EVENT ALERT: MAY 4 - LAST DAY FOR INPUT ON SEPTA CAPITAL PLANS FOR RY 2016

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All:

You may have been busily enjoying the abundance of mild weather and not have taken any of the many modes of transportation offered by SEPTA - or you've become so desensitized to the system that you pay absolutely no attention whatsoever to the rolling stock you use to get around Philly every day - and the region beyond it - so that includes regional rail, buses, and senior vehicles and other modes of transportation under the auspices of SEPTA.

SEPTA | Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority www.septa.org/

 
Or you might even think that your opinion doesn't matter so you paid no attention to the banners that are calling for public input - but if you do have something to contribute, tomorrow - May 4, 2015 - is your last day for the 2016 fiscal year.  Notice, I didn't say for the 2015 Fiscal year - that was held last year, and is currently in the works for implementation.

No, SEPTA, in their wisdom, holds their hearings a year prior to when the needed changes or acquisition occur in order to give themselves sufficient time to do the research and make sure they have obtained the appropriate equipment, material and supplies to bring on board.


It's actually a great way to run a railroad - and a transit system.  However, without adequate community input, it can cause some problems down the line when they are implemented.

As a former transit administrator, and one who believes that a city is only as good as its transportation system, I attended one of the hearings to see how they were conducted - last Thursday, April 30 at the 5:00pm session - and to my shock and dismay, there were only three groups there - myself and two others - and board members from SEPTA.

Of course at first glance one could only surmise that Philadelphians don't care about their transit system.  But from the commentary I am constantly hearing, that would be totally incorrect.  It probably is more to the point that the hearings are not held at a time conducive for broad based community input:  the midday hearing is scheduled for 11:00 AM; the evening hearing is scheduled for 5:00 PM.  That only works if you're not working or you have an 8am to 4pm job, and can get to the hearing, at 1234 Market in time to make your statement.   Or your lunch hour will allow you sufficient time to be there at 11:00AM to participate.

Community input would probably increase significantly if the evening hearings were scheduled for 6:00PM instead of 5:00 giving folks sufficient time to make it to SEPTA Headquarters.

That aside, there were some really great concepts in the table, generated by the board and their consultants, most of which can be obtained by logging onto www.septa.org  - or if you have any concepts you want to include, but could not attend the hearing, can be emailed to them at capbudget@septa.org - before the close of business on May 4, 2015.


The Theme is "Rebuilding SEPTA for the Future," so make sure you reference that title when you submit your comments.  Just so we're clear, capital budget is centered around such issues as improvements to the infrastrucure - bridges, trestles, tunnels, platforms, etc., replacement of railcars that have exceeded useful life; as well as buses and, alas, trolleys (if one would think that I'm not overly fond of trolleys, one would probably be correct)

The following are the recommendations I suggested during the hearing:

1)  DO NOT RE-ESTABLISH A TROLLEY SYSTEM ALONG THE 23 ROUTE ON GERMANTOWN AVE - THAT WOULD ADD TO CONGESTION, BACK UPS AND DIFFICULTY IN MANUVERING VEHICLES ALONG AN ALREADY NARROW THOROUGHFARE - IT'S A TRANSPORTATION NIGHTMARE!

2.  THE NEW RAILCARS ON SEPTA REGIONAL RAIL DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT SPACE FOR LUGGAGE - A MAJOR OVERSIGHT, CAUSING THERE TO BE FEWER SEATS DURING RUSH HOURS WHEN LUGGAGE IS EITHER PUT IN THE SEAT ADJACENT TO THE PASSENGER OR IN THE AISLEWAY - CAUSING CONGESTION AND POSSIBLE ACCIDENTS.

3.  THERE SHOULD BE ELEVATORS OR ESCALATORS AT MORE STATIONS ALONG THE BROAD STREET LINE - FOR SENIORS WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY MANUVERING THE STAIR.  THERE SHOULD BE ESCALATORS ON PLATFORMS FOR THE BROAD STREET LINE TO THE MEZZANINE AND TRANSFER POINTS TO THE MARKET STREET LINE AT CITY HALL.

4.  THE SIXTEEN (16) BUS, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY SLOW, SHOULD HAVE DOUBLE OR RECTICULATED BUSES DURING RUSH HOURS  - 

5.  THE TRAINS ON REGIONAL RAIL ARE NOT WHEEL CHAIR OR HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE AT MOST STATIONS OUTSIDE JEFFERSON, SUBURBAN AND 30TH STREET - THERE NEEDS TO BE MAJOR CHANGES IN THE WAY THE TRAINS ARE DESIGNED IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE WHO HAVE MOBILITY DIFFICULTIES - THE STATIONS OUTSIDE THE AREA, BETWEEN NORTH PHILADELPHIA AND TRENTON, EITHER NEED TO HAVE THE PLATFORMS BUILT UP TO MEET THE STAIRS, OR SPECIAL EQUIPMENT TO  HELP THOSE WITH WHEEL CHAIRS EXIT SAFELY; OR THE TRAINS HAVE SPECIAL EQUIPMENT TO SAFELY LOWER THE PASSENGERS TO THE PLATFORM.

6.  SEPTA SHOULD KEEP IN MIND THAT PHILADELPHIA IS HEADQUARTERS FOR THE 2016 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, AND BEGIN NOW TO MAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR INCREASED RIDERSHIP - TO THE STADIUMS, NAVAL YARD AND OTHER VENUES THROUGHOUT PHILLY - IT WOULD BE A CRUSHING EMBARRASSMENT TO NOT HAVE THE UPGRADES IN PLACE IN SUFFICIENT FOR THE CONVENTION - ONE OF THE WAYS TO MITIGATE THIS IS VIA A MONORAIL SYSTEM THAT COULD BE UTILIZED THROUGHOUT PHILADELPHIA, BE A GREAT TOURIST ATTRACTION, TAKE A SHORT TIME TO CONSTRUCT, AND DOES NOT POLLUTE.  JAPANESE AND OTHER COUNTRIES USE MONORAILS AS THEIR PRIMARY SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION - THE GREAT THING ABOUT THEM IS THEY TAKE LESS THAN A YEAR TO CONSTRUCT AND COMPLETE - IT MAY WELL BE THE SOLUTION TO PHILLY'S OUTMODED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.  ADDITIONALLY, SINCE REGIONAL RAIL WILL WITNESS HEAVY INCREASES, IT IS HOPED THAT THE RENOVATION OF THE MALL WILL BE COMPLETED IN SUFFICIENT TIME TO NOT CAUSE ANY DIFFICULTIES AND TO BENEFIT FROM THE INCREASE IN REVENUE THAT IS SURE TO BE GENERATED - I.E. WAKE UP EVERYBODY - YOU'RE OFFICIALLY ON A TIME LINE AS OF NOW !!

= TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE TO GET IT TOGETHER!

7.  REGIONAL RAIL NEEDS TO HAVE THEIR STATIONS OPEN AT NIGHT  - ESPECIALLY IN SOME OF THE REMOTE AREAS - THERE COULD BE THE HAZARDS OF ACCIDENTS OR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY - HAVING SOMEONE THERE TO PROVIDE A SENSE OF SECURITY COULD MITIGATE THIS PROBLEM.

8.  STENTON STATION IS NOT WHEEL CHAIR ACCESSIBLE AND HAS A VERY STEEP GRADE FOR ACCESS AND EXIT - IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR SOMEONE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS TO ACCESS THE TRAIN FROM THAT STATION. 

9.  STATIONS ALONG THE BROAD/RIDGE SPUR NEED TO BE UPGRADED - FAIRMONT, CHINATOWN, ERIE; AS WELL AS THOSE ALONG THE BROAD STREET LOCAL - WYOMING, HUNTING PARK, ALLEGHENY, NEED SERIOUS UPGRADE {WYOMING AND HUNTING PARK, CHINATOWN, TASKER/MORRIS AS WELL AS ALL THE LOCAL LINES WOULD BENEFIT FROM EITHER ESCALATORS OR ELEVATORS OR BOTH} - BY NOW THERE SHOULD BE A WAY FOR PASSENGERS TO TRANSFER BETWEEN THE BROAD/RIDGE STATION AND THE MARKET STREET STATION AT 8TH STREET - THEY'RE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER TO NOT HAVE WORKED THIS OUT BY NOW.

10) SNYDER AVE STATION HAS TWO UP ESCALATORS ACROSS THE STREET FROM EACH OTHER, BUT NO DOWN ESCALATOR; ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS NO ESCALATOR OR ELEVATOR FROM THE PLATFORM TO THE MEZZANINE - SO IT'S NOT FULLY ACCESSIBLE (WHO THOUGHT THAT ONE UP?) AT LEAST ONE OF THE ESCALATORS SHOULD BE FOR GOING DOWN TO THE MEZZANINE.  

11)  IN AREAS WHERE THE BUSES ARE RUNNING 30 AND 45 MINUTES APART, PASSENGERS SHOULD BE ACCOMMODATED WITH COVERED, LIGHTED KIOSKS WITH SEATS - SENIORS ESPECIALLY HAVE DIFFICULTY STANDING EXTENDED LENGTHS OF TIME. 

In 2012 the APTA - American Public Transportation Association - gave SEPTA high marks for it's beautiful stations and upgraded infrastructure -  it's time to get one to match that one - the good thing is that SEPTA is not resting on its laurels.  And with community input there will no doubt be more awards to come.

Stay Blessed
Gloria Dulan-Wilson

-->