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Originally Posted by volguus zildrohar
It really is effectively one system. It has the same governing body and operates under the same name. I may have overreached with my original answer. Each part of SEPTA is simply differentiated because they're physically separated but that's about it. However, I'm not sure that a single overseeing authority is best. I do believe Chicago's CTA operates independently of Metra, the city's commuter rail system. Perhaps it simply depends on who's running it and how well.
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As a rail fanatic, some retiered SEPTA heads told me it's set up the way it is becuase if the Suburban counties had their way, they'd trash suburban service and leave reverse-communting Philadelphian's in a bind.
Philly is very segregated on almost every level between ever increasing poverty in the center of town with steps in wealth until you reach the old money/upper class on the edges of the built-out area. Most areas outside the city and parts of DelCo do not want transit becuase of their fears of the "wrong people" becoming accessable to their neighborhoods. Ignorant? yes. but that seems to be the view. Even if MikeToronto's vision was remotley realisitic, the patriarchal views of the citizenry will shoot that bird straight out of the sky.
At the end of the day, SEPTA is a horror to ride. The only thing they do go the distance in is graffiti cleaning (<i>Are you listening, NYC</i>?). Other than that, the people on Market St do. not. care. 90% of the ridership is people who have no choice, so therefore, this is what you get.
But this goes back to the Philadelphia mentality in general. People seem not to believe in their city, themselves, the future, or really anything outside the Eagles. Bitter, angry, and close minded....