The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger December 1994 Vol. XII, No. 12 ISSN 1073-6859 Published by the Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers in the interest of continued, improved, and expanded rail service for the present and potential railroad and rail transit passengers of southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and nearby areas. For more information about DVARP and good rail service, please contact us: P.O. Box 7505, Philadelphia, PA 19101 215-222-3373 NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS The electronic edition is produced as a public service to the network community. It is archived on the CUNYVM Listserver in the RAILNEWS directory. An index of back issues is available by sending INDEX RAILNEWS to LISTSERV@CUNYVM. Thanks to Geert K. Marien (GKMQC@CUNYVM) for maintaining this archive! If you have comments or questions, contact us, not Geert! The DVRP is also archived on these FTP servers ftp://wuarchive.wustl.edu/graphics/trains/text or graphics/trains/incoming ftp://hipp.etsu.edu/pub/railroad/dvarp (Thanks to Bob Weir) Coming soon: recent issues will be available on WWW see home page opening soon--http:///libertynet.org/~dvarp/dvarp.html Volumes X (1992) and XI (1993) are on floppy disk for $4.00 each from DVARP. We hope you consider joining DVARP; your financial support makes possible this newsletter and our many other activities on behalf of rail and transit passengers. Annual dues for 1995 are $16.00. see the coupon at ##R. Contents copyright (C) 1994 DVARP, except photos (C) 1994 credited photographers Acting Editor: Don Nigro Online Liason: Matthew Mitchell For other DVARP officers and committee chairs, find ##Q Opinions expressed in The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger are not necessarily those of DVARP or its members. We welcome your comments: call 215-222-3373 contents: use the search function of your word processor to find articles ##A First Customer Enhancement Programs Initiated ##B Is Light Rail Sometimes The Right Choice? ##C Editor's Note: Schuylkill Valley Metro ##D North Philadelphia Progress ##E Railworks Wins Civil Engineering Award ##F Suggestion For Letters To Legislators On Harrisburg Line ##G Montgomery County Station Improvements ##H News from Delaware ##I Let's Have More Product Differentiation at SEPTA ##J Metra: a Role Model for RRD ##K NJT To Study Commuter Rail To Mt. Holly ##L Route 23 Celebration ##M Letters To The Editor ##N Ooops ##O Upcoming DVARP Meetings: OCTOBER GENERAL MEETING CANCELED ##P Dues Increase Coming ##Q Cross County Bus ##R DVARP Phone & Voice-mail Directory ##S DVARP Membership Coupon ##A First Customer Enhancement Programs Initiated by Chuck Bode SEPTA's employee empowerment project, the Customer Service Enhancement Committee, continues to make good progress. DVARP, the Citizen Advisory Committee, and SEPTA all developed information and projects. SEPTA has already initiated work on the first projects. Best news is that the scope of passenger involvement is increasing. SEPTA now has three service measurement programs and one employee measurement program in operation to obtain information. The visible program is the rider report card, which passengers have received the past several years. SEPTA has also selected a group of employees to report in a structured manner on their trips as passengers. Most recently, an outside firm has been hired to ride and report. This firm does this in several cities thus allowing SEPTA to be compared to other systems as well as to its own goals. Once a year, the employees are surveyed to get their input. The enhancement committee has come face to face with the daily issues: Do the rules for both operations and for passengers help or hinder? How should the rules be enforced--should all the passengers be delayed to deal with one offending passenger? Should different rules/standards apply to different parts of SEPTA? The committee has recognized that one rigid solution is not best. Many ideas are being explored to determine what will work best in the various types of service. Eating has been discussed at length. Many passengers are on board for long periods of time and want to use the time productively, which includes eating. Some passengers are neat, other passengers are slobs. Because of the slobs, many SEPTA vehicles resemble rolling garbage dumps discouraging potential riders. Slobs cost money. Extra effort is required to clean and exterminate dirty vehicles. This is a place where passengers can help. Put some "peer pressure" on the slobs. Or, carry their garbage off yourself. Fair warning, with SEPTA fares expected to increase, the extra costs of garbage removal are likely to result in a ban on eating on RRD unless the mess stops. The Subway Elevated Division project is most immediate because passengers will directly rate the daily progress. No consultants, no middle management; direct passenger input. This is the significant difference from all the other initial projects. 50 passenger volunteers are to fill out a rating form for each trip. The goal is a diversity of passengers using different stations and riding at all times of the day. A half-day training session is planned for October, after which rating should begin. RRD is trying an altogether different approach, changing the organization of management. The West Trenton line is expected to have its own management, staff, and maybe even dedicated cars by September. The concept under test is whether a dedicated team covering everything from track and signals through train operation to management can cost-effectively improve service and ridership. Light Rail is beginning with the top priorities from the summer 1993 rider report card. 14.8% of the passengers indicated station security and 14.1% station cleanliness. Suburban Division is working on Route 100. Surface Division also began with the rider report card. Their project began in May with schedule adherence, loop & terminal operation (passengers are permitted to wait on the bus), and performance checks. Additional items are being added in June. Finance is trying to get sales office personnel to interact with customers. Have you noticed the model bus and other new items on sale? The main purpose is to have something for the staff to communicate about instead of grumpily ignoring the customers. The difficulty is that it is so hard for the staff to hear and speak through the thick windows that they eventually become frustrated and stop trying. With the new programs, passengers need to continue to participate in two of SEPTA's ongoing efforts--rider report card and SEPTA on Site. From our participation in this project we have learned that SEPTA is trying hard to figure out what the passengers really want. Employees at SEPTA on Site make a report on what the passengers told them. Much work is done to extract what the passenger wants from the report cards. We need to realize that change takes time, and we should not be discouraged because suggestions are not instantly implemented. The only conclusion that can be reached from no participation is that all is well. We need to hear from our members. Do you notice changes? Are the initiatives working? What suggestions do you have? This is the new SEPTA. SEPTA has not only empowered the employees, it has empowered the passengers. Is there any other transit system that puts passengers projects directly into the process with internal projects? We need to constructively use this opportunity. The next time the bus is late don't gripe at the driver, instead smile and say good morning. Good service requires good passengers. ##B Is Light Rail Sometimes The Right Choice? by John A. Dawson From time to time proposals have surfaced calling for the conversion of a regional rail line to light rail. DVARP has always opposed such suggestions, believing this course of action to represent a downgrading. But is this a wise course? I think not. There are nearby examples of 'transitized' rail lines that we can look at. One of the most successful rail lines in the Delaware Valley is PATCO's Lindenwold Line. Using former rail right-of-way, this one line carries over 40,000 weekday trips, which is more than one-half of the trips carried by SEPTA on all 13 Regional Rail lines put together; with automated fare collection and one-person train operation, its cost recovery is superior to either SEPTA or NJ TRANSIT. For many years, fares actually covered operating expenses. A second example is provided by Washington's Metrorail. With 80 miles now in operation, it has lines extending far into the suburbs, territory that in earlier years would have been served by a traditional railroad operation. Weekday ridership exceeds 900,000, a number that is 38% greater than SEPTA's total ridership, railroad plus transit. More people now cross the Potomac at Washington by Metrorail than by car. Weekend ridership is good, and obviously attracting riders across all income strata. In contrast, ride SEPTA on a weekend and one receives the definite impression that most of the riders are there because they have no choice. Although these are both examples of heavy rail transit, they show that transit can provide quality service to suburban corridors and attract riders out of their cars. On the other hand, regional rail service does offer a number of advantages. It can probably provide a more comfortable faster ride over longer distances. It can operate in mixed traffic with intercity passenger and freight trains, and new service can be initiated on existing rail lines with minimal capital investment. However, the rationalization (downsizing) of the rail network has increased the difficulty of using freight lines, and Conrail, in particular, has indicated that it wants as little to do with passenger trains as possible. Even if one can reach an agreement to share track, service is not likely to be frequent, and in many cases may be limited to weekday rush hours. In addition, operating costs are high for traditional rail service. Light rail offers the potential to offer more service at lower cost, and because it does not require the ridership density that subway/elevated lines do, it can be extended further into the suburbs. Modern equipment can operate at 70 mph on a grade-separated right-of-way, and can be configured to provide comfortable seating. One long-range project now under consideration by SEPTA and Montgomery County is that of the Schuylkill Valley Metro, which essentially combines both ends of the R6 and replaces it with a light rail line. As proposed, the line would use the existing R6 line from Norristown to Ivy Ridge, and then shift to the now unused ex-PRR line to cross the river to Bala Cynwyd, and proceed to Wynnfield Avenue on the existing R6 Cynwyd line. From there it would use an old Fairmount Park trolley right-of-way to Girard Avenue, then turn east, using the Route 15 trolley tracks to recross the Schuylkill River. There it drops down to the CSX right-of-way, where it would run on its own dedicated track. After clearing the Pennsylvania Avenue tunnel by the Art Museum, the route would turn east on the abandoned ex-Reading City Branch. Access to Center City and the west side office complex would be via paired tracks on 11th and 12th Streets, last used by Route 23, and new track laid in the Chestnut Street Transitway. The line would terminate at 18th and Chestnut. This route offers a number of interesting possibilities. It offers good distribution along Chestnut Street and direct service to the Convention Center, Art Museum, Zoo, and Mann Music Center. It also provides a much improved service at transit fares to Bala Cynwyd residents, as well as an attractive service to Manayunk. And it resolves the issue of what to do with the inefficient and costly R6 Cynwyd service. However, operation of the full route to Norristown also creates some problems. It makes it difficult to extend rail service out the Schuylkill Valley to Pottstown and Reading. Although in theory, light rail could be run to those points, this would make for some rather long trolley rides. Conflicts with Conrail freight movements at Norristown would have to be resolved, and provision made for access to shippers at Conshohocken, Spring Mill, and Miquon. It would leave riders in Wissahickon, East Falls, and Allegheny without service, and it should be noted that both Mayor Rendell and Senator Specter maintain residences in East Falls. While good speeds could be maintained on most of the route, street running through Center City is likely to be slow. Instead of converting the entire line, why not just convert the Ivy Ridge portion? It would work well as a stand-alone operation, and it would leave the R6 Norristown service undisturbed. The distances are relatively short, and it would improve transit access to important visitor attractions, as well as to Bala Cynwyd and Manayunk. Maybe there are better choices, but light rail should receive consideration. We should avoid imposing one modal solution on all transportation problems. We need to examine the unique circumstances in each case, and then make our choice. Light rail transit should not be ruled out before we even start the process. ##C Editor's Note: Schuylkill Valley Metro DVARP's most recent statement regarding conversion of a regional rail line to light rail occurred on July 3, 1994 within our comments on the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Draft May 1994 Transportation Improvement Program FY 1995-1998. In reference to project #8622 Schuylkill Valley Metro: Philadelphia To Oaks Area Extension & Conversion of SEPTA R6 Line To Light Rail - Study we noted the following: This study should be broadened to include an examination of ways to improve the cost recovery on the SEPTA R6 line rather than seeing conversion as the only option. The average speed on this line is very slow. Many more riders could be drawn to this line if the time travel was more competitive with the Schuylkill Expressway. This could be accomplished through: improve grade crossings; replace old jointed rail with new welded rail; superelevate the curves; raise speed on many sections of the line from 40 mph to 65 mph; improve interlockings and signals to permit further travel-time reduction. Currently, SEPTA runs the slowest commuter railroad in the country. Its average speed is about 23 mph. The nations average is about 32 mph. SEPTA's dismally low average speed is the largest factor why the regional rail lines have such poor ridership and therefore, a low cost recovery. Furthermore, a rerouting of the R6 trains should be considered. The R6 Cynwyd route to Ivy Ridge is shorter and faster than the routing via East Falls. The Norristown Line tracks could be reoriented to line with the Cynwyd route between Shawmont and Ivy Ridge. The stations between Manayunk and Allegheny on the present Norristown Line could be served through the diversion of currently non-revenue trains. ##D North Philadelphia Progress Change is expected at North Philadelphia Station. Amtrak has removed most of the high level platform. SEPTA was recently presented with a request to construct a 142 foot wide deck over the R8 line there as part of commercial development of the site. This appears to be part of the project begun several years ago to improve the station.--CB ##E Railworks Wins Civil Engineering Award by Bill Mulloy The SEPTA Railworks(R) project received the 1994 Award of Merit in the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Competition. This national award is sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Railworks(r) was in competition with other large public works projects located across the country. The major criteria for the award included: completing the project on time and within budget, meeting quality standards, maintaining minimal impact to the environment, and maintaining minimal disruption to the public. Railworks(R) met all of these criteria and has been called "a model for urban construction" by Gordon Linton, head of the Federal Transit Administration. The award was officially presented on September 9, 1994, at a ceremony held in the Pennsylvania Convention Center Grand Hall (Historic Reading Train Shed). Speakers included representatives of SEPTA, the Federal Transit Administration, the City of Philadelphia, and ASCE. The common theme expressed was that a project of this type should be publicized to emphasize the importance of restoring our infrastructure and the essential role it plays in our region. ##F Suggestion For Letters To Legislators On Harrisburg Line Although Amtrak owns the line between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, for the past several years it has been a reluctant operator of the Keystone trains between the two cities. As the line ranks low on Amtrak's scale of priorities and as capital funds are scarce, Amtrak has been unable to maintain the railroad to satisfactory standards, and there are signs that the line is deteriorating. Currently track 2 is out of service between Overbrook and Bryn Mawr, and the tower at Bryn Mawr is no longer functioning. The signaling system, while for the most part still serviceable, is outdated, inefficient, and badly in need of modernization. A study conducted two years ago for PennDOT identified about $20 million worth of investment (ties, catenary, substations, etc.) that should be made within the next five years just to maintain the railroad to its existing design standards. The rolling stock currently used by Amtrak is the oldest on its roster and not appropriate for the type of service operated. New or refurbished cars could enhance the service and help build ridership. On the operational side consolidation of the Keystone Service and the SEPTA R5 service west of Paoli could eliminate costly duplication of service and increase the options available to riders. Implementation of a combined schedule convenient for travel between Philadelphia, Chester County, Lancaster, and Harrisburg could increase ridership, and thus reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. DVARP urges you to support funds in the State budget to continue and improve service on this line. Federal money is available under the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program, as well as from other sections of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) and the Clean Air Act for capital investments. We also urge you to support legislative and policy changes that would permit transferring control of the line and service to an appropriate State agency. Our volunteers are available to meet with you if that would be helpful.--JD ##G Montgomery County Station Improvements Montgomery County has contributed $1.25 million, half the cost, to rehabilitate Merion, Wynnewood, Philmont, DeKalb Street, Oreland, and Elkins Park Stations. Work, which varies at each station, typically includes waiting room, ticket office, plumbing, bathroom, exterior repairs, station and parking lot lights, platforms and sidewalks, and parking lot paving. Work is underway at Philmont. Merion and DeKalb are to be repaired in 1994. Elkins Park, Oreland, and Wynnewood follow in 1995. (From SEPTA Community Update. CB) ##H News from Delaware by Chuck Bode DelDOT recently inaugurated two new Monday to Friday bus routes, U bus and 896 Link, serving the areas along highways 40, 896, and 7. Both routes operate approximately 6 am to 6:30 pm. 896 Link operates half- hourly from S. College and Main in Newark to Peoples Plaza, with 7 trips extended to Middletown. U Bus also connects S. College and Main in Newark with Peoples Plaza every 30 minutes, but travels a "u" shaped path through White Clay Corporate Center, MBNA, Christiana Hospital, Christiana Mall, Governors Square Shopping Center, and Fox Run Shopping Center. Connections can be made to DART and Blue Diamond Lines at several locations along the routes. DVARP members are urged to help make these routes successful by patronizing them. ##I Let's Have More Product Differentiation at SEPTA by John R. Pawson So deeply embedded in our economic culture is product differentiation that we hardly give it a thought. The variety of restaurants typifies this practice among the service industries. We have fast-food restaurants which give minimal service at low cost. We have fine restaurants with elaborate menus, fine food, much customer attention, and relaxed ambiance for those who wish to spend more money in return for a different kind of dining experience. Even in the world of spectator sports, new stadiums include accommodations ranging from bleacher-type seats to the plushest, costliest boxes high above the playing field for those who think it worth the extra money. Don't let the word out, but the construction of these stadiums is publicly subsidized. Little attention is called to this fact either: SEPTA's transportation service, too, is built around the principle of product differentiation. Different services run parallel; one of the city's most-traveled bus routes runs directly above the Broad Street Subway. Ten of the 13 outer terminals of SEPTA's commuter rail system may also be reached from center city by transit as well. Each type of service--transit and commuter train--serves various niches. Evidently, the customers want it this way, just as they do with restaurants and spectator sports. Let's carefully analyze public transportation. Loosely, some call it "transit" (two syllables may be handier than six), but careful speakers and writers use the words "public transportation" as the generic term. SEPTA and most of its multi-modal counterparts are designated as "transportation authorities", not as "transit authorities". The following shows the diverse qualities of SEPTA's services: Public Transportation Transit Commuter Transpiration (the basic product) (higher quality and price) [NOTE: The following table didn't convert well to ASCII. Please follow the numbers--MDM] 1--Urban Transit 2--Suburban Transit 3--Commuter Rail/Commuter Bus Travel Context 1--Within high density urban areas, which usually extend 5 or more miles from center city. 2--Radiating from outlying terminals of urban transit, and intra- suburban. 3--Longer distance, primarily between suburban residences and center city jobs, also reverse commutes and intra-suburban. Operating Modes 1--Subway-elevated (rapid transit or heavy rail), bus, street car or light rail transit, trackless trolley. 2--Suburban transit bus, light rail transit. 3--Commuter rail, commuter bus (the later mode is rare in this region). Attributes in Peak Service 1--Least space per customer, many stand, frequent service, many transfer points, high degree of integration between operating modes, equally spaced stops, "flat" fare structure. 2--More space, few stand, better quality seating, less frequent service, higher average speed, equally spaced but fewer stops, zoned fares. 3--Most space, seats for all, service 2 to 4 times per hour at each outlying station, few stops in the transit zone, highest average speed, downtown schedule times suit workplace starting and quitting times, multi-zoned fares. Market Relationship to the Automobile 1--Many customers have no car available. Others may find trip less onerous than driving. 2--Center-City-bound customers find joint urban-suburban transit trip less onerous than driving. Most intra-suburban customers have no car available. Most customers have car available for the trip. 3--Service must compare well to driving. Intra-suburban and reverse- commuters may not have a car available. SEPTA Operating Division 1--City Transit Division. 2--Suburban Transit Division, comprised of Red Arrow (or Victory) and Frontier Districts. [NOTE: Victory bus and rail are separate districts--MDM] 3--Railroad (or Regional Rail) Division (RRD). Start-Up Year [under SEPTA] 1--1968. 2--1970. 3--1983. Operating Costs Recovery 1--55%. 2--Victory = 44%, Frontier = 33%. 3--37% (Overall, SEPTA = 50%) The 13-year wait before taking over Conrail's commuter railroad engendered in some of the non-RRD SEPTA staff a distinct slant toward transit and away from commuter rail service. "We can't afford to run a railroad, too" was a sentiment that was and occasionally still is heard. More recently, one staffer lamented in a letter that commuters seem to think they have a "god given right to a seat". A well known transit consultant told a SEPTA public hearing that RRD should give up its seats- for-all policy. A city official wrote that "the ultimate solution may be to scrap traditional railroad equipment and operating practices in favor of lower cost, higher speed, more frequent rail transit operation on all but the Wilmington, Paoli, and Trenton lines." With such attitudes evident to us (even though they come from a minority of persons in the industry here), it's likely that Board members and area political leaders perceive them, too. The fact that dedicated operating subsidy still is denied SEPTA indicates relatively low confidence in the authority's ability to spend wisely. Regardless of how the authority as a whole is perceived, the fact that a top-management minority in some fashion wants to eliminate commuter rail service implies the existence of major problems there. Regrettably, the basic economic parameters for RRD are the lowest or among the lowest of the 13 U.S. commuter railroads. Although improved from a one-time 32% level, today only 37% of RRD's operating costs are recovered through fares. Most commuter-rail systems recover 45 to 55%. At a 55% recovery, City Transit Division greatly excels that 37% figure. The performance of SEPTA's suburban transit districts brackets the RRD figure, but that fact largely is ignored. Nearly all of the economics-based criticism of RRD arises in Philadelphia and over this 37%-55% disparity. RRD also is low or lowest in the common operating parameters, a situation which doubtless greatly contributes to the low cost recovery. These parameters include average train speed, average passenger trip length, average train load, and the on-time performance average ("reliability"). All of these low ratings permit nay-sayers to justify curtailing RRD service or converting it to or replacing it with transit. We must emphasize that their negative case can be made only in this region. It's not the commuter rail mode that is faulty; but over the decades, it's how suboptimally its capital and operating funds have been spent here. The need is to improve both the quality and cost- effectiveness of RRD service as the customer and taxpayer perceive them. Spend capital money strategically. Increase train speed to attract more car-driving commuters. Extend service attractively and economically to accommodate the currently- unserved longer-distance commuters. Increase the average train load. Improve on-time performance. Eliminate the "Toonerville trolley" practices which annoy RRD customers. Altogether, there should be more product differentiation between RRD and the transit divisions, not less as some would have it. In future issues, we'll go into specifics of how past suboptimizations can be rectified, how a more business-like RRD can satisfy customers and taxpayers, and how the RRD-CTD cost-recovery disparity can be narrowed to halt the carping of the railroad. ##J Metra: a Role Model for RRD by John R. Pawson Some who never have experienced the rush-hour conditions of New York City's public transportation might propose that region's three commuter rail systems as worthy models for the major improvement of SEPTA's Railroad Division and its services. However, the facts show otherwise. The number of passengers carried there is enormous; not so here. Only there will commuters stand aboard commuter trains. Manhattan's insular location makes driving to work all the more difficult. As a result, the transportation industry regards New York City as a special case; its practices often are inappropriate for use elsewhere. So we are led to the Chicago region, where the Metra commuter rail system serves six counties in the "railroad capital of the world". This single-mode agency sends 13 routes into its service region from four downtown terminals. Metra claims to provide (self-operated or through contracts with operating railroad companies) "the nation's finest commuter rail service". There seem to be no successful challengers to that self- proclaimed title. In northeastern Illinois, public transportation became a governmental duty later than here. A Regional Transportation Authority was set up there in 1973 to run or to contract out all rapid transit, bus, and commuter rail services under one central management, as SEPTA does now. Ten years later (and two years after the old Chicago political machine collapsed), RTA was converted into an "umbrella" organization. The urban transit (CTA), suburban transit (PACE), and the commuter rail functions (Metra) were given to three agencies, each with its own board of directors. Metra's directors are appointed on a population basis. Six come from the various counties, one from the city of Chicago, but none from state level. Each of the three agencies is free to pursue the needs of its own marketplace niches--the ultimate in public transportation product differentiation. A detailed comparison of RRD and Metra is informative. Naturally, the greater population of the Metra-served region (line 5, below) justifies a larger-scale commuter rail service than here. Important factors and parameters of RRD and Metra (drawn from various sources) are included. Bear in mind that the median scale factor (the Metra figure divided by the RRD figure) is 1.66. Comparison of RRD and Metra SEPTA RRD Metra Scale Factor Political, Demographic, and Service Factors 1. Type of transportation company multi-modal single mode 2. Major funding method [annual] appropriations sales-tax surcharge in service area [from government--MDM] 3. Service area 2184 sq. mi. 3721 sq. mi. 1.70 4. Total route mileage 282 miles 424 miles 1.50 5. Service area population 3.7 million 7.26 million 1.99 6. Annual passenger-miles carried 375 million 1415 million 3.77 7. Annual per-capita passenger miles 96 miles 195 miles 2.03 8.Number of stations served 158 230 1.46 9. Number of trains run: a. weekday (all day) 360 598 1.66 b. weekday (outbound, 5-5:59 pm) 41 69 1.68 c. Saturday 248 269 1.08 d. Sunday 173 135 0.78 10. Minimum peak-period headway [at terminal--MDM] 3 minutes 5 min. out, 4mins. in Efficiency and Financial Parameters 11. Average train speed 24 mph 32 mph 1.33 12. Average train load (pas. mi.. per train mile) 76 247 3.25 13. Average passenger trip length 14 miles 21 miles 1.50 14. Average on-time performance (5 min. tolerance) 92% 97% 15. Operating cost recovery 37% 55% + 5% of capital costs Comments: 1. The single-mode organization allows for specialization. Transit management attitudes and methods which are unsuited to the market for commuter rail service cannot intrude, as sometimes appears to be the case at SEPTA. Management has full control of all resources, while at SEPTA, the RRD management has to take the services it gets from SEPTA's central staff. 2. Metra's funding is nearly "automatic". Although its funding does vary with the state of the local economy and the volume of sales, the management is insulated from political interference with capital and operating policies. "Holding Metra hostage" for patronage jobs, a favored project or contractor, etc. appears much less likely than is the case here. Metra's leaders emphasize that they are not a provider of "social services". By most regards, they run Metra more like a business than most public transportation agencies do. Nevertheless, its fares (particularly over longer distances) tend to be lower than RRD's. 3-5. Metra runs less route mileage in comparison to its larger area and population. This would be a factor for better economics. Also, it needs to support the costs of electrification on only 12% of its route mileage, not 100%. However, Metra will increase its non-electrified route mileage soon when it opens a completely new radial corridor service. (earlier plans to open a cross-country route have been shelved.) RRD has the economically easier task of extending existing trains on existing lines instead of having to add new trains on a new route. 6-7. Likely because of a more commercial attitude, Metra is able to generate passenger miles much greater than its increased population (even if slightly more widely scattered) would suggest is appropriate. 8. Metra maintains fewer stations, relatively speaking. There are, however, some areas where stations are located only a half-mile apart but are well-used by the neighborhoods which they serve. 9. Both carriers' weekday service levels (both as a whole and in peak periods) agree with the median scale factor of 1.66. However during the off-peak periods, Metra's lines (especially the non-electrified ones) tend to be scheduled more according to passenger demand than at constant "policy" headways like transit. Even so, Metra (unlike SEPTA provides outbound service from Chicago after midnight for shift workers and "night owls". On weekends (when a few Metra lines don't operate), the commercial basis shows emphatically as service is limited tightly to demand. On Saturdays, both railroads run about the same absolute number of trains. On Sundays, when demand for service is at a minim, Metra runs an average of just 14 trains per line in service. 10. Metra's practice of more conservatively spacing its peak- period trains apparently helps to assure its faster (10) and more reliable (13) service. By so operating, small random lateness have much less effect on the progress of following trains. (Why RRD trains must run so closely is gist of another article for these pages.) 11-14. Metra's improved efficiency parameters combine in effect to produce lower costs and more attractive service. One unseen factor in these two directions is Metra's use of the spacious gallery car, which quite adequately seats over 150 passengers. In SEPTA's Silverliners and Bombardier cars, because of the cramped three-place bench, only about 100 of some 125 total places per cars actually are salable. Needing fewer cars for a given traffic reduces cost significantly. (This issue also will be covered in the future.) 15. The "bottom line": As a result of market size, single-mode operation, a relatively stable corporate climate over the years, a commercial attitude, an efficient and market-understanding management, political support and restraint, effective operations, and suitable rolling stock, Metra is able to cover the majority of its operating costs and a little of its capital costs through its reasonable fares. Except for the size of the market, all of these elements of Metra's success could be adopted by SEPTA. The challenge would be to put all of them into action in this region. ##K NJT To Study Commuter Rail To Mt. Holly by Donald Nigro With encouragement from DVARP and NJ-ARP, New Jersey Transit will study commuter (regional) rail to Mount Holly, Burlington County as part of its Burlington/ Gloucester Initiative. Previously, commuter rail was being examined only between Philadelphia, Pennsauken and Maple Shade (see September 1993 issue). This mode with this terminus point will now be studied just as modified PATCO and light rail are being considered. As pointed out to NJ Transit, it did not make sense, on the one hand, to present commuter rail as one of the three options for a Maple Shade terminus (minimum length) and then, on the other hand, not to study it as an option for Mount Holly service (full length). Longer haul service is a forte of commuter rail. To ignore a full length option for this mode was to ignore the industry's high passenger acceptance for longer hauls. The following are some of the reasons presented to NJ Transit for full consideration of commuter rail: - The national average commuter rail line length is 22 miles. Many lines are shorter. Some are as long as 90 miles (Port Jervis, NY to Hoboken, NJ). A Mt. Holly route is approximately 22 miles. To consider commuter rail to Mt. Holly is a natural. To cut it short at Maple Shade is unnatural and imprudent, not allowing the examination of this mode's full potential for this alignment. - Only commuter rail, because of its routing, offers a station at River Road, Pennsauken near the Delair Bridge. Such a station location would draw many riders from the densely populated river communities such as Palmyra, Cinnaminson, Riverton, Delran, Riverside and Delanco. If not for this station location, many of these potential passengers will not use rail to commute. They would not be attracted to a Mt. Laurel or Maple Shade station (of any mode type) because their commute from home to station would take them significantly out of the direction of their final destination. - Commuter rail, like the other modes, would offers intrastate connections between communities such as Maple Shade, Moorestown and Mt. Holly. For the small percentage of riders that would like to travel to Camden, either NJ Transit's #409 or #419 could be restructured so that one of them offers express feeder bus service between the proposed station at River Road, Pennsauken and downtown Camden. Such a service could go possibly to Camden's waterfront. - Commuter rail also would offer intrastate service through platform connections in Pennsauken with the Atlantic City Line. - Commuter rail offers a one-seat (no transfer) ride to Center City Philadelphia. This 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. - Suburban Station is central to the business district of Center City while the PATCO stations on Locust Street are south of it. - Market East Station, Suburban Station, and 30th Street Station are lively transportation hubs which offer many more amenities (shops, restaurants) than the PATCO Stations on Locust Street. Suburban Station also offers a sprawling underground concourse which is ideal to use to get to and from the station during inclement weather. - Commuter rail would offer great connections at 30th Street Station for Amtrak and SEPTA trains. Philadelphia International Airport is 12 or 15 minutes away (15 minutes scheduled, 12 minutes actual). The Airport train runs every half hour in each direction from 6:00 am to midnight. - Commuter rail is the least expensive of the alternatives to construct. Looking at it another way, commuter rail could be built farther into Burlington County than other modes for the same cost. - Commuter rail may eventually be the only politically viable option to go through Moorestown due to its somewhat less frequent service and its ability to go through the entire town on a single track. - During peak hour, commuter rail would offer headways of 20 minutes from Mt. Holly. Modified PATCO would offer headways of 20 minutes from Mt. Holly and 10 minutes from Mt. Laurel. With Modified PATCO, Moorestown also would have headways of 10 minutes. Where headways of 10 minutes may be unacceptable to Moorestown, 20 minute headways at rush hour may be tolerable by the community and certainly feasible for a single track through Moorestown. - Commuter rail trains are only six inches wider than a modified PATCO vehicle; 10 feet, 6 inches compared to 10 feet. All modes during the peak would require multiple car consists. All modes during some off peak hours would run single car consists. - The technical feasibility of the merging of a no transfer, three branch PATCO/modified PATCO system is in question and under review by New Jersey Transit. - Commuter rail would have the greatest likelihood of being extended to Route 206, Pemberton, Fort Dix and beyond. Longer haul service is a forte of commuter rail. The longest light rail line in the country is 22 miles. The main destinations are in the middle of this line, with a one-seat ride to those destinations. - Commuter rail seats are at least 20.5 inches wide. Light rail seats, because of the narrowness of the vehicle, are 17.5 inches. - Commuter rail offers the smoothest ride. - Commuter rail is FRA compatible with freight service 24 hours a day. Unlike with modified PATCO and light rail, freight service would not have to be relegated to the hours between midnight and 6:00 am. Freight service is increasing on the existing right-of-way. The local freight operates Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Last fall one- or two-car trains were not uncommon. In recent months, it has been running upward of 20 cars. Local communities react strongly when the industrial parks of Hainesport and Moorestown are serviced even occasionally after 7:00 pm., let alone consistently after midnight. Although DVARP and NJ-ARP have strongly encouraged the consideration of commuter (regional) rail, neither organization at this time has endorsed a particular mode as the preferred alternative. More study data is yet to come before an informed judgement can be made. ##L Route 23 Celebration One hundred years ago, August 12, 1894, electric cars replaced horse cars between Chelten Ave and Pelhem Depot (today called Germantown Depot). The first operation on Route 23 occurred October 1, 1859 when the horse cars were tested. Passenger service from 7th & Diamond to the depot began 8 days later. The line was extended to 8th & Dauphin in 1872. Electric streetcar operation began August 5, 1894 between 8th & Dauphin and Chelten Ave. and was extended a second time on February 3, 1895 from Pelham Depot to Germantown & Rex. Many extensions and changes later the line became Route 23. On August 13, 1994, the Philadelphia Trolley Coalition (PTC), the Philadelphia Street Railway Historical Society (PSRHS), SEPTA, and DVARP held a birthday party for the Route 23 electric trolley. Shortly after 11am, the crowd of about 100 persons was welcomed to the ceremony by SEPTA's Ed Springer. Joe Mannix of BVTA and NRHS, spoke on the significance of the event. Chuck Bode, DVARP, urged the crowd to contact their elected officials for funding so SEPTA can repair the wire, track, and substations, and buy new streetcars. Joel Spivak, PTC, unveiled a plaque (funded by individual contributions of PTC, PSRHS, and DVARP members) placed on the Depot commemorating the event. LRV 9111 took the crowd on a short ride, followed by an inspection of Germantown Depot and 3 generations of streetcars (2 Peter Witts, several PCCs and LRV 9111). 9111 made several revenue service trips on Route 23 between Chestnut Hill and Ontario Street. SEPTA's Training Dept. concluded the full day by showing trolley videos, including a National City Lines promotional movie alleging the great improvements made when PTC's streetcars were replaced by buses and when PTC moved its offices from expensive Center City to less costly Wyoming Avenue. This event again demonstrated the value of SEPTA working with the community. Articles favorable to public transportation appeared in several papers both before and after the event, nearby residents received a good impression of SEPTA, and passengers got another chance to try LRVs. --CB ##M Letters To The Editor This section includes excerpts from several letters in the interests of furthering discussion and presenting alternate viewpoints. From Michael Prosch 6/24/94 [suggestions for empowerment] "...announce all the stops beforehand (that is, before the train actually stops)." "...My use of SEPTA involves R6, R5 (PRR part), route 100 and route 125. (Not all for the same trip!) I use the latter two rarely for the primary reason that the 125 bus takes such a circular and time-consuming route from Valley Forge to Gulph Mills. Usually, I could drive to Villanova and back in the time the bus/route 100 trip takes." From Art Munson 6/17/94 "I hope that any future changes or 'improvements' will keep the passengers' ride foremost. After all, that is the final product." "After all the money spent in recent years on STD, we still have 3 incompatible rail systems radiating out of 69th Street Terminal, each needs its own special emergency cars, rather than a common pool." "The renewed vehicles and tracks assure yet more decades of incompatibility." "...and after all the money spent at 69th Street Terminal, there is no improvement with respect to the great loss of time during transfers." "I also notice that the new cars on the 100 race with great power to the next station, only to lose time standing still for the rather clumsy fare collection process. ##N Ooops DVARP volunteers apologize for the blank page 15 in the September Delaware Valley Rail Passenger. It was intended to have text, but somewhere between the PC and the printing press the page became blank. Newsletter production 100 miles from the printing plant prevents face- to-face communication, so the problem was not discovered until the newsletter was being mailed.--CB [NOTE--This problem did not affect the electronic edition--MDM] ##O Upcoming DVARP Meetings: OCTOBER GENERAL MEETING CANCELED Due to a lack of business, the DVARP meeting scheduled for Saturday, October 15, at the Lansdowne Public Library has been canceled. Commuter Rail Committee: Call DVARP voice-mail, 215-222-3373, message box 2 for meeting schedule Light Rail Committee: October 29, 1:00 pm., the coffee bar at Borders book store in Chestnut Hill November 26, 1:00 pm., same location South Jersey Committee: Call DVARP voice-mail, 215-222-3373, message box 7 for meeting schedule Transit Committee: No meeting scheduled this month ##P Dues Increase Coming After much thought, the members at the September meeting approved an increase in dues effective January 1, 1995. After several years of level dues, this increase is necessary because of postal rate increases. The regular dues will be $16.00 beginning in 1995. The higher level categories were not increased because they cover their expenses. Introductory ($10) and Special ($7.50) were not increased because of their specific purpose and because only a few members are in these categories. Members can save themselves $1.00 by sending their 1995 dues before the end of the year.--CB ##Q Cross County Bus A map has surfaced of a possible bus route linking Cottman Ave in Northeast Philadelphia with Jenkintown, Glenside, Fort Washington Office Center, Ambler, Montgomery Mall, and several RRD stations, medical facilities, and malls. Word seems to be that local elected officials are not supportive of this latest attempt to start a route across boundaries. Supporters might make more progress by increasing the cost to $100 million and calling it the Cross-County-MetroBus. Until then passengers have to use several bus and train lines--with multiple fares and a detour through Center City Philadelphia--to get from one point along the proposed route to another--or buy a car.--CB ##R DVARP Phone & Voice-mail Directory DVARP main number (voice mail line) 215-222-3373 9 Chuck Bode, President 215-222-3373 6 Robert H. Machler, VP-Administration 215-222-3373 5 Sharon Shneyer, VP-Public Relations 215-386-2644 3 Matthew Mitchell, Newsletter Editor 215-885-7448 4 Betsey Clark, Volunteer Coordinator 215-222-3373 8 Mark Sanders, Treasurer 215-222-3373 2 John Pawson, Commuter RR Comm. 215-659-7736 (6 to 9 pm please) 3 Transit Committee 215-222-3373 7 Don Nigro, South Jersey Committee 609-869-0020 Dan Radack, Bicycle Coordinator 215-232-6303 Computer e-mail (internet) dvarp@libertynet.org ##T DVARP Membership Coupon Yes, I want to support improved passenger train service in our region! Here are my DVARP membership dues for 1994! Name Address City, State, Zip Please choose a membership category below, enclose check and mail to: DVARP, PO Box 7505, Philadelphia, PA 19101 ( ) Regular: $15.00 ( ) Family: $20.00 ( ) Supporting: $25.00 ( ) Sustaining: $50.00 ( ) Patron: $75.00 ( ) Benefactor: $100.00 ( ) IntroductoryÑnew members only: $10.00 ( ) under 21 or over 65: $7.50 --END--