Railroad Forums 

  • Independence pass on AM peak trains...

  • Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.
Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.

Moderator: AlexC

 #1155301  by 25Hz
 
Oh, i forgot the best part of all...... The time it takes me to get from my bus stop in town to langhorne..... i could drive to doylestown with time to spare.....
 #1155684  by scotty269
 
25Hz wrote: you'd think they would make it easier for someone who goes completely out of their way [...] I may not fit their ideal commuter idea, but i do spend 5 hours on their damn system those days i make the trip. In 5 hours i could take amtrak to see my friend in state college!!!!!!! The least they could do is let me specifically use my damn pass to get to where i'm going. Last thursday i got a ride to langhorne, arrived around 7:55 am, i didn't get home till 5:30 pm!!! I would have had to wake even earlier if i were to get the bus, by about an hour. Things have to change or i may need to stop riding at all. Don't get me wrong i love riding its relaxing, but it just totally takes up my entire day plus wasting my money when a pass should do the trick.
SEPTA sets it's routes based on commuter patterns. How many people take the same route as you? Should SEPTA create a special bus that makes the connections you need? If there are 100 people doing the same thing, you'd have a case for creating a new route. If it's just you, gotta suck it up!
 #1155848  by R3 Passenger
 
25Hz wrote:
JeffK wrote:Could you at least get a family member or friend to front you a little money to get out SEPTA's cash-surcharge trap? Once you'd bought tickets or tokens in advance you'd be saving on a more regular basis - 45¢ each way on the bus and a buck or two on the train. Those savings could go towards future purchases and repayment of what you borrowed. Otherwise you're caught in a cycle with no end.

And yes, I've raised concerns for a long time about the fact that NPT is designed to work best for riders who have those e-fund options available to them. As you pointed out so well, anyone who isn't already participating is going to be partially shut out and probably will have to pay more, the same way people who can't currently get tokens or who take the train when/where there's no ticket office get shafted. SEPTA is trying to maximize convenience for the largest number of its riders but their policies often seem to be designed to punish anyone who doesn't fit their idea of the "ideal commuter".
I ride 2 modes and 2 different RRD lines, you'd think they would make it easier for someone who goes completely out of their way (literally look at the 130-wtl-lan/doy routing vs 332/swamp road driving). I was just telling this to a customer service lady while i was waiting at jenkintowm thursday.... I literally go the opposite direction of my destination to hop on the train, then go into philadelphia, montgomery county and back into bucks county. I still don't understand how they could have won that north american transit award when a 20 minute drives takes them 2 hours, plus a massive 30-45 minute transfer wait time. Their services don't connect their modes dont connect... it is a big mess and then this NPT crap on top of it. I may not fit their ideal commuter idea, but i do spend 5 hours on their damn system those days i make the trip. In 5 hours i could take amtrak to see my friend in state college!!!!!!! The least they could do is let me specifically use my damn pass to get to where i'm going. Last thursday i got a ride to langhorne, arrived around 7:55 am, i didn't get home till 5:30 pm!!! I would have had to wake even earlier if i were to get the bus, by about an hour. Things have to change or i may need to stop riding at all. Don't get me wrong i love riding its relaxing, but it just totally takes up my entire day plus wasting my money when a pass should do the trick.
Or you could just drive. The railroad was not designed for suburb-to-suburb travel. It was designed to bring people from outlying points to the region's economic core. Although there are some bus routes that do go suburb-to-suburb, they tend to have large headways and run only during daylight hours.

As for your financial issues with buying fares and all that jazz, you are going to need to adapt at some point.
 #1156528  by rslitman
 
R3 Passenger wrote:Or you could just drive. The railroad was not designed for suburb-to-suburb travel. It was designed to bring people from outlying points to the region's economic core. Although there are some bus routes that do go suburb-to-suburb, they tend to have large headways and run only during daylight hours.

As for your financial issues with buying fares and all that jazz, you are going to need to adapt at some point.
There are many reasons why someone doesn't drive. Some may have to do with health/disability. Others may have to do with finances. Some people have had their licenses suspended.
 #1156553  by 25Hz
 
Unless you plan on buying me an electric car, driving not going to happen.

And, it doesn't matter how the system was designed, the pass hour/train restriction is the subject at hand. I'm not the only one who is affected by this restriction. Why should i have to pay more when the train had seats and standing room available is my point. :)
 #1156576  by MACTRAXX
 
Everyone: Just a thought: If you use an Independence Pass on an AM Peak train to CCP why not charge a flat $5 fare
similar to what is charged to go to TRE or WTR?

Instead of plain not honoring the IP it would give a rider the option to travel downtown and arrive earlier then 9:30am...

MACTRAXX
 #1156684  by Matthew Mitchell
 
MACTRAXX wrote:Everyone: Just a thought: If you use an Independence Pass on an AM Peak train to CCP why not charge a flat $5 fare
similar to what is charged to go to TRE or WTR?
That would be an idea worth pursuing (perhaps charge the step-up rate for evening --> weekday fare) but it will be made moot by NPT.
 #1156876  by CNJGeep
 
Come to think of it, what is going to happen to the Indy pass when NPT hits? Obviously the paper pass will be discontinued, but will there be some kind of day pass fare option? Or will the system be smart like London's Oyster Card and charge the cheapest fare (the equivalent of a day pass) throughout the day if you use it enough?
 #1157426  by Tritransit Area
 
Matthew Mitchell wrote:
CNJGeep wrote:Or will the system be smart like London's Oyster Card and charge the cheapest fare (the equivalent of a day pass) throughout the day if you use it enough?
Exactly.
That's what we are hoping for, at least - I don't think that has been decided yet.

The last I've heard, if I'm not remembering incorrectly, the passes will be available, but digital (via the SmartCard). The only "paper passes" will be single trip tickets.
 #1157431  by Tritransit Area
 
scotty269 wrote:
25Hz wrote: you'd think they would make it easier for someone who goes completely out of their way [...] I may not fit their ideal commuter idea, but i do spend 5 hours on their damn system those days i make the trip. In 5 hours i could take amtrak to see my friend in state college!!!!!!! The least they could do is let me specifically use my damn pass to get to where i'm going. Last thursday i got a ride to langhorne, arrived around 7:55 am, i didn't get home till 5:30 pm!!! I would have had to wake even earlier if i were to get the bus, by about an hour. Things have to change or i may need to stop riding at all. Don't get me wrong i love riding its relaxing, but it just totally takes up my entire day plus wasting my money when a pass should do the trick.
SEPTA sets it's routes based on commuter patterns. How many people take the same route as you? Should SEPTA create a special bus that makes the connections you need? If there are 100 people doing the same thing, you'd have a case for creating a new route. If it's just you, gotta suck it up!
Just to throw some wood on the fire, there has been an approved tariff for a bus route that would operate between Neshaminy Mall and Doylestown via Street Road, called route 303. This has been in the SEPTA books for about 11 or so years now, but since funding was never raised for this route, it only exists in the books.

While there may not be demand for direct service from Langhorne or the place the OP picks up the 130 bus, there is significant demand for at least a bus service along Street Road between Warminster, Warrington, Southampton, and Bensalem, since those communities have grown significantly in commercial and in some cases residential development, especially with the Casino in Bensalem. The lack of intra-county service to go from Lower (Bensalem, Bristol, etc) to Central (Doylestown, Warminster, Warrington) Bucks County has been a thorn in the side of many people. It also is a problem when the areas with the most transit dependent people (Bristol, Levittown, Bensalem) can't easily access county offices in Doylestown without leaving the country. Interestingly enough, if the 303 existed and operated according to its original plan, the OP would only have to take 2 buses and save a significant amount of time.

Also, what Amtrak train are you taking to State College? No trains go up there to my knowledge (though it would be great if by some miracle they were able to extend the Keystone Corridor up there).
 #1158381  by 25Hz
 
That is my sentiment exactly!!! Even a route from bristol to quakertown via 413 would likely have decent rider numbers. If they aren't going to have a newtown branch or service to quakertown via landsdale the least they could do is some kind of improvised bus route that stitches the county together.

And, amtrak stops at lewiston, about 25 minutes drive from state college! :)
 #1158494  by Clearfield
 
25Hz wrote:And, amtrak stops at lewiston, about 25 minutes drive from state college! :)
Lewistown is a stop on the Pennsylvanian.

The Pennsylvanian is the only train that runs between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and is due to be discontinued completely in October 2013 if the state decides not to pay for it.

That will leave Lewistown completely without passenger rail service.
 #1275027  by scotty269
 
NorthPennLimited wrote:Nice story about day tripping in the burbs using SEPTA to go bar hopping.

http://keystoneedge.com/features/region ... 60514.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Funny the article didn't mention Main Street attractions at Yardley, Hatboro, Lansdale, Conshohockin, Wayne and Ardmore.
Maybe it's because the article is about the Lansdale/Doylestown line?