it was a fairly boring "rubber-stamp" session.
CONTRACT RUMORS
TWU Local 234 is expected to vote tomorrow on the proposed one-year contract tentatively agreed to last weekend. Based on some earlier media reports, it would appear that ratification is a slam dunk. But...
There are rumors floating around that a vote in favor of the contract is not as much of a lock as one would expect. One rumor that's been flying is that younger drivers out of Allegheny and Callowhill are expected to provide some strong opposition to the agreement. The insider reports that many of the younger operators are less than thrilled with the prospect of no pay raise and a one-time payout in this contract. The vote comes on the heels of last Sunday's mass membership meeting in North Philadelphia.
Tomorrow's vote will have a huge impact in the other divisions as well. At Red Arrow, for example, mechanics and support staff represented by TWU 234 will also be voting on the contract tomorrow, however their "strike date" is April 1 as opposed to March 15 in the city. Another rumor that's flying around is that the TWU may be stretching this process out in order to reject the contract and force both the City Transit and Red Arrow divisions out of service.
If the TWU rank-and-file rejects the contract proposal, it is expected that the union will start playing hardball with SEPTA, which would have a negative impact on the UTU 1594 negotiations. UTU is expected to authorize a strike - should it be neccesary - in the event negotiations with TWU breaks down. The UTU contract historically mirrors the TWU contract, hence both unions are in a state of limbo.
Another wild card in all of this is the expiration of the Frontier contact on April 6. If nothing is settled either in the city or Red Arrow - of for that matter both - things are going to get very ugly.
Let's just say that tomorrow's vote will be very close and see what happens from there...
There are rumors floating around that a vote in favor of the contract is not as much of a lock as one would expect. One rumor that's been flying is that younger drivers out of Allegheny and Callowhill are expected to provide some strong opposition to the agreement. The insider reports that many of the younger operators are less than thrilled with the prospect of no pay raise and a one-time payout in this contract. The vote comes on the heels of last Sunday's mass membership meeting in North Philadelphia.
Tomorrow's vote will have a huge impact in the other divisions as well. At Red Arrow, for example, mechanics and support staff represented by TWU 234 will also be voting on the contract tomorrow, however their "strike date" is April 1 as opposed to March 15 in the city. Another rumor that's flying around is that the TWU may be stretching this process out in order to reject the contract and force both the City Transit and Red Arrow divisions out of service.
If the TWU rank-and-file rejects the contract proposal, it is expected that the union will start playing hardball with SEPTA, which would have a negative impact on the UTU 1594 negotiations. UTU is expected to authorize a strike - should it be neccesary - in the event negotiations with TWU breaks down. The UTU contract historically mirrors the TWU contract, hence both unions are in a state of limbo.
Another wild card in all of this is the expiration of the Frontier contact on April 6. If nothing is settled either in the city or Red Arrow - of for that matter both - things are going to get very ugly.
Let's just say that tomorrow's vote will be very close and see what happens from there...
Monday, March 22, 2004
FEARLESS LEADER FIGHTS BACK
Apparently, Jere Downs' article in last Tuesday's Inquirer has made Fearless Leader just a wee bit more sensitve than usual. For the first time in nearly 2 months (actually, since the Iggles did their annual el-foldo against Carolina), Fearless Leader has updated her web page at the official SEPTA web site.
Recently you may have read or heard about a March 16th story written by an over zealous reporter, printed in a local publication, suggesting that SEPTA is seriously considering a 22% fare increase. The reporter knew the Authority was not contemplating an increase of this magnitude, yet, chose to provide misleading information to the public anyway.
Oh, and SEPTA doesn't mislead the public? Yeah, right. Why else would you settle a lawsuit before a lot of high-profile names from 1234 Market get called in to testify?
SEPTA is facing a $70 million projected deficit for Fiscal Year 2005. Over the past 18 months we have been very candid and vocal about our budget problems and our efforts to identify closure measures. In a few weeks our Operating Budget proposal for FY 2005 will be published and public hearings on the subject scheduled. However, at this time, we have not reached any final decisions on the elements of the proposed deficit reduction program.
SEPTA did not create the current state of confusion or alarm about a possible 22% fare increase, but we feel the need to apologize to our riders for the irresponsible actions of the reporter and the publication.
Sounds like somebody at 1234 Market has too much time on her hands. Yet, that's the way Fearless Leader has responded to criticism. Just recall her reaction after DVARP called SEPTA out over the poor on-time performance on the Regional Rail division:
After the meeting, SEPTA General Manager Faye Moore spared a few moments between congratulating champions of SEPTA's annual bus rodeo to address the issue in greater detail.
Moore explained that a large portion of the traffic on SEPTA's regional rail system falls under the control of dispatchers for Amtrak, which has its own schedule of trains to accomodate.
Officials said six of the seven regional rails share some common track with Amtrak throughout the 260-plus miles of the system, though at least 60 percent of that system is owned and controlled by SEPTA.
They said the system has also been subject to several long-term improvement projects on some of its busiest lines that have invariably led to delay.
"I'm not saying we're happy about it," said Moore, who accused Nigro of "Showboating." Daily News - October 24, 2003
(Click on the October 2003 archives page and scroll down to the October 27 entry "BOARD MEETING RECAP WITH BONUS RANT" for my previous comments on the "showboating" comments.)
Someone's starting to get a little paranoid, eh? Anyway...
For the record (and to recap Tuesday's posting on this), here's what was said:
In the next two weeks, SEPTA brass will privately brief the agency's 15-member board on plans for a fare increase to raise money for the $70 million void projected in the $875 million fiscal 2005 budget, the agency's chief financial officer, Joseph Casey, said yesterday.
How much riders will get socked is not yet known.
SEPTA riders pay a $2 cash fare - among the highest in the nation. A 22 percent increase, to $2.45, would solve the $70 million problem, but that would force the agency into a downward spiral, Casey said.
"You would lose riders on that," he said.
The operative statement is highlighted in boldface. The 22 percent increase (at least based upon what I read) certainly wasn't set in stone.
Perhaps Fearless Leader should stop worrying about what the Inquirer reports and start worrying about how bad service has become since she took over as General Manager.
Case in point: Today at 52 St/Girard Av, right at the start of the PM peak, when southbound service along 52 St from Girard is supposed to operate every 4 to 5 minutes. Between 3:42pm (when I got off the 15) and 4:01pm (when I was finally able to board a southbound 52), there was a grand total of 3 buses that passed by when there are supposed to be 5.
* The first bus had pulled off just before I got to 52 St. As noted, I got to Girard Av at 3:42pm.
* The second bus (5464/9525 block) pulled up at 3:52pm to discharge passengers but not pick up passengers.
* The third southbound bus that arrived at Girard (5263/9510 block) arrived at 4:01pm. Suffice to say that 5263 was SRO between Girard and Market.
* SIDE NOTE: 3222 (9515 block) arrived at 52 St/Market St at 4:10pm, even though Neos from Callowhill are not supposed to be used on the 52.
For those keeping track at home, that's 9-10 minutes between buses, when service levels are supposed to be 4-5 minutes.
And that's just today's example. I'm sure there are a lot of Regional Rail riders who can vouch for how inconsistent performance has been over the last two years. Or some bus riders in West Philadelphia who have similar horror stories after dealing with late or missing weekend buses on the 46. Or the complaints about inconsistent service on the 23 along Germantown Avenue. And so on, and so on...
Recently you may have read or heard about a March 16th story written by an over zealous reporter, printed in a local publication, suggesting that SEPTA is seriously considering a 22% fare increase. The reporter knew the Authority was not contemplating an increase of this magnitude, yet, chose to provide misleading information to the public anyway.
Oh, and SEPTA doesn't mislead the public? Yeah, right. Why else would you settle a lawsuit before a lot of high-profile names from 1234 Market get called in to testify?
SEPTA is facing a $70 million projected deficit for Fiscal Year 2005. Over the past 18 months we have been very candid and vocal about our budget problems and our efforts to identify closure measures. In a few weeks our Operating Budget proposal for FY 2005 will be published and public hearings on the subject scheduled. However, at this time, we have not reached any final decisions on the elements of the proposed deficit reduction program.
SEPTA did not create the current state of confusion or alarm about a possible 22% fare increase, but we feel the need to apologize to our riders for the irresponsible actions of the reporter and the publication.
Sounds like somebody at 1234 Market has too much time on her hands. Yet, that's the way Fearless Leader has responded to criticism. Just recall her reaction after DVARP called SEPTA out over the poor on-time performance on the Regional Rail division:
After the meeting, SEPTA General Manager Faye Moore spared a few moments between congratulating champions of SEPTA's annual bus rodeo to address the issue in greater detail.
Moore explained that a large portion of the traffic on SEPTA's regional rail system falls under the control of dispatchers for Amtrak, which has its own schedule of trains to accomodate.
Officials said six of the seven regional rails share some common track with Amtrak throughout the 260-plus miles of the system, though at least 60 percent of that system is owned and controlled by SEPTA.
They said the system has also been subject to several long-term improvement projects on some of its busiest lines that have invariably led to delay.
"I'm not saying we're happy about it," said Moore, who accused Nigro of "Showboating." Daily News - October 24, 2003
(Click on the October 2003 archives page and scroll down to the October 27 entry "BOARD MEETING RECAP WITH BONUS RANT" for my previous comments on the "showboating" comments.)
Someone's starting to get a little paranoid, eh? Anyway...
For the record (and to recap Tuesday's posting on this), here's what was said:
In the next two weeks, SEPTA brass will privately brief the agency's 15-member board on plans for a fare increase to raise money for the $70 million void projected in the $875 million fiscal 2005 budget, the agency's chief financial officer, Joseph Casey, said yesterday.
How much riders will get socked is not yet known.
SEPTA riders pay a $2 cash fare - among the highest in the nation. A 22 percent increase, to $2.45, would solve the $70 million problem, but that would force the agency into a downward spiral, Casey said.
"You would lose riders on that," he said.
The operative statement is highlighted in boldface. The 22 percent increase (at least based upon what I read) certainly wasn't set in stone.
Perhaps Fearless Leader should stop worrying about what the Inquirer reports and start worrying about how bad service has become since she took over as General Manager.
Case in point: Today at 52 St/Girard Av, right at the start of the PM peak, when southbound service along 52 St from Girard is supposed to operate every 4 to 5 minutes. Between 3:42pm (when I got off the 15) and 4:01pm (when I was finally able to board a southbound 52), there was a grand total of 3 buses that passed by when there are supposed to be 5.
* The first bus had pulled off just before I got to 52 St. As noted, I got to Girard Av at 3:42pm.
* The second bus (5464/9525 block) pulled up at 3:52pm to discharge passengers but not pick up passengers.
* The third southbound bus that arrived at Girard (5263/9510 block) arrived at 4:01pm. Suffice to say that 5263 was SRO between Girard and Market.
* SIDE NOTE: 3222 (9515 block) arrived at 52 St/Market St at 4:10pm, even though Neos from Callowhill are not supposed to be used on the 52.
For those keeping track at home, that's 9-10 minutes between buses, when service levels are supposed to be 4-5 minutes.
And that's just today's example. I'm sure there are a lot of Regional Rail riders who can vouch for how inconsistent performance has been over the last two years. Or some bus riders in West Philadelphia who have similar horror stories after dealing with late or missing weekend buses on the 46. Or the complaints about inconsistent service on the 23 along Germantown Avenue. And so on, and so on...
Sunday, March 21, 2004
PEOPLE ARE IDIOTS
And now, living proof that idiots come in all shapes and sizes when dealing with SEPTA. And it's not just Don Pasquale, Fearless Leader, and the Rotating Resumes at 1234 Market. Sometimes its the riders and operators who get under my skin too.
Today, on the 8:05am 104 from West Chester (5298/4215 block), we left New and Market on-time (8:12am). For some odd reason, this particular operator seemed to think that 40 mph on West Chester Pike was just a little too fast for his tastes, especially on that stretch between PA 352 and the SAP headquarters building in Newtown Square, where some drivers have been known to gun it. Somehow, we managed to lose about 4 minutes in running time because of this slow poke.
The day gets better, folks...
After taking a quick peek at Wyoming, where all I saw were a handful of NABIs and 5500-series New Flyers (and 3066, whose street-side appearance looked like crap), I had time to head up to Fox Chase, where I was hoping to find one of those 5700s that are starting to enter service working an 18 trip. No luck there, so I decide to go end to end on the 1:49pm R8 between Fox Chase and Chestnut Hill West (#2831). The trip from Fox Chase is going fairly smoothly until we get word that upon arriving at Market East, there are going to be people who were waiting for the R3 to Elwyn. For reasons unknown at this time (and considering I know a couple of people on Regional Rail who are based at Media Yard, I should be able to find out), the #8017 was originating at 5 track at Suburban instead of at Market East. My gut feeling is equipment problems, but nothing is confirmed yet.
So, after a brief look outside of the Germantown shops, where I can confirm that a second Champion cutaway and at least two 5700s are on the property, I worked my way back to Germantown at Chelten to catch the 65 back to 69 St. And that trip (4:20pm departed 5 minutes late, 5463/9603 block) was going fine until we got onto City Av. The operator had asked a passenger to mute her phone, because it was a distraction. The passenger refused to do so, and kept on playing whatever game it was she was playing on her cell phone. The driver then pulled over at City and Belmont to wait for a white-shirt to arrive. As irritating as that little "protest" was, I don't blame the operator for pulling over, since he felt it was a safety hazard; so much so that he missed at least 2-3 stops because of that distraction.
About 15 minutes later, the next 65 (7147/5203 block) arrived and everyone, including the idiot who caused the delay in the first place, boarded. Thankfully, she got off at 54 St, because there probably would've been a lot of pissed off people when we got to the end of the line (including yours truly - and yes, I let her have it as she left the bus at 54 St). As a result of this idiot's act of "civil disobedience", I missed the 5:05pm 104 (4218 block) back to West Chester and had to wait for the 6:05pm 104 (4219 block).
Yes, the same 4219 block which is operated by one of my least favorite operators out of Red Arrow, who I think could be described as "dumb."
For starters, he arrived into 69 St about 5 minutes late (which for him, would be early). If that wasn't bad enough, he pulled into the inner platform at West Terminal instead of the outer platform, which is where buses are supposed to board until 7:00pm. We then pull out 3 minutes late and somehow manage to lose two minutes en route. (Fortunately, we didn't take the scenic route through Edgmont Square - which isn't supposed to start until after 7:00pm - which he had been known to do when not scheduled to do so, thus costing us more time.)
And, to top it all off, I just found out that my March Madness office pool is shot to hell thanks (or, rather, no thanks) to the University of Alabama-Birmingham having the audacity to knock off Kentucky and Alabama knocking off Stamford (fortunately, UConn - my pick to win it all - is still in the mix; and yes, I did pick Xavier over BOTH Louisville and Mississippi State, Manhattan over Florida, and Nevada over Michigan State).
But other than that, it was a pretty good day. I did get to ride buses from all depots except Southern and Frontier (including 3224 on the 10 bus bridge - 8053 block - with an Elmwood operator). And I was able to (from a distance) sneak a glimpse of one the new Champions (which I think was 2071).
Today, on the 8:05am 104 from West Chester (5298/4215 block), we left New and Market on-time (8:12am). For some odd reason, this particular operator seemed to think that 40 mph on West Chester Pike was just a little too fast for his tastes, especially on that stretch between PA 352 and the SAP headquarters building in Newtown Square, where some drivers have been known to gun it. Somehow, we managed to lose about 4 minutes in running time because of this slow poke.
The day gets better, folks...
After taking a quick peek at Wyoming, where all I saw were a handful of NABIs and 5500-series New Flyers (and 3066, whose street-side appearance looked like crap), I had time to head up to Fox Chase, where I was hoping to find one of those 5700s that are starting to enter service working an 18 trip. No luck there, so I decide to go end to end on the 1:49pm R8 between Fox Chase and Chestnut Hill West (#2831). The trip from Fox Chase is going fairly smoothly until we get word that upon arriving at Market East, there are going to be people who were waiting for the R3 to Elwyn. For reasons unknown at this time (and considering I know a couple of people on Regional Rail who are based at Media Yard, I should be able to find out), the #8017 was originating at 5 track at Suburban instead of at Market East. My gut feeling is equipment problems, but nothing is confirmed yet.
So, after a brief look outside of the Germantown shops, where I can confirm that a second Champion cutaway and at least two 5700s are on the property, I worked my way back to Germantown at Chelten to catch the 65 back to 69 St. And that trip (4:20pm departed 5 minutes late, 5463/9603 block) was going fine until we got onto City Av. The operator had asked a passenger to mute her phone, because it was a distraction. The passenger refused to do so, and kept on playing whatever game it was she was playing on her cell phone. The driver then pulled over at City and Belmont to wait for a white-shirt to arrive. As irritating as that little "protest" was, I don't blame the operator for pulling over, since he felt it was a safety hazard; so much so that he missed at least 2-3 stops because of that distraction.
About 15 minutes later, the next 65 (7147/5203 block) arrived and everyone, including the idiot who caused the delay in the first place, boarded. Thankfully, she got off at 54 St, because there probably would've been a lot of pissed off people when we got to the end of the line (including yours truly - and yes, I let her have it as she left the bus at 54 St). As a result of this idiot's act of "civil disobedience", I missed the 5:05pm 104 (4218 block) back to West Chester and had to wait for the 6:05pm 104 (4219 block).
Yes, the same 4219 block which is operated by one of my least favorite operators out of Red Arrow, who I think could be described as "dumb."
For starters, he arrived into 69 St about 5 minutes late (which for him, would be early). If that wasn't bad enough, he pulled into the inner platform at West Terminal instead of the outer platform, which is where buses are supposed to board until 7:00pm. We then pull out 3 minutes late and somehow manage to lose two minutes en route. (Fortunately, we didn't take the scenic route through Edgmont Square - which isn't supposed to start until after 7:00pm - which he had been known to do when not scheduled to do so, thus costing us more time.)
And, to top it all off, I just found out that my March Madness office pool is shot to hell thanks (or, rather, no thanks) to the University of Alabama-Birmingham having the audacity to knock off Kentucky and Alabama knocking off Stamford (fortunately, UConn - my pick to win it all - is still in the mix; and yes, I did pick Xavier over BOTH Louisville and Mississippi State, Manhattan over Florida, and Nevada over Michigan State).
But other than that, it was a pretty good day. I did get to ride buses from all depots except Southern and Frontier (including 3224 on the 10 bus bridge - 8053 block - with an Elmwood operator). And I was able to (from a distance) sneak a glimpse of one the new Champions (which I think was 2071).
SILVERLINER V CANCELLED
So much for airing SEPTA's dirty laundry...
On Friday, SEPTA reached a settlement with Kawasaki Rail Car in a lawsuit filed over the controversial awarding of the Silverliner V contract. Even the way word of this settlement was disseminated is raising eyebrows at 1234 Market.
The Inquirer reported this weekend that SEPTA reached a settlement, but the real reason depends on which story you believe.
Officially, SEPTA is claiming the ongoing fiscal crisis was responsible for the settlement and cancelling of the bid:
"It is well known that SEPTA is already in a severe budget crisis, and a
protracted legal challenge would cost precious money and time. It is my hope
and expectation that this rail car purchase can be quickly re-bid and we can
move forward with the acquisition of new rail cars for our customers," said
SEPTA Board Chairman, Pasquale T. Deon, Sr. Press release
Right. And it's getting pretty cold in hell, too.
"In order to enhance competition, preserve the integrity of the
procurement process, and to ensure that SEPTA's interests are protected in
this important rail car purchase, I am rejecting the current proposals. The
re-bid should encourage more competition which, in the end, will benefit the
taxpayers..." Fearless Leader, as quoted in the same press release
Another theory was that there were a long list of people at 1234 Market who weren't exactly thrilled having to appear in court to (gasp) tell the truth.
Kawasaki attorney Richard A. Sprague suggested the prospect that SEPTA officials, employees and others would be questioned prompted the agency to end the litigation.
"There are a lot of people who didn't want to be deposed," Sprague said. A SEPTA lawyer called Sprague's comment unfair.
...
SEPTA attorney Mark Gottlieb said the agency had "agreed on the deposition schedule long before this decision was made" and called Sprague's contention that the agency was avoiding the depositions an "unwarranted inference."
Another Kawasaki attorney, William H. Lamb, said that for SEPTA to end the litigation at such an early stage was "very unusual, highly unusual." Inquirer
I have a strong suspicion that Don Pasquale, Fearless Leader, and a lot of high ranking Rotating Resumes - including AGM of Operations/Excuses Patrick Nowakowski, Treasurer Joseph Casey, and almost everyone involved in the entire procurement process - were going to be on that list. Of course, with the settlement, we may never know.
Had Kawasaki's lawsuit continued, Sprague was scheduled to depose 23 people. He would not disclose that list, but Kawasaki said it included Deon and [State GOP Boss Alan Paul] Novak, as well as key SEPTA engineers and professionals. Kawasaki has alleged that at least one key technical official knew nothing of the specification change until after it had occurred. Inquirer
Somehow, I don't think Don Pasquale was looking forward to being dragged through a deposition by one of the city's most powerful attorneys.
United Transit said in a written statement that, like Kawasaki, it would again bid for the work and said it "remains confident that it will be awarded the contract because it manufactures superior products at a better price." Inquirer
United Transit had a different take in a Daily News article on the same story:
UTS was also wearing a happy face. In a statement, the Korean company said that it was pleased that Kawasaki "failed in its attempt to manipulate the courts and intimidate public officials" and that it "remains confident" that it will still win the contract. Daily News
Okay, you call it "intimadation," Kawasaki (and, for that matter, most of the riding public) calls it "holding SEPTA accountable.
Naturally, the most vocal critics of SEPTA's (so-called) railroad operations, DVARP, had their say on these developments:
Don Nigro, president of the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers, said: "Kawasaki had a great case. SEPTA had a losing battle ahead of them.
"Quite frankly, Kawasaki is very experienced with U.S. standards. [United Transit's] experience meeting Federal Railroad Administration requirements for these type of vehicles is zero." Inquirer
DVARP's long-standing complaints regarding the entire process wasn't neccesarily related to the contract itself, but more towards how the specifications were determined and a general lack of ammenities found on other railroads (such as restrooms, which is a common feature on virtually every other railroad in the nation).
Adding to the intrigue is the way some SEPTA Board members found out about the settlement:
Board members learning of the settlement from reporters barraged Moore with angry calls, according to sources at the agency.
"It's a little embarrassing to have a reporter call me and tell me this," Michael O'Donoughue, one of 15 board members, said yesterday. "I don't know about democracy. It is a little strange." Inquirer
With the way that Don Pasquale has been running SEPTA Board meetings - for that matter, the way he has been micro-managing SEPTA as Chester County Board member Karen Martynick alleged last year - it's not really that strange.
(On a related note, a planned "Letter of Understanding" between Bucks County and SEPTA relating to propsed route changes to four Frontier routes in Lower Bucks is signed on behalf of SEPTA not by Fearless Leader, but by Don Pasquale. Sounds like micro-managing to me, as one would suspect the General Manager would be the responsible signatory for such a document. And, yes, I plan to add details on the proposed route changes later this week; I just haven't had the time to do it yet.)
So, now, it's back to the drawing board for SEPTA, as new bids will be accepted. This means at least the Silverliner II and III cars which would be replaced as part of this procurement will be in service just a little bit longer.
On Friday, SEPTA reached a settlement with Kawasaki Rail Car in a lawsuit filed over the controversial awarding of the Silverliner V contract. Even the way word of this settlement was disseminated is raising eyebrows at 1234 Market.
The Inquirer reported this weekend that SEPTA reached a settlement, but the real reason depends on which story you believe.
Officially, SEPTA is claiming the ongoing fiscal crisis was responsible for the settlement and cancelling of the bid:
"It is well known that SEPTA is already in a severe budget crisis, and a
protracted legal challenge would cost precious money and time. It is my hope
and expectation that this rail car purchase can be quickly re-bid and we can
move forward with the acquisition of new rail cars for our customers," said
SEPTA Board Chairman, Pasquale T. Deon, Sr. Press release
Right. And it's getting pretty cold in hell, too.
"In order to enhance competition, preserve the integrity of the
procurement process, and to ensure that SEPTA's interests are protected in
this important rail car purchase, I am rejecting the current proposals. The
re-bid should encourage more competition which, in the end, will benefit the
taxpayers..." Fearless Leader, as quoted in the same press release
Another theory was that there were a long list of people at 1234 Market who weren't exactly thrilled having to appear in court to (gasp) tell the truth.
Kawasaki attorney Richard A. Sprague suggested the prospect that SEPTA officials, employees and others would be questioned prompted the agency to end the litigation.
"There are a lot of people who didn't want to be deposed," Sprague said. A SEPTA lawyer called Sprague's comment unfair.
...
SEPTA attorney Mark Gottlieb said the agency had "agreed on the deposition schedule long before this decision was made" and called Sprague's contention that the agency was avoiding the depositions an "unwarranted inference."
Another Kawasaki attorney, William H. Lamb, said that for SEPTA to end the litigation at such an early stage was "very unusual, highly unusual." Inquirer
I have a strong suspicion that Don Pasquale, Fearless Leader, and a lot of high ranking Rotating Resumes - including AGM of Operations/Excuses Patrick Nowakowski, Treasurer Joseph Casey, and almost everyone involved in the entire procurement process - were going to be on that list. Of course, with the settlement, we may never know.
Had Kawasaki's lawsuit continued, Sprague was scheduled to depose 23 people. He would not disclose that list, but Kawasaki said it included Deon and [State GOP Boss Alan Paul] Novak, as well as key SEPTA engineers and professionals. Kawasaki has alleged that at least one key technical official knew nothing of the specification change until after it had occurred. Inquirer
Somehow, I don't think Don Pasquale was looking forward to being dragged through a deposition by one of the city's most powerful attorneys.
United Transit said in a written statement that, like Kawasaki, it would again bid for the work and said it "remains confident that it will be awarded the contract because it manufactures superior products at a better price." Inquirer
United Transit had a different take in a Daily News article on the same story:
UTS was also wearing a happy face. In a statement, the Korean company said that it was pleased that Kawasaki "failed in its attempt to manipulate the courts and intimidate public officials" and that it "remains confident" that it will still win the contract. Daily News
Okay, you call it "intimadation," Kawasaki (and, for that matter, most of the riding public) calls it "holding SEPTA accountable.
Naturally, the most vocal critics of SEPTA's (so-called) railroad operations, DVARP, had their say on these developments:
Don Nigro, president of the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers, said: "Kawasaki had a great case. SEPTA had a losing battle ahead of them.
"Quite frankly, Kawasaki is very experienced with U.S. standards. [United Transit's] experience meeting Federal Railroad Administration requirements for these type of vehicles is zero." Inquirer
DVARP's long-standing complaints regarding the entire process wasn't neccesarily related to the contract itself, but more towards how the specifications were determined and a general lack of ammenities found on other railroads (such as restrooms, which is a common feature on virtually every other railroad in the nation).
Adding to the intrigue is the way some SEPTA Board members found out about the settlement:
Board members learning of the settlement from reporters barraged Moore with angry calls, according to sources at the agency.
"It's a little embarrassing to have a reporter call me and tell me this," Michael O'Donoughue, one of 15 board members, said yesterday. "I don't know about democracy. It is a little strange." Inquirer
With the way that Don Pasquale has been running SEPTA Board meetings - for that matter, the way he has been micro-managing SEPTA as Chester County Board member Karen Martynick alleged last year - it's not really that strange.
(On a related note, a planned "Letter of Understanding" between Bucks County and SEPTA relating to propsed route changes to four Frontier routes in Lower Bucks is signed on behalf of SEPTA not by Fearless Leader, but by Don Pasquale. Sounds like micro-managing to me, as one would suspect the General Manager would be the responsible signatory for such a document. And, yes, I plan to add details on the proposed route changes later this week; I just haven't had the time to do it yet.)
So, now, it's back to the drawing board for SEPTA, as new bids will be accepted. This means at least the Silverliner II and III cars which would be replaced as part of this procurement will be in service just a little bit longer.
CONTRACT FALLOUT
The Delaware County Daily Times ran an editorial regarding SEPTA's contract agreement with TWU Local 234. It's probably nothing you haven't heard before (fare hikes are bad, SEPTA dodged a bullet, etc.). On a related note, UTU Local 1594, which represents operators in Red Arrow, will hold a mass membership meeting on Sunday in Upper Darby, which will include an update on negotiations and a potential strike authorization vote. Frontier's contracts are set to expire April 6. (I had initially missed this one; I guess I was too busy laughing at Gil Spencer's Friday column.)
Also on Friday, the Inquirer ran a story on TWU 234 president Jean Alexander, who was honored by the Pennsylvania chapter of the AFL-CIO at their annual convention at the Wyndham Philadelphia at Franklin Plaza, which coincidentially, was the same hotel where negotiations took place.
Also on Friday, the Inquirer ran a story on TWU 234 president Jean Alexander, who was honored by the Pennsylvania chapter of the AFL-CIO at their annual convention at the Wyndham Philadelphia at Franklin Plaza, which coincidentially, was the same hotel where negotiations took place.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
PATCO SERVICE IMPROVEMENT
KYW NewsRadio 1060 reported this morning that PATCO is planning to add weekend and holiday service at the City Hall station starting next month. This is apparently in response to the opening of the River Line and requests from students and staff at Rutgers-Camden (the item, unfortunately, is not posted online). Opening City Hall station on weekends will improve access to the Rutgers campus and to Campbell's Field for travelers coming from the Jersey end of the PATCO line. An offical release from PATCO should be expected within a matter of days.
HUNGRY? TRY THE RIVER LINE
In addition to the Silverliner V story in the Regional news section, and the Phlash story in the Business section, there's one more transit-related story in today's Inquirer ... in the Food section of all places.
Freelance writer George Ingram profiles several interesting restaurants along the River Line corridor between Trenton and Palmyra. He also notes that there are no "first-rate" dining spots in Camden proper (unless you count the Dunkin Donuts near the Walter Rand Transportation Center, in which some vagrant opens the front door for you apparently qualifies as "high quality service" among Camden City dining establishments, but that's another story).
Somehow, I doubt that Mr. Ingram will ever do a similar profile about dining spots along major regional rail lines, even though that sounds like a pretty interesting series for someone to work on (though probably not me, since I don't have that much time on my hands).
Freelance writer George Ingram profiles several interesting restaurants along the River Line corridor between Trenton and Palmyra. He also notes that there are no "first-rate" dining spots in Camden proper (unless you count the Dunkin Donuts near the Walter Rand Transportation Center, in which some vagrant opens the front door for you apparently qualifies as "high quality service" among Camden City dining establishments, but that's another story).
Somehow, I doubt that Mr. Ingram will ever do a similar profile about dining spots along major regional rail lines, even though that sounds like a pretty interesting series for someone to work on (though probably not me, since I don't have that much time on my hands).
PHLASH RETURNS, BUT WHY?
The Inquirer also reports today that the Phlash service managed by the City of Philadelphia and formerly operated by SEPTA employees out of Germantown will return starting next month. The Phlash, which fell victim to budget cuts by Emperor Street (D-Philadelphia/various wiretaps) last year will return thanks to outside funding from PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The service will now be operated by Philadelphia Trolley Works, after a competitive bid process involving the Center City District and other entities. The plans are to use replica trolley buses painted purple to operate over a similar routing to the previous Phlash service, however the new loop will neither serve the South Street nor the Philadelphia Zoo (not to be confused with Philadelphia City Council, which can, at times, turn into a zoo).
MORE RAIL-CAR TALK
Today's Inquirer ran a profile piece on United Transit Systems, which is/was to be awarded the Silverliner V contract before Kawasaki obtained an injunction from a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge. Very little is mentioned about the ongoing suit, however, there is some references to the problem-plagued N-5 and M-4 rail car orders from 10-15 years ago. It also points out that Kawasaki hasn't exactly been as reliable with some of its orders, particularly the MARC and Long Island double-deck cars.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
UPCOMING BOARD ACTIONS
Most of the items to be voted on by the SEPTA Board at next week's "rubber stamp" session are routine items for parts replacement relating to the VOH project, and other routine matters. However, there are a few highlights of interest to point out:
- Three lease agreements will be voted on relating to the new Frankford Terminal retail area. Dunkin Donuts, An Original Soft Pretzel Factory, and the Charles J. Brimmer, Inc. flower and gift shop will become the first three tenants at the new terminal building.
- For the third time since last year, SEPTA will attempt to award a contract for bike racks on the Neoplan artic, NABI, and 5400-series New Flyer bus fleet. The most recent contract was awarded to a Bucks County firm, however it is believed that they went out of business. As such, the contract is expected to go to SportWorks Northwest, the Seattle-area based supplier which built the racks for the ElDorado and 5500/5600-series New Flyers.
- SEPTA is expected to acquire 1.3 acres of land adjacent to the Trevose Rail Station (R3 West Trenton) in Bensalem Twp for the addition of 112 additional parking spaces, thus more than doubling the number of available spaces at that station (95). The present parking lot at Trevose is presently at full capacity during peak hours.
- SEPTA is planning to replace carpeting on five floors of 1234 Market at a cost of $361,681. They couldn't have timed that any better, now could they?
GOODBYE, VET!
After 33 years of service to the people of Philadelphia, Veterans Stadium will be imploded in a matter of seconds on Sunday. As a result, SEPTA is forced to divert several bus routes around the Sports Complex area in South Philadelphia starting at 5:00am and until Philadelphia Police give notifications:
- The Broad Street Line will be cut back to Snyder, with a bus-bridge in effect between Snyder, Oregon, and Pattison stations. Buses, however, will not be able to access Pattison station, so they are forced to layover on Broad north of "Martelli" Avenue (the correct name of this street will not be used until St. Joe's is out of the NCAA's (or until further notice) in protest of that idiot from CBS calling out Hawks coach Phil Martelli last Sunday).
- Route C will also be cut back to Broad and "Martelli", but will layover at Broad and Pollock.
- Route G will operate its regular southbound routing to 3 St/Pattison Av (even though it's in the "restricted zone", then operate via 3 St instead of 7 St to "Martelli" Avenue, then resume normal routing via Oregon.
- Route 17 Navy Yard service will operate as follows from 20 St/Pattison Av, then via Pattison, Penrose, and 26 St to the rear gate of the Navy Yard.
- Route 23 service will not operate any trips to 10 St/Bigler St; all service will "pullout only via Southern Depot, then via 20 St, "Martelli", and Broad St, then layover at Broad and Oregon. Whether this affects the rest of the line remains to be seen.
- Route 68 will reportedly not be affected, however since it loops around via Broad, "Martelli", and 10 St, it's possible that the layover loop will be adjusted accordingly; no passengers are picked up or dropped off on this segment of the line.
FARE HIKE TALK
There's an increasing possibility that SEPTA will initiate a fare increase later this year, although SEPTA is not officially saying one way or the other. The Inquirer reported yesterday that a 22-percent fare hike in the base fare from the current $2.00 to $2.45 would allegedly close the $70 million budget gap SEPTA is currently facing. And now, SEPTA Treasurer Joe Casey offered the understatement of the year:
"You would lose riders on that," [Casey] said. Inquirer
Duh.
It didn't take long for SEPTA's Minister of Mis-Information to backtrack from yesterday's report:
"I can’t comment whether there will be a fare increase in the next budget -- not at this time," said Richard Maloney, SEPTA director of media relations.
"We are facing, and stated publicly for some time now, that we’re facing a $70 million deficit in our operating budget for fiscal year 2005," Maloney said, "and we will have to go public with our plans on that budget some time during April."
"What SEPTA needs at this moment is a long-term predictable funding formula for public transportation here at SEPTA and statewide," Maloney said. Delaware County Daily Times
There are probably some who think SEPTA needs a change in management (and if I were king of the world, Maloney would be the second to go, following, of course, Fearless Leader), but that's another rant for another time.
In any case, watch out for a lot of rhetoric from advocacy groups for the disadvantaged, up to and including illegal disruptions of service as the weeks and months progress.
Although, if SEPTA proposes a slew of service cuts as they did last year, the fare increase may end up on the back-burner. Which could be what SEPTA is hoping for...
"We are still crunching the numbers... . The public at large wants the service," Casey said. "We received very little response [last year] from people that did not want a fare increase." Inquirer
Of course there was very little response about a fare hike last year. Everyone from Chestnut Hill to Aston to the Bristols was worried about losing bus and rail services to even worry about a fare hike. Perhaps the labor negotiations will bring a fare hike into the foreground this time around.
"You would lose riders on that," [Casey] said. Inquirer
Duh.
It didn't take long for SEPTA's Minister of Mis-Information to backtrack from yesterday's report:
"I can’t comment whether there will be a fare increase in the next budget -- not at this time," said Richard Maloney, SEPTA director of media relations.
"We are facing, and stated publicly for some time now, that we’re facing a $70 million deficit in our operating budget for fiscal year 2005," Maloney said, "and we will have to go public with our plans on that budget some time during April."
"What SEPTA needs at this moment is a long-term predictable funding formula for public transportation here at SEPTA and statewide," Maloney said. Delaware County Daily Times
There are probably some who think SEPTA needs a change in management (and if I were king of the world, Maloney would be the second to go, following, of course, Fearless Leader), but that's another rant for another time.
In any case, watch out for a lot of rhetoric from advocacy groups for the disadvantaged, up to and including illegal disruptions of service as the weeks and months progress.
Although, if SEPTA proposes a slew of service cuts as they did last year, the fare increase may end up on the back-burner. Which could be what SEPTA is hoping for...
"We are still crunching the numbers... . The public at large wants the service," Casey said. "We received very little response [last year] from people that did not want a fare increase." Inquirer
Of course there was very little response about a fare hike last year. Everyone from Chestnut Hill to Aston to the Bristols was worried about losing bus and rail services to even worry about a fare hike. Perhaps the labor negotiations will bring a fare hike into the foreground this time around.
FLEET UPDATE
According to sources at the Germantown shops, the 5700-series New Flyers are beginning to arrive there, presumably to train mechanics on the new ZF transmission that will become part of the next three series of New Flyers arriving on SEPTA property. To follow up an earlier post, here's what will probably happen:
Everything, of course, is subject to changes, as is always the case with SEPTA. However, it appears that in the end run, there won't be as many bus transfers as in years past.
* Numbers current as of March 15, and are subject to change upon confirmation of buses being pulled from service.
- Midvale will get the first batch of 40 new buses (5713-5752), as they presently have 42* of the oldest remaining Neoplan DK buses in service. The DKs are mainly used on the 23, 56, and 57, though a few have reportedly snuck in on other wheelchair accessible lines. It appears that the Flyers will be a one-for-one replacement for the DKs at Midvale.
- Frankford will reportedly be next on the list (5753-5792), as there are 11 DKs and 23 EBs assigned there as well, along with a few EBs; these buses are mainly used on the trackless lines, which will still reportedly be restored next month, thus potentially freeing up more Neos for reassignment.
- Southern, which has the bulk of the EBs still in service (35), will get 15 diesel low floors (5793-5807) in addition to the 20 hybrids (5831H-5850H) due on the property this summer. Again, this is a one-for-one replacement once they hyrbids arrive, so some EBs will probably be held there until the summer.
- The remaining DKs (5) and a few EBs (25) are presently assigned to Callowhill (which will get 5808-5820 after Southern gets their buses) for weekday use on the 15, 46, and selected school trippers. There's a possibility that some older Neos will remain at Callowhill until the arrival of the PCC-II cars for the 15/Girard line LRV conversion project, which may not take place until later this year or earlier next year. At last report, there are presently 4 PCC-II cars in storage at Elmwood.
- Red Arrow will get the last 10 new buses (5821-5830). More than likely, they will force the moving of some Neoplans out of Red Arrow, much to the relief of riders on the 104, 113, and other lines deemed to be low-priority by management. Red Arrow has no DKs or EBs (the remaining ones were moved last year to city garages), so the most likely candidate for transfer will be the 10 city-spec EIs (3255, 3260-3265, and 3291-3293).
- Comly will not be getting any 5700s, however, they still have DK 3073 and 26 EBs, which are mainly held for school trippers. It's probable that some surplus Neo EIs will be moved from Frankford to Comly for the same purpose (once trackless service is restored), as there appear to be enough NABIs and 5500-series New Flyers to hold down regular service.
- Frontier will also not get any 5700s, as they are in the process of recieving 18 Champion cutaways (2070-2087) to replace the 14 remaining Fords still in service. (On a side note, I've noticed nothing but ElDorados working the 92/133 over the past few days, however, 6021 block has occasionally seen a Ford working the line - as I speak, 2034 passed by, running very late getting into West Chester.) There may be a few ElDorados (or even a couple of NABIs) being moved from Frontier; if that were to happen, they may end up back at Red Arrow.
Everything, of course, is subject to changes, as is always the case with SEPTA. However, it appears that in the end run, there won't be as many bus transfers as in years past.
* Numbers current as of March 15, and are subject to change upon confirmation of buses being pulled from service.
MORE ROUTE CHANGES IN BUCKS
Two hearings are planned next month to propose routing changes to four of the Frontier routes operating out of southern Bucks County. The changes affect the 127, 128, 129, and 130. Several poor performing route segments on the 127, 128, and 129 will be eliminated, while the 130 will be re-routed to serve a new office park in Bensalem Twp while also offering improved service within the Newtowns. While details are not yet available, this is what is known so far:
The hearings will be held on Tuesday, April 13 (Sheraton Bucks County, 400 Oxford Valley Rd, Middletown (Bucks)) and Thursday, April 15 (Radisson Hotel, US 1/Old Lincoln Hwy in the Trevose district of Bensalem Twp). Both hearings begin at 7:00pm. More details on the proposed route changes will be posted when the become available.
- It would appear that the 127 would no longer operate via Bristol Pike and Newbold Rd in Falls Twp, thus eliminating a very convoluted routing between the Levittown-Tullytown Rail Station (R7 Trenton) and the Morrisville/Trenton area.
- The segments to be eliminated along the 128 appear to be within downtown Bristol, along the Newportville Rd/Newport Rd corridor in the Croydon district of Bristol Twp, and a portion of the routing in Tullytown Borough.
- Duplicative routings in Middletown (Bucks) and Bristol Twp on the 129 would be discontinued, with new service proposed for traffic generators north and east of the Oxford Valley mall.
- The 130 would be re-routed to serve the Horizon Corporate Center in Bensalem Twp, and offer improved coverage of the Village of Newtown and Newtown Shopping Center.
The hearings will be held on Tuesday, April 13 (Sheraton Bucks County, 400 Oxford Valley Rd, Middletown (Bucks)) and Thursday, April 15 (Radisson Hotel, US 1/Old Lincoln Hwy in the Trevose district of Bensalem Twp). Both hearings begin at 7:00pm. More details on the proposed route changes will be posted when the become available.
Monday, March 15, 2004
NEW FLYER UPDATE
According to reliable sources, this will be the breakdown of the new 5700-series New Flyers, which should begin arriving at Wyoming by the end of the month, with number of buses and their likely numbers:
Midvale - 40 buses (5713-5752)
Frankford - 40 buses (5753-5792)
Southern - 15 buses (5793-5807)
Callowhill - 13 buses (5808-5820)
Red Arrow - 10 buses (5821-5830)
Later this summer, hybrids 5831H-5850H will be delivered to Southern. The arrival of the 5700s will mark the end of the non-wheelchair accessible Neoplans presently operating out of several city garages.
Midvale - 40 buses (5713-5752)
Frankford - 40 buses (5753-5792)
Southern - 15 buses (5793-5807)
Callowhill - 13 buses (5808-5820)
Red Arrow - 10 buses (5821-5830)
Later this summer, hybrids 5831H-5850H will be delivered to Southern. The arrival of the 5700s will mark the end of the non-wheelchair accessible Neoplans presently operating out of several city garages.
CHAMPIONS FINALLY ON THE ROAD
The first of 28 new Freightliner/Champion cutaway buses are now on the road. 2070 was reported to be in service out of Frontier Depot this morning (and how much do you want to bet it was working in Lower Bucks?). The first 18 Champions (2070-2087) appear to be heading to Frontier, with the remaining 10 going to contractors, most likely Keystone (314) and Germantown (310/311). This means that the 1997-98 Fords are about to be pulled out of service, and not a minute too soon. There's no word on whether or not a second order will be placed to replace the 1999 Fords (2056-2069) currently in use at Germantown and by Krapf's (204 and 207/WHIRL).
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