DVARP Public Working Sessions on Mass Transit Issues

[Andy Sharpe]

Billy,

Out of curiosity, what is your opinion on putting bathrooms and trash cans on SEPTA Regional Rail trains? This would put SEPTA in the same league as MBTA, METRA, LIRR, Metro-North, NJT, etc. We'd want to concentrate on bathrooms and trash cans, along with WiFi, in any working session on passenger amenities.

I was torn between NPT and wifi, but I figured that there is a chance that someone like AT&T would be willing to cough up dough like was done on the MBTA to pay for wireless hot spots on trains and at stations, in exchange for naming/advertising rights. This could be a real source of comparitive advantage for SEPTA, with time spent waiting for transit no longer wasted time but possibly productive time. I hate driving long distances because I fall out of communication, whereas when I'm taking PT I stay connected. If SEPTA offered better internet connections it would increase the utility of using SEPTA. I think it would be a shot in the arm for SEPTA and for the city and even for transit-oriented suburbs. If you could work while you commute that'd be a much better use of time than sitting negotiating traffic.

Andy Sharpe
Communications Director
Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers
1601 Walnut St., Suite 1129
Philadelphia, PA 19102-2913
phone: 215-RAILWAY (215-724-5929)
e-mail: sharpe@dvarp.org

[Naveen]

Billy,

Out of curiosity, what is your opinion on putting bathrooms and trash cans on SEPTA Regional Rail trains? This would put SEPTA in the same league as MBTA, METRA, LIRR, Metro-North, NJT, etc. We'd want to concentrate on bathrooms and trash cans, along with WiFi, in any working session on passenger amenities.

I know you asked Billy but I'll chime in too and say both of those would be excellent additions and would maybe even increase regional rail ridership. I used to ride both the former R5 and R2 regularly, and particularly on the R5, the number of people on their laptops was notable. I'm sure the numbers are much higher today. It wouldn't surprise me if there were people who'd ride a regional rail if it meant they could leave the office a bit early and do some work on the train instead of sitting in traffic, thus getting home earlier.

[Andy Sharpe]

After hearing Billy Ross and Naveen, I'm compelled to share a petition with all of you. For those of you who think SEPTA should include restrooms, trash cans, and public Wi-Fi on the next order of Regional Rail train cars, please sign DVARP's petition: Environment Petition: DVARP is trying to get bathrooms and trash cans on SEPTA Regional Rail Trains | Change.org. This petition will certainly be included in any public working session about passenger amenities.

[BarryG]

After hearing Billy Ross and Naveen, I'm compelled to share a petition with all of you. For those of you who think SEPTA should include restrooms, trash cans, and public Wi-Fi on the next order of Regional Rail train cars, please sign DVARP's petition: Environment Petition: DVARP is trying to get bathrooms and trash cans on SEPTA Regional Rail Trains | Change.org. This petition will certainly be included in any public working session about passenger amenities.

They could add Wifi to the existing cars right?

[Andy Sharpe]

Indeed they could. DVARP is focusing on the next order of Regional Rail cars, but if enough of you post wanting Wi-Fi on the existing cars, we'll consider taking that issue up.

They could add Wifi to the existing cars right?

[randomuser]

It is extremely hard to run mass transit (or highways for that matter) at a profit. Would you want to pay Acela-type fares to ride the train/trolley between Newtown Square and Center City? If you and other riders don't, odds are the line will never run at a profit. The Northeast Corridor performs so well because it (in part) subsidizes other parts of the Amtrak system with high fares.

Andy Sharpe
Communications Director
Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers
1601 Walnut St., Suite 1129
Philadelphia, PA 19102-2913
phone: 215-RAILWAY (215-724-5929)
e-mail: sharpe@dvarp.org
Check out our re-designed website

I wasn't comparing the two. You said that it's impossible to run mass transit at a profit in the US so I gave you an example of a line that's run at a profit. Let's not forget either that many, many people take the non-Acela line too so it's not just Acela that makes it profitable.

The point is that you're our voice, as the Association of Rail Passengers, so you need to speak for all of us and not just about the "realistic" things. Every single association of any kind (especially the bicycle coalition) is always pushing their agenda both in the media and through ideas, so that's exactly what you need to do. We're talking about extremely doable projects here, not some pipe dreams.

(and we probably shouldn't rely on their whims anyway).

Very well said. I wish more people would take that position.

Allentown/Bethlehem is almost more closely aligned to the NYC metro as it is to Philly at this point.

That's exactly why I wouldn't ever want this connection to happen.

Once the Scranton to Hoboken line is running in 2020, Scranton will be in the perfect position to reap major rewards from the line. The commute to NYC by rail will be the perfect amount of time: Short enough that Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the surrounding areas will receive all of the benefits of their connection with and proximity to NYC but long enough that Scranton will retain its own identity and not just be another Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark, etc. Some New Yorkers apparently already move to the Wyoming Valley area despite the fact that there's no rail connection and it's not as easy a commute as it could be. Plenty of New Yorkers move to the Lehigh Valley because it's so close to New York and so easy to get there. Scranton needs this to revitalize itself and Allentown doesn't. We need every city in PA to thrive in order to get back to somewhere even remotely near the level we used to be at as a state, and keeping Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as the only major PA city above Philadelphia connected to New York by rail would help that happen.

I was torn between NPT and wifi, but I figured that there is a chance that someone like AT&T would be willing to cough up dough like was done on the MBTA to pay for wireless hot spots on trains and at stations, in exchange for naming/advertising rights. This could be a real source of comparitive advantage for SEPTA, with time spent waiting for transit no longer wasted time but possibly productive time. I hate driving long distances because I fall out of communication, whereas when I'm taking PT I stay connected. If SEPTA offered better internet connections it would increase the utility of using SEPTA. I think it would be a shot in the arm for SEPTA and for the city and even for transit-oriented suburbs. If you could work while you commute that'd be a much better use of time than sitting negotiating traffic.

That's a really great point.