It's Our City is a project that uses TV, Radio and Web
to promote civic engagement in the Philadelphia region.So how did SEPTA and PATCO do?
Saturday, November 1st, 2008 at 3:12 pm - by Matt Campbell. Filed under: Transportation.
Origially Posted: Friday, Oct 31 @ 9:51pm
I didn’t take the train in this morning but I heard from many co-workers that they spent the morning watching packed trains pass them by. Throughout the day I read reports of crowded platforms at Market East Station. So I’ve decided to give you an open thread to for you to tell us what your experience was on SEPTA buses and trains and on the NJ PATCO rail line. How was your experience?
Updated: Saturday, Nov 1 @ 9:18am
Many people missed the parade because of SEPTA
Updated: Monday, Nov 3 @ 5:12pm
SEPTA responds to criticism over parade day performance
November 1st, 2008 at 12:12 am
I spent 4.5 hrs on the platform at 30th waiting for a local R5. Ask septa and hopefully they will admit that!
November 1st, 2008 at 12:15 am
I made the mistake of coming into the city to go to work. Trying to get home was a nightmare. Got on regional rail to 30th st; but the train went right on through and did not stop to let passengers disembark. Ended up stranded in north philly to try to get another train; but the trains would not pick up passengers. Took over 4 hours to get home. I should have taken the MFL to 30th.
November 1st, 2008 at 6:42 am
SEPTA: Horrible, horrible, horrible.
I planned to take public transit into town, but quickly realized that it wasn’t happening. I carpooled with a friend who has a reserved space at a lot in town. There was almost no traffic when we drove in, between 10AM and 11AM, and the small lot she parks in still had a few unreserved spaces at 11:15. Everybody was following the (bad) advice they were given, to take public transit.
Our plan: to watch the parade at City Hall, then take the BSL down to the ballpark. Except that after the parade, there was no BSL to the ballpark. All southbound trains were shut down, and nobody could tell us what was going on. The police didn’t even know that the BSL was shut down: we asked several different officers, and they all told us “It’s just crowded. You’ll get on a train eventually.”
We were lucky enough to get onto a bus going to 10th and Oregon, but many others weren’t so lucky: we saw them through the bus windows, walking the 3+ miles to the sports complex, and many people we saw in the crowd waiting to get into the ballpark reported that their feet were aching, even bleeding, after the long walk from town.
The ride back was not nearly as bad: we hung out at the park for about an hour, and squeezed onto a packed BSL. We got dinner in town to make sure the rush had left, then drove home with no trouble.
November 1st, 2008 at 7:38 am
A little prior planning worked well for me.
I needed to be home again no later than 1:45 PM for Halloween-related activity.
I left my house shortly after 8:00 AM and drove to the PATCO Ferry Avenue Station. Using PATCO, the “EL” and the Subway Surface, I arrived at 19th and Market at 9:00 AM. Heavy ridership all the way, but not uncomfortable.
The return journey was more problematic. After the parade passed, I immediately dashed to the eastbound Subway-Surface station entrance adjacent to 1818 Market Street (I viewed the parade from the north side of Market Street).
Upon arriving at the station, the stairwells were already filled. The Subway-Surface cars were filled to crush-load conditions, made worse by the fact that some parade spectators located further west had elected to board at the 22nd Street station.
I was able to board the fourth trolley car into the station, but was forced to reach over the rear entrance stairwell for a support stanchion.
Alighting at 15th Street for a transfer to an eastbound “EL”, both stairwells and the “EL” platforms were clogged. I was able to board the second train, and found the lead car was not as full as the (crush-loaded) remainder of the train.
Transferring, to PATCO at 8th & Market resulted in a wait time of only one minute for the arriving eastbound PATCO train. The PATCO train was full, but not overwhelming.
Total travel time from 19th and Market back to Ferry Avenue was approximately 1/2 hour.
November 1st, 2008 at 7:57 am
My first mistake was paying.
There was no room for ticket takers on the train in either direction.
The ride down from the Cornwells Park n Ride was fun…and short–because the train couldn’t stop to pick up any more passengers, so we traveled past a lot of pissed off riders waiting along the way.
Bummer for them, I’m sure.
The ride back was uneventful, but waiting for the train at Suburban Station was a leap of faith. We sat in line about an hour before they allowed us to board.
I have to give SEPTA credit for having a TON of helpful people stationed at each line and wandering around the station to provide information and answer questions.
It was a pain in the ass, but it could have been worse.
One item of note: my son drove into town about 11:15, got a great spot at City Hall and was home by 1:30. Hmmmmmm.
I think I’ll drive in next time.
November 1st, 2008 at 8:43 am
SEPTA sucked majorly. 3 hours to get home and that was right after the parade.
I was at Market Station East and the people were unbelievably rude. I was pushed and shoved like no other.
Then SEPTA had the balls to say oh we’ve added more trains. That was crap because we sat for 45 minutes without a train going outbound on Track 1’s platform.
I finally had to take a local that ends in Glenside to get out of the city. Because SEPTA kept pushing more and more people onto the platforms. One train would leave then they’d bring down a few hundred more people. They never cleared the platforms before people came down.
I think if SEPTA promotes that people use public transportation, they need to be prepared for the millions of people that actually listened to the news that said “Take SEPTA, parking will be awful.”
Next time I drive.
November 1st, 2008 at 9:10 am
The experience you guys had on the regional rails sounds awful. I wonder if in the future if Septa should provide direct express bus service from various points in the city and suburbs. For instance, for all the pissed off riders who spent the morning watching trains go by, if Septa could provide express shuttle buses to The Gallery & the sports complex. Or….in the future if SEPTA and NJ Transit could set up temporary park n rides…i.e. King of Prussia…everybody park there, and Septa would bring in a fleet of buses for express service in bound, anyplace where there might be an abundance of parking. KOP mall would have to give permission, but think about all the steady flow of customers going into the mall in the afternoon. win win. Just some thoughts.
November 1st, 2008 at 9:29 am
Heavens to Betsy!
“We were lucky enough to get onto a bus going to 10th and Oregon, but many others weren’t so lucky: we saw them through the bus windows, walking the 3+ miles to the sports complex, and many people we saw in the crowd waiting to get into the ballpark reported that their feet were aching, even bleeding, after the long walk from town.”
The “long walk” from town? I regularly spend hours upon hours walking into, around, and then out of the city and I am in no way what you would could a person who is either in shape or who works out. And sure, my legs are feet might be sore after 8 hours walking around but bleeding feet?
Someone either needs to get up off the La-Z-Boy once in a while to change the channel or get some new kicks because it sounds as if someone has bigger problems than “the long walk” from town.
November 1st, 2008 at 9:50 am
From what I’ve heard, SEPTA and the city really dropped the ball on this one. I understand that Mayor Nutter was urging everyone attending the parade to take mass transit, and many people complied. The public transit system either couldn’t handle the sudden influx of so many people at once, or was ill-equipped to handle it - and dangerously so. I heard reports on KYW 1060 AM that people were standing close to the rails with SEPTA not slowing down for fear that people would grab onto the side just to get a ride. It sounded like pandemonium! It made me grateful, once again, that I have no dealings with Center City, and no business involving anything on Broad Street, because with my luck, I’d get stuck in one of these traffic jams, a street shutdown (like the I-95 shutdown in April), a SEPTA breakdown, or some other disaster, and not be able to get back home to my kids in time. I hear of nightmare stories like this and it makes me panic. My one child would be fine at a friend’s house, but I also have a special needs child and I HAVE to be able to get to her. If it was just a matter of walking a few miles to catch a train or a trolley - I have to agree with ‘anonymous’ here - people, get real! My husband walks for a living at his job, six days a week! I’ve got young children and I’m constantly ‘on the move.’ If you’re going to see a parade, put walking shoes on and leave your flip-flops and heels at home. Get your sneakers out - this weekend has some beautiful weather, enjoy the fresh air and sunshine and get moving!
November 1st, 2008 at 9:57 am
Incidentally, looking at the comments regarding direct bus service, trolleys and shuttles … maybe we could take a lesson from NYC — in NYC, it’s best to just park your car somewhere and either ride your bike everywhere or walk. If you expect to drive to your destinations in NYC, then expect to get stuck in gridlock traffic. When I visited Ground Zero years ago with my family, this is what we did (parked and walked everywhere). NYC is full of walkers and bikers. Maybe in Philly, especially downtown Philly, we could take some lessons from NYC. I agree, especially coming from outside of CC, that the train, bus and other transportation is needed - but once there, why not just walk? On a smaller level, I see this in my community when I take my kids to school - yes, I have to drive to my kids’ schools because our morning schedules are so tight, but I don’t have to park right out front. I park a few blocks away and we walk to the schools, while I see other parents fighting with each other to get the spots right in front of the entrances. Are we really that lazy now?
November 1st, 2008 at 1:26 pm
SEPTA is pathetic, infuriating, and completely inept.
Even those of us trying to get back INTO the city last night got screwed over, those regular commuters who work in the suburbs and live in the city and college students trying to attend festivities downtown.
Those of us on the R5 waited almost TWO HOURS for a train last night to get into center city. Should have been easy, right? After all, they added more outbound trains, so we should have sailed right in.
Not even close. First, during the time we were waiting, FIVE outbound trains, heading away from the city, stopped to let people out at our location. Worse, only one of those was even close to capacity–most were less than half full (and we’re not that far out).
Then we watched as EMPTY septa trains roared past us back to center city.
When the train finally came, the conductors had the nerve to try to collect money or tickets from passengers, after we’d been waiting forever in the cold. When they came to me, I said “Don’t even think about asking.” They moved on.
What SEPTA and others don’t understand is that a disaster of this magnitude, even under special circumstances, severely affects regular ridership. What are the chances that any first-time or occasional septa user, based on yesterday’s performance, would consent to relying on the train regularly for work or an important event? You can’t sustain regular ridership with a train service that is reasonably efficient 90 or 95% of the time because the inconvenience of those few times that it all falls apart–even one or twice every six months–is so egregious that many people won’t risk it. Being stranded with no way to get home is pressing a vulnerability that many will do what they can to avoid. In the end, all of this means a reluctance to financially support public transportation leading to more unreliable service, not to mention more cars on the road, more traffic in the streets, and all the unpleasantness of exhaust and noise that comes with it.
There are serious problems at every level here, no doubt, from the lack of updated information for riders on platforms to lack of effective leadership and organizational abilities among the management and staff, as well as the excessive pricing and poor/non-existent coordination with other train systems (that we STILL don’t have a cheap, direct train to New York is beyond embarrassing).
But in the end, what will be remembered most is how a rare celebration of civic pride was irredeemably marred for many by, of all things, utter civic incompetence.
November 1st, 2008 at 7:37 pm
I was trying to get to 30th street station to catch a train to NYC. I got on the R3 at 1.30 in Jenkintown; having been at work all day, I had no idea what I was getting into. I was prevented from exiting the train at the correct stop. The doors simply were not opened by any SEPTA worker on the train or by the several workers that were seen outside on the platform. Passengers sitting next to the emergency door release hatch flatly refused to follow the directions to open the door.
The train proceeded without announcement to the next stop, University City, where we waited at least 5 minutes for the doors to be opened. Fortunately one was and those who hadn’t been able to leave at 30th Street were able to exit. I gave up on getting a train back to 30th Street after about 20-30 minutes of waiting. Walking back, I saw my last hope for getting to NYC at a reasonable hour, BoltBus, pulled away from its stop. Having already been discouraged, I gave up entirely.
30th Street was in complete chaos. The monitors were out and there were very few SEPTA employees or PO`s to be found, so I had to guess what track I should use. Fortunately, I was correct; after a 20 minute wait I got the R5, which took at least 30 minutes to clear center city and another 30 or 40 minutes to reach my stop.
I’m frustrated and angry that SEPTA’s incompetence not only prevented me from visiting a friend, but also endangered my wellbeing. I found out today that I shouldn’t have even been allowed to get a train into the city; the lines inbound having supposedly been halted after 1PM. Even more disturbing is that I and others weren’t allowed off.
I’m very glad I don’t rely on SEPTA to get to work every day, and I’m glad I’d already informed my teacher that I wouldn’t be at class on Friday evening. I don’t take the train enough that a transpass is reasonable, but I use SEPTA often enough that the fares cut into my budget. It’s cheaper than driving, but SEPTA is unreasonably priced for the services it provides.
November 2nd, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I’d say it was pretty bad. Luckily I got to work at 8 a.m. and all I saw was a see of red. My co-worker said she was on the PATCO at 8 a.m. and only about 5 people were going to work, the rest in Phillies gear for the parade.
I kept seeing the Twitter/news updates of how SEPTA is shutting down service here and there. Probably a big mistake. I don’t think SEPTA was ready for this “mayhem”.
Around 3:30 p.m. my co-workers and I were trying to find a cab and a bus to take to 7th & Spring Garden (From 17th & Market), we found nothing; so we walked.
Overall thoughts, Philly is a walking city haha
November 3rd, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Planning was the key for my boyfriend and I. He bought the PATCO tickets Thursday night becasue I had to go to a Halloween parade at my nieces school at 9:15am. We got to the Westmont station a little before 11am and the lines to purchase tickets was unbelievable. Us having tickets allowed us to walk right in. Got on the first train that came by, granted we were a bunch of sardines but it was expected. Got off at 12th/13th street. Watched the parade from broad and lombard. As soon as it passed us, we walked right back to the station, got on the first train back to Jersey, even got a seat. I dropped my boyfriend off and was at my sister’s, 30 minutes away from my boyfriend’s, by 3pm.
November 3rd, 2008 at 8:27 pm
i sat at the platform at east falls starting at about 9.30 am, and the trains only slowed down so as not to hit any of the nearly 200 people standing there…. i think there were 4 or 5 trains in the hour i wasted standing there….. i had my roommate drive into the city around 11am instead…… had no problem taking the BSL down to the stadiums from race st though, other than it taking about 45 mins in verrrrry tight quarters…… as we got closer more and more people were getting fed up and getting off at like south st and oregon st and such….. by pattison, there was only a full train worth….. getting back wasn’t bad at all, we took the BSL to MFL and had no problem making the connection…… made it from the stadiums at about 2.30 pm to 46th st stop at about 3.15
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:20 pm
PATCO is not run well