Philadelphia Transportation Thread

[K 22]

I spent this past weekend in Philly and I just have one thing to say.

AT&T Station. No. Just... no. It'll always be Pattison to me.

[josef]

Originally Posted by K 22

I spent this past weekend in Philly and I just have one thing to say.

AT&T Station. No. Just... no. It'll always be Pattison to me.

Yeah this kind of thing bothers me too. Apparently it's only for five years, so we'll see what happens when the deal's over.

[M II A II R II K]

Why SEPTA is Heading for a Crash


Jun. 21, 2012

By Daniel Denvir

Read More: http://www.citypaper.net/cover_story...html?viewAll=y

.....

People smoke on platforms, leave half-eaten animal carcasses on seats and beat up drivers; in one infamous incident in 2011, two men indiscriminately strafed a bus full of people with gunfire over a verbal dispute that happened earlier on the route. Yet on a typical day, the long-underfunded system performs a small miracle: getting thousands of people where they need to go. Last year, SEPTA’s subways, trolleys, commuter rails and buses supplied nearly 334 million rides — its highest ridership in 22 years.

- However, the nation’s sixth-largest transit system is not contemplating expanding services to meet the growing demand. Instead, Republican hostility in Washington and Harrisburg is pushing SEPTA and other public-transit agencies nationwide to the brink of fiscal — and physical — ruin. “Service adjustments, service cuts, [hiking] fares, tightening the belt in-house — we’ll have to look at all those options,” says SEPTA chief financial officer Richard Burnfield.

- To avoid service cuts and ensure that ancient bridges don’t collapse, SEPTA is currently spending down its rainy-day fund. Next year, the agency projects a $38 million deficit, and predicts that will rise to an astonishing $160 million by 2018. Infrastructure, from commuter-rail bridges to the decrepit City Hall Station, is falling apart. SEPTA cannot afford to put building a world-class transit system on the agenda.

- In April 2011, Republican Gov. Tom Corbett convened a committee to study fixing the state transportation - funding system. Last August, the committee published its report. It proposed raising taxes paid by fuel distributors and increasing driver and vehicle fees to raise what the state has calculated to be $3.5 billion in urgently needed additional transportation spending, to climb to $7.2 billion in unfunded needs by 2020.

- Yet Corbett, a governor who has acted decisively to eviscerate the state’s public schools and make deep cuts to social services for the poor, took no action. In his February budget address, he announced that he would, once again, punt on the issue of transportation funding. Transportation, he said, “is not a budget item. It is too large for that. Transportation must be confronted as its own distinct and separate topic. This problem has grown for the past several decades, and it will not be solved overnight.”

- “It is incumbent upon SEPTA,” PennDOT spokeswoman Erin Waters tells City Paper, “to meet operational and safety requirements.” It might then be incumbent upon SEPTA to self-destruct. In Germantown, SEPTA’s Wayne Junction Substation looks like a museum of early-20th-century industrial technology. Unfortunately, the equipment, mostly dating to the 1930s, is not merely a historical artifact; it supplies power to SEPTA’s Doylestown, Warminster, West Trenton, Fox Chase, Chestnut Hill East and Norristown lines.

- SEPTA considers the station to be in urgent need of an overhaul, but has no funding to undertake it. An equipment failure could knock all six lines out of service and cause problems for several others. Just recently, Philly’s congressional delegation trumpeted the news that it had secured $12.8 million in federal Department of Transportation funding to update the substation — but even that windfall amounts to only half of what SEPTA says it needs. The bridges are also crumbling. The Media-Elwyn Line’s Crum Creek Viaduct, an architectural curiosity built in 1895, is now supported by corroding steel columns and cracked welding. It’s also considered to be beyond its useful life.

- Act 44 of 2007, a bill intended as a permanent fix for Pennsylvania’s perennial transportation-funding problem, was set to generate about $900 million in annual infrastructure funding. But though the bill passed, it had a fatal flaw: About half of that planned revenue was slated to come from new tolls on I-80, a move the Federal Highway Administration rejected. Three times. The state borrowed money to boost funding to SEPTA and other transportation projects for the next three years, but had to start making deep cuts in 2010. SEPTA’s annual capital budget took a $110 million hit. When the agency’s rainy-day fund runs dry in July 2013, SEPTA riders could find themselves revisiting the very moment Act 44 was supposed to ensure never, ever happened again.

- The nickel-and-diming of transit has long since foreclosed on the possibility of dreaming big. But some of those dreams are mouthwatering: There are proposals, for example, to add a Market-Frankford line station between 15th and 30th streets, to extend the Broad Street line south to the Navy Yard and to increase the number of Regional Rail stops inside city limits.

- Light rail or high-speed bus lines, SEPTA says, could be installed along Roosevelt Boulevard. The Norristown High Speed Line, which departs from 69th Street Station, could be extended to King of Prussia. A light-rail line is envisioned running from City Hall to the Delaware River waterfront, then along the river from Pier 70 in South Philly to Girard Avenue. And high-speed buses or light rail could run through the abandoned Reading Viaduct, connecting Center City to the Art Museum, Fairmount Park and the Philadelphia Zoo — perhaps going all the way to the Mann Center. All this could complement a high-speed Amtrak line from D.C. to Boston, with speeds up to 220 miles per hour — bringing an estimated 10.5 million people within an hour of Philadelphia.

.....

[josef]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

Why SEPTA is Heading for a Crash


Jun. 21, 2012

By Daniel Denvir

Read More: http://www.citypaper.net/cover_story...html?viewAll=y

Words can barely convey how upset and angry this makes me. After the collapse of American manufacturing and a move to a mostly service-based economy, politicians now work to doom us to multiple hour commutes every single day on roadways they don't even want pay to repair. If they truly believed in keeping the United States competitive on the world stage, they would stop this lunacy and work to keep such a basic thing as transportation working.

[Nexis4Jersey]

Part of the problem is Septa's Management which has a history of lying , cutting services that were decent , cutting back the suburban network due to laziness... They also have a bus fetish...they seem to hate there Rail network...

[volguus zildrohar]

It's not so much that they hate their rail network - they do not have the money to do anything with it but run trains and make repairs. SEPTA has done much to earn the ire of its riders but I'd suggest that their riders direct some of that fury at the root cause of the root problem which is funding. And that root cause is in a green dome in a city on the Susquehanna.

[Busy Bee]

^ I think you could argue that the true root cause is in a white dome in a city on the Potomac.

[hammersklavier]

Well, SEPTA has managed to build up a good deal of rapport with its riders as of late. The CP article (whose writer interviewed me, btw) is pretty clear in its indictment of Harrisburg rather than 1234 Market.

What really worries me is that if this keeps going, we'll wind up having to run equipment in as serious disrepair as Muni's.

[josef]

Muni's in bad shape too? That's disgusting. Don't people use public transit in SF like crazy? How the hell can these systems that are so well used not get the support they need to thrive?

[Muji]

The inability of both state and federal governments to commit to properly funding SEPTA is infuriating, especially given its very high farebox recovery ratio and its consistent ridership gains in the past few years. The fact that they've managed to do this despite such poorly maintained infrastructure should be solid proof that transit is a necessary and vital investment for the region.

I was pretty surprised when I first visited San Francisco to see Muni in similar shape. Though SEPTA's poor branding and rider information has always been one of my biggest gripes, Muni seems to do even worse, as one look at their website will tell.

[josef]

Originally Posted by Muji

The inability of both state and federal governments to commit to properly funding SEPTA is infuriating, especially given its very high farebox recovery ratio and its consistent ridership gains in the past few years. The fact that they've managed to do this despite such poorly maintained infrastructure should be solid proof that transit is a necessary and vital investment for the region.

I was pretty surprised when I first visited San Francisco to see Muni in similar shape. Though SEPTA's poor branding and rider information has always been one of my biggest gripes, Muni seems to do even worse, as one look at their website will tell.

>_< I wish transit agencies could hire some user interface/user experience people to figure out how to really deliver the most-needed content easily to users. Also, how to correctly move users to the mobile version of their sites, if they actually have one (which they all should). It's so ridiculous to not have a good site that delivers such vital information for transit users in a neat, quick way.

[electricron]

SEPTA has high fiaebox recovery?

I'll admit I don't know, but what do you consider high? 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% ?

SEPTA farebox recovery can be found looking at its financials reports.
FY2010 http://www.septa.org/reports/pdf/opbudget10.pdf
Suggest looking at page 23 Consolidated data.
Passenger Fares = $414,326,000
Expenses = $1,131,844,000
Subsidy = $664,979,000
They even break down the revenues by sources.....
Federal = $32,200,000
State = $554,622,000
Local = $75,457,000
Other =$2,700,000
Note how much the entire State subsidizes SEPTA every year. I suppose citizens in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Allentown gets their fare share? Ha!

By the way, here's the math:
414/1131 = 36.6% ; Slightly more than a third.
Even a worse statistic, the Local funding sources of (414 + 75) $489 million is less than the entire State funding sources = $554 million

Farebox recovery of 36% is relatively high compared to other transit agencies in America, but I wouldn't be bragging about it..
When State governments are being asked to provide more funding than locals transit users, why are we so surprised to read that States are wanting to reduce subsidies by reducing services?

[Muji]

Well, I can't argue with that math, and 36.6% is not great. My understanding of SEPTA's farebox recovery ratio was from a somewhat old Brookings Institution study which pegged it at 58.6%.

[Jelly Roll]

Originally Posted by electricron

SEPTA has high firebox recovery?

I'll admit I don't know, but what do you consider high? 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% ?

SEPTA farebox recovery can be found looking at its financials reports.
FY2010 http://www.septa.org/reports/pdf/opbudget10.pdf
Suggest looking at page 23 Consolidated data.
Passenger Fares = $414,326,000
Expenses = $1,131,844,000
Subsidy = $664,979,000
They even break down the revenues by sources.....
Federal = $32,200,000
State = $554,622,000
Local = $75,457,000
Other =$2,700,000
Note how much the entire State subsidizes SEPTA every year. I suppose citizens in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Allentown gets their fare share? Ha!

By the way, here's the math:
414/1131 = 36.6% ; Slightly more than a third.
Even a worse statistic, the Local funding sources of (414 + 75) $489 million is less than the entire State funding sources = $554 million

Farebox recovery of 36% is relatively high compared to other transit agencies in America, but I wouldn't be bragging about it..
When State governments are being asked to provide more funding than locals transit users, why are we so surprised to read that States are wanting to reduce subsidies by reducing services?

What is the average fare-box recovery for other systems? Without providing any context we can not really analyze these numbers. If most federally or state funded public transit projects return a lower percentage then your statements about SEPTA not being worthy of subsidies is not really accurate.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by Jelly Roll

What is the average fare-box recovery for other systems? Without providing any context we can not really analyze these numbers. If most federally or state funded public transit projects return a lower percentage then your statements about SEPTA not being worthy of subsidies is not really accurate.

Which other transit agency would you like to compare with SEPTA?
Would MBTA from Boston suffice?
http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/Do...2%20budget.pdf
Operating Expenses = $1,176,964,653
Total Expenses = $1,611,471,329
Total Revenues = $1,612,672,394
Fares = $439,322,438
Other Dedicated = $35,963,995 (includes State and Federal grants)
Fares for MBTA provide 37% subsidy (operating expenses)
Fares for MBTA provide 27% subsidy (total expenses)
Non Local revenues account for 2% of total revenues. Local revenues; via local ales taxes, other local taxes, and fares account for over 97% of MBTA's revenues. MBTA doesn't rely on areas outside its service area for much funding.

[LtBk]

I never used SEPTA before, but it's not the only transit agency with problems. I would say that many transit agencies in this country has problems with providing good service, expansion, and maintenance. It's not going to change until politicians and good segment of the population change their attitudes towards mass transit.

[Jelly Roll]

Originally Posted by electricron

Which other transit agency would you like to compare with SEPTA?
Would MBTA from Boston suffice?
http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/Do...2%20budget.pdf
Operating Expenses = $1,176,964,653
Total Expenses = $1,611,471,329
Total Revenues = $1,612,672,394
Fares = $439,322,438
Other Dedicated = $35,963,995 (includes State and Federal grants)
Fares for MBTA provide 37% subsidy (operating expenses)
Fares for MBTA provide 27% subsidy (total expenses)
Non Local revenues account for 2% of total revenues. Local revenues; via local ales taxes, other local taxes, and fares account for over 97% of MBTA's revenues. MBTA doesn't rely on areas outside its service area for much funding.

I would rather not use Boston as the impact of the Big Dig dramatically affects their transit situation. But unless I am reading your stats wrong Septa does not seem that bad.

[McBane]

I have a feeling that the "fare box recovery" of SEPTA is much higher than that of I-95, I-80, etc. or PA 309, 73, 32, etc.

What bothers me the most about transportation funding in the US is that there isn't even a discussion about how much we should or shouldn't subsidize highways and roads - it's a given. Highways, except for toll roads (which I'm unfamiliar with), are HUGE money losers IF you look at through the same lens as mass transit.

Roads are looked upon as a necessity for transportation and the economy. But transit isn't. That's the problem in this state and this country. We see this argument a lot when congress discusses Amtrak. Amtrak is supposed to make a profit directly on its fares. But highways, merely should provide an indirect economic contribution.

Roads are a necessity and must be funded no matter what. Transit is for poor people and it can have the scraps.

Now of course, it should be noted that the state of our state's roads and bridges are ALSO in horrible shape. The state's entire transportation policy and funding is very poor.

[josef]

And even the MBTA faces talk of service cuts and fare increases. Like LtBk said, nowhere is safe. And like McBane said, it's a systemic deficiency that most of the country thinks that public transit is only for poor people. If time is money, then improving and expanding public transit options is intrinsically worth more than most critics will ever admit, and that's a damn shame.

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by electricron

SEPTA has high fiaebox recovery?

I'll admit I don't know, but what do you consider high? 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% ?

SEPTA farebox recovery can be found looking at its financials reports.
FY2010 http://www.septa.org/reports/pdf/opbudget10.pdf
Suggest looking at page 23 Consolidated data.
Passenger Fares = $414,326,000
Expenses = $1,131,844,000
Subsidy = $664,979,000
They even break down the revenues by sources.....
Federal = $32,200,000
State = $554,622,000
Local = $75,457,000
Other =$2,700,000
Note how much the entire State subsidizes SEPTA every year. I suppose citizens in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Allentown gets their fare share? Ha!

By the way, here's the math:
414/1131 = 36.6% ; Slightly more than a third.
Even a worse statistic, the Local funding sources of (414 + 75) $489 million is less than the entire State funding sources = $554 million

Farebox recovery of 36% is relatively high compared to other transit agencies in America, but I wouldn't be bragging about it..
When State governments are being asked to provide more funding than locals transit users, why are we so surprised to read that States are wanting to reduce subsidies by reducing services?

Yeah, funny you should mention Pittsburgh's system. Port Authority's budget calls for not only higher fares but also for a 35% reduction in service, including cutting 46 more bus routes and trimming the remaining 54. The T is also getting cut back.

Port Authority has its BRT and T lines, so why can't they just integrate their existing bus routes into their T and BRT lines?

In any event, it seems that SEPTA run a number of bus routes out of a hub-and-spoke network out of the 69th Street Terminal. Hub-and-spoke systems do make sense, but why can't they have multiple hubs out of other regional transportation centers? They could have a series of bus lines feeding into all of the regional rail/subway/light rail lines. All in all, I see this as a way of boosting ridership as well as farebox revenue in both metro areas, as I agree that 36% is not very impressive...