GOING OUT OF SERVICE...

You may have noticed that I haven't posted anything new on this blog in the past five months. Well, after years of commenting on the sad state of affairs of the Sorry Excuse of a Public Transit Agency that is SEPTA, I've pretty much become bored with it. To be perfectly candid, I neither have the time nor the energy to deal with SEPTA anymore. It seems that as long as "Fearless Leader" and the rest of the "Rotating Resumes" at 1234 Market are still running the show and ruining the system, what point is there for me to waste my time commenting? It seems to be the same shit that hits the fan at 1234 Market, whether it's a rogue "Transit Police" officer getting charged with domestic assault in Upper Darby or a railroad fiasco that management sweeps under the rug, it's apparent that even with the borderline excessive gift from the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (ie. the $150 million that SEPTA is getting) after years of whining like an immature teenager, SEPTA will continue to remain the same laughable joke of a system that it has been since Jack Leary left (and for all of the bad feelings from the unions over Leary's management style, at least there was some level of accountability and some semblance of change in the management culture).

Faye Moore can't say the same thing about her tenure at General Mis-Manger of SEPTA...

For starters, attempting to raise an issue with Moore is almost like trying to get an audience with the Pope. Moore refuses to even acknowlege anyone's complaints when confronted in person. Way to be accountable to the people who pay your salary, oh Fearless Leader...

The Market-Frankford El project has become a financial nightmare for SEPTA, yet Moore is unwilling to behave like a leader and speak out on the issues at hand; instead, her management style is to send out Minister of Mis-Information Richard Maloney, an individual with slightly less credibility than Emperor Street, to lie and lie some more about that SEPTA is - or isn't - doing for the people of West Philadelphia...

The last straw was the recent fare changes, in which:

Those who used to rely on transfers to connect with a second (or, as needed, a third) bus or subway line will now have to pay a full fare for the privilege of riding SEPTA. Unlike Delaware or Baltimore, the elimination of transfers is not in conjunction with any fare collection upgrades, which SEPTA has promised for years.

Meanwhile, the DayPass - which is valid for an unlimited number of rides on the transit system and a one-way trip on Regional Rail - is being replaced at the end of the month with a "Convenience Pass" which (1) has a limit of 8 rides for the entire day, (2) is not valid on Regional Rail, and (3) will likely not be available at sales outlets that failed to sell the DayPass in the first place. Convenience, my ass...

Regional Rail riders who are unfortunate enough not to have a ticket office available to them will now be forced to pay substantially higher fares, not only compared to the old system, but to riders who board at rail stations that do have ticket offices. Hence, riders at stations such as Exton and Downingtown are penalized for not having a ticket office or any other alternate location to purchace tickets, while riders at stations such as Doylestown and Levittown - which have ticket offices and are in the same fare zone as Downingtown - have the ability to purchase tickets in advance at lower rates.

Meanwhile, SEPTA management, hasn't even given a committment to increasing the number of sales outlets in the region where tokens and passes are sold. As it stands right now, the only sales outlets (exlcuding the R5 stations) in Chester County, for example are a lowly check-cashing place on Gay Street in West Chester (where they have indicated they will not sell the new "Convenience Pass"), another check cashing place on West Chester Pike in West Goshen, and a third outlet in Phoenixville (which, incidentially, is listed as being in Montgomery County). And that's it.

No token or pass sales outlets at any Acme or ShopRite in the county (despite the fact that SEPTA sells tokens and passes at Acme's and ShopRite's in other counties and in Philadelphia - there's a ShopRite on West Chester Pike which would make a great sales outlet; ditto the Acme on Paoli Pike)...

No token sales locations in the Exton area...

No plans for SEPTA to add token outlets in the area that I'm aware of.

SEPTA needs to do the following:

Add more sales outlets in Chester County; this is a no-brainer.
Mandate that all outlets that sell tokens must also sell, at a bare minimum, the Convenince Pass.
For Regional Rail stations without a ticket office, enter into contracts with nearby convenience stores or other outlets to sell Regional Rail tickets. The Turkey Hill next to the Downingtown station on Lancaster Avenue and the Wawa across from the Thorndale station on Lincoln Highway would be two perfect locations.

With that rant out of the way, this will likely be the last posting I make on the Frankford Terminal blog for the forseeable future. I simply don't have the time to deal with this anymore, and quite frankly, I don't even go into Philly that much anymore (which should at least add 10-15 years to my life, given the current state of affairs in the city).

For a blog that is updated more frequently than mine, check out "SEPTA Watch" - I haven't had a chance to fully digest the site, but from what little I've seen of it thus far, I encourage you to check them out:

http://septawatch.blogspot.com

Good luck, SEPTA riders. You're gonna need it...

TWO NABS BY TRANSIT POLICE

For all the criticism of SEPTA's "Transit Police" over the years, it's actually refreshing to learn that there are officers out there who are capable of doing actual police work...

At around 18:35, Zone 1 officers were alerted of a disorderly female. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the 17-year-old female was reported as a runaway from the Deveraux Kanner Center in West Whiteland, Chester County. The subject, who has a history of violent behavior and running away, had been reported missing by West Whiteland Police at 17:00 and county police radio had advised the runaway was possibly heading towards 69 St Terminal or Philadelphia. Upon confirmation of the subject's identity, she was transported to PPD 12th District for processing.

While that was unfolding, Zone 6 and 7 officers responded to a report of an assault in progress at the Hunting Park subway station at around 19:15. Upon arrival, about 10-12 black male juveniles had reportedly fled the station. The victim refused medical attention and positively identified 5 of the actors, who were apprehended behind Marcus Foster Stadium at Hunting Park and Germantown.

Let's just say it's pretty rare when you can actually make one positive response about SEPTA's Transit Police considering the past track record. However, two good hits on one day should give the department a reason to be proud.

NEW ROUTES PUSHED BACK FURTHER

For nearly a year, SEPTA has been pushing back the launch date of new bus routes that are part of the US 202/Section 300 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality strategy. Initially slated to start this past summer, it was pushed back to November. A report from SEPTA (scroll to page #9) indicated that the new routes would begin in Fall 2006.

Then, when the February timetables changed, there was no mention of the two new SEPTA services - the 205 between Paoli and Main Line Industrial Park in Charlestown Twp, and the 306 between Great Valley and Brandywine Town Center via West Chester.

Now, according to an e-newsletter from DART First State, the two new SEPTA routes are scheduled to start on March 12. Meanwhile:

* A new TMA of Chester County service between the Coatesville area and the Great Valley area, known as the "Bee-Line", will start operating on February 20 (naturally, since this is a TMACC/Krap(f)'s operation, no SEPTA fare instruments will be honored).
* The extension of an early evening post-peak R5 train from Malvern to Thorndale has already taken place.

The big $64,000 question has to be why has it taken SEPTA nearly a year to make mention of two new routes in Chester County while at the same time a slew of new services - some proposed two years ago (1, 20 and 50), others just coming right out of the blue (the 127 extension and the new 150 route) - serving the Philadelphia Park Race Track/Slots Parlor in Bucks County are virtually fast-tracked.

On a related note, Krap(f)'s will operate both the 205 and 306, and also on March 12 will take over operations of the 314 from Keystone...

NO ANNUAL SERVICE PLAN THIS YEAR...

In a letter that I recieved today from SEPTA, the Annual Service Plan process for this year will not take place. Projects planned for the FY2008 Annual Service Plan have been pushed back to FY 2009, depending on SEPTA's financial status by this time next year. Based on reading the state's new budget from Gov. Edward G. Rendell (D-Pa./Comcast SportsNet) in which he's planning to shift increase the sales tax while somehow claiming property tax relief (which almost seems like a big lie, considering Pennsylvania's municipalities get little to no benefit from any sales tax revenues) and other proposals to fund transit, which would not affect SEPTA until next March at the earliest, Philadelphians can prepare for a disasterous recipe of service cuts and fare hikes...

NEW MAPS FOR SALE

For the first time in a few years, SEPTA has re-issued the City and Suburban Transit maps. At a cost of $9.95 each, the maps contain detailed routing for all SEPTA routes, however there's one interesting note about these new maps...

They were initially put out for sale last month, yet the maps read "2006 Edition." Two thoughts here...

1. SEPTA should have waited until the Annual Service Plan routings were confirmed this past fall before putting new maps out to be published to get a more accurate reflection of the route system.

2. Instead of using a wall map format, perhaps SEPTA should consider using a map book format for future publication of all regional maps. It certainly would be more user-friendly as opposed, say, having a tourist carry a bulky fold-out map.

But, of course, that's why I'm just blogging instead of making lots of money working at 1234 Market...

NEW "GAMBLERS EXPRESS"

Among the new routes that SEPTA will start in two weeks are two routes that will offer direct service to the new slots hall at Philadelphia Park Racetrack/Casino in Bensalem Twp, Bucks County.

Route 50 will be separated from the existing Route 20 service, which would terminate at Franklin Mills as it always has, with late evening service extended to Philadelphia Park. Residential neighborhoods off of Academy Rd would be served by the existing 20 bus. The new 50 would operate from Bridge-Pratt to Franklin Mills before continuing on to Philadelphia Park.

That, on top of the existing 130 service and the new extension of the 1 bus from Northeast Philly to Philadelphia Park means that people in route to the slots houses that Fast Eddie built will have several options. That's more than can be said for patron's of the Harrah's race track/slots parlor in Chester City. But wait, there's more...

A new Route 150 will also be introduced, operating between Plymouth Meeting Mall and Philadelphia Park, using the existing deadhead routes between Frontier Depot and existing terminals in Lower Bucks County. A preview of the new schedule on the 150 that was posted on SEPTA's web site indicates a total of 6 weekday trips to Bensalem - departing at 04:15, 05:25, 06:15, 13:20, 14:20, and 16:10 - and 5 weekday trips to Plymouth Meeting - departing at 14:10, 16:10, 19:15, 21:45, and 23:18. On Saturdays, there will be four trips to Bensalem - 04:50, 07:40, 11:10, and 14:45 - with 6 trips to Plymouth Meeting - departing at 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:55, 19:55, and 23:18. Somehow, I doubt these trips will be valuable to anyone other than bus fans or whatever, but I guess there was enough political pressure from Bucks County to add as many routes as possible to the new casino.

And, on top of that, the 127 will also be extended from Neshaminy Mall to Philadelphia Park, a proposal that was never brought up during any of the service standards hearings. More than likely, the 127 extension will duplicate the 130's routing.

FORGET SOMETHING?

I doubt this will be placed in the archives of the greatest moments in SEPTA "Transit Police" history...

At around 15:50 today, two SORT officers had detained a couple of juveniles in the area of the Center City concourse near 15-Market. One of the actors, a student at Mercy Vo-Tech in Nicetown, had been arrested and handcuffed on a narcotics violation. Only one tiny little problem...

The actor fled from the police - still in handcuffs, mind you - and as of 18:00 had not been located. SEPTA "Transit Police" had initially went to an address on the 2100 block of Tasker in South Philadelphia, then to an address on the 200 block of Lecarre Dr in Upper Darby. The investigation is now focusing on the 5600 block of Addison in West Philadelphia.

Yup, just another day for our beloved "Transit Police"...

ONE MORE YEAR OF CRAPPY LEADERSHIP

At yesterday's rubber-stamp session of the SEPTA Board, General Manager Faye "Fearless Leader" Moore was given a 1-year contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed (and given SEPTA's financial strain, why would they want to), however "Don Pasquale" told the Philadelphia Business Journal:

"With her strong financial and managerial background, Faye has been the right person, in the right place at the right time..."

The preceeding was straight out of the Karl Rove School of Spin. Let's just say that Fearless Leader's "managerial background" leaves a lot to be desired. It would be difficult to recall any SEPTA General Manager who has been as invisible from the public except for certain ceremonial events (such as the rededications of the Melrose Park Rail Station, Suburban Station, and Frankford Terminal - though she was conspicously absent when the West Chester Transportation Center was dedicated) or when begging Harrisburg for more money. And let's not forget the lack of communcation between SEPTA and several West Philadelphia neighborhoods regarding both the El reconstruction and the restoration of streetcar service on the 15. Of course, we could go on and on, but there isn't too much time for that today...

"The solution to the transportation funding crisis facing SEPTA will come to a head in Harrisburg this year, and we are happy to have Faye helping us with that effort."

Hopefully, this effort won't include the threats to jack fares up to unreasonable heights or the massive route eliminations that marred the last financial crisis. When SEPTA attempted a massive fare hike and threatened to eliminate several key bus and rail lines, it burned a lot of bridges in Harrisburg. It wouldn't be too shocking if SEPTA tried to make the same mistake again...

Meanwhile, the only other noteworthy item was that Krapf's will once again be operating the 314 line, taking over the contract from Keystone Quality Transport in mid-March. This, on top of the two new routes that will begin next month will make Krapf's the only third-party operator of fixed route services in the SEPTA system. Of course, the only third-party contracted routes in the suburbs are in Chester County, and of course, SEPTA had to choose an inferior provider for the Chester County services as opposed to operating the service in house...

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER ROBBERY

So far, this really has not been a good year to be a SEPTA cashier...

At around 14:30 on Thursday, SEPTA "Transit Police" reported that a black male approximately 5-ft, 6-in tall took $250.00 in cash from the cashier at the Girard El station, then fled on foot. In a similar incident last month, a subject robbed the cashier at the Margaret-Orthodox El station and left with $100.00 cash. It's highly doubtful that the two incidents are related.

In an unrelated incident on Thursday, SEPTA "Transit Police" repoted an assault at the 63 St El Station at around 21:00. The actor, a black male in his 20's, fled on foot southbound on 63 St. The victim was transported to HUP by PFD Medic 3.

And of course, nobody at SEPTA is willing to release its crime data to the public, but they have no problem filling in the Board about what they're doing to keep us safe - allegedly...

POLICE IN NEED OF DRIVER RE-TRAINING?

For the second time in as many months, a SEPTA "Transit Police" officer was involved in an auto accident. Early Thursday morning, Unit K-5 (a K-9 unit) was involved in what appeared to be a minor traffic accident at 42 St/Baltimore Av in University City. It's probably fortunate that the damage was relatively minor, because it would've been the 2nd patrol car taken out of service that night. "Car 2" - which is assigned to the sector covering the El between 15 St and 46 St - broke down during the middle of its overnight shift. Last month, a "Transit Police" car was severely damaged in an MVA in Center City.

RUMBLE AT 69 ST

At around 18:00 yesterday, SEPTA "Transit Police" were alerted to a report of a fight on board a westbound El train that was pulling into 69 St Terminal. Police reported a white male in his 40s assaulted another passenger then fled in an unknown direction. The victim was transported to Delaware County Memorial Hospital.

EASIER? YEAH RIGHT...

So, SEPTA wants to capitalize on that goodwill generated by those strong ridership increases on the Regional Rail system. What better way to capitalize on said goodwill then by making it slightly more difficult to purchase tickets at Center City stations, Trenton, and the Airport.

Two weeks from today, the ticket vending machines from these stations will be removed and replaced with ... nothing. Granted, the ticket machines were obsolete about 10 years ago, but the inexcusable part about it is that SEPTA hasn't even bothered to consider purchasing replacement TVMs. After all, why be like NJ Transit, who has been using TVM's that (1) accept the newer generation $5, $10, and $20 bills, (2) print out reasonably sized tickets that are not prone to misplacement, (3) in some locations, allow for purchase of PATH tickets and even New York City MetroCards, and (4) accept credit/debit cards. Why bother being like many of the other mass transit agencies in the nation and upgrade the fare collection system?

Easy, because this is SEPTA, whose new motto might as well be "quality customer service through longer ticket lines".

ANOTHER SAFE DAY ON THE SYSTEM

At around 15:40 yesterday, SEPTA "Transit Police" and Philadelphia Fire Department were dispatched to the North Philadelphia Subway Station for the report of a suspicious package. Officers reported hearing a loud pop eminating from a trash can, resulting in the closure of the station for nearly an hour. PFD Haz-Mat responded to the scene to investigate the source of what was later identified over police radio as a "suspicious liquid". At least one SEPTA Police officer was transported to Temple University Hopsital after coming into contact with the liquid.

SEPTA ... A MODEL OF CONVENIENCE

As other transit agencies across the country are upgrading and modernizing their fare systems, SEPTA, in it's zeal to be convenient to it's customers, is taking the following passenger-friendly step to improve service to it's Regional Rail riders...

On January 27, SEPTA will remove all ticket vending machines at the Center City stations, the Airport, and Trenton.

Terriffic. Now, you can expect even longer lines at the ticket offices as SEPTA continues to improve it's system for the benefit of its customers. Granted, the machines are obsolete, but wouldn't it make sense to buy new TVM's before replacing the old ones?

Of course it would ... which is why SEPTA is doing the exact opposite...

JUST UNREAL...

Apparently, people will do just about anything for a buck...

Someone from Delaware County has decided to put an active Zone 2 TrailPass on EBay. Rather than encourage this illegal activity, you're going to have to go to EBay (until Sunday) to see for yourself.

Assuming they're not too busy removing homeless from stations, perhaps this should draw the attention of the "Transit Police" - I doubt it, though...

FIRST STABBING OF THE YEAR...

That didn't take too long...

At around 05:20, "Transit Police", UPenn Police, and PPD 18th District officers responded to what was initially reported as a robbery on the platform at University City Rail Station at South St/Convention Av. PPD later put a flash out on J-Band reporting that this was a founded stabbing committed by two black males, who fled on bike towards the area of 30 St. The victim was transported by UPenn Police to HUP with a laceration to the wrist.

Yup, another great way to start a "safe" day on the SEPTA system...

NOTHING HAS REALLY CHANGED...

At around 00:40 this morning, police were dispatched to a report of an assault on the subway at Fern Rock. Amazingly enough, SEPTA "Transit Police" were able to make an apprehension. This despite the responding officer not responding to dispatch for about a minute, necessitating an officer assist call. Despite some less than professional radio communications between the back-up unit and police radio, it's almost a miracle that an apprehension was made, considering the notoriously mediocre response time by "Transit Police." The victim was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries; it was also reported that the actor had displayed a simulated firearm and also had previous aggravated assault charges.

Last Thursday, however, a cashier at the Margaret-Orthodox El station wasn't as lucky. At around 17:50, "Transit Police" and PPD were dispatched to the report of a strong arm robbery at the station. The actor fled on a westbound El train with approximately $100. A westbound train was halted at Tioga with several "Transit Police" and PPD officers sweeping the train with negative results.

On Tuesday, "Transit Police" reported that 3 black males wanted for an assault at the Girard Subway station fled on a southbound train. Again, no success in locating the actors.

And, of course, there was the typical "found device" on New Year's Day. At around 16:40, PPD was alerted to a possible device found in the area of the Tasker-Morris subway station, forcing the station to be closed. Broad Street Subway service, however, continued to operate, bypassing Tasker-Morris. The situation was placed under control at around 17:30.

Happy New Year, SEPTA customers...

BUSY DAY ON THE SYSTEM

It was a chaotic and hectic day across the system yesterday - a trolley derailment, a robbery, a foot chase, and a suspicious package made for a lot of work for SEPTA's "Transit Police".

* Shortly before 08:00, a westbound trolley derailed in the tunnel just east of 33 St Station, resulting in the evacuation of at least 5 trolleys. Suffice to say that the morning commute on the Subway-Surface lines was a mess.
* At the tail end of the PM Peak, a robbery was reported at the Margaret-Orthodox El Station. The incident occured at around 17:55, when a heavy set, light complected black male reportedly robbed his victim near the cashier's booth; it's unknown whether the victim was an employee or a passenger. Several police units responded to Tioga Station to search for the actor, but were unable to locate him (surprise, surprise). The actor fled with approximately $100.
* At around 20:00, Philadelphia PD officers were involved in a foot pursuit of a subject under unknown circumstances in the area of Broad and Lehigh. The actor fled onto the system at the North Philadelphia subway station and was reportedly apprehended at Susquehanna-Dauphin.
* At around 22:30, a report of a suspicious package at the North Terminal at 69 St came in to police. The situation was cleared a short time later, however details are very sketchy.
* At around 02:50 this morning, a SEPTA "Transit Police" car was involved in an accident at 11-Market. One officer was transported to Jefferson Hospital with non life threatening injuries (this was initially reported as a bus accident; we apologize for the incorrect report).

But, other than that, it was a safe and secure day on the SEPTA system...

GAMBLERS EXPRESS READY TO ROLL ... SORT OF

Today marks the first day of SEPTA's service between the Franklin Mills Mall and Philadelphia Park racetrack in Bensalem Twp, Bucks County. The "Route 20 Shuttle" will operate hourly between Franklin Mills and Philadelphia Park via Knights Rd and PA 132 (Street Rd) to accomodate passengers en route to the new slots parlor at the venerable racetrack. (And yes, I'm sure many people out there find it ironic that Franklin Mills was, back in the day, the site of a harness racing track.) This shuttle will depart Franklin Mills hourly between 07:30 and 00:30 and from Philadelphia Park between 07:10 and 01:10 between now and February 10, 2007. The next day (February 11), SEPTA will introduce the new Route 50 between Bridge-Pratt and Philadelphia Park.

A FEW CHANGES TO THE LOOK OF THIS BLOG

I realize that I haven't posted as much as I had been when I first started this blog nearly 5 years ago. That has not, however, stopped me from giving the site a much needed upgrade in appearance.

Once the holidays are over, I hope to post more frequently than I have been over the past 2 years, but rest assured, I will continue to be as blunt and honest as I've always been as far as SEPTA is concerned.

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS...

If the preliminary agenda for next month's "rubber stamp session" of the SEPTA Board is to be believed - but then again, when is anything that eminates from 1234 Market to believed - SEPTA's plans to close it's $36 million plus operating budget gap will come courtesy of the capital budget. Among the projects that would be deffered, according to the draft resolution, would be renovations to some Broad Street Line stations, bus replacements, and the fare collection upgrades that have been dormant since Gov. Edward G. Rendell (D-Pa./Comcast SportsNet) was mayor of Philadelphia. The good news, if it means anything, is that there does not appear to be a fare increase in the works. However:

* Some of the 1996 NABIs - which were slated for retirement as early as 2008 - may be forced to remain in service for another year. These buses are clearly starting show their age, not that they were particularly good buses to begin with...
* Stations along the Broad Street Line which were planned to get rehabbed - Girard among them - will remain dumps...
* SEPTA's fare collection system and policies - which were considered state-of-the-art when delpoyed in the 1990's - will continue to remain obsolete compared to peer agencies across the country, and quite possibly even within the state.

Now, apparently, the ball is in Harrisburg's court. Assuming they can find time to draw attention away from Rendell's attempts to override the will of school districts across the state who soundly rejected his "Act 72" schemes to force property tax relief by mandating the same flawed program that same school boards rejected.

STOP ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS ONE...

According to an investigative report that aired Wednesday on CBS3, SEPTA's track record as it pertains to the safe operation of the system is under scrutiny. Imagine that...

In a CBS 3 I-Team Exclusive , how safe are you riding SEPTA's regional rail lines? It is a question that is being asked following an I-Team investigation into last summer's train crash.

Every day, 100,000 riders depend on SEPTA's regional rail to deliver them safely to their destination. But 30 people were injured on the Warminster line when two trains collided head-on.

Our exclusive investigation found that SEPTA’s safety system, designed to prevent just a crash, didn’t."Lots of broken noses, broken faces, horrible shock, massive confusion," said eyewitness, Judy Grove.

Those who were there the afternoon of Saturday, July 1st remember the frightening scene as two SEPTA trains collided head on."

Most were in total shock, they didn’t know what really happened," said Grove.

Two weeks after the crash, SEPTA fired the engineer of the southbound train, claiming he went through a red signal onto a single track, colliding head-on with a second train.

However, confidential documents obtained by the CBS 3 I-Team, indicate much deeper safety problems. In fact, testimony connected to SEPTA’s own crash investigation shows that the systems designed to prevent crashes did not work. A train breeching a red signal should have immediately set off three alarms inside SEPTA’s main control center including one with a loud shriek.

Yet at a closed door hearing into the crash - two different employees on duty that day testified they never saw or heard any warnings.

Union Official Question: "At the time it is alleged the engineer passed the signal did you witness an audible or visual alarm?"
SEPTA Employee Answer: "No"

Whether the alarms actually went off is in dispute. Another control room worker reported that ‘phantom alarms’ indicating trains are going through red signals when in fact they are not, are so common that controllers may ignore them.

Union Official Question: "Does this mean that you routinely click off, on, or ignore certain alerts because the system gives you phantom warnings?"
SEPTA Employee Answer: "Yes, we call them hiccups, burps or whatever."
Union Official Question: "Does this happen frequently?"
SEPTA Employee Answer: "In certain areas, yes mainly on a Main Line, Center City"

The Union is appealing the train engineer's dismissal. At the time, SEPTA said all of the train signals were working properly.

On Wednesday, SEPTA officials would not comment because the National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the crash. However, SEPTA reiterated that its regional rail system has an excellent safety record.

Stop me if you're shocked by these findings... This is on top of the lack of adequate security at SEPTA's rail yards, the decision by the SEPTA "Transit Police" to discontinue it's plainclothes patrols, and the Powelton Yard fiasco where a suspicious device (later found to be harmless) was stored in a locker at the rail yard for nearly a week.

Feel safer now?

YES, SEPTA IS STILL "SAFE"...

It'd be interesting to see how big an increase there has been on SEPTA's system this year, but considering that the Rotating Resumes at 1234 Market seem to consider crime statistics a state secret, one can only speculate that there will be an increase. Case in point:

Within a 15 hour period on Sunday, SEPTA "Transit Police" were involved in a shooting of a robbery suspect and responded to a shooting near City Hall station. The first incident occurred at around 00:30 when the suspect allegedly robbed his victim at an ATM at 44-Market in West Philadelphia. The suspect then fled from officers, firing at police before being shot three times. The suspect was transported to HUP in critical condition. Later on Sunday, at around 15:45, a man was shot in the back by an unknown subject as he exited the Broad Street Line's City Hall station at Dilworth Plaza. No further information was available.

Of course, it would be nice if SEPTA would at least make it's crime statistics available for public review. The Port Authority of Allegheny County does so through the State Police web site; WMATA posts a crime blotter on its web site. SEPTA, for reasons that make no sense, apparently wants to keep this data a secret, just like everything else about this agency...

BRIDGE 1, BUS 0

Around 20:00 last night, 4516, working the 92 on 6029 block, was diverted off of High Street in West Chester due to the borough's annual Halloween parade (which needs to be moved to a weekend; a lot of residents north and south of downtown have complained for years about gridlock in the neighborhoods with workers going home and parade participants arriving at the same time). Unfortunately, the bus made the wrong turn on the diversion and went east on Barnard St where it struck a low bridge (clearance of 9' 6"). The HVAC unit and part of the top of the bus was sheared off and a lot of fluids on the roadway (requiring a fire department response), but other than that, there was very little damage.

STILL UNPREPARED...

While SEPTA can't be held totally at fault for this issue, there still seems to be a Scrooge like mentality when it comes to public safety on the system. Never mind the stabbings, shootings, and violent assaults that seem to have cropped up over the past several years (while other larger urban rail systems such as WMATA have reported relatively few violent crimes, and no murders in at least 2 years on its MetroRail system).

Currently, in the event of a major catastrophy - or for that matter, a BS call - underground, neither Philadelphia Police nor Fire can communicate within the subway or regional rail tunnels due to an obsolete radio system. So, while SEPTA spends money on James Bond-like bomb detection equipment, the underground radio system's shortcomings are glaringly ignored, or, in typical fashion under "Safety Czar" James B. Jordan, pushed to the back burner, as pointed out in today's Ink-waster:

Five years after 9/11, the Philadelphia region has a good grasp of what it must do to make itself safer:

Secure its international airport, patrol its port, guard its power grid, protect its refineries, safeguard its subway and trains, stockpile food and medicine, plan a large-scale evacuation, even prepare for mass cremations.

Knowing all of that is one thing. Doing it is another matter entirely.

Take the problem with SEPTA and its tunnels.

After commuters died in attacks on Madrid and London trains, the danger here is well understood.

If terrorists set off subterranean bombs, responding police and firefighters face a huge problem: Their communications don't work underground.

But rigging the tunnels for communications would cost millions. And SEPTA's security chief says that any fix would likely be obsolete by the time it was installed.

SEPTA's problem is a metaphor for disaster readiness in the region: Key problems have been identified, but solutions remain expensive and elusive.

With the terrorist threat ever-morphing and money tight, the region struggles to prioritize risk and make smart choices for an attack that might never come.

In June, a mayoral task force identified SEPTA's tunnel dilemma as one in a host of regional shortcomings. Should catastrophe strike, its report warned, Philadelphia might be "quickly overwhelmed."

Or, Philadelphia could be overwhelmed by thousands of concert-goers trying to get home after a major event on the Parkway. Oh, wait, I forgot about Live 8...

The task force's report zeroed in on SEPTA's communications troubles as an egregious failing. The FBI, too, has studied mass transit in a classified report shared with local police.

James B. Jordan, SEPTA's security chief, called the issue the agency's "highest threat area."
His explanation why is chilling because it is so matter-of-fact: "The use of an explosion has the greatest impact in an underground environment."

Jordan said it would cost $18 million or more to solve the communication problem, a sum almost as great as the entire regional Homeland Security federal grant for the coming fiscal year.

"Nobody has that kind of money," he said. "Our fear is that it would be obsolete by the time it took to install it."

SEPTA does. Problem is, it's just tied up in garbage projects such as the Cross-County and $chuylkill Valley rail corridors/boondoggles, or for other ridiculous projects requested by the political hacks across the region.

SEPTA has made stopgap fixes. In the last year, it bought a relatively inexpensive transmitter that police or firefighters could lug to an explosion or accident site to permit communication. But it might take up to 30 minutes to deliver and set up, Jordan said.

Here's a concept. How about just purchasing more SEPTA-issued portable radios as reserve and issue them to officers or fire-fighters when responding underground? Or would that make too much sense?