SEPTA Fleet News - September 2001 Archives

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SEPTA FLEET NEWS ARCHIVES

September 2001

September 29, 2001

Destination signs on SEPTA buses are reading "WELCOME APTA", however on the NABIs and Artics, the signs flash "WELCOME", then "APTA". You mean to tell me that the entire phrase couldn't fit on one line?

Today is the day that Philadelphia area bus fans (such as myself) have been looking forward to. The APTA International Bus Roadeo takes place today at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center (aka the Philadelphia Navy Yard) in South Philadelphia is this Saturday. Training day is on Friday with the competition scheduled to start at 7:00am. Shuttle buses, which began running at 6:00am this morning, will depart every 6-10 minutes from the Marriott across from SEPTA Headquarters at the northwest corner of 12 St/Market St. Zenon "John" Rinylo of Southern Depot, representing SEPTA, will compete at around 3:21pm, followed by NJ Transit's three representatives: Dan Bruey of Egg Harbor, Pat Flynn of Wayne, and Edwin Negron of Ironbound. Both SEPTA and NJT will have teams in the maintenance category.

September 27, 2001

A window from one of the rear doors on Callowhill 3445 fell out of place on Wednesday while in service at a 42 Westbound bus. According to a report at phl.transportation, the operator simply took the window pane to his seat and drove off. That's a wonderful way for SEPTA to welcome transit authority administrators from around the country, now isn't it?

September 25, 2001

The bus that was seen at 1234 Market St was actually an Orion VII low floor demo. Apparently, SEPTA is considering this model for it's next low floor purchase, even though the New Flyer D40LFs have yet to be phased into service. MTA/New York City Transit is already scheduled to recieve 125 diesel/hybrid Orion VII buses, and a yet to be determined number of CNG Orion VII buses. That order, however, is being delayed due to reliability problems that NYCT encountered in testing the bus. Given SEPTA's poor track record when it comes to new buses (the Ikarus/NABI fiasco comes to mind, as does the botched 30-ft bus order), I wouldn't be shocked if SEPTA chooses the Orion VII down the road. When that order is placed, they would begin to replace the 3000-series Neoplans.

SEPTA is reportedly planning to add benches at the bus bays of Olney Terminal in the near future.

Southern #3107 and #3213 were spotted on training runs at the King of Prussia Mall park and ride lot. Either those two buses have since gone to Frontier, or Southern drivers are now being trained on Frontier routes. In either case, this was a very odd spotting indeed.

September 24, 2001

When the west end of the Market-Frankford El operated shuttle buses over the past few weekends, major delays were noted on Saturdays around the area of Amtrak 30 St Station. Part of the reason for the delays is the increased security at major Amtrak stations.

A low floor bus was on display in front of SEPTA Headquarters last week. It is believed to have been one of the New Flyer low floors SEPTA is about to recieve, however I haven't been able to get firm confirmation on it.

SEPTA appears to be doing major maintenance at it's web site today (as of 2:30pm, EST). The list of routes and schedules are unavailable.

SEPTA is going forward with a plan to improve the traffic signals along the 10 trolley line along Lansdowne and Lancaster Avenues. This is apparently the first noticable sign that SEPTA is taking this "Transit First" proposal seriously. Another "Transit First" proposal would improve the traffic signals along 52 St for the 52 bus in West Philadelphia.

The Bucks County TMA is planning to start new bus services in the Quakertown/Perkasie/Sellersville area starting early next year. One proposed route would link Upper Bucks with the Lansdale Rail Station on the R5 line, while a second route would loop through Upper Bucks.

On a related note, I have just opened a page which list most - if not all - non-SEPTA operated transit services in the SEPTA Operating Area.

A new park and ride lot in Upper Merion will be put into service on October 29, the date of the Frontier schedule change. On that date, Route 125 will begin serving the King of Prussia Park and Ride lot at the intersection of S Gulph Rd & Bill Smith Blvd, which is near the I-76/US 202 interchange. A park & ride facility is already in place at the King of Prussia shopping complex, near the bus stop at JC Penneys, but is hardly ever used.

September 23, 2001

In an odd and seemingly strange irony, PATCO and Camden County, N.J. were slated to stage a full scale anti-terrorism drill on the Speedline literally moments before the first plane struck the Twin Towers in Manhattan. The drill was subsequently postponed and PATCO would later go into peak hour mode.

Confusion is reigning over the long-term status of Callowhill Depot. SEPTA had been in the process of renovating the current site at 58 St/Callowhill St, even doing some minor demolition work at the depot. However, it appears that SEPTA is actually planning to build a facility in the 52 St area to replace the current Callowhill site, which will undoubtedly impact the restoration of the 15 to LRT status and the return of the 10 to Callowhill.

September 20, 2001

Thomas Jay Ellis was introduced as the new SEPTA Board Member from Montgomery County, taking over the seat held by ex-MontCo Commissioner Mario Mele, who burned enough political bridges in Norristown to make the DRPA jealous. The original choice to replace Mele was former Pennsylvania GOP Chairman (and convicted perjurer) Robert Asher. It's good to see that common sense has finally prevailed at Norristown Courthouse.

Security at SEPTA Headquarters has increased, almost to the point of stifling, which is understandable given the recent events of the past two weeks. On the other hand, from casual observations, security at some depots have not been stepped up to the same level as they have at 1234 Market. Considering it was not that long ago when some criminal simply walked into the Red Arrow yard and drove off with 8859, eventually ramming it into a house in West Philadelphia, I have to wonder is SEPTA is as serious about increasing security at it's bus depots as it is about turning 1234 Market into a virtual fortress.
At 1234 Market, visitors - even those attending SEPTA Board Meetings - are now required to sign in at the security desk. In addition, people are not permitted to leave bags unattended in the Board Room (I found this out the hard way from a rather rude SEPTA Police Seargent who literally got in my face after I went to use the bathroom prior to today's meeting). Of course, there's still a spotty SEPTA Police presence at it's bus terminals and subway stations (unless SEPTA has increased it's plainclothes details).

At today's SEPTA Board meeting, GM Jack Leary claimed that SEPTA was in full rush hour mode on Tuesday, September 11, after Philadelphia officials responded to the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, and Somerset County. Leary's statement would have been true, but he conveniently forgot to mention that the ex-PRR side of the Regional Rail system was shut down due to the evacuation of Amtrak's 30 St Station.

Speaking of Leary, I have been hearing rumors that he may not be serving as General Manager of SEPTA after his current contract expires. Depending on which story you believe, Leary is either burned out from the political haggling that permeates the culture at SEPTA (see: Nunn, Wallace; Rendell, Edward; and so on) or that he has worn out his welcome with some members of the board. Bear in mind that this is only a rumor, based on some gossip I've been hearing from some sources (who are not among my regular credited contributors), but there is a possibility that there may be a new SEPTA GM at some point next year. If anything more substantial can be confirmed, I'll pass it along.

Public hearings for Part 2 of the Annual Service Plan - focusing mainly on Delaware County, West Chester, and the Andorra section of Northwest Philadelphia - will be held sometime in early November; no official dates have been announced.

The New Flyer low floors are due on SEPTA property within the next two months. Maybe they'll show up in time for Thanksgiving. Considering these buses were ordered about 3 years ago, I wouldn't set that date in stone.

September 17, 2001

Route 77 saw a couple of odd sightings over the past two weekends. On September 9, an artic was spotted operating along Twp Line Rd. Yesterday (9/16), 1320 was reported pulling down service on the 77, which is odd since all 13xx-series Neos are reportedly retired.

September 14, 2001

SEPTA is operating special shuttle service to the Mann Music Center on Sunday night for a special Philadelphia Orchestra Relief Concert, which starts at 7:00pm. Buses will start at 19 St/Locust St at 5:20pm and 5:50pm. Buses will also stop at Broad St/Locust St, Broad St/Chestnut St, the Mariott Courtyard (across from City Hall on Juniper St), Philadelphia Mariott (12 St/Market St), 15 St/JFK Blvd, 20 St/Parkway, and 2601 Pkwy Apts. Regular SEPTA fares will apply for this service. In addition, Routes 38, 40, and 43 serve 49 St/Parkside Av, which is two blocks away from the Mann; Route 52 stops at 52 St/Jefferson St, which is two blocks away from the Mann.

September 11, 2001

Most of the Regional Rail lines on the ex-Pennsy side were shut down for several hours after Amtrak suspended service along the Northeast Corridor due to the terrorist attacks in Lower Manhattan. Many passengers along the R5 Paoli LIne were sent to 69 St Terminal to catch the P&W or 105. The 103 and 106 also saw a lot of displaced Paoli Line passengers headed to Ardmore.
The 1:30pm 111 to Springfield Mall was overcrowded to the point where both front and rear stairwells were full on an ElDorado. A 40-ft Neoplan was then put into service to carry the overflow.
Countless other routes system-wide were overburdended with displaced riders from the Airport, Marcus Hook/Wilmington, Media/Elwyn, Cynwyd, Trenton, and Chestnut Hill West.
Some of the other lines which was increased traffic due to the RRD shutdown included the 23, 38, 44, 65, 70, 84, 92, 95, 99, 102, 107, 108, 109, 113, 114, 115, 124/125, 127, 128, 129, 133, and the 200-series routes which connect with the Paoli Line (204, 206, 208 and the WHIRL).
The P&W saw two-car trains operating local service (carrying much of the overflow back to Brym Mawr, Rosemont, Radnor, and Villanova), as did the 102 Sharon Hill Line (which saw some overflow from the Elwyn Line en route to Clifton-Aldan.
SEPTA did not appear to have sufficent working buses to accomodate a lot of the stranded RRD riders in order to add extra service on some of the Red Arrow routes, nor were any rail shuttles operated to help passengers get back to Delaware (stranded riders on the Wilmington line really had few - if any - options to get back to Claymont, Wilmington, Churchman's Crossing, or Newark). Other RRD riders endured 3 or even 4 transfers to get back to their RRD station.
After the City of Philadelphia effectively shut the city down and evacuated Center City, there were lengthy lines reported at several El Stations, including 15 St. The peak-hour turnstiles at 15 St (these are the turnstiles in the area of 16 St/Market St which are only used during rush hours) were not opened. Additionally, fare collection, was not suspended, causing lengthy lines of riders not used to boarding the El or the Broad Street Line, and even furthering delays. (As a matter of comparison, most rail and transit systems in New York and other cities, such as Boston, did suspend fare collection in order to expedite the flow of traffic out of the central business areas.)
Under the cirumstances, SEPTA did as good as it possibly could, however, from my observations today, more could have been done. I had reported that some buses were recently retired simply due to expired inspection stickers - regardless of condition of the buses - which reduced the number of operable vehicles available. If a few more of the retired buses were available for service, then a lot of delays for riders returning to Delaware County and the Main Line could have been prevented (ie. added service on the 105, 109, and 111).

Paratransit service is also affected by the events of today. SEPTA Customized Community Transportation (SEPTA Connect Paratransit) will operate as if it were a snow day, as the nation's communications systems are experiencing major difficulties. In effect, all non-essential trips will be cancelled tomorrow. Normal service will resume on Thursday.

September 7, 2001

SEPTA is celebrating Try Transit Week starting on Sunday. A listing of events can be found here. As you will see, there aren't too many exciting events, just a bunch of SEPTA On-Site sessions and a few transit fairs. There are no special promotions such as the $1.00 per ride attempted in 1999 (then again, why would SEPTA give riders a break, right?).

September 6, 2001 (I know, it's long, but there's a lot of ground to cover today)

Good news on the timetable front. The subway-surface timetables - except for the 34 - have finally been issued. Only the new 18, 23, 26, 34, 37, 101, and 102 timetables remain unissued.

On another timetable related note, the Market-Frankford El schedules are dated to take effect on September 30. Either this is related to the El shutdowns on weekends this month, or someone at SEPTA forgot to proofread this timetable.

Speaking of collosal goof-ups, SEPTA neglected to remove the zone payment information from the new 108 timetable, despite the fact that the 108 is now a one zone ride. With all the new revenue SEPTA is getting after the fare hike, you'd think they could afford a proofreader.

Market-Frankford El shuttles will operate on the west end between 15 St/City Hall and 69 St Terminal for the next 6 weekends starting this weekend.

Starting on the weekend of October 27-28, and for three weekends thereafter, El shuttles will operate on the east end between Center City and Frankford. More details will be made available around that time.

A public hearing is scheduled for October 9 at the Evans Center at 53 St/Parkside Av in Philadelphia to make permanent a school tripper re-routing. The 52 trippers are presently extended and re-routed to the Parkside Loop.

Part 1 of the FY 2002 Annual Service Plan has gone to tariff. This year's plan is being presented in two parts: Part 1 involves the redesignating of Route 76 into the proposed Shoppers Loop; Part 2 mainly involves major changes to several Red Arrow routes out of 69 St Terminal. A public hearing will be held for Part 1 of the ASP at 10:30am on October 10 at SEPTA Headquarters. The tariffs for Part 2 have not been released as of yet. The reason Part 1 is being fast-tracked is to get this new service operating in time for the holiday season (two words: "Good luck.")

Rumors have been floating around that SEPTA may not purchase new ETBs after all. More details will follow as soon as I can confirm this rumor.

Suburban transit riders have had difficulties swiping their Cross County Passes through the fareboxes on buses and trolleys this month. While the passes for this month are valid, the farebox pass readers are not accepting them for some odd reason.

The start of Keystone Quality Transport's contract to operate Route 314 took effect on Tuesday. Apparently, the delay in the switch from Krapf's to KQT was due to the forthcoming schedule change. It will be interesting to see how the operation of the route on it's current schedule will pan out due to the deadheading from KQT's Media garage to Boothwyn, West Chester, or Studio Park.

Another ElDorado popped up on the 104 in West Chester yesterday. Block 12 used 4539 on it's 9:30am, 11:30am, and 1:40pm trips out of West Chester.

DART First State's attempts to add Sunday service to parts of New Castle County for the first time in decades is on hold due to a lack of funding by the City of Wilmington. It appears that Sunday service might not start until next spring.

September 4, 2001

SEPTA ran shuttle buses on the R3 Elwyn line on the entire length due to downed trees and wires near Swarthmore Station. Shuttle buses from Red Arrow, Callowhill, and possibly Southern are operating emergency service. Buses were having difficulties in the Clifton Heights area due to road paving on Baltimore Pike.

Despite the fact that the new SEPTA schedules took effect this past Labor Day weekend, new timetables have not been issued for these routes: 10, 11, 13, 18, 23, 26, 34, 36, 37, 101, and 102. Now I know this may be too much to ask, but wouldn't it make sense to have ALL the timetables printed at least a week before the schedules change? (Wait, that would make sense ... and since this is SEPTA, don't count on that happening.)

By the way, is it any coincidence that the missing timetables involve routes centered around Southwest Philadelphia and Germantown?