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Here’s a chance to have your opinions heard at the region’s planning commission, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC). Brett Fusco from the DVRPC wanted me to pass this info along:

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is conducting a public outreach survey to gather opinions on the vision for transportation and land use in the greater Philadelphia region. This is laying the groundwork for the update to the nine-county long-range plan. Please take a few minutes to fill out this short survey and give us your input at www.dvrpc.org/connections. By doing so you could be eligible to win an 8 GB iPod Touch. Survey ends March 7, 2008.

It’s pretty short survey that’s mostly about what your opinion is on transportation, land use, and planning issues. www.dvrpc.org/connections/

The Inquirer posted an article by Paul Nussbaum about SEPTA’s new fare collection system that’s in the works, “Transit lines seeking smartest ’smart card’” (2/11/08).

It seems that SEPTA is looking at a system which allows you to use your bank card or credit card to pay directly the farebox or turnstile, instead of using tokens or a proprietary card, though the system will probably also let you use cash to buy a fare card. This kind of system has been tested in New York on the Lexington Av Subway, using credit cards with embedded chips that communicate with the turnstiles to make the payment.

SEPTA expects to issue requests for smart-card proposals by mid-March and to award a contract by the end of the year. SEPTA is interested in getting a system that would use a new-generation Visa or MasterCard, making a bus or train ride just another retail transaction.

The article also talks about PATCO’s new Freedom Card, which works within industry standards for interoperability between transit systems, though since it is the only system to adopt these standards, it doesn’t currently work with any other system.

“The system we have now can be used by anybody,” said PATCO general manager Robert Box. “SEPTA and New Jersey Transit could follow the APTA standard and use different vendors. And we could use each other’s cards interchangeably. It would be similar to E-ZPass.”

Another option mentioned in the article is payment by waving a mobile phone at a reader to pay your fare, which is being tested in the San Francisco Bay area. This is a method of payment that is becoming popular in Europe, particularly in the Scandinavian countries.

On Jan. 29, San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit system began testing a program that allows passengers to pay fares by waving their mobile phones at the smart-card reader on the turnstiles. A wireless chip in the phone completes the transaction and debits the passenger’s bank account.

SEPTA might be the first in the US with a next generation fare collection system, but this assumes that there will be no delays or cost overruns with this project.

“They will be one of the first with the opportunity to go to this without worrying about a ‘legacy’ system,’ ” said Greg Garback, the finance chief of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. He is chairman of the board of the Smart Card Alliance, a multi-industry group pushing for smart-card use. “You could say they ’strategically underinvested.’ “

The Philadelphia Inquirer posted a story about a proposed rail line from Phoenixville to Paoli via Devault. “Phoenixville group looking into rail line“:

Tom Hickey of Gannett Fleming said it could take five to 10 years for passenger service to become a reality.

“I’d be hard-pressed to put a price tag on it right now,” he said. “If money was no object it would take two years to construct the line from Devault to Paoli.”

Two bridges would have to be built on the line.

Hickey said Conrail, former owner of the Phoenixville to Devault line, had refurbished the line so it was in good shape. Freight service on the line from Phoenixville to Devault has been suspended by Norfolk Southern which is considering its long term disposition.

“It’s time to consider passenger rail service now over the existing line before this irreplaceable transportation asset is abandoned or diverted to other purposes,” Cassidy said.

The passenger service could be provided by lightweight railcars similar to those being used on the NJ Transit RiverLINE between Trenton and Camden.

I’ve been reading the December 2007 Capital Project Updates from SEPTA and noting how various projects are coming along, updating my Projects page along the way.

One trait of many station projects is the addition of high-level platforms. Here’s a list of stations which have gotten such platforms recently or will get them in the near future:

SEPTA Main

• Jenkintown (future)
• Elkins Park (future)
• Melrose Park (6/05)
• Wayne Junction (future, 2010?)

R5 Lansdale-Doylestown

• Delaware Valley College
• New Britian (4/06)
• Chalfont (8/05)
• Link Belt (12/00)
• Colmar (12/00)
• North Wales (future, 8/08)
• Ambler (future, after North Wales is complete)
• Fort Washington (5/07)

R8 Fox Chase

• Cheltenham (8/07)
• Olney (future)
• Ryers (future)

Others

• Ardmore (future)
• Wayne (future, 2009)
• Paoli (future)
• Allen Lane (future)

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, SEPTA reported a 10% increase in ridership in November (“SEPTA’s new chief maps route to better service”, 2/4/08).

The Philadelphia Business Journal reports that the average number of daily trips on Regional Rail was 130,000 (”“SEPTA busting at the seams”, 1/18/08).

SEPTA’s board report for December shows a 10.6% ridership increase on the RRD for the fiscal year-to-date. If last year’s annual ridership was what I calculate at about 31,714,849 (give or take 1% because I’ve had to estimate the past two years’ ridership numbers from board reports), then for this fiscal year (7/1/07 to 6/30/08), RRD ridership will be over 35 million, which sets a new record for SEPTA going back to 1979, which is the earliest year I have ridership numbers for.

I was just on the R5 yesterday and I noticed that they added what looked like a catenary inspection car that was converted from a Silverliner 2 or 3. And they coupled it at Suburban Station, while I was on board.

On the train home I also noticed they cut off 3 cars from the 5-car train I was on that came in from Lansdale or Doylestown. It seems like SEPTA is trying to put more cars in service by using whatever passenger cars they can find on their property, and by adjusting the size of the consists at Suburban Station.

There’s a few SEPTA-related news items, one about the waterfront rail plan, and the others about the new mayor of Philadelphia:

• Delaware riverfront light-rail open houses set for later this month [Inquirer]
• Mayor Nutter announces $656k for emergency communications equipment [Inquirer]
• Nutter extends a friendly welcome to the suburbs [The Intelligencer]
• Nutter plans a better relationship between City and SEPTA [Centre Daily Times]

SEPTA sent out a revised press release today which now says that buses and trains will be running a regular weekday schedule service on New Year’s Eve. Sunday/holiday schedules will be in effect on New Year’s Day.

In the news release, SEPTA Service Set for New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, issued 27-Dec-2007 by SEPTA over PR Newswire, we are advised by the organization that the first paragraph, first and second sentences should read “SEPTA City and Suburban Transit Division bus and trolley routes will operate on regular weekday schedules on New Year’s Eve. In addition, regional rail lines will operate on regular weekday schedules,” rather than normal Sunday schedules on New Year’s Eve as originally issued inadvertently.

Correction — SEPTA [SEPTA PR via Yahoo! News]

SEPTA sent out a press release about what service they will run on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. To summarize, December 31 and January 1 will see Sunday schedules in effect on buses and trains, with added service for the midnight fireworks and for the Mummer’s Parade.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 27 — SEPTA City and Suburban Transit Division bus and trolley routes will operate on normal Sunday schedules on New Year’s Eve. In addition, regional rail lines will operate on a Sunday schedule with added late night service on most routes.

The special New Year’s Eve regional rail schedule is now available at SEPTA regional rail stations and on the SEPTA web site at http://www.septa.org.

On New Year’s Day, SEPTA City and Suburban Transit Division bus and trolley routes will operate on a Sunday/holiday schedule with extra service added on the Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines for riders traveling to the Mummers Parade. Broad Street and Market-Frankford Line trains will run about every 8 to 10 minutes between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. while Regional Rail routes will operate with additional cars.

In addition, the parade will cause SEPTA bus Routes 2, 7, 17, 23, 27, 29, 31, 32, 33, 37, 38, 44, 48, 57, 64, 68, 79, 124/125, C and G to operate on local detours in and around Center City.

SEPTA’s Customer Service Office (215-580-7800), will be open with Customer Service agents on duty from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. New Year’s Day for riders seeking information about scheduled services. SEPTA service information is also available on the SEPTA web site at http://www.septa.org.

SPECIAL NEW YEAR’S EVE SERVICE

On New Year’s Eve, all SEPTA City and Suburban Transit Division bus and trolley routes will operate on a weekday schedule. SEPTA regional rail trains will also operate on regular weekday schedules with added late night service on most routes to accommodate riders viewing the midnight fireworks display at Penn’s Landing.

New Year’s Eve Regional Rail service:

– R2 Warminster — an added outbound (to Warminster) train will leave Market East Station at 1:30 a.m. and arrive in Warminster Station at 2:10 a.m.

– R2 Marcus Hook — an added outbound (to Marcus Hook) train will leave Market East Station at 1:35 a.m. and arrive in Marcus Hook Station at 2:17 a.m.

– R3 West Trenton — an added outbound (to West Trenton) train will operate from Market East Station at 1:25 a.m. and arrive in West Trenton Station at 2:29 a.m.

– R3 Media/Elwyn — an extra outbound (to Elwyn) train will operate from Market East Station at 1:45 a.m. and arrive in Elwyn at 2:26 a.m.

– R5 Lansdale/Doylestown — an added outbound (to Lansdale) train will operate from Market East Station at 1:40 a.m. and arrive in Lansdale at 2:26 a.m.

– R5 Paoli/Thorndale — an added outbound (to Malvern) train will leave Market East Station at 1:40 a.m. and arrive in Malvern at 2:33 a.m.

– R6 Norristown — an added outbound (to Norristown) train will leave Market East Station at 1:42 a.m. and arrive at Elm Street Station in Norristown at 2:23 a.m.

– R7 Chestnut Hill East — an outbound (to Chestnut Hill East) train will be held at Market East Station until 1:30 a.m. and arrive in Chestnut Hill East at 1:56 a.m.

– R7 Trenton — an added outbound (to Trenton) train will leave Market East Station at 1:25 a.m. and arrive at Trenton Station at 2:20 a.m. to connect with New Jersey Transit service. Additional inbound service from Trenton Station to Center City, coordinated with New Jersey Transit trains for passengers coming from New York, will leave Trenton Station at 3:50 a.m., 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.

– R8 Fox Chase — an added outbound (to Fox Chase) train will leave Market East Station at 1:43 a.m. and arrive in Fox Chase at 2:08 a.m.

– R8 Chestnut Hill West — an added outbound (to Chestnut Hill West) train will leave Market East Station at 1:40 a.m. and arrive at Chestnut Hill West Station at 2:14 a.m.

SEPTA’s board named Joseph M. Casey, CPA, of Delaware County as the next General Manager at SEPTA. He will take over from Faye Moore on February 15, 2008.

Joseph M. Casey Selected as SEPTA General Manager [SEPTA PR]

SEPTA Board Chair Pasquale T. Deon Sr., announced the selection of SEPTA Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Joseph M. Casey, CPA, as the Authoritys next General Manager. Mr. Casey will succeed Faye L.M. Moore, whose contract expires on February 15, 2008.

Joe is a key member of our senior executive staff, with top-level experience in many aspects of managing the Authority, said Deon. He has played a central role balancing the budget and maintaining fiscal stability, even during those years when we faced the toughest financial crises in SEPTAs history. In addition to his finance responsibilities, Joe also oversees all of SEPTAs transportation scheduling, route planning, long-range planning, marketing and operational analysis activities. This gives him a broad platform of experience from which to lead the Authority, as we look to the future of public transportation for our customers and the region.

Mr. Casey, 51 years of age, is a native of Delaware County. He is a graduate of Cardinal OHara High School and received his Bachelors of Science in Accounting from Drexel University in 1979. A seasoned transportation professional, Casey began his career at Conrail and came to SEPTA in 1982.