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Delaware Valley Rail Passenger Vol 13 No 05
The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger
May 1995
Vol. XIII, No. 5
ISSN 1073-6859
Published by the Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers
in the interest of continued, improved, and expanded rail service
for the present and potential railroad and rail transit passengers
of southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and nearby areas.
For more information about DVARP and good rail service, please contact
us:
P.O. Box 7505, Philadelphia, PA 19101 215-222-3373
contents: page 2
Schedule Change Alert: New NJ Transit train schedules in effect May 15
Some Amtrak schedules change (service cuts) June 11
Inside The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger...
Special edition with this issue: The Future of Amtrak
1 SEPTA budgets continue to hold the line on service and fares but
delay expansion again
3 On the Railroad Lines: Meadowbrook Station burns down; SEPTA
ridership, on-time reports; DVARP takes sharper pencil to Newtown
proposals to save them from naysayers.
4 Transit News Update: Center City trolley loop opens; CTD schedule
change to bring summer streetcars on Girard Ave.; New bus service
between Jenkintown and the Northeast.
6 South Jersey News: DVARP participates in TransAction Conference
7 Amtrak opens WWW site, DVARP puts NJ Transit train schedules on line
7-8 Dates of Interest, DVARP Directory
8 One DVARP Board seat vacant: nominations now being accepted for June
election
DVARP President: Donald Nigro Newsletter Editor: Matthew D. Mitchell
for other officers and committee chairs, see page 7
entire contents copyright (C) 1995 DVARP
Opinions expressed in The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger are not
necessarily those of DVARP or its members. We welcome your comments:
call 215-222-3373
No Surprises in SEPTA Budgets by Matthew Mitchell
Proposed capital and operating budgets for SEPTA's fiscal year 1996
were released to DVARP and the public early this month, and hearings
on them are being held as this newsletter goes to press. The budgets
continue previously-stated policies of maintaining existing service in
the face of anticipated cuts in Federal support for transit. While
there is little bad news in the budget, there was little good news
either.
At press time, DVARP committees were evaluating sections of the budget
and preparing a statement to be approved by the DVARP Board at the May
meeting. The statement will then be delivered at public hearings May
22 through 24. This hearing testimony is one of DVARP's most
important and least-noticed functions. These public hearings do not
attract the audience or the media attention of fare increase hearings,
even though the projects and initiatives being considered have a much
larger effect on our region.
Rail Expansion Delayed Again
The Capital Program is especially newsworthy, as it discloses SEPTA's
priorities for future projects. New this year in the budget document
is a "commitment schedule" which actually attaches dates to specific
projects. In it, we find out that all railroad service expansions,
including Newtown and the 'Cross County Metro,' have been pushed off
to the year 2002 at the earliest. Projects to be carried out in the
intervening time are mostly for transit facilities and rolling stock.
The only commuter rail projects which will be carried out in the
coming year will be structural work from Suburban Station to 30th
Street, and the expansion of parking facilities at a handful of
stations expected to have increased patronage during the I-95
reconstruction. These projects are all modest in scope except the $14
million one at Cornwells Heights.
Market St. El to be Reconstructed
The biggest of the projects is purchase of new buses: 1240 of them for
a total of $371 million. Second is a new project: reconstruction of
the Market Street El, estimated at least $230 million. The cursory
project description SEPTA released implies a 'replace-in-kind' project
much like the current Frankford El reconstruction.
Funding for the renovation of City Hall station ($25 million) and
Frankford Terminal ($80 million) is programmed for next year. The
multi-billion dollar Northeast subway extension is not included in the
FY 1996-2007 program period. The commitment schedule places
restoration of light rail infrastructure for North Philadelphia route
15, 23, 56 in the period 1996-2001.
DVARP Statements Available On-Line
Complete text of both DVARP statements will be made available on the
internet, at DVARP's 'home page' (http://libertynet.org/
~dvarp/dvarp.html). As usual, you will also be able to obtain copies
of the statements by sending your name, address, and $1.00 printing
and postage cost to DVARP.
From the Editor's Seat: Don't Miss The Opportunity Again
At least one good thing can result from the transit strike: that is,
if we let it. A lot of city residents had no transportation
alternative but SEPTA's commuter rail lines, so they flooded the RRD
with ridership. SEPTA management and railroad employees did a good
job coping with the crowds, and other than the lines at Center City
stations, the railroad made a good impression.
We need to turn that temporary gain into a permanent one. For years,
self-serving politicians and union leaders have been beating up on the
railroad, saying it only benefits undeserving suburbanites, even though
half of the lines run exclusively or predominantly within city limits.
To these people, riding a commuter train is an act of treason. Is it
any wonder that those lines in the city are the weakest in ridership,
and always the ones threatened with shutdown in a financial crisis?
Compare this to the positive, pro-active steps taken by City
government in the 60's. "Operation Fox Chase" brought fast electrified
train service to Northeast neighborhoods. "Operation Chestnut Hill"
gave new trains and more frequent service to more neighborhoods. The
commuter rail system was treated as the primary means of
transportation, not a burden.
SEPTA has made several 'positive moves to stress how the railroad
benefits City residents, and to promote ridership on reverse-commute
trips. City government in general, and the Mayor's Office for
Transportation in particular, should reinforce this effort.--MDM
Quotable:
A railroad is a capital-eating machine. Amtrak's capital depreciation
stands at two billion dollars since the start of 1971.... In the last 20
years of its operation, Amtrak has received a total of $2 billion from
the Federal government. France and Germany have each spent $90
billion on rail in the last year alone.
Amtrak's needs today are, in order, capital, capital and capital. We
don't have enough money to replace our own fleet as it wears out, and
certainly have no money to expand anything. Our improvement projects
depend 100% on the goodwill of participating states: the federal
government has contributed nothing to us.
Ladies and gentlemen, no railroad in history has ever made back its
total capital costs and operating expenses. Some railroads today make
back their operating expenses only. But no railroad today, and no
railroad in history, has ever made back its capital and operating
expenses. Amtrak is required by law to do that task in five years.
Amtrak was chartered by Congress as a profit-making corporation. Today
we're 200 million dollars in the red. Amtrak's authorization to exist
expired last October. Right now we are not authorized to exist, under
Federal law. If we fail to make up our deficits, our assets will be
seized by our creditors, as they have every right to do under the law.
We will not be bailed out. Either Amtrak makes money or we will not
exist in the next year.
--Tom Downs, Amtrak President, at Amtrak Public Forum, Sacramento
On the Railroad Lines...
Report Proves Trains are Good Neighbors
Did you see the Inquirer story of Sunday April 30: "Railroads bring
the value home"? It told how commuter rail service not only improves
the quality of life in our area, but also improves property values by
an average of $6,000. That figure came from a study by Federal
Reserve Bank of Philadelphia economist Richard Voith (who is now on
the SEPTA Board). These facts make great talking points for w hen
NIMBYs lash out against your trains. Want a copy of that article,
which appeared in the Fed's Business Review, plus a copy of the
Inquirer story? Just send us your name, address, and $1.50 for
postage and copying.
The Better to See You With
SEPTA is fitting its Silverliners with 'ditch lights.' These are
additional headlights, usually mounted low on the nose. Shining at a
slight angle left and right of the tracks (they're aimed at the
ditch), the lights make trains more visible as they approach grade
crossings.
Many other railroads are using ditch lights now too. Conrail's flash
alternately when the engineer whistles for a crossing.
R1--U. City Details
Last month's ASCE tour of the new University City commuter rail
station yielded a few more facts about the project. The project took
16 years from conception to opening. Initially, the station was to be
built in conjunction with the Center City tunnel, but there was an
eight-year slippage between final design and the start of
construction. Construction was delayed due to discovery of a high
water table at the site not far from the Schuylkill. Removal of
contaminated soil and the stormy winter of '94 also caused delays.
R3--One Station Burns...
A fire of suspicious origin claimed another SEPTA station April 18:
the Meadowbrook station in Abington. Trains were delayed all day;
four were annulled. The station contained a Post Office branch.
SEPTA has not yet announced any rebuilding plans.
...Another Restored
A big celebration was held in Lansdowne as the picturesque station
there was rededicated, more than four years after it was struck by
fire. Credit neighbors in the Delaware County borough for their
tenacity in demanding that SEPTA rebuild it.
SEPTA Ridership Stats
Six-month data (July to December)
ridership (000s) change
Surface (bus) 53,321 +0.9%
Subway-Elevated 27,129 +1.9%
Light Rail 4,714 -1.9%
City Trans. total 85,164 +1.1%
Red Arrow 6,149 -1.0%
Frontier 1,022 -1.8%
Suburban Total 7,171 -1.1%
RRD Total 11,097 +16.4%
SEPTA Total 103,432 +2.5%
RRD Weekday Ridership by Line: December 94 vs. December 93
R1 Airport 2,617 +19.2%
R2 Wilmington 6,878 +11.7%
R3 Elwyn 7,713 -6.7%
R5 Paoli 19,541 -3.3%
R6 Cynwyd 248 -2.5%
R7 Trenton 8,473 +9.1%
R8 C.H. West 4,968 -14.9%
PRR total 50,438
R2 Warminster 6,416 +15.7%
R3 West Trenton 7,498 +11.5%
R5 Doylestown 10,762 +11.8%
R6 Norristown 4,656 +8.7%
R7 C.H. East 4,388 -1.3%
R8 Fox Chase 3,922 +17.4%
RDG total 37,642
RRD total 88,079 +4.4%
SEPTA Regional Rail Division On-time Performance
March April
At Suburban Station 90.3% 91.6%
At Final Destination 88.8% 87.4%
Peak 86.4% 82.5%
Off Peak 89.3% 89.6%
Trains Canceled 0.1% 0.3%
Trains over 15 minutes late 1.8% 1.7%
Individual Lines
R1 Airport 97.1% 95.1%
R2 Wilmington/Warminster 92.7% 92.0%
R3 West Trenton/Elwyn 83.2% 78.4%
R5 Doylestown Parkesburg 87.1% 86.5%
R6 Cynwyd/Norristown 89.6% 91.2%
R7 Trenton/Chestnut Hill East 85.6% 82.8%
R8 Chestnut Hill West/Fox Chase 87.5% 86.8%
courtesy SEPTA, Libertynet
Newtown Efforts Continue
DVARP President Donald Nigro and Commuter Rail Committee Chairman John
Pawson continue to refine various proposals for restoring commuter
rail service to Newtown, and submit them to planning staff at SEPTA.
The thrust of DVARP's efforts is to reduce the projected cost of the
project to the point where SEPTA agrees that restoring the trains is a
good investment.
What that likely means is some compromises in the scope of service.
No reverse-commute, and only limited off-peak service would be
provided at first. The reverse-commute issue has a big impact on
signaling costs, and a peak-oriented service would carry more
passengers per train. As ridership grows, service can be added, in
the same manner as most other commuter service restorations in the
U.S. Some proposed stations would be eliminated, both to cut capital
costs, and to speed up the trains.
The full text of the proposal is available from DVARP, both online at
(http://libertynet. org/~dvarp/docs/newtown) and in printed form.
(please send your name, address, and $2.00 to cover copying and
postage)
Latest Newtown News
SEPTA is analyzing DVARP's 'optimized variation' of the Dual Powered
Alternative. Good preliminary news: while DVARP had estimated that
the optimization would cut operating expenses in half, SEPTA has found
that the optimization would cut operating expenses by two- thirds.
Furthermore, the required net annual subsidy (including the impact on
the R2 and R3 lines) is $388,940: not much more than what the current
Newtown shuttle bus requires ($300,000). However, the optimized plan
does not give significant reverse peak service, therefore, the Newtown
shuttle bus could not be eliminated completely. It could be scaled
back to a $40,000/year Newtown to Bethayres run. Two reverse peak bus
round trips would complement restored Newtown rail service in a
cost-effective manner.
In recent weeks, the Newtown Greenway Coalition has repeatedly and
publicly stated that is does not oppose restoration of rail service
between Newtown and Fox Chase. In addition, the governing body of
Bryn Athyn has explicitly stated that they along with their
constituents are not opposed to the restoration of Newtown service
provided that the line is not electrified.--DN
The Hidden Subsidies: More Automobile Pork
The Federal Government is spending $170 million for R and D of
so-called "intelligent" transportation systems. General Motors, and
big engineering companies like Bechtel and Parsons Brinkerhoff will be
the beneficiaries of this boondoggle. The goal is to design
"separated lanes" on which computer-controlled vehicles can travel at
120 mph. Maybe DVARP should try to get some of this money--we know of
a real intelligent transportation system that does all that right now...
it's called a train.--MDM
"The Hidden Subsidies" is an occasional series dedicated to shedding
light on imbalances in our present transportation policy.
Did You Notice?
DVARP's Matthew Mitchell was quoted extensively in a story in the
May/June issue of Amtrak's on-board magazine, Express. Mitchell,
veteran of a year's commuting from Philadelphia to Washington on
Amtrak, gave tips for working on the train.
LRD--Summer Trolley Service on 15
Summer construction work near 49th St. will cause replacement of Route
10 streetcars with diesel buses. The trolleys will be shifted to
Route 15 for the season, giving Girard Avenue riders the speed and
comfort of rail service.
*Shuttle buses will replace the Route 13 Yeadon-Darby extension during
summer track reconstruction work.
*Trolley Fare reports that the Federal ADA law is the reason SEPTA had
to stop running two-car trains on the Subway-Surface Lines. The
letter of the law states that all trains of more than one car must
include one wheelchair-accessible vehicle.
51 Service is "Welcome"
The Center City trolley loop begins weekend service this month.
Officially designated Route 51, the trolley is called the "Welcome
Line" as both an invitation to visitors and a reference to
Philadelphia's history. William Penn's ship was called the "Welcome."
A 50 cent fare is being charged for single trips on the line. Like the
Route 76, transfers and SEPTA passes are accepted too. The service
will run Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm this month, and go to
a seven-days-a-week schedule next month.
SEPTA's durable PCC streetcars will provide most service for the line;
the antique Peter Witt car will also be in operation.
LRD boss Kim Scott Heinle was quoted in newspaper interviews as seeing
the Bainbridge St. to Noble St. loop as only part of the ultimate
line. The present loop is short, and gives direct service to few
visitor attractions. Extensions to the South Street entertainment
area and the Zoo are widely talked about, while another intriguing
idea is for tie-ins to Philadelphia's Afro-American history on a North
Philadelphia trolley route segment.
CTD Subway-El--Subway Plan Moving Forward
The Philadelphia City Planning Commission's report on a possible rapid
transit extension for Northeast Philadelphia is in the final draft
stage. Project Manager A ndrew Lenton responded at length to comments
from DVARP and from community organizations. DVARP's main concern was
that insistence on an expensive subway or elevated extension would
jeopardize the entire project. Without endorsing any alternative,
DVARP suggested a commuter rail extension which could begin service
much sooner and at less cost than a rapid transit extension. (See
June, Sept., Dec. 1994 DVRP)
Roosevelt Boulevard emerged as the preferred routing, and subway
alignment preferred over elevated. There was strong support in Olney
and the Lower Northeast for a connection to the Broad Street Subway
which would serve their neighborhoods. A member of the project
advisory committee raised the idea of extending the Frankford El to
Harbison Ave., where passengers could transfer to the new line. That
plan emerged as one of the three given highest priority.
If and when the report is accepted by the Commission, the next stage
is a complete alternatives analysis/major investment study, mandated
by law. It is at this stage that Lenton says commuter rail and other
alternatives, including a combined highway/transit project put forth
by Philadelphia Streets Commissioner Lawrence Moy will get full
consideration.--MDM
CTD Bus--New Cross-County Service
The long-awaited "X-Plus" bus route may go into service next month,
pending approval of the SEPTA Board. Residents and elected officials
from Northeast Philadelphia and the Jenkintown area have long been
agitating for an extension of the limited-service Route X, which
presently operates from Chestnut Hill to Glenside and Jenkintown. The
expanded route will travel on Township Line Rd. and Cottman Ave. into
Northeast Philadelphia.
Promoters of the new service say senior citizens and other riders in
both Montgomery County and Philadelphia will make good use of the bus
for medical appointments (Medical College Hospital is along the route)
and shopping (Glenside is the resale shop capital of the Delaware
Valley). If the service expansion is approved, the line will become
Route 77, and start up June 18 or 19.
Schedule Change Highlights
Summer schedules go into effect on SEPTA's City Transit Division June
18. Visit Market East or Suburban Station, or one of SEPTA's sales or
customer service offices to pick up new schedules, or phone
215-580-7777. Here are some of the more important changes:
*Rerouting of the 18 bus in Wadsworth and Wyndmoor is pending Board
approval (DVARP asked that the rerouting be postponed until a plan for
better integration of bus and train services could be worked out)
*Extension of Route X from Jenkintown to Northeast Philadelphia and
renumbering to 77, pending Board approval. (see above)
*Evening Route 25 trips will serve Spring Garden El station.
*Minor service increases for Route 47/47M, 57; minor cuts on 16, 31.
New spur route for 32.
Bus Prices Increase
NJ Transit has purchased 171 city transit buses from Nova Bus
(formerly TMC, once GM's bus division). Nova's $254,000 per bus was
the only bid received. Bus prices have increased by almost fifty
percent since 1990, mostly because of Federal mandates on emissions
and equipment for the disabled. Voice- and visual stop announcement
systems are now required equipment, as are wheelchair lifts. SEPTA is
budgeting $300,000 per bus for its future purchases.
Credits
News compiled by Matthew Mitchell and correspondents: Howard Bender,
John Dawson, Bob Machler, Bill Mulloy, Don Nigro, Bill Ritzler
Additional news from USENET, Mobilizing the Region, Philadelphia Daily
News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Trolley Fare.
Special thanks to J. Thomas Collins, John McGee, and Alan Wickersham
of SEPTA, Silas Warner, and the NJ Transit Planning Dept.
Your news tips are always welcome!
Phone 215-222-3373, message box 3 or mail them to DVARP
TransAction `95
TransAction, billed as "New Jersey's Premier Transportation
Conference", convened in Atlantic City on April 5th and 6th. The
conference provides those who have an interest in New Jersey
transportation issues with the opportunity to find out about the most
recent events, technology, and legislation affecting the industry.
Most interesting to this author was a "Specialized Session"
presentation conducted by Conrail. William Rich presented the Conrail
perspective about joint operation of freight and passenger service on
trackage that Conrail owns. The Conrail view is as follows:
1) Conrail believes that commuter rail service is necessary.
2) Conrail wishes to be a good corporate citizen.
3) Conrail has a policy team for passenger rail with sub-teams for
specific issues. These teams report directly to the President of
Conrail.
4) Conrail does not want to make or lose money due to the operation of
passenger rail on trackage it owns.
5) Conrail is constantly assessing the category of its track,
including primary lines, secondary, running track, etc.
Rich stated that there were four issues to be resolved between Conrail
and any potential operator before rail passenger service can begin:
1) Compensation. A trackage rights agreement, with appropriate
compensation [money] provisions, must be secured.
2) Operations. Conrail must determine the impact to Conrail customers,
scheduling, and capacity. Some intercity line-haul operations are
near capacity with existing physical plant. Access to customers via
rail sidings at customer preferred schedules should not be disrupted.
Commuter trains stop frequently while freight does not, generating the
potential for delays.
3) Safety and Engineering. Mixing freight and passenger service
increases the complexity of dispatching. Crash barriers should be
placed between parallel passenger and freight tracks. Issues of
signal system compatibility must be addressed.
4) Liability. Liability should be the responsibility of the passenger
operator regardless of the amount or party at fault. The potential
for a multi-million dollar settlement exists wherever passenger
services may operate. The Massachusetts legislature has approved
liability protection for the MBTA Worcester extension. Conrail is
seeking nationwide legislation on this issue.--WR
NJT Ridership (courtesy NJT Planning Department)
Rail lines continued to lead NJ Transit's ridership growth. Overall,
it was up 5.0 percent in the first half of fiscal 1995. This exceeds
the growth in employment in New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia, so
the gain is even more impressive.
The Atlantic City Line recorded a 9.1 percent increase, best on the
system. It will probably grow even more this year with the expansion
of service to Philadelphia. Commuter ridership on the A.C. line
increased 11.2 percent. Northeast Corridor Line ridership growth has
strengthened to 4.2%. Off-peak ridership grew even more: 8.8%.
PATCO reported a 0.6 percent ridership gain over FY 1994.
On the bus side, NJT ridership is up by 3.8 percent. The usual
breakdown of North and South Jersey data was unavailable at press
time.
In New York, TA ridership was up 3.6 percent. All the increase came
on the subways; bus ridership was down slightly. Long Island Rail
Road ridership was up 2.0 percent, Metro-North up 4.8 percent. PATH
gained 4.6 percent
NJ-ARP supports Modified PATCO
At its March meeting, the New Jersey Association of Railroad
Passengers endorsed 'Modified PATCO' as its preferred mode for
Gloucester County--the same decision DVARP made. No preference was
yet expressed for Burlington County, where DVARP is seeking either
commuter rail or modified PATCO options which would offer a one-seat
ride to Philadelphia. DVARP appreciates support from all interested
parties as we lead the fight to effectively expand passenger rail
service in South Jersey.
New Amtrak Ticket Machines
Amtrak is working on a new kind of ticket machine for passengers
boarding at unstaffed stations like many on the Harrisburg Line. The
machine will hav e a two-way video system so people can see a ticket
agent from a nearby station and get help if necessary. Passengers
paying by credit card will get their tickets from the machine.
Passengers paying by cash or check will get a boarding pass and then
pay the conductor. With this system, those who pay on board will be
able to use more of Amtrak's special fares.
Amtrak Goes Online
The information revolution continues to pick up speed; and the
national passenger railroads of the U.S.A. and Canada have joined it.
Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada each opened world-wide-web information
pages on the internet last month.
While both railroads are to be commended for their new marketing
initiatives, there are obvious flaws in execution. The VIA page still
contains numerous mistakes; while the Amtrak page is missing the
schedule and fare information most needed by passengers. Volunteer
efforts, like DVARP's project that placed complete Amtrak schedules
online, are being continued until the administrators of the official
sites get their acts together.
Where to Surf
All of these pages are just one click away when you log on to DVARP's
home page:
DVARP home page: http://libertynet.org/~dvarp/dvarp.html Amtrak
Schedules: http://libertynet.org/~dvarp/Amtrak/ Amtrak's Online
'Station': http://www.amtrak.com/ VIA schedules:
http://www.mcs.net/Canpass/canpass.html VIA Online information:
http://www.viarail.ca
NJT Now Online, Too
Meanwhile, DVARP has added complete NJ Transit train schedules to the
Libertynet site. Volunteer Bob Scheurle typed in the data for us.
The URL for direct access to NJT information, including fares and a
list of stations and lines, is:
http://libertynet.org/~dvarp/NJT/readme.html
As more and more of this information comes online, let DVARP be your
guide.
Soldiers of Steel Celebrated
In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II, the
National Railroad Heritage Preservation Symposium will look at the
crucial contributions the railroads made to victory. The four-day
course will be held June 15 through 18 at Penn State-Altoona.
The non-credit program includes tours of museums and Conrail
locomotive and car shops, presentations from military and rail
historians, and social events. The tuition of $350 includes lodging
and meals.
This Symposium would make a great mini-vacation. For information and
registration (the deadline is June 9), phone Penn State Altoona's
Continuing Education Office at 814-949-5048.
Tour Overbrook
A special inspection trip of the new SEPTA Overbrook Shop will be held
by the Philadelphia Railway M.U. Car Club June 6. Non-members are
welcome to join the tour, but advance reservations are a must. The
$20.00 cost of the trip includes a buffet dinner at the shop. Phone
Linda Brink at 607-324-4570 for reservations: the deadline is June 2.
Vacancy on DVARP Board
Nominations are now being accepted to fill a vacant seat on the
nine-member DVARP Board of Directors. The remaining Directors will
hold the election at the June DVARP meeting, and the elected candidate
will take office immediately, serving for the rest of the year. The
seat became vacant on the resignation from the Board of former DVARP
President Chuck Bode.
Any DVARP member in good standing may nominate him or herself; there
are no geographic restrictions or districts in Board representation.
Nominations will close at the start of business of the June meeting,
to be held June 18 in Center City Philadelphia. Candidates will have
an opportunity to make a brief statement before the election is held.
Nominations will be accepted in person at the meeting, or in writing,
either to the DVARP mailbox or to President Donald Nigro. Nominees
are responsible for ensuring their nomination is received before the
deadline.
Up and Down the Corridor News of other Northeastern commuter rail and
rail transit services
Compromise on Metro Platforms
The dispute between Washington Metro and Federal bureaucrats is over.
WMATA had been ordered to tear out all its unique granite platform
edges and replace them with standardized edges with bumps to warn
blind passengers. Metro officials and representatives of the blind
objected, saying the existing edge provided better warning (its very
smooth edge contrasts with bumpy tiled platforms) and would be
prohibitively expensive to replace. In the compromise, grooves will
be milled into the existing edges to give them a distinct texture.
DVARP Phone & Voice-mail Directory
DVARP main number (voice mail line) 215-222-3373
1.Bill Mulloy, Transit Committee 215-222-3373
2.John Pawson, Commuter RR Comm. 215-659-7736
(6 to 9 pm please)
3.Matthew Mitchell, Newsletter Editor 215-885-7448
4.John Dawson, Amtrak Committee 215-222-3373
5.Sharon Shneyer, External Affairs 215-386-2644
6.Robert H. Machler, Vice-President 215-222-3373
7.Bill Ritzler, South Jersey Committee 609-869-0020
9.Don Nigro, President 609-869-0020
Betsey Clark, Volunteer Coordinator 215-222-3373
Computer e-mail (internet) dvarp@libertynet.org
World-Wide Web http://libertynet.org/~dvarp/dvarp.html
Dates of Interest
Delmarva Rail Passenger Association: Thu., June 1. Call Ken Berg,
410-648-5961, for more information.
Deadline for June newsletter material: Fri., June 2, to Matthew
Mitchell or in DVARP mailbox.
Philadelphia Railway M.U. Car Club Tour of SEPTA Overbrook Shop:
Tues., June 6. Train leaves Suburban Station Track 0 at 5:45 pm.
Fare $20.00 includes buffet dinner. Reservations required. Phone
Linda Brink, 607-324-4570 for reservations: deadline June 2.
Amtrak service cuts take effect June 11.
DVARP Transit Committee: Wed., June 14, 5:30 to 6:30 at 30th Street
Station, south concourse exit opposite Post Office. Call Bill Mulloy,
215-222-3373, message box 1, for more information.
DVARP Commuter Rail Committee: Wed., June 14, 5:30, location to be
announced: call John Pawson, 215-659-7736, between 6:00 and 9:00 pm
for location and other information. SEPTA RRD riders welcome.
NJ-ARP Meeting: Wed., June 14, 6:30 pm at Chatfield's, Gladstone, NJ.
Phone 908-727-3173 for info.
National Railroad Heritage Preservation Symposium--"Extraordinary
Efforts: The Role of the Railroad in World War II": Thurs.-Sun., June
15-18, at Penn State Altoona Campus, Altoona PA. Tuition $350
includes room and meals. For further information and registration,
phone 814-949-5048.
DVARP South Jersey Committee: Sat., June 17, 11:00, at 104 Edison
Ave., Collingswood NJ.
DVARP Amtrak Committee: Sat., June 17, 12:00, at Suburban Station
west end concourse, near SEPTA Passenger Service office. Please call
John Dawson, 215-222-3373, message box 3 to confirm place.
DVARP General Meeting: Sat., June 17, 1:00 to 4:00 at Temple
University Center City, 1616 Walnut St., Philadelphia.
New SEPTA City Transit schedules go into effect June 18.
SEPTA On Site (Suburban Transit): Wed., June 21, 7:30 to 9:30 am and
3:30 to 5:30 pm at 69th St. Terminal, and 7:30 to 9:30 am at
Norristown Transportation Center.
SEPTA Board Meeting: Thurs., June 22, 3:00 at SEPTA Board Room, 714
Market St., Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Trolley Coalition: Sat., June 3, 12:30 at Italian Oven
Restaurant, 7700 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia. Call Joel Spivak,
215-755-7717, for information.
NJ-ARP Meeting: Wed., July 12, 6:30 pm at Pufferbelly Restaurant,
Lindenwold. Phone James Ciacciarelli, 908-727-3173 for more
information.
DVARP General Meeting: Sat., July 15, 1:00 to 4:00 at Temple
University Center City, 1616 Walnut St., Philadelphia.
Rail to the Fair Train to Delaware State Fair (Philadelphia, Claymont,
Wilmington, Newark, Dover to Harrington (Fairgrounds) and Seaford DE):
Sat., July 22. Phone Delaware Transit Corp., 1-800-652-5600 or
302-577-2025 for schedule and reservations.
Listings based on information provided to DVARP. Contact sponsor to
confirm time & place.
Call 215-222-3373, message box 3, to add your event to this calendar.
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