How Philly Could Ride a Commuter Train Line Like a Subway

[M II A II R II K]

How Philly Could Ride a Commuter Train Line Like a Subway


MARCH 26, 2015

BY JAKE BLUMGART

Read More: http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/phil...n-subway-lines

Building new transit infrastructure is expensive, difficult and time consuming, but America’s cities need more of it. Philadelphia especially has a very limited subway-elevated system. Philly does have an extensive regional rail system, with three lines that only run in the city limits through dense neighborhoods otherwise only served by bus. But that rail service is infrequent, and prohibitively expensive for many riders.

- In Philadelphia there is precedent for running the inner-city regional rail lines more frequently and for cheaper. After the Second World War, as car ownership became ubiquitous, mass transit quickly grew unprofitable and the public sector was forced to take the service over. Or, in the case of commuter lines, massively subsidize it. --- In Philadelphia the Passenger Service Improvement Corporation (PSIC) was established to ensure that regional rail within city limits kept running — frequently and with reasonable fares — including lines that went to northewestern neighborhoods Manayunk, Germantown, Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill.

- SEPTA made the strategic decision to reorient the regional rail to a suburban ridership more likely to be able to pay high fares. Could the agency reconsider the choices made back in the early 1980s, and restore more frequent service and cheaper fares? --- “We would need the resources, the infrastructure, the capacity to be able to do that,” says Richard Burnfield, SEPTA’s CFO. “When you are leaving Philadelphia to go from the outbound tracks and up the hill you are moving against opposing traffic including SEPTA’s Trenton line, NJ Transit’s Atlantic City line, and all Amtrak’s service. That would be one very significant challenge to the Chestnut Hill West in terms of making any kind of scheduling change.”

- But with SEPTA in its best financial shape in years, possibly ever, there are numerous changes coming to regional rail, including bi-level cars to accommodate increasing demand. With ridership up 50 percent in 15 years, it seems the dramatic declines of SEPTA’s early years have finally been overcome. --- Think of the ridership gains that could be captured by running inner-city lines more frequently, thus more firmly connecting neighborhoods in the northeast and northwest to Philadelphia’s rejuvenated downtown and its adjoining neighborhoods. The Fairmount Corridor project in Boston proves that it is possible for a transit agency to re-tool commuter lines to be more accessible. Now if only some groups in Philadelphia would push for it.

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[miketoronto]

Just pathetic. Australian cities have been using their regional rails systems as hybrid Metro networks for 100 years. Yet here in North America, cities like Philly, with extensive rail networks, continue to operate infrequent services.
I don't really think there is a bottleneck. Amazing how cities in Australia and Europe can operate the trains on a frequent service with less tracks. Yet cities from Philly, to Toronto, to NYC, can't seem to do it with 20 tracks in some cases.

[Nexis4Jersey]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

Just pathetic. Australian cities have been using their regional rails systems as hybrid Metro networks for 100 years. Yet here in North America, cities like Philly, with extensive rail networks, continue to operate infrequent services.
I don't really think there is a bottleneck. Amazing how cities in Australia and Europe can operate the trains on a frequent service with less tracks. Yet cities from Philly, to Toronto, to NYC, can't seem to do it with 20 tracks in some cases.

SEPTA is given a small budget to work with so massive service expansions and upgrades are rarely happen.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

I don't really think there is a bottleneck. Amazing how cities in Australia and Europe can operate the trains on a frequent service with less tracks. Yet cities from Philly, to Toronto, to NYC, can't seem to do it with 20 tracks in some cases.

Not sure what you mean by fewer tracks. Melbourne or Sydney's mainline rail systems approach those of London or Paris in terms of complexity.

North American systems are meager in comparison - generally no more than 2 track right of ways, with flat junctions and no electrification. Yeah, Penn Station has 20 tracks, but only two coming in from New Jersey. Toronto, Chicago, Boston, all have similar issues.

[Innsertnamehere]

Toronto has 6 tracks to the east of Union Station, 5 to the west heading up Georgetown south, and huge amounts of 3 track stretches. Mind you we also are just now completing a large $1.2 billion rail modernization program on one of the corridors that is bringing it to 3 tracks from the previous 1.

Toronto is also undergoing a huge commuter rail upgrade, By the end of the decade the "widest" stretch will be approaching 8 tracks, with almost the entire network at least 2 tracks.

That said, today there is very little infrastructure in place to support Australian type services.

[M II A II R II K]

Another issue is electrification and having to share the exact same tracks with freight.

[kilbride102]

Not much parking around the stations. The small speta lots are usually full pretty early. by the time I walk to the station I could be at my destination in cc. for example, to take my fam of four to lunch at reading terminal it wouldbe four tickets plus the time and inconvenience of public transit. Driving - I can park close, get parking validated and be in and out quickly.

Commuters on the regional rails pay a premium. This premium keeps school kids and other riff raff of the trains. If the price were lowered and seats became harder to get due to bus people changing modes, I wonder how many choice riders would hop back in their cars.

[Qubert]

I've advocated this for a long time. Both the Chestnut Hill lines should run at 15-min off-peak frequencies and be useable with regular city-division transpasses. The areas they run through aren't exactly populated with "Choice Rider" types so that ship has sailed. The City of Philadelphia also should stop crying poor and take some responsibility by helping subsidize the service upgrade.

Really, the whole Regional Rail system should be much cheaper and more frequent and would be if we installed turnstiles at Jefferson/Suburban/30th St/Temple/University City and got rid of the conductors, saving on labor costs.

[M II A II R II K]

And convenient feeder routes to the stations.

[McBane]

Originally Posted by Qubert

I've advocated this for a long time. Both the Chestnut Hill lines should run at 15-min off-peak frequencies and be useable with regular city-division transpasses. The areas they run through aren't exactly populated with "Choice Rider" types so that ship has sailed. The City of Philadelphia also should stop crying poor and take some responsibility by helping subsidize the service upgrade.

Really, the whole Regional Rail system should be much cheaper and more frequent and would be if we installed turnstiles at Jefferson/Suburban/30th St/Temple/University City and got rid of the conductors, saving on labor costs.

Yes, I mostly agree but with a few other points:

- Are you saying Chestnut Hill is NOT populated by "choice rider" types? Really? Chestnut Hill is the richest neighborhood outside of CC. People who live here are the definition of choice riders.

- Yes the conductors need to go (is it 1870 or 2015?). Sorry to be heartless. But also the ticket sales people need to go as well. They operate on the worst possible schedule and anyway their job can and should be replaced by machines. Remember, it's not just their salaries, but also their medical expenses and pensions, too. Phase these jobs out now.

- Yes prices should be lowered and service increased on both the Chestnut Hill lines but also the Norristown line as that serves the areas of Rox/Man/EF. Again, these neighborhoods are populated by choice riders, not as rich as Mt Airy/Chestnut Hill folks but much younger in age.

Other than that, my opinion of the regional rail system is pretty low. It's certainly an expansive system but the headways are a joke - 30 minutes during rush hour and once an hour off peak? Really? And $4.50 for a peak one way ticket from Manayunk? No thanks. The express buses (9 and 27) are almost as fast but are half the price and operate every 7 min during the rush.

[Qubert]

Originally Posted by McBane

Yes, I mostly agree but with a few other points:

- Are you saying Chestnut Hill is NOT populated by "choice rider" types? Really? Chestnut Hill is the richest neighborhood outside of CC. People who live here are the definition of choice riders.

Chestnut Hill encompasses only the last couple of stops on either the CHW or CHE lines. The rest runs through rather rough and lower-income areas (moreso for the CHE than CHW).

- Yes the conductors need to go (is it 1870 or 2015?). Sorry to be heartless. But also the ticket sales people need to go as well. They operate on the worst possible schedule and anyway their job can and should be replaced by machines. Remember, it's not just their salaries, but also their medical expenses and pensions, too. Phase these jobs out now.

Thank you.

- Yes prices should be lowered and service increased on both the Chestnut Hill lines but also the Norristown line as that serves the areas of Rox/Man/EF. Again, these neighborhoods are populated by choice riders, not as rich as Mt Airy/Chestnut Hill folks but much younger in age.

I'd agree except the trains might get empty after Ivy Ridge. Ultimately, the Norristown Line should be extended to KoP and then you could justify the same kind of service.

Other than that, my opinion of the regional rail system is pretty low. It's certainly an expansive system but the headways are a joke - 30 minutes during rush hour and once an hour off peak? Really? And $4.50 for a peak one way ticket from Manayunk? No thanks. The express buses (9 and 27) are almost as fast but are half the price and operate every 7 min during the rush.

For those of us in the suburbs it's the reality. The Doylestown, Paoli, West Trenton, and Trenton lines need at least every 30 minute service.

[Nexis4Jersey]

Conductors are mandated by Federal law...so you can't get rid of them... SEPTA conductors along with most SEPTA Employees don't make that much money. Most of the SEPTA Employees I know live in the poorer or working class sections of Philly or surrounding areas and not Mount Airy or CC... SEPTA pays some of the lowest salaries in the Northeast with the highest being for the PATH and MTA. Not all stations are level boarding , so whos going to change the flaps used at the doors? All which is Manual...even on the SilverLiner Vs... You can rude the Conductors per train to just 1....which what do on the Dinky shuttle in Princeton...