Here is a City Paper article that puts SEPTA’s dirty laundry out to dry.
The main gist is:
Ridership is up, but Philly’s transit system is crumbling in more ways than you can see.
How bad do you think it will get? Or will there be a political change that resolves the situation?
Jeff Cole was on the scene (in front of the Fox 29 station) and witnessed a bunch of SEPTA buses going through red lights. This investigation got the attention of SEPTA administrators who issued a notice to all drivers to follow the expected safe driving practices that they are taught.
Of note – Phlash, Greyhound, and Trolleyworks vehicles were seen blowing through red and yellow lights.
The Washington Post’s travel story over the weekend featured an article about the author’s recent carless trip to Philadelphia.
SEPTA’s doesn’t make such a good impression, alas.
“Hello, I’m a tourist,” I joked. The worker didn’t laugh.
He took my pass and punched the month — March. Except the date was April 3. He handed it back with a vague sort-of apology. The rest of the day, I was sure that my guilty conscience was showing as I flashed the mispunched pass at transit employees. …
On the train back downtown afterward, I was feeling tired from my day of mass-transit touring and had to urge myself to stay alert.
Good thing I was paying attention: The automated station announcements were out of sync, lagging one behind where we actually were….
Then the bus drove past me on the street perpendicular to the one I was on. I ran around the corner to chase it down, but the driver waved me away. It was time for his break. Of course.
Only as I was catching my breath did I see the sign for the bus stop and a line of waiting riders. How an out-of-towner is supposed to know to go nearly a block past where the listed stop is, I don’t know.
But there are some great photos in the story online.
Two really great SEPTA stories in the Inquirer over the past few days. Did you catch them?
On Friday, Kia Gregory reported on a training program run by SEPTA to teach bus drivers–350 so far–about conflict avoidance and de-escalation techniques.
There were about 90 assaults on them while on duty in 2011, 81 of them physical. That was up from 20 in 2010, partly due to more aggressive reporting.
It’s tough out there.
Then on Sunday, Miriam Hill reported on the old Philadelphia & Reading railroad tunnel, now owned and maintained by SEPTA that runs from Girard Avenue down south under the Art Museum and out near the Whole Fields behind the soon-to-open Barnes Museum.
It’s good to see the Inquirer finding good interesting SEPTA stories to write about. I’ve previously complained about the typical boring SEPTA story that runs in the Inquirer. Here’s hoping that this is the beginning of a trend.
(image credit.)
Back in 2009 when I was writing SEPTA Watch regularly, there were a number of blogs related to SEPTA that were regularly providing new content.
Seems like the only SEPTA related blog that’s actively providing content is the roboblog SEPTAblog.com.
What is it about SEPTA that kills off so many blogs?
(image credit: flickr user ImageMD.)