THE DELAWARE VALLEY RAIL PASSENGER News Section The Axe Falls Amtrak to Halt Harrisburg, A.C. Service April 1 by Matthew Mitchell At its meeting December 12 and 13, Amtrak's Board approved Amtrak President Tom Downs' plan to close a mounting budget gap by cutting intercity train service 21 percent and laying off 5,500 employees. The cuts will be phased in during 1995, beginning in February. Amtrak service to Atlantic City, and Keystone Corridor trains are to be completely eliminated on April 1. All Amtrak service on two other short intercity corridors will also be cut: Chicago to Milwaukee, and San Jose to Sacramento. Passenger rail advocates including DVARP are working to maintain service continuity by having the states take over train operations on these corridors. All four are contiguous to existing commuter rail service. Service on the Northeast Corridor itself is to be cut only slightly. Three Boston-Washington round-trips and one Metroliner are to be dropped at a date which was not announced, and the "Inland Route" service from New York to Boston via Springfield is to be cut April 1. Other Midwest short-distance trains to be eliminated April 1 are the Pere Marquette Chicago-Ann Arbor train, the Missouri Mule St. Louis-Kansas City trips. The Detroit-Toledo segment of the Lake Cities will be cut, and trains to Detroit will no longer continue to Pontiac. Few medium- and long-distance routes were totally eliminated: The Montrealer is to be one of them (though on paper only the New York-Montreal segment is to be cut). The Gulf Breeze (Birmingham-Mobile) segment of the Crescent is also to go; those trains will be cut April 1. Cuts in service frequency are to be implemented on many routes February 1. Silver Star/Silver Meteor service is to be halved, leaving two daily trains to Florida. The Crescent will be terminated at Atlanta four days a week, while the Empire Builder will run only quad-weekly between Minneapolis and Seattle/Portland. The Desert Wind will be cut to tri-weekly. A third round of service cuts, not yet disclosed, may mean further reductions in long-distance trains. The cuts will cost a quarter of Amtrak's employees their jobs. While Amtrak initially tried voluntary measures such as early retirement to reduce its workforce, layoffs of both union workers and management will be necessary. A Washington Post account cites labor protection rules as a reason for some trains, like the Cardinal, escaping the axe. Federal law requires the guarantee of six year's wages to employees affected by line abandonments. Profitable mail-handling contracts may have saved a few other trains, including the Broadway Limited. SEPTA Capital Flex Plan SEPTA held a hearing January 6 on its proposed revised capital plan which accounts for the $400 million of flexed highway funds during the next four years (described in the 8/94 DVRP.) For FY1995 SEPTA proposes flexing $95.4 million to the new MFSE cars and $4.6 million to park and ride lots. The park and ride lots would be built at Forest Hills, Elwyn, Colmar, Doylestown, Fort Washington, Devon, Malvern, Thorndale, Whitford, and Spring Mill for a total cost of $8.5 million. $3.9 million for these stations comes from funds flexed in FY94. For FY1996 SEPTA proposes 12 projects costing just over $100 million: 1) $34 million goes to "rehabilitation/replacement of bridges and viaducts, renewal of catenary, and rehabilitation of catenary support structures between 30th Street Station and Suburban Station." 2) $22 million to "provide for construction of park and ride lots to accommodate additional transit users during the reconstruction of Interstate 95." Locations are Bensalem, Neshaminy, Trevose, Woodbourne, Yardley, and Philmont. "In addition, the program provides for the acquisition of additional railroad equipment." 3) $20 million "for improvements to track, power systems, catenary and associated facilities of surface light rail Route 15...required in order to restore this route to light rail operation utilizing modern light rail vehicles." 4) $10 million "for the purchase and installation of an automatic vehicle locator system for SEPTA's surface fleet." 5) $8.8 million to convert Frontier Division to gas fuel. Project includes modifying each bus engine, adding natural gas fuel tanks, a fire suppression system and other equipment. A fueling station will be constructed. The garage will be modified with gas level indicators, upgraded ventilation system, explosion-proof electric lighting, outlets, and equipment, and interior partitions. 6) $2 million for construction/renovation of Wissahickon and West Chester Transportation Centers. 7) $1.8 million for a regional automated route information program. "1) System development of the SEPTA Automated Information Retrieval System. Equip each Telephone Information agent with a computerized work station which would tie into a database containing the geocoded route and street system as well as on-line schedule information. 2) Will include the availability of 800 numbers and capability to access schedules of other nearby carriers. 3) Self-service telephone/transit information kiosks. 4) All bus stops will have an identification code number and major facilities would have a special free use telephone with a computer to provide information on demand." 8) $1,025,000 for "the placement or replacement of transit and railroad signs at stops throughout the five-county area." 9) $350,000 "for the location of specific information centers in Center City Philadelphia. This project will enable the construction of information kiosks that offer transit information and fare instrument sales and the placement of SEPTA staff to provide assistance to commuters." 10) $340,000 for the University City/30th Street Circulator. This seems to be a shuttle bus supplementing or replacing the eastern end of Route 30. Will operate approximately 6:30am to 8:00pm Monday through Saturday. 12) $100,000 for a late night route insurance guaranteed ride home program. To be offered to pass holders on "routes or parts of routes utilized for work trips where it is not cost effective to provide midday or evening service." "...may involve a ride to or from a point in the system which has more frequent service." FY1997 has three projects: 1) $60 million "for improvements to the Suburban Station platforms, including but not limited to, asbestos removal, new flooring, lighting and finishes and necessary mechanical, electrical and structural work. Improvements will also be undertaken at the concourse level of the station, including ticket office relocation, new signage, lighting and reconfiguration of commuter traffic flow." 2) $30 million "for communications for the construction of a control center facility for the various SEPTA operating divisions." 3) $10 million "for an ongoing program of station improvements including parking, signage, lighting and station facilities. Park and ride lots will also be constructed along key interstate corridors." There are also three projects for FY1998: 1) $65 million for Frankford Transportation Center. 2) $25 million to renovate City Hall BSS Station. 3) $10 million for modernization of various RRD facilities. In addition to the ISTEA flex funds, the hearing also included the FY1995 Act 26 funds. These funds cover 16 projects: 1) $32 million for the Newtown line. This is a proposal to rehabilitate the northern end of the line, construct a connection to Conrail's Trenton Cutoff right-of-way, construct three miles of track on the Trenton Cutoff right-of-way, and construct a station where passengers would transfer to Warminster trains. The funds cover construction and "the acquisition of trackage rights, easements, and property." In addition purchase of vehicles is included. 2) Wayne Junction to Glenside improvements. This project seems to include new signaling; reconfigured interlockings; possible repairs to bridges, signal bridges, retaining walls, and catenary; and changes to track geometry. This project appears to both replace worn out facilities and increase capacity and speed along this segment. "In addition, SEPTA staff is reviewing capital needs between Glenside and Colmar in order to improve and/or expand rail service to commuters during the reconstruction of the PA309 Expressway. SEPTA is working closely with Montgomery County on this project in an effort to advance this project into construction prior to the scheduled reconstruction of PA309 (Fort Washington Expressway)." 3) $10 million for Suburban Station including: a) platform level asbestos abatement and ventilation rehabilitation. b) SEPTA employee space relocations. c) relocation of the public restrooms. d) "construction of a new chilled water primary system in order to be able to provide air-conditioning to the relocated employee spaces and new concourse level retail areas." 4) $10 million for engineering of the following projects: a) consolidated control center b) improvements to Routes 15, 23, and 56 c) rehabilitation of the Market Street el d) other work on MFSE e) City Hall Station renovation f) automative vehicle locator system 5) $3.3 million for replacement/renewal of track on Routes 10, 13, 34, and 36 and for Glen interlocking 6) $2.5 million for renovation of Strafford Station 7) $2.5 million for renovation of Radnor Station 8) $2.5 million for renovation of Overbrook Station 9) $2.5 million for renovation of Lansdale Station 10) $2.2 million for installation of sprinkler systems at 8 facilities 11) $2 million for catenary, signals, power stations, and support facilities improvements. 12) $1 million for modernization of 8 MFSE & BSS sump pumps 13) $900,000 for rehabilitation or replacement of escalators 14) $600,000 for rehabilitation of transit loops and renewal of Darby/Yeadon loop track 15) $500,000 for renovation of Allens Lane Station 16) $500,000 for a passenger signal system at flag-stop stations on R2 Warminster, R5 Doylestown, R6 Norristown, R8 CHW, and R7 CHE lines. CB MFSE Car Update The December 14 joint MU/IEEE meeting featured an interesting presentation on the new MFSE cars now under construction. The presentation explained why various decisions were made. This article attempts to convey that information. The goal is to improve service enough to increase daily ridership from 145,000 to 175,000. The order includes 220 passenger cars, 2 trash/revenue cars, a training simulator, wayside and control equipment, tools and diagnostic equipment, and spare parts. The first car is expected in Philadelphia this December with all cars here in October 1997. A preview mockup is expected this spring. The new cars are constrained in weight by the el structure and in length by the tunnel. Other cities are now getting rapid transit cars weighing about 35 tons, but the Frankford el can only support 33 ton cars. The present MFSE cars weigh about 25 tons, the new cars are expected to be a little over 31 tons. The extra weight is partly accounted for by air conditioning. The MFSE line requires narrow cars. Passenger flow is difficult. The new cars have curved sides and thinner walls to allow a bit more room at seat level. This was accomplished by putting structural members inside the passenger area at the doors. The aisle will be an inch wider. A new door design is thinner, enabling the seat near the door to be full width. Much effort was devoted to reducing travel time for passengers by squeezing out seconds at various delay points. The new cars will go 55mph (present cars 50) saving 18 seconds of trip time. Acceleration will be faster saving another 60 seconds. Doors will be three inches wider (52 instead of 49) to get passengers on and off faster because station time is a significant part of the total trip time. (Some station stops now require 50 seconds to board passengers.) The wider aisle is also expected to speed passenger flow. The new trains will have only one crew person. However, a system of platform cameras and in-cab monitors will eliminate delays of getting to the side and opening/closing the window now experienced on BSS. The new cars will have lower floors because of ADA. Track changes are also required to closely match floor and platform height. Unfortunately ADA eliminated 7 seats (56 to 49) from each car so more passengers will have to stand every day. Communications will include interior and exterior destination signs and station announcements, a door closing warning, and a passenger intercom. The passenger emergency break is eliminated. Maintenance will be easier. The cars will have a computer to log faults. There will be fewer mechanical parts to be serviced. The radio system will be improved, including enabling the control center to detect equipment failures on trains along the line. The training simulator is expected to enable employees to be trained more thoroughly and without the expense of using actual trains. Work is being done in both Australia and Philadelphia. The time differential enables work to continue around the clock--specifications are developed during the day in Philadelphia and transmitted by computer to Australia where work is done during their day (our night) and results transmitted back to Philadelphia ready for further work at the beginning of our next day. CB. SEPTA Ridership Average Ridership Sept 94 W'kday % Chg Sept93 Sat Sun City Transit 601000 2.8 n/a n/a Suburb. Transit 50000 32.3 n/a n/a RRD Total 86073 12.2 25924 16848 R1 Airport 2251 1.4 1523 1699 R2 Warminster 5718 22 1995 1303 R2 Wilmington 6893 11.3 1725 829 R3 W Trenton 7253 24.7 1117 769 R3 Elwyn 7767 2 1028 685 R5 Doylestown 10242 16.9 3165 1720 R5 Paoli 20342 3.6 5918 2984 R6 Norristown 4484 67.8 1309 879 R6 Cynwyd 221 -5.6 0 0 R7 C H East 4204 22.6 1655 623 R7 Trenton 8066 4 3966 3904 R8 Fox Chase 3549 28.7 698 226 R8 C H West 5083 3.4 1825 1227 There are several circumstances that make using SEPTA ridership figures difficult. First, SEPTA uses fiscal months that do not match calendar months. For instance, fiscal Sep. 94 has 4.75 more days than fiscal Sep. 93. Suburban Transit ridership was affected by a bookkeeping adjustment in fiscal Sep. 93. Finally, several RRD lines had one week of Railworksþ operation in fiscal Sep. 93 which has been removed from the above table. CB NJT Ridership FY94 NJT ridership was 6.5% greater than the previous year. Weekday ridership was the highest in five years--307,000 passengers. Offpeak and senior citizen travel increased on many of the rail lines. Ridership increased statewide on both buses and trains. Three rail lines (Coast, Raritan Valley, and Atlantic City) and South Jersey Commuter buses had record ridership (note that we suspect record keeping begins with NJT ownership, rather than back in the '20s or '40s when ridership in many areas peaked.) NJT ridership increased for 7 consecutive quarters to the end of FY94. Interestingly, ridership growth outpaces employment growth indicating that public transportation is increasing market share. South Jersey seashore bus trips are only half as many as nine years ago. The Atlantic City rail line carries almost five times as many passengers as all the seashore buses combined! The combined rail plus bus ridership to the shore is now nine times the bus ridership in FY86. Another bright spot is commuter bus service to Atlantic City which has almost doubled over the past nine years. Strong growth occurred on the NEC rail line from Trenton. While peak years were FY88-90, ridership on this line has increased about 60% since FY80. NEC ridership growth is primarily off-peak, whereas most other rail lines gained commuters. This trend should improve cost recovery for the NEC line. Excursion tickets have increased almost 80% since FY86, while monthly tickets are almost 12% below the 1988 peak. The information in this article is from NJT's Planning Dept. 4th Quarter FY94 ridership report. South Jersey bus data is shown for nine years, Atlantic City rail ridership for four years, and North Jersey data for 15 years. CB Ridership Comparisons The NJT ridership report contains data for several systems. The following comparison tables were made by combining that data with SEPTA's FY94 data. When using the data keep in mind the following differences. April-June 94 New York City employment of 3,306,100 was 4.8 times Philadelphia's 688,600. Many NJT passengers work in northern New Jersey for which no employment figures were in the report. A large number of NJT passengers transfer to PATH, thus resulting in double counting if area totals are made by adding system totals. CB Annual passengers by system for FY93 and FY94 Long Island RR 70551000 72682900 Metro North 58025000 60466600 PATH (Estimated) 55470400 59560700 NJT 40860400 44005300 SEPTA 20213844 22142459 PATCO 11149300 11111600 Annual Passengers by line for FY93 and FY94 PATH (Estimated) 55470400 59560700 New Haven 26811200 27742800 Harlem 19420900 20276100 Northeast Corridor 18417300 18818900 Hudson 10653400 11232500 PATCO 11149300 11111600 Morris & Essex 6756200 7253100 Coast Line 5865800 6315500 R5 Paoli 5500377 5428658 Main Line Bergen Co 3872800 4083200 Raritan Valley 2589900 3885800 R7 Trenton 2565586 2547411 R5 Doylestown 2211611 2485290 R3 Elwyn 2110827 2087692 R2 Wilmington 1701754 1694315 R3 West Trenton 1350442 1601685 R8 Chestnut Hill W 1564842 1592462 Boonton 1435700 1556300 R2 Warminster 1027837 1369173 Pascack Valley 1233700 1290800 R7 Chestnut Hill E 602621 932917 R6 Norristown 427407 865618 Atlantic City 689000 801700 Port Jervis 744400 797800 R1 Airport 632471 742824 R8 Fox Chase 442155 732733 Spring Valley 395100 417400 R6 Cynwyd 75914 61681 Schedule Changes Amtrak passengers are cautioned to check the train they plan to take is still running. Cuts are expected to begin Feb. 1. SEPTA CTD schedules are expected to change Sunday February 5. February 5 is also anticipated to be the first day for the new Center City Trolley Loop. Frankford el construction resumed January 3rd, at which time weekend and evening bus substitution resumed after full time rail service during the holidays. Beginning January 9 weekday midday R5 Doylestown trains were replaced by buses for track construction for an indefinite period. A supplemental schedule has been issued. The changes begin with train 523 which now departs Doylestown at 9:09. Trains 527 through 553 are buses from Doylestown to Lansdale where passengers change to trains. The buses depart Doylestown at :48 of the hour prior to the train (which had departed at :22). Trains 525 through 549 now begin at Gwynedd Valley, meaning Lansdale, Pennbrook, and North Wales have hourly service. Northbound trains 6534 through 558 are bus beyond Lansdale, while 540 through 560 terminate at Gwynedd Valley. SEPTA suggests driving to Ambler where parking has been available in the outbound lot. Changes have also been made to SEPTA/NJT Trenton service. Beginning January 9, SEPTA train 730 operates 6 minutes later, leaving Trenton at 8:42AM, to connect with NJT train 3813. Effective January 16 NJT train 3811 will arrive at Trenton at 7:55 to connect with SEPTA train 9728 and NJT train 3813 will arrive in Trenton 3 minutes earlier to improve its connection. NJT is expected to issue a new NEC timetable effective January 15. Secane train 9637 added a 5:32PM flag stop at 49th St. December 5. SEPTA has also posted a notice advising that train 578 is not shown with the correct times in the combined timetable; the Doylestown timetable is correct. R8 Chestnut Hill passengers began saving time with a new schedule January 8. Most Center City times are unchanged. Several minutes running time has been cut as a result of the new welded rail recently installed. DART issued new schedules for all Routes Jan 3. CB Analysis Section Alternative Gloucester County Route Suggested by Donald Nigro This past October, DVARP submitted a written request to New Jersey Transit to include within the Burlington/Gloucester Study an alignment variation of the modified PATCO alternative for Gloucester County. Suggested was a full examination of a routing into downtown Camden that would travel along the Waterfront, proceed on alignment with Mickle Boulevard and merge with the Lindenwold Line between City Hall Station and the Walter Rand Transportation Center. This highly marketable mode/alignment combination would offer the following: It "would make the Camden Waterfront closer to (the Philadelphia) convention center..."; quoting Brian W. Clymer, Treasurer, State of New Jersey, Courier-Post, August 29, 1994, p.5A. This alternative would offer an attractive one-seat (no transfer) ride from Center City, Philadelphia. A one seat ride would not be possible with the light rail or modified PATCO options under study presently. As you know and as the April 1993 Burlington/Gloucester Corridor Assessment indicates, transfers seriously discourage ridership. Residents of Gloucester County and southwestern Camden County could be taken directly to Camden's Waterfront. This would not be possible with the modified PATCO alignment under study presently. Gloucester County residents would have a one seat ride not only to Camden but also to Center City Philadelphia. Convenient service to Philadelphia is important because Center City is a highly marketable area for public transportation if it is served properly. Because of its 40 story sky scrapers, Center City offers an employment density eleven times greater than any area within the region on either side of the Delaware River, 115,559 jobs per square mile. There are literally hundreds of thousands of jobs within walking distance of stations within Center City, Philadelphia. Center City also offers a wide variety of cultural and entertainment experiences in the evenings. A one seat ride would not be possible with the light rail option under study. Because of all of these advantages, this alternative, despite its possible higher costs, may be able to attract an exceedingly broad base of political support. DVARP highly encourages a thorough study of it. Downs Overoptimistic on Budget Impact? Figures released by Downs claim $430 million in annual savings will result from the service cuts, at the expense of only $66 million in lost revenue. Independent analysis of these figures is not available at the writing of this story, but many of the trains to be cut are believed to have cost-recovery ratios much better than 15 percent. With '403b' state support, some of the short distance trains to be cut recovered all their costs. Amtrak's entire system covers 80 percent of its costs from fares and other revenue sources, a figure few other passenger railroads in the world can surpass. But this is not good enough for the American political system which considers road spending as investment and rail spending as subsidy. Downs cited cheap gasoline and airline fare wars as the cause of disappointing Amtrak ridership in the past two years. Though rail advocates, led by NARP, had sought to put all transportation modes on equal terms, progress was too slow to escape budget imperatives. Strategy: Shed Assets The cuts also continue Downs' plan to put Amtrak on a sound financial footing by selling off deteriorated rolling stock and expensive-to-maintain facilities. The latter consideration probably doomed the Harrisburg and Atlantic City service. Both lines operate over Amtrak-controlled track whose operational costs have to be spread over a small number of trains. With a history of Federal grants which have been too small to properly support all the service demanded by customers and politicians, Amtrak has been forced to cannibalize its capital assets to meet year-to-year operating needs. Upon taking office, Downs quickly established a policy of no longer tolerating deferred maintenance which hurt train reliability. Maintenance crews had to work exceptionally hard, sometimes cutting corners, to keep enough locomotives and cars in service. With the cuts in service, Amtrak will not only have enough equipment to meet schedule needs and provide for maintenance, but will be able to retire and sell off more old cars. While the draconian measures will allow Amtrak to balance its budget, Federal support of the railroad will still be required. MDM Dole Targets Amtrak for Extinction In several interviews the week his party took over Congress, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-KS) called for wholesale elimination of items from the Federal budget, "from Amtrak to zoological research." While some of the budget-choppers are not completely opposed to passenger rail service in the U.S.A., they want Amtrak privatized, and for it to take no more Federal money. But zeroing-out Amtrak's Federal support won't lead to a more efficient train service; it will mean no Amtrak at all. While Amtrak itself projects an 1999 end to its need for Federal operating funds, and has steadily reduced its operating subsidy, not even needing inflationary increases; it will still need capital investment, just like airlines need Federal investment in airports, air traffic control, and military technology transfers. Another large chunk of Amtrak's Federal appropriation is taken up by Federally-mandated payments which go right back into the Treasury. Despite its government-owned status, Amtrak is not immune from the government's discriminatory taxation of railroads. Under the Railroad Retirement System (which has yet to be reformed by Congress), Amtrak's payroll taxes are triple those in other industries. The result: workers and employers throughout the economy subsidize retired autoworkers, while the railroads get no such help. The third crucial element of Amtrak's appropriation is capital funding, for new trains and for rebuilding tracks and stations. Lack of investment has crippled Amtrak's ability to modernize its fleet; the constant repairs to obsolete cars show up as red ink on the bottom line. With too few cars to accommodate demand on its overnight trains, Amtrak has to turn paying customers away. With too few locomotives to allow time for proper maintenance, breakdowns occur too often. And lack of investment has prevented Amtrak from repeating its success in corridors like LA-San Diego, where passenger trains make the best transportation sense. Tom Downs's move to slash service came after he looked at financial reports saying Amtrak was eating up its working capital to survive, like a person tearing down his house and burning the wood to keep warm. And as SEPTA learned a few years ago, to balance a budget with service cuts magnifies the pain. Senator Dole and other Amtrak opponents need to understand that privatization won't work. As a quasi-private corporation, Amtrak already has most of the benefits of the private sector, in planning, hiring, and other activities free of bureaucracy. Downs' "reinvention" of his corporation ought to be a sign Amtrak is thinking like the business it ought to be. Look to England. John Major's intended privatization of British Rail has actually cost the government hundreds of millions of pounds, rather than saving money, and there is no sign the private sector is interested in competing against subsidized airlines and subsidized roads. The same is true in America. If the private sector really could make a profit running Amtrak's passenger network, or even a part of it, don't you think they'd be beating down Senator Dole's door?--MDM "Is This The R7? Where's 7L?" John Hay Every so often, on the trip home from Center City, there is someone who has gotten on the wrong train. This happens everywhere, of course. However, here in Philadelphia, there is a pattern to these mistakes. What I usually see and hear is a passenger asking the conductor, "Is this the R7 to Trenton?" As the train is heading northward over the 9th St. viaduct, the conductor or attendant says no, and that the best thing to do is to get off at Temple U and go over to the other platform. The customer then boards the right train, and the world can breathe easier. Luckier was the person with a bike on Platform B at 30th St. who asked the Elwyn-bound conductor, "Is this the train to Yardley?" People with a bad sense of direction? Nobody is perfect, it is true. But one must remember the maxim, "The customer is always right." You see, SEPTA, in its haste to deal with the complexity (and necessity) of through-routing most trains through Center City, has slapped the "R" route number designation on its eight routings, and seven of these numbers are familiar to SEPTA customers. (R4 is the omission, for reasons centering on route realignment caused by proposed improvements such as Swampoodle and Newtown which have languished in a morass of inaction.) On the surface, these numbers seem to make sense. Most transit systems number or/and letter their routes. In addition, there is precedent from Europe. The S-bahn (Schnellbahn) of Stuttgart, Germany, and the three RER lines of Paris are two examples of through-routed heavy rail lines with numbers. However, there are no U.S. precedents for this. Admittedly, it is easier to say "I take the R5 in" instead of "I take the Lansdale-Doylestown train." But this over-reliance on the route number can lead to confusion among occasional, first-time or even regular users. This confusion is exacerbated by the fact that the three main Center City stations are now essentially through stations. "I want the R7," thinks Mr. Princetonian as he enters Suburban Station. Suddenly he hears, "Next train on track 2 section B, the 4:41 PM R7..." His attention is distracted as he bumps into another person, checks his wallet, and then sees a silly tabloid headline like "Jeanne Dixon Prediction for 1995: SEPTA RRD Converted to Trolleys." But no time to waste. The R7 is boarding. He runs down to track 2 and boards. For the rest of the story, see the first paragraph. This confusion may not happen very often, But, it can be very irritating to someone coming from the airport with transatlantic jet-lag, or the trustee from Tredyffrin Township fresh from a "corporate restructuring" meeting in New York filled with painful decisions. It could be even worse-- someone wanting to go to Swarthmore on an express might have to wait until Bethayres to catch the right train in the peak hour. DVRP readers may also remember Jim Morgan's North Philly misadventure which similarly started on a wrong train, then took an intriguing turn to the bizarre. Another shortcoming in SEPTA's information display image is in its use of black-and-white CRTs for train display at the three Center City stations. There are banks of 14 monitors at each station (four in Market East, three in Suburban Station, and one in 30th). In each bank, 13 monitors are for train display, with faces color-coded by route segment, plus a gray-covered CRT for general information. In addition to each bank, there are two monitors at each train gate, displaying "departing train" and "next train" information: destination, type (local, express or limited), time, and status. Similar monitors are placed on the platforms. In the rush hours, when non-local trains are run, the platform and gate screens alternate between basic train information and the express pattern of the train. The design for the present main displays was apparently based on the old PRR train departure displays at Suburban Station. One was located where the current bank of CRTs adjoins the stairway to tracks 1 and 2, section B, adjacent to the Bradd Alan newsstand; the other was on the diagonal wall facing the main stairway and ticket windows. Trains were listed by line in six columns, each with its own color-coded metal sign. The horizontal rows displayed the next four trains with the time, followed by the gate number, on small number wheels. SEPTA's current display arrangement is problematic in several ways. The amount of information that can be displayed is restricted and cryptic (e.g. P LM 4:54P 6B ONT). In Penn Center, the platform screens face only one way (toward the stairways) so that the customer wondering where his or her train is may have to walk over to the screen, thereby sacrificing a cherished place in line to board. At both Penn Center and Market East, the displays are toward the center, rather than the edge, of the platform, so that the customer must similarily move out of line. (Incidentally, at 30th St., the relatively well-placed platform displays lost a battle with the elements years ago, and their housings are just empty shells now.) The destinations on the main screens are indicated by a single letter; in the case of the R5 Pennsy to give an example, the letter D (Downingtown) was a later addition to the RRD system, and is not listed on the panel, and the letter P can mean Paoli or Parkesburg. The screens themselves have many dificiencies of the black and white TV set you had at home 25 years ago, such as dimness, vertical stretching or rolling, and snow, in addition to stray letters and numbers. Finally, the reassignment of West Trenton from R3 to R1 has caused a color and display arrangement mismatch for this line at all locations. A good example of this confusion came to my attention while working on this report. As I was ascending the platform stairs at Penn Center one morning, a well dressed middle-aged woman starting hesitantly down to the platform asked me, "Where's the 7L?" I replied, baffled, "Excuse me?" She repeated, and the mystery remained. No track had this alphanumeric combination. Was this a building or room? An interlocking signal? Then, it quickly dawned on me. Without looking at the stairway display overhead I said "Your train is 7 minutes late." "Oh." A glance at the display confirmed this--PAOLI LO 7:45 7L. She then said, "It sure is confusing, isn't it?" All this contrasts unfavorably with Amtrak's, NJ Transit's and Metro-North's Solari boards, with the Long Island Rail Road's color Solaris at Penn Station, Flatbush Ave, and Jamaica, and with Amtrak's LIRR's and Metra's color CRTs. If SEPTA used LIRR-type Solari boards, the above train would be listed on a main board as follows: train, track/section, train name (PAOLI LOCAL), status (5 MIN LATE), and remarks (ALL ABOARD, or in the peak hour something like EXPRESS TO BRYN MAWR, THEN LOCAL TO PAOLI). The train name and remarks would be displayed on dark blue background with white lettering, and all else in black/white. Each flip-card would have color coding identical to that used on the timetables, as on the LIRR. (A white background, with colored lettering, would be used for all Reading side trains.) The smaller platform and gateway displays, the train would most resemble those on the LIRR, with the time, destination and status of the train at the top, followed by or 5 of the most important stops (fewer down on the smaller platform units.) There would be none of the confusion between Paoli and Parkesburg. In addition, the Solaris' self-indexing is more reliable, allowing a late train to stay displayed. While SEPTA's displays also have this feature, it does not always work correctly, as a late train is often swept off the board once its scheduled arrival time passes. So much for problems. What to do about them? Here is a suggested plan of action. A. Timetables 1. Eliminate use of "R" routes. Emphasize route names instead. Most of SEPTA's RRD customers are Center City commuters. Therefore, the schedules should be oriented toward the city. Retain timetable format (except as in #2 below) and colors. Timetables will essentially return to their 1983-4 format, which anticipated the coming of through service, but with names of endpoints and (Center City) Philadelphia instead of R numbers. 2. Break up the R7 and R8 timetables as with all other lines, for readability. Use inverse color pattern similar to other paired lines. Exceptions: a. Airport line--status quo. Marketing through service to the suburbs is important to the success of this line. b. R6-retain combined folder. At this time, it is not worth splitting the timetable for the sake of the few Cynwyd trains. Instead, list the Cynwyn trains separately on the same form, as is done with Downingtown and Parkesburg on the R5 folder. c. If SEPTA takes over Harrisburg service, the latter should have a timetable (and design?) separate from standard RRD folders. It is a different market, and besides, the space that the Harrisburg service commands could not be squeezed into the Paoli folder. 3. Continue mention of through-routing in all split timetables, but in bolder type, and at the bottom margin or center space. Despite the Center City orientation of most commuters, a small but significant through market does exist, and should be encouraged. The current wording would be basically unchanged: "Most of the trains listed in this folder originate or terminate at (place name) or (other place name if applicable). Please refer to the (place name) timetable [T.T. No._] for exact information." Retain color pairings to indicate through-routing. 4. Pocket timetables. Remember them? NJ Transit, Metro-North and the LIRR still use them. Publishing and printing technology has greatly improved, and complete in-house timetable production on the desktop and lazer printer is now an inexpensive reality. Also, the pocket forms are much more convenient for the customer to stow away, and easier to read. Once again, these would be color coded. B. Train Information. 1. Purchase new main information board signs or screens. This would mean either a big Solari board, colored like the LIRR, or big-screen color TV displays, similar to the LIRR's main displays in Jamaica and Penn Station, with each train block backgrounded and lettered in the appropriate color combination. Height limitations at all three CC stations might tend to favor the TVs over the Solaris. 2. Purchase new Solari colored flip-signs for gates and platforms. Place bidirectional platform signs at regular intervals along the platform. At Penn Center, these signs should be placed along the edge of the two main platforms, because rocket scientists have found that trains board from the edge, not the center, of a platform. The edge is where customers stand to board the train; ergo, the edge is where they should see information about their train. At Market East these signs would be bracketed out from the pillars as now, or attached to the low ceiling, depending on location. At 30th Street they would be suspended from, or affixed to, the canopy columns. Perhaps these signs would be justified at Jenkintown, too. These suggested solutions would not be a cure for all of SEPTA's problems, of course. But they would give the confused customer reassurance that the train will be there (or not), and that it will go where he or she wants to go. Remember that the customer is always right--and it is a good situation indeed when both SEPTA and the customer are right about the same thing. Funding Expands; SEPTA Proposes Newtown-to-Nowhere Shuttle by John R. Pawson Under pressure, PennDOT agreed last May that SEPTA will be allocated $100 million annually in "flexed" funds each year which otherwise would be spent on highway capital projects. Effectively, SEPTA's total capital program is expanded by that amount. For fiscal year 1995 (already half over) SEPTA is allocating $95.4 million toward the Market-Frankford railcar replacement project and $4.6 million for park-and-ride projects at Forest Hills, Elwyn, Colmar, Doylestown, Fort Washington, Devon, Malvern, Thorndale (new R5 station), Whitford, and Spring Mill. So far, so good. With flexed funding assured, SEPTA has been able to reallocate some previously low priority projects into its ordinary ("Act 26") state-funded capital program. A new big-ticket item among them is the innocuously- titled "Newtown Corridor Improvements" which replaces "Newtown Electrification". The January 6 hearing was the primary (and maybe the last ) opportunity for the public to comment on the nature and appropriateness of the $32 million proposed to be spent on the project. Another sizeable project for FY95 realizes asbestos abatement project for FY95 realizes asbestos abatement and ventilation restoration at Penn Center Suburban Station ($23 million). There are five more station modernizations (Strafford, Radnor, Overbrook, Lansdale, and Allens Lane) at $10 million, a Glen interlocking improvement (apparently, direct access for SEPTA trains to Frazer shop), and various transit track projects. Newtown-to-Nowhere: Commuters Won't Like It Of greatest interest is the $32 million Newtown shuttle project. As most readers know , commuter rail service between Newtown and Philadelphia operated for about a century until SEPTA had Conrail discontinue it in 1981. Until 1966, when catenary was hung over the tracks as far as Fox Chase, no one had to change trains there. After 1966, a transfer was required of an increasing number of passengers. Ridership beyond Fox Chase peaked about 1970 with about 290 weekday round trips (580 passengers). In 1981, bridges and track were repaired after service halted. A rail transit service (using the same diesel railcars as before but crews from the subway) resumed operations a few months later. It was dubbed "Fox Chase Rapid Transit". The mandatory transfer, separate fares, low levels of peak service, uncertain connections, and other problems led most passengers to desert FCRT; and quietly it was abandoned in 1983. A substitute bus service was operated by City Transit Division; but passengers bound for center city are few, and reverse commuters are only a little more numerous. SEPTA's new plan effectively would restore FCRT, relocating its south end and commuter-rail transfer point from Fox Chase to a point on the R2 Warminster Line 0.4 mile south of Fulmor station. At this land-locked site, a new transfer station ("transportation center" if you prefer) would be created behind the PACE Willow Grove discount store. According to SEPTA testimony at the January 6 hearing, a new rail line leading to this station and the station itself would consume $8.6 million of the $32 million total project cost. Only the outer nine miles of the discontinued 15-mile Fox Chase-Newtown rail line would be used. Although no one at SEPTA appears willing to admit it, once this South Fulmor connector were in service, a new political reality would be in effect. The well-heeled Bryn Athyn-area park trail enthusiasts would have a "green light" to try to convert the remaining six-mile segment into their desired park trail. The six-mile linear property would constitute an "available" property under new park trail legislation which has replaced older law which referred previously to "abandoned" right of way. Because SEPTA would have found another path for its trains, they could claim that the six-mile property is now "available". The South Fulmor-Newtown Line connector would use the vacant westbound (north side) track space of Conrail's Morrisville Line for three miles. A ramp and track connection would be needed to bring trains from one alignment to the other and to change grade levels. SEPTA then would lay track on the Conrail grade and build the South Fulmor transfer station. Passengers would climb down from the Conrail grade to the SEPTA track about 25 feet lower in order to await the somewhat slow and uncertain R2 train. According to a hearing statement, rolling stock would be similar if not identical to the German-designed diesel railcars which Rodney Fisk previously has proposed running between Newtown and center city. The reader may ask: "Why a plan so unfriendly to commuter and taxpayer alike?" After all, spending $32 million for a shuttle train with tax money does not seem as optimal as having someone else spend only $20 million for a through service. The answer has to be 99% "politics": 1. The Bryn Athyn "nature lovers" would get the trains forever out of their quite spacious back yards. 2. The three miles of track and transportation center would add much legitimacy to the Cross County Metro scheme, which recently was economically discredited by an outside study. (This time apparently SEPTA will build without study by others.) 3. This scheme would avoid using the R8 Fox Chase line. The city of Philadelphia wants to abandon the Fox Chase line after the Northeast Subway is built and operating. This long-rumored municipal intention was brought to public attention in a recent article on the subway in the Inquirer. Reality Check Needed: Back to Transportation Basics Many of us had hopes that private initiative would have been encouraged to get trains running to Newtown after a decade of bureaucratic tail chasing. To paraphrase Churchill, the need to make money from an enterprise concentrates the mind wonderfully. However, SEPTA's consideration of Rodney Fisk's plan to operate the route privately hinged at last report on who is to furnish the working capital (the capital to keep the operation going until it reaches profitability). This writer considers the Fisk plan to be the soundest proposed to date. Unfortunately, the ground rules have been difficult. Whether private operator or SEPTA runs the service, any successful plan must be cognizant of some realities: 1. Economic viability requires a Fox Chase - Newtown combination. If considered separately, the Philadelphia "Olney-Fox Chase" and the Bucks County "Southampton-Newtown" segments each constitute a marginal operation. Each has only five significant stations. The inner segment serves a population of about 60,000; the outer, about 80,000. Study of other operations and their demographic environments shows that a viable commuter rail service needs at least eight stations and 100,000 tributary population. Consider this example: if the two lines run separately from center city, two crews run some forty miles to serve all stations. If operated combined, only one crew and about 28 train-miles are needed. Because number of crews and train miles operated are important factors in total operating cost, the economic conclusion favoring one line over two is self evident. 2. Service must run through between Newtown and center city stations. Forced passenger transfers consume time, are inconvenient, and generally cut ridership by about half. Except for short runs like the Princeton shuttle, it is impossible on a single track line such as the Newtown line to shuttle trains back and forth frequently enough to meet all scheduled trains at the transfer point. The conclusion here is that inbound morning Newtown trains should run as frequently as trains from Fox Chase now do, assuming their schedules when they reach Fox Chase. The outbound afternoon trains would reverse this practice. The nearest model is NJ Transit 's Pascack Valley service which began with three such pairs of trains and now provides a more comprehensive weekday service on a low-density single-track line of considerable length. 3. A rapid, reliable, time-competitive service is essential. Most new homes around Newtown cost over $200,000. These are hardly "captive riders". Long trips and uncertain connections are not very salable to them. One can drive from the Newtown area to the Penn Center area via the Newtown Bypass, Interstate 95, and the Vine Street in about 45 minutes. Alternately, one can drive to from the Newtown area to an R3 West Trenton line station and ride to Penn Center in about 60 minutes. At the January 6 hearing, Newtown Township Manager Cornell Hopkins cited the travel time SEPTA would ask of commuters via the South Fulmor transfer: 77 minutes. That's about 75% longer than driving. Looking at it another way, he pointed out that Newtown Township residents could make more money by working in Manhattan; and the travel time via Trenton and NJTransit would also be about 77 minutes for almost three times the distance to Philadelphia! A restored Newtown rail service can justify itself only by (a) taking cars off I-95 and the Vine Street Expressway and (b) diverting from tight R3 station parking lots the automobiles of Newtown-area residents so that R3 could gain more customers from localities nearer the R3 stations than the Newtown line. Therefore, the Newtown line must be faster for Newtowners than driving to and R3 station; and it must be time-competitive with driving all the way to center city. The train route which coincides with the present R8 Fox Chase route gives the shortest and potentially fastest route. Our estimate for an achievable and reliable service via this route and stopping only at Olney, Lawndale, Cheltenham, Ryers, Fox Chase, Southampton, Churchville, East Holland Road, and Newtown Bypass is 55 minutes. 4. Moderate capital cost is essential, too. A Newtown extension of R8 was and (despite much population growth) still would represent a low-density corridor. Capital needs to be spent optimally on: (a) appropriate fast-accelerating, low-emission locomotives and cars (or self-propelled cars). They need not be brand-new and they can be modified existing equipment. (b) track repair and upgrading to permit a 33-mph average between Fox Chase and the Newtown Bypass terminal. Speed on the non-stop section between Fox Chase and Southampton can be increased to 45 to 55 mph by superelevating the curves to the FRA-permitted six inches and installing welded rail. (c) parking lots at the Bucks County stations must initially hold 50 cars each and be expandable to at least 100. The present Holland, Village Shires, George School, and Newtown cannot meet these requirements; so they should be relocated or eliminated. Lightly patronized stations and those in areas already served by R2 and R3 trains should not be reopened. 5. Low operating cost consistent with attractive service is needed. Service should begin with three peak round trips as previously described. The Fox Chase-Newtown bus service should continue, restructured to serve reverse commuters and to carry off-peak passengers to and from the R3 Bethayres station. 6. A Newtown Bypass terminal should replace the old Newtown station site. Located a half-mile farther from Philadelphia, the traditional site intrudes in a mostly residential area. The number of walk-in passengers were minimal. Low speed operation over the last half-mile added two minutes to the run time in each direction. The Bypass site has strong local support and is incorporated into Township development plans. The Bypass itself is a vehicular funnel to I-95; and from it, the terminal site is visible and accessible. Cutting back service to the Bypass location would shorten train cycle time and reduce capital and maintenance costs and enhance safety. Some of the remaining track could be used for train storage. The rest would be sold to help pay for terminal development. 7. Electrification is no longer necessary nor economically justified for service extension. Among the approximate dozen commuter rail operations in the U.S., our commuter service is the only one to be at present run only by transmitted electric power. Electrification requires high capital costs (over $1 million per mile) and additional maintenance cost (at least $10,000/mile annually). Fortunately, other technological solutions to the dilemma of operation through an enclosed downtown tunnel with stations are emerging. Today, "dual fuel" and "alternative fuel" locomotives are operating in environmentally sensitive Los Angeles. Fuel-cell, battery-powered, and hybrid propulsion systems are being developed for automobiles and transit buses. Pending the emergence of one of these technologies as best suited to service here, the center-city tunnel should be ventilated for the passage of a limited number of low-emission (but fast-accelerating) rolling stock. Occasional diesel-powered trains run through the tunnel now, but both stations have exhaust systems that are not used. In the case of Penn Center, the asbestos abatement project could include restoring to service the exhaust capacity that already exists. 8. Newtown service can directly assist the restoration of service to other non-electrified lines. Once the Newtown trains are enabled to operate via the tunnel, the changes made will permit service to be restored to Reading, the Lehigh Valley, and other regional locations. There is nothing in the $32 million current SEPTA plan to do this. DVARP's Commuter Railroad Committee examined the costs involved with initiating the service described above. CRC concludes that Rodney Fisk's cost figure essentially is the correct one ($20 million). We would spend slightly more money in slightly different ways in order to achieve minimal travel time, maximum accessibility to drive-in customers, and full integration of Fox Chase and Newtown service. We believe that these small differences would gain more passengers and revenue and that they would lower the overall Fox Chase-plus-Newtown operating costs. This figure is $10-12 million less than what SEPTA would spend for an inferior and unattractive shuttle service which eventually would be abandoned, losing most of that $32 million. The Newtown service plan must be optimal; there will be no second chance to do it right. People of This Region Get No More than What They Demand The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers has determined that since SEPTA took stewardship of the region's commuter rail network, it has spent nearly a billion dollars in restoring and developing that network. Unfortunately, not all expenditures were optimal. Right now, there are complaints that rail on the Lansdale line which is not life-expired is being replaced. The SEPTA-proposed Newtown service plan contains at least $8.4 million of unwise expenditure--the break-out cost of effectively making that service a feeder of the R2 line. Peter Binzen, writing the introduction to Regional Almanac 1995, pointed out once again the history of failures of this area's civic leadership to lead wisely. But the press itself must share some of the blame. Frequently, it does not look beneath the surface for suboptimal spending and its usual cause--corrupt manipulation of governmental agencies by special interest groups who subvert the purposes of those agencies to their own ends. That there is all to little critical discussion of the important details of what SEPTA proposes and does should be evident from the very existence of this newsletter. It is said that "God is in the details". Especially this is true of public transportation which is treated as a civil right or entitlement rather than a public business of some complexity. If the civic leaders don't get the details right, then it is up to us to show them better. Also, we must understand the manipulations of the special interest groups and how we can counter them. Public transportation will survive only if it is run for the greater good of the greater number of travellers and taxpayers. We must demand that SEPTA give us what is optimal. Other Projects by John R. Pawson A much-needed project is the resignalling and related improvements of the Wayne Junction-Glenside Main Line. Three or four RRD routes use this double-track line. Each track between Wayne Junction and Newtown Junction is probably used by more trains than any other RRD track. It was once proposed to triple-track this one-mile segment. Train speed needs to be raised, particularly at the Wayne Junction bottleneck. Reverse signalling and paired crossovers are needed throughout to make service more reliable and faster. Other important matters contemplated by SEPTA's capital program or which should be included but are not include: * Control center improvements. * Improved signalling in the critical Penn Center-Market East area. * Eliminating or mitigating points of conflict between RRD and Amtrak trains. * Restoring outer segments to service in the manner of Newtown. * The Ivy Ridge and Swampoodle connectors. * Parking expansion at numerous stations. * Planning the conveyance and improvement of the Amtrak Harrisburg Line to SEPTA and/or others. * Designing the next generation of RRD rolling stock. Editorial Section Price vs. Mode? Two shoppers walk along Chestnut Street. They see a sale sign at one of the new chain stores and go in. Finding something to buy, they proceed to pay for their bargain. One shopper gets an additional discount--one gets denied. Question: who got the extra discount and why? Answer. The motorist because he had a driver's license. The discount was for opening a charge account, but a driver's license is required to have a charge account. Now why should the mode of transportation affect the price paid for consumer goods? This pervasiveness of automobile culture is extensive in our society. Want to pay with a check. No problem for drivers. Sorry, transit passengers need cash. Maybe transit passengers could go to the motor vehicle bureau for a non-driver identification card. That might work--but why should passengers have to suffer through that? There has to be a better solution. This seems like an opportunity for one of the consumer legal groups--a new kind of discrimination. Meantime passengers are urged to use the only weapon they have--if a store gives more discounts to drivers then take your business elsewhere. CB When Will Passengers Learn? After two months the QM process seems to have stabilized. Problems get reported. Some get fixed, some obviously require funds SEPTA does not have. We have discovered that porters, that's SEPTA's name for station cleaners, have a route and schedule--just like the buses. They remove trash and mop stations several times a day. When they finish the stations are clean. An hour later--welcome to the garbage dump. Stations are also routinely repainted to cover graffiti. But before the paint is dry new graffiti appears. Someone pays for all this cleaning and painting. Either passengers through fares or taxpayers through taxes. The mess undoubtably discourages riders, and lower ridership means less revenue--a hidden cost. We heard much hue and cry about SEPTA trying to raise fares to keep service operating. Odd that we did not hear anything about the community cleaning up its act--an easy way to reduce SEPTA costs. Is it SEPTA that needs to improve--or is it the passengers that need to improve? Maybe we should be rating the passengers instead of the stations. CB People of the Year by Matthew Mitchell The last quarter of the year dropped a series of bombshells onto the rail passenger scene, and the long-term future of passenger rail service in our region and in the entire country is going to be determined by what the people thrust into the spotlight do in 1995. No change was more significant than the Republican landslide in the 1994 elections. After years on the outside complaining about government spending, members of the GOP will have real power on the state and local level. Tom Ridge will be dealing with both causes and effects as he takes office as Governor of Pennsylvania. While he will be able to shape the Commonwealth's budget more or less to his liking, he will also have to deal with the consequences of decisions made in Washington; starting with the Keystone Corridor crisis, the major local manifestation of Amtrak's budget-slashing plan. Pennsylvania's Bud Shuster will take over as Chairman of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee. The Central PA congressman will have a lot of say in the future of Amtrak and the nation's public transit services: will it be for the jobs Amtrak has brought to Pennsylvania (new Northeast Business Unit HQ in Philadelphia, G.E. locomotives being built in Erie, and more) or will it be for ideological opposition to government involvement in passenger rail and a highways-only Federal transportation budget? How about eliminating unfunded Federal mandates on transit operators as well as on the private sector? In Washington, supporters of public transportation will have to adapt their arguments to the new conservative balance of power or see Federal support of Amtrak and public transit operators evaporate. Fortunately, there are plenty of reasons for conservatives to support passenger trains. Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Educational Foundation (a conservative think-tank) has discussed a lot of them for us already in his publication The New Electric Railway Journal. If Weyrich and other free marketeers (and DVARP) can convince new Republican representatives from metropolitan areas that government subsidies of cars and trucks have caused all kinds of havoc in the economy, we can continue to make progress towards a balanced transportation system while still meeting budget-cutting goals. Closer to home, the shake-up of SEPTA's top management put Michael Burns in charge of the Railroad Division. Rather than looking back to Boston or to the usual models like New York and Chicago, Burns might do well to go south for inspiration. David Nogar has been doing exciting things for the customers of MARC, the Maryland Rail Commuter service. Nogar's experiment with first-class parlor car and cafe service on selected commuter trains has been successful enough for a second such car to be put into service. Not only do the new amenities attract ridership, but the image of the railroad gets a boost from the exclusivity of the parlor service. Views and Opinions Section Gallery Cars Alone Won't Solve RRD's Problems by Matthew Mitchell While I agree that Chicago's Metra is the best-run commuter rail system in the nation, the idea that SEPTA's railroad will automatically improve if it buys trains that look like Metra's is hard to swallow. The reason Metra is successful is its management, not its equipment. Metra's managers wouldn't tolerate a conductor's delaying hundreds of passengers by chatting with another employee while a following train waits for his train to clear the platform; and gallery cars won't attract riders if they loaf through North Philadelphia. Eastern commuter railroads are considering double-deck and gallery cars because of capacity constraints imposed by freight railroad hosts (MARC and VRE), tunnels (LIRR), and stations (MBTA). With its depressed ridership, SEPTA doesn't have this problem. How do we reconcile increasing per-train capacity with the previously-stated and worthwhile goal of increasing the number of trains so that more peak-hour commuters can enjoy express service? Advantages attributed to gallery cars in the analysis, such as the on-board wheelchair lifts, should not be denied to single-level equipment. Just as SEPTA tried to justify abandonment of trolleys by citing surveys of people who preferred new, air-conditioned buses to old rail vehicles, the November article artificially weakens the case for anything but the preordained conclusion. I'm willing to consider any and all RRD car designs in due time, but with most of the fleet ten or more years away from the end of their economic lives and the rest having just undergone heavy overhaul, this is not the time to demand a wholesale renewal of the RRD fleet. I must also object to the insinuation that there is some kind of conspiracy which is out to turn railroad commuters into subway riders. The conversion of the Reading's RDC shuttle into the "Fox Chase Rapid Transit" wasn't a stalking horse for the "transitization" conspiracy, it was an attempt to operate a railroad economically by freeing it from the costly strictures of steam-era labor rules and FRA regulations. While the experiment failed, it wasn't because of the unique status of that part of the railroad. It may have even been a net gain for SEPTA, serving to put the labor unions on notice that SEPTA was serious about reforming the railroad to make it economically viable. What works on other railroads will not always work here. SEPTA's Railroad Division is really two railroads (long-distance commuter railroad and short-distance transit railroad), and it serves several distinct markets, each of whose demands are different. Imposing a 'one size fits all' operating philosophy on this system, whether it's the "Metrorail" alternative proposed by Vukan Vuchic or the Chicago model proposed in the November newsletter insert, is a bad idea. We are trying to meet the transportation needs of the 90s with a network from the 20s and operating practices of the 70s. If we refuse to adopt good ideas merely because of where they originated, our fate will be that of the Penn Central, where PRR veterans never trusted NYC veterans and vice versa. Member's Action Section Introduce Yourself Both Washington and Harrisburg have new crews this month. Everything we have read indicates that Amtrak and public transportation will have tough going. In our region Amtrak proposes to eliminate the Montrealer along with Harrisburg and Atlantic City service. Faced with the entire cost of the Atlantic City line, NJT is rumored to be ready to abandon its service--once again ending rail service to the shore. R5 Paoli service could easily meet a similar untimely end for the same reason. Some locations are already picking the carcass--Delaware legislators are requesting the former Atlantic City equipment for new (state supported) service in Delaware. And that is the point--those that make their case get, those that ignore lose. DVARP members are urged to contact their Representatives in both Washington and either Trenton, Dover, or Harrisburg. Let your elected officials know that public transit and Amtrak are important issues that you expect them to support. The next two years are going to require continuous hard work of supporters if there is to be any local or intercity public transportation. After service is gone, restoration is expensive, difficult, and slow; remember ten years to restore Atlantic City. Introduce yourself to your legislators now; you are going to be in frequent communication! To make contacting legislators easier LANTA has prepared a sample letter. For a copy contact Denis Meyers at 610-435-3646. CB DVARP Internal News Section Election Results At the December meeting, members expressed concern that the holiday mail could delay ballots. Therefore, the ballots were held until December 31. By this time a total of 30 ballots had been received. Ballots were counted December 31 by Bob Clearfield. One ballot was void because there was no identification on the envelop. The results are: Don Nigro 29 Sharon Shneyer28 John Dawson27 Bob Machler26 Bill Ritzler26 Chuck Bode25 Bill Mulloy24 Matt Mitchell23 John Pawson23 Betsey Clark2 (write in) Howard Bender1 (write in) John Hay1 (write in) Frank Tatnall1 (write in) There were 8 votes for retaining the old officer style organization, therefore the board structure was approved by 21 to 8 and the nine candidates on the ballot were elected directors. The January meeting will be the first board meeting, at which new officers will be determined by the directors. CB Text of DVARP Statement at Capital Flex Hearing Newtown Corridor Improvements The Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers supports commuter rail service restoration to Newtown; however, the proposed plan, as described in SEPTA's $400 Million proposed Capital Program Flexing Plan, significantly lacks marketability. We would think that a passenger-attracting commuter rail service on the Newtown route should have the following attributes, which are not part of the current plan: 1. Rapid and Attractive Service. By the shortest and fastest route, trains should go to the three Center City stations. This would require the former route via Fox Chase that is now used by SEPTA's R8 trains. All other routes are longer and slower. Passenger transfers (such as required by the currently proposed plan) greatly reduce ridership and add time and inconvenience. Reports indicate that the currently proposed scheme to deliver passengers to a site near Willow Grove and transfer them to R2-Warminster trains would take 77 minutes to Center City. To Penn Center Suburban Station specifically, the major destination within Center City, that figure might become 80 minutes or more. One can drive via the Newtown Bypass, I-95, and the Vine Street Expressway to Penn Center in about 45 minutes. A train service which takes about 75% longer simply is not marketable. This factor alone would make an unfruitful effort of the proposed construction. A service plan which takes 60 minutes or less is needed. 2. Low Capital Cost. When previous through service to Newtown operated, there were about 400 weekday passengers. Despite considerable population increases, this corridor remains a low density one. Capital spending must be appropriately moderate. Needed are: a. appropriate locomotives and cars (or self-propelled cars), b. track repair and upgrading, including necessary signals, to permit a 45 to 55 mph. top speed in most places, c. large parking areas between Southampton and Newtown Bypass site, inclusive, but d. few or no stops/facilities in the low-population area between Fox Chase and Southampton which is already adequately served by the R2 and R3 lines; this segment, though somewhat winding, can be upgraded with welded rail for 45-55 mph. operation in most places to speed service to stations beyond. 3. Low Operating Cost. The upgrading of track in most places north of Fox Chase to allow for 45-55 mph. speeds will permit the 60 minute Newtown Bypass travel time requirement to be met. All or most Newtown trains should represent merely 15 mile extensions of Fox Chase trains which already run and are financed. This idea's cost-effectiveness should be apparent over any scheme effectively creating a 14th commuter rail route. 4. Directly Assist Restoration of Service on Other Non-Electrified Lines. The current proposal provides no such benefits. Among the approximate dozen commuter rail operations in the United States, SEPTA is the only one that exclusively utilizes electric propulsion. The significant common problem with restoration of service on Newtown and the area's other non-electrified lines, such as Pottstown and Quakertown, is providing suitable trains which can operate through the enclosed downtown tunnel. Therefore, any Newtown service should include a solution to the tunnel problem. Two years ago, management considered the ventilating of the tunnel, the most obvious solution. Fortunately, other solutions are emerging with the perfecting of new vehicle propulsion technologies. Today, "dual fuel" and "alternative fuel" locomotives are now in rail freight service in environmentally sensitive Los Angeles. Fuel-cell and battery-powered transit buses are also in experimental service. A hybrid diesel-battery bus also is being contemplated. SEPTA should become involved in these developments, if only because they are one of the largest U.S. operators. Pending the emergence of one of these technologies as the superior one, the Center City tunnel should be ventilated for the passage of a limited number of low-emission railcars or locomotives. Suitable SEPTA or private-operator rolling stock should be used. Technology and routing are not barriers to restoration of fast and attractive service to Newtown or to any other non-electrified location. The currently proposed scheme is based on the avoidance of a matter which lies in the background -- the fear of "nimbyism" around Bryn Athyn. This is a matter which requires political courage to resolve. We request that the unmarketable "Newtown to Nowhere" scheme be dropped and that energy be directed towards a salable direct-service plan. Suburban Station As indicated in the proposed Capital Program Flexing Plan, the Suburban Station project includes platform level ventilation rehabilitation. We believe that the scope of this project should, if not already, be at a magnitude that would enable ventilation capacity for fossil fuel powered locomotives and railcars. Don Nigro Text of DVARP Statement at Fare Hearing The need to increase SEPTA's funding has been known since June, when the FY 1995 operating budget was proposed. At that time, DVARP conducted an extensive petition campaign to get additional subsidy for SEPTA. Our volunteers spent several weeks standing in stations and on vehicles getting over 5,300 signatures. We sent copies of the signed petitions to Governor Casey, Lieutenant Governor Singel, the majority and minority leaders of the Pennsylvania House and Senate, and to the leading Republican gubernatorial candidates. We also sent copies to Mayor Rendell and Council President Street, so they could use them to bolster their requests for additional funding. Despite the work by us and the Area Coalition for Transportation, no additional state or Federal operating funds materialized. A commitment to increase the "flexing" of Federal transportation funds towards public transit capital projects was won, but this does not close the gap in SEPTA's operating budget. We believe that our extensive effort at the critical time to obtain increased state support gives DVARP special standing to present recommendations on this tariff proposal. DVARP has carefully examined and commented on each of SEPTA's budgets for the past eight years. Several positive trends have given us reason to support the last two operating budgets: destructive service cuts were reversed, administrative expenses have been trimmed where appropriate, marketing of the service has resumed, and accountability has increased. Those who actually attended the budget hearing knew that an increased contribution of passenger revenue to the budget was needed. While we worked to obtain petition signatures, we approached thousands of SEPTA passengers. Only about half were even willing to sign the petition. Many passengers, even those signing the petitions, were more concerned about their taxes than about their fares. Having thus heard from the passengers in the trolley, subway, and railroad stations, we conclude that: 1) the majority of passengers accept the need for a fare increase 2) the majority of passengers remain silent about their fares, and 3) the protests against a fare increase come from a small but vocal minority. While DVARP accepts the need for increased revenue, we believe these tariffs can be improved further. DVARP and SEPTA agree that fares need to be set at levels that maximize ridership and revenue, so that the maximum public benefit can be returned for each dollar of public investment. It is a fundamental principle of economics that net income is maximized when the charges for a service relate to the value of the service provided. Therefore, we make the following recommendations aimed at more closely matching fares and value for each travel market. SEPTA has historically used its transfer as a surrogate zone fare, and has increased transfer prices to the point where they now distort the fare structure. Changing vehicles in order to reach one's destination is not an extra benefit worth an extra charge. Therefore, DVARP recommends that the transfer charge be the minimum necessary to prevent abuse of the system by fare evaders. With the City of Philadelphia finally willing to challenge such anachronisms as the Route C transfer surcharge, it is time to revisit the issue of the unzoned city fare. The present system charges too little for long trips, and too much for short trips used to access the rail transit network. This promotes inefficiency while failing to capture maximum revenue. Extending the zone system into Philadelphia County will result in increased sales of zone 1 fares, and more revenue than would result from SEPTA's proposal to abolish zone 1. To make travel more convenient for passengers making multi-zone transit trips, DVARP recommends that SEPTA reinstate the ten-trip "convenience ticket." Abolishing RRD privileges for weekly TransPass holders would allow SEPTA to meet market demand for a low-cost, low-value transit fare instrument, without diluting fare revenue or eroding intermodal integration for the bulk of its ridership. Existing RRD travel privileges should be maintained for monthly TransPass holders. We also suggest that SEPTA offer a commuter-rail only pass for trips to Center City, as it already does for intermediate travel. With these, all markets (CTD, STD, RRD) would then have comparable fare choices. Occasional riders could use tokens or ten-trip tickets for modest savings, while daily riders could choose between a pass good only on the division they use and a pass with interdivisional privileges. DVARP opposes relocating Fern Rock Transportation Center into RRD zone 1 in the absence of good evidence that this will raise more revenue for SEPTA than it costs. Likewise, we recommend that systemwide weekend travel privileges for CTD TransPass holders be maintained as an occasional promotional tariff rather than a permanent give-away. DVARP supports extension of the single RRD trip privilege of the DayPass to all railroad lines, subject to peak hour restrictions if necessary. Finally, we request that the interdivisional 50 cent transfer now used on 200-series buses be extended to all bus-train transfers in zones 2 and above, to promote intermodal travel throughout the region. DVARP welcomes SEPTA's proposal to extend RRD ticket validity and make the railroad less customer-hostile. Regardless of how long tickets are valid for travel, they should be refundable by mail for price paid indefinitely. With this positive change, we cannot understand the proposal to eliminate extension-of-journey fares for commuter rail customers. Though the SEPTA advertisement calls this a "change," we state in no uncertain terms that this is an elimination of the extension fare, as passengers would be charged the full fare for the extension as though it were a separate trip. SEPTA must not be allowed to punish its customers for its own inability to sell tickets for the customer's desired journey. DVARP OPPOSES use of SEPTA or taxpayer funds for a "consumer advocate." The Citizen Advisory Committee has already been established by law for the express purpose of advising SEPTA on fare and budget issues. In addition, DVARP--a totally independent organization--has been examining SEPTA operations and finance and making recommendations on behalf of the ridership for over twenty years. DVARP membership is open to all persons interested in improving our public transportation system, and meets all its expenses from member contributions, assuring independence from political, labor, management, or other outside interests. Public funds should not be spent to do a job which volunteers already do well at no cost to the public. With changes in control of state and Federal governments, mass transit advocates must adapt their strategy to new political priorities. In the coming years, DVARP will join SEPTA in lobbying for an end to unfunded Federal mandates, elimination of regulations which prevent passenger trains from competing effectively (example: the payroll taxes SEPTA pays on its railroad workers are three times what it pays on city transit workers), and recognition and elimination of the vast subsidies our governments give to the private automobile. We hope you'll take part in these efforts, either by joining DVARP, serving as a volunteer, or working with SEPTA's Area Coalition for Transportation. MDM Time to Renew Thank you to the 25% of the membership that renewed early! Please check your mailing label. If the upper right corner does not show 1995 (or 1996 or 1997 or...) renewal time is here again. (DVARP memberships are from January 1 to December 31.) Please take a few minutes now to send your check or money order so we can determine our yearly budget. Our forecast is for much activism as we try to secure Amtrak and transit funding. That means extra printing costs for leaflets and extra postage costs for letters to legislators. Please consider renewing at a higher level. Lets keep Harrisburg, Atlantic City, Florida and Montreal trains, SEPTA, NJT, DART, RRTA, BARTA, LANTA, etc. running. The train and bus we save this year is much easier than the one we have to restart in the future!