Philadelphia Transportation Thread

[Jayfar]

Article at Governing.com by former PlanPhilly writer Jake Blumgart:

Transit-Commuting Workers in Steady Decline: Study | Governing.com

While wealthy cities have managed to grow transit ridership, overall numbers have dropped by nearly 50 percent since 1970. The decrease in riders makes it harder for officials to support future transit investments.

Excerpt:
Boggan’s experience highlights one of the findings in a new report from the Urban Institute that shows over the last 50 years the percentage of workers commuting by transit fell from nine percent to five percent. That overall decline obscures some regions that have seen increased ridership, including places as disparate as New York and Salt Lake City. Others have seen sharp falls, including Philadelphia.

The City of Brotherly Love has lost the most transit riders of any American metropolitan area since 1970. It is the only region that lost over 100,000 riders in that time period. The Philadelphia metropolitan area actually added 900,000 workers in that time, as many as the Boston region, where transit ridership grew by over 120,000 over the same period.

The difference is that more of Boston's new jobs, and population, have settled in the city center or one of the transit-oriented small cities — like Cambridge and Somerville — that border it.

“Boston has been able to attract a white-collar, tech-focused base of workers in their downtown in a way that Philadelphia has not,” says Yonah Freemark, senior research associate in Metropolitan Housing and Communities at the Urban Institute. “You can see that Philadelphia's GDP per capita is much lower than Boston's. The types of jobs that are available in any individual metropolitan area influence how many people use public transportation, because tech jobs are more likely to be focused downtown.”

[TonyTone]

Originally Posted by Jayfar

Article at Governing.com by former PlanPhilly writer Jake Blumgart:

Transit-Commuting Workers in Steady Decline: Study | Governing.com

While wealthy cities have managed to grow transit ridership, overall numbers have dropped by nearly 50 percent since 1970. The decrease in riders makes it harder for officials to support future transit investments.

Excerpt:
Boggan’s experience highlights one of the findings in a new report from the Urban Institute that shows over the last 50 years the percentage of workers commuting by transit fell from nine percent to five percent. That overall decline obscures some regions that have seen increased ridership, including places as disparate as New York and Salt Lake City. Others have seen sharp falls, including Philadelphia.

The City of Brotherly Love has lost the most transit riders of any American metropolitan area since 1970. It is the only region that lost over 100,000 riders in that time period. The Philadelphia metropolitan area actually added 900,000 workers in that time, as many as the Boston region, where transit ridership grew by over 120,000 over the same period.

The difference is that more of Boston's new jobs, and population, have settled in the city center or one of the transit-oriented small cities — like Cambridge and Somerville — that border it.

“Boston has been able to attract a white-collar, tech-focused base of workers in their downtown in a way that Philadelphia has not,” says Yonah Freemark, senior research associate in Metropolitan Housing and Communities at the Urban Institute. “You can see that Philadelphia's GDP per capita is much lower than Boston's. The types of jobs that are available in any individual metropolitan area influence how many people use public transportation, because tech jobs are more likely to be focused downtown.”

Sooo maybe the issues can be solved if they actually listen to the people who ride the system and want to ride it.

#1 Better Train/more often train times.

#2 CLEAN THE SUBWAY AND TRAIN CARS

#3 Fix the QOL issues on/in the subway many many complaints about that causing Many riders to not use it or use it less.

Philly has so much potential and it just does shit so backwards.

[TonyTone]

Hey Mcgrath how many Rail Trolley Lines are Left and how many are planned to come back?

[summersm343]

Little Tidbit about Glassboro-Camden line in South Jersey from the Philadelphia Business Journal

In addition to the overhaul of Walter Rand, other transportation projects are in the works that are expected to have an impact. Among those is a $2 billion Glassboro-Camden Line. The 18-mile light rail project has reached several planning milestones including an environmental study and preliminary engineering work. Bids will next be sought for project management.

“It does signal that the project is moving forward,” Nash said. “The first riders will be on the train within five years.”

Article behind paywall below:
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...of-growth.html

[202_Cyclist]

Take a new train to the plane? Group pushing for Atlantic City airport station.



Passengers wait outside of the terminal at the Atlantic City International Airport. Depending on the results of a study, travelers could use a train station proposed on the northern border of the airport property. (Noah K. Murray -The Star Ledger)


By Larry Higgs
Aug. 22, 2021

"Next stop Atlantic City Airport? The announcement could be heard on Atlantic City Line trains, depending on the outcome of a study about building a station at the north end of the airport.

NJ Transit and South Jersey Transportation Authority, which operates Atlantic City Airport, agreed to conduct a study about the feasibility of building a station on land a developer has offered in Galloway Township.

And the Atlantic City Rail Line has its own advocacy group, which backs the proposed airport station and other improvements to bring more passengers to trains and possibly to the airport..."

https://www.nj.com/news/2021/08/take...t-station.html

[summersm343]

Sounds good to me!

[summersm343]

Amtrak’s Vision: New York – Philadelphia – Reading

Corridor Growth
Although Reading and Philadelphia are only 60 miles apart from each other, the two have not been connected by passenger rail service since 1981. The proposed route will add frequencies along the Northeast Corridor between New York City and Philadelphia and connect Reading to Philadelphia.

Reading’s population has grown by over 15% in the past two decades and Reading’s overall metropolitan area population is over 700,000 residents, making it the fifth largest metro in the state of Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, since 2000, Reading has added 35,000 new jobs to the economy. New York City and Philadelphia have added 750,000 jobs and 100,000 jobs in the same period, respectively.

The new route would connect over a dozen universities and over fifty Fortune 500 companies and connect to services on the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak’s national network, SEPTA, Metro-North, Long Island Rail Road, and New Jersey Transit. These new rail connections would improve mobility for underserved communities and provide reliable and efficient transportation to education and employment opportunities in the region.


Proposed Stations
New York Penn Station
Newark, NJ
Newark Airport, NJ
Metropark, NJ
New Brunswick, NJ
Princeton Junction, NJ
Trenton, NJ
Cornwell Heights, PA
North Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, PA
Norristown, PA (NEW)
King of Prussia, PA (NEW)
Phoenixville, PA (NEW)
Pottstown, PA (NEW)
Reading, PA (NEW)

This would be pretty cool, and would finally bring rail transit back to to KOP, Phoenixville, Pottstown and Reading and connect it with Philadelphia.

This would also allow SEPTA to piggyback off of Amtrak pretty easily to run commuter trains as well to these spots, and even add a few more stops in between (like Royersford). Hope it happens!

Link below:
https://www.amtrakconnectsus.com/map...lphia-reading/

[Skintreesnail]

A kop stop at the existing port Kennedy railroad station by 422 with a circulator bus down gulph road make so much more sense to me than the nhsl extension...at least based on what kop is today.

[PHL10]

I like this idea.

SEPTA proposes renaming its city rail lines to help everyone get around

https://www.inquirer.com/transportat...-20210907.html

That’s a big opening proposal in the transit agency’s wayfinding master plan, released Tuesday, to make rail transit easier to use in the Philadelphia region. The idea: Unify under one brand a system often thought of line by line, route by route because it’s been labeled that way for a century.

“We perceive all of these services to be so separate we’ve never really emphasized the power of the network that they constitute,” said Lex Powers, the manager of strategic planning at SEPTA who is leading the project.

[Busy Bee]

I beg to differ, I don't particularly see this as necessary. Maybe a simple A & B designation for the two heavy rail lines but beyond that it seems like a good way to spend millions of dollars unnecessarily on new wayfinding and publications while the system doesn't see the significant upgrades and expansion it desperately needs. And the differentiating of the trolley lines beyond the current and historical route numbers makes no sense, especially making 15-Girard some sort of separate mode just because it doesn't run in the subway. Seems like a solution in search of a problem.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

I beg to differ, I don't particularly see this as necessary. Maybe a simple A & B designation for the two heavy rail lines but beyond that it seems like a good way to spend millions of dollars unnecessarily on new wayfinding and publications while the system doesn't see the significant upgrades and expansion it desperately needs. And the differentiating of the trolley lines beyond the current and historical route numbers makes no sense, especially making 15-Girard some sort of separate mode just because it doesn't run in the subway. Seems like a solution in search of a problem.

Although our system doesn't function like the DC Metro, SEPTA does offer some of that mobility in the core. That is, easy transfers between the trollies, the El, and the subway to get different locations in the core but to Joe Visitor, it doesn't appear that way from a naming convention.

Another thing I would change along those lines is naming the spur it's own line with a different color. In my experience with other systems, the Spur would be considered a separate line that runs between Fern Rock and 8th and Market. "If you catch the Purple Line at Olney, it will take you to 8th and Market" is much simpler than "Catch the subway but not the regular subway, the Spur. You catch it at the same station as the Broad Street subway and it's the identical color code but it's got an R and has a different destination." I mean, if you don't live here, it's not clear at all.

[TonyTone]

Have y'all seen this?

Looks like updated plans for a Delaware Ave Trolley

https://www.dvrpc.org/Reports/16046.pdf

Mcgrath any word on how far along this is? Looks pretty new since the Penns Landing cap is included.

[philly_account12]

Originally Posted by PHL10

Another thing I would change along those lines is naming the spur it's own line with a different color. In my experience with other systems, the Spur would be considered a separate line that runs between Fern Rock and 8th and Market. "If you catch the Purple Line at Olney, it will take you to 8th and Market" is much simpler than "Catch the subway but not the regular subway, the Spur. You catch it at the same station as the Broad Street subway and it's the identical color code but it's got an R and has a different destination." I mean, if you don't live here, it's not clear at all.

Making the spur a different color would work, but I prefer the letter & number system. In your scenario, all that needs to be said is: "Catch the orange line at Olney, but make sure you get on a B3 train. The other two don't make stops at 8th & Market." As long as the trains are clearly marked, its basically the same as navigating the local/express schedule that the NYC subway uses.

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by TonyTone

Have y'all seen this?

Looks like updated plans for a Delaware Ave Trolley

https://www.dvrpc.org/Reports/16046.pdf

Mcgrath any word on how far along this is? Looks pretty new since the Penns Landing cap is included.

The cover page says this is from 3 years ago: "November 2018"

[thoughtcriminal]

Originally Posted by PHL10

Although our system doesn't function like the DC Metro, SEPTA does offer some of that mobility in the core. That is, easy transfers between the trollies, the El, and the subway to get different locations in the core but to Joe Visitor, it doesn't appear that way from a naming convention.

Another thing I would change along those lines is naming the spur it's own line with a different color. In my experience with other systems, the Spur would be considered a separate line that runs between Fern Rock and 8th and Market. "If you catch the Purple Line at Olney, it will take you to 8th and Market" is much simpler than "Catch the subway but not the regular subway, the Spur. You catch it at the same station as the Broad Street subway and it's the identical color code but it's got an R and has a different destination." I mean, if you don't live here, it's not clear at all.

agreed, the spur is essentially a separate route that just uses many of the same stops as the main BSL. making it a different color makes sense.
one thing I have steadfastly avoided is calling the MFL the "El". Most of the time when I have taken that line, it has been in Center City where it is underground. that is another confusing thing to non-residents, calling a line that is both underground and above ground an el (although in NYC they still call lines that go above ground in the outer boroughs the "subway.") I'll either call it the MFL or the blue line. but calling it the L line might be ok, although it's kind of cheating. I'll allow it though if it makes things clearer.
I also just read this page explaining the recommendations septa is making: https://planning.septa.org/projects/...commendations/
one confusing thing is that they are calling BSL express trains B2 in a solid orange square, while making the sports express B2 in a white square with orange outline. they should call the sports express B2S or something. Same goes for the T3 trolley lines, don't know what the difference is there (local / express?)
One other interesting thing: they mention that they are working with PATCO to "remove the real and perceived barriers" between the two services - does that mean free interchange? does the PATCO line essentially become a SEPTA subway line?

[philly_account12]

Originally Posted by thoughtcriminal

one confusing thing is that they are calling BSL express trains B2 in a solid orange square, while making the sports express B2 in a white square with orange outline. they should call the sports express B2S or something.

I disagree. Adding more letters/numbers just makes it more confusing and less readable. I think the different colors work because the trains aren't making different stops. People who are not taking the B2 line to the stadiums can board either B2 option and get to where they need to go (so they don't need to pay attention to the colors at all). People who are going to the stadiums should already know they need the special service so they should know what to look out for. And even if they don't, they can just get out when its the last stop at Walnut and catch the correct train there.

As long as the trains/stations are clearly marked then the new design seems like the best design to me.

[philly_account12]

Originally Posted by thoughtcriminal

agreed, the spur is essentially a separate route that just uses many of the same stops as the main BSL. making it a different color makes sense.

To be consistent, they would then need to make the same changes to the M line (Norristown/Future KOP line) and the D line (Delco Trolley lines). They're treating any route that shares multiple stations with another route as the same line (the only exception being the Trolley/MFL but that makes sense).

[hkskyline]

Renovations Of Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station Expected To Begin Next Year
Sep 15, 2021

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A deal has been finalized on the renovation of Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. Amtrak has reached a lease and development agreement with Plenary Infrastructure Philadelphia.

They will refurbish and improve the building, finance the improvements and maintain the station.

Amtrak says the project will improve the customer experience while balancing the station’s historic character.

Work on the renovations will start next year and is expected to be complete by 2025.

More : https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/20...gin-next-year/

[Skintreesnail]

A small amount of movement to better integrate septa regional rail with the rest of the system:

SEPTA wants to make Regional Rail more affordable for Philadelphians by lowering fares and allowing bus, subway, and trolley transfers for people who use the commuter service to travel within the city, the agency announced Tuesday.

https://www.inquirer.com/transportat...-20210921.html

Survey
https://septaregionalrail.typeform.c...www.google.com

[thoughtcriminal]

Originally Posted by Skintreesnail

A small amount of movement to better integrate septa regional rail with the rest of the system:


https://www.inquirer.com/transportat...-20210921.html

Survey
https://septaregionalrail.typeform.c...www.google.com

So they want SEPTA to increase the regional rail service, replace / upgrade its rolling stock, and decrease fares.
good luck with that.