Service cuts
Reply
Both SEPTA and NJT are making planned service cuts.
Here is an article about the 134 bus route.
And a press release about 11 NJT routes soon to be eliminated.
The man inside the box
A creative exposé about SEPTA cashiers.
Most of us will never make the effort to know the man or woman inside the box.
Amtrak trains strikes 55 year-old man
SEPTA’s Trenton Line was impacted by delays on Monday when an AMTRAK train struck and killed a man near Wheatsheaf Lane and Frankford Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia.
SEPTA & guilty verdicts
This week has two high profile trials in the news.
Two men were found guilty for shooting at a SEPTA bus – luckily noone was hurt.
And another man is currently on trial for alledgedly throwing a woman towards an oncoming train.
Both trials featured horrifying video of the incidents.
Another driver assault
This time a Route 7 bus driver was punched in the face and bitten on the finger at 16th & Cherry St.
Does anyone have any constructive suggestions on what can be done besides on-board cameras and protective shields like this one?
Sept. 2 = Pittsburg’s transit doomsday
Pittsburg is facing massive service cuts to public transit on September 2. Up until now, Governor Corbett hasn’t taken any measures to get involved. Something needs to happen to deal with their $64 million deficit because cutting 46 of the 102 existing routes and having very limited service after 10 pm will negatively impact everyone!
Disease free buses! (in the future)
New research being done at Rice University in Houston is trying to ensure that bus riders don’t contract illnesses from other riders.
I hope this works – we would all like to have the reassurance that we aren’t going to get sick from riding the bus!
We’re #5!
The Atlantic Cities blog (which if you like cities, urban planning, and/or transit, you ought to be reading if you’re not currently doing so) is out with a write-up about how well a location is served by public transit.
The Transit Scores rank the 25 largest cities. We come in fifth behind New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. (Coincidentally, we’re also fifth among large cities in walkability.)
(image credit: flickr user Sean_Marshall)
Phlash is back (!) with some changes
Per usual, at the beginning of May, the beloved purple Phlash trolley returns to our downtown streets.
This year, Phlash features some changes: consolidated stops, an extension up to Eastern St Penitentiary, and some reduction in service, including just Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during May, September, and October.
But the rumor on the streets (ha!) had it that Phlash was gone for good – so the good news is that as of tomorrow, you will be able to use your SEPTA pass (or Phlash pass) to ride around downtown, up the Parkway, and over to the Centennial District.
Here is the new map.
Biggish SEPTA news you might not have heard about because you were too busy saying snide thing about the 48 SEPTA employees who won the lottery
Amid all the hoopla last Thursday about the 48 SEPTA workers who won millions in the lottery (Congratulations, I guess), were two rather big stories:
First, the SEPTA board signed off on a contract with its transit police. The SEPTA police get a small raise. But I’m still shocked that starting SEPTA cops only get $38,000 per year.
Second, SEPTA workers held a rally outside SEPTA HQ in an attempt to call attention to the increasing violence against SEPTA bus drivers.
“We have operators who have been spat on, guns have been pulled on them and, in some cases, and we have operators who are getting shot. A female operator was sexually assaulted,” said John Johnson, Jr., president of Transport Workers Union Local 234. “It’s very common in our world. Unfortunately it doesn’t get the coverage that it should get so we can bring attention to the issue.”
(image credit: flickr user Alex Bray)