🚀 go-pugleaf

From:  Matthew Mitchell
1972 - 1992   DVARP Twentieth Anniversary
1892 - 1992   Philadelphia Electric Streetcar Centennial
The
Delaware Valley
     Rail Passenger
(electronic edition)

October 5, 1992
Vol. X, No. 10

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
President: Chuck Bode     for other officers and committee chairs, see page 11

Inside The Delaware Valley Rail PassengerI
2     Railroad Reopens!  Flash ridership statistics.
     Analysis of new schedules and operating plans.
3     Counties, SEPTA Board save most weekend train service.
     Krambles report accepts SEPTA position, no questions asked.
4     Behind the Fox Chase victory:  PILCOP
     On the Railroad Lines:  R3 station imbroglio continues
     Jenkintown riders:  seven schedules or one?
     City and suburban transit updates.
6     RailWorks Roundup:  Construction phase I on time and under budget
     Ridership rebuilding to begin.
     Cross-County Metro: where we stand.
8     Reorganize SEPTA: DVARP hearing testimony.
9     SEPTA commuter rail ridership statistics.
     Gambaccini to be APTA head.
10     Twentieth Anniversary Special:  DVARP's history, part II.
11     Up and Down the Corridor:  Special light rail report from Baltimore.
     Meetings of Interest.

**Service Advisory:  Shutdown Ends, Schedule Changes
New schedules with major cuts in weekend service on some SEPTA lines took
effect yesterday.  Because management had not anticipated that the Board would
vote down proposed service eliminations (see page 3), separate timetables were
issued for weekday and weekend service.  R5 Parkesburg service was saved; a
separate schedule flyer shows the two remaining peak-hour round trips.  R1
Airport service now extends to Glenside; passengers using stations between
there and Center City should obtain DVARP's Combined Timetable for all lines.
Standard time will resume this month.  Watch for schedule changes on all
commuter and intercity rail service, including Amtrak, NJ Transit, and SEPTA.
SEPTA suburban transit schedules on both Red Arrow and Frontier Divisions will
also change on that date.  SEPTA Regional Rail schedules are expected to
change again sometime this month, as the new schedules are fine-tuned.

**Through Service Resumes after RailWorks(R) First Stage
     by John Pawson/Tom Borawski
Compared to the October 1991 RRD train schedules, slight or significant
service reductions are in effect nearly everywhere on SEPTA's commuter rail
lines.  There is one exception, the Airport Line, which seems to lead a
charmed existence:  service has  been extended north and linked to the R2
Warminster line.  Outside recommendations have been split between this kind of
through service to the suburbs and terminating trains at Suburban Station to
cut costs.
Most notable amongst the changes is the truncation of Sunday Fox Chase service
to Wayne Jct. and Warminster service to Jenkintown.  The recent public
hearings concerning weekend cutbacks had a SEPTA official complaining that
RailWorks(R) was forcing SEPTA to operate "two railroads instead of one,"
costing a premium of 6 or 7 million dollars.   Now the rails are in place, but
SEPTA chooses to continue operating as "two railroads."
The merger of the Airport and Warminster lines means that schedules on the
latter are altered to match existing Airport Line times, which may not be
optimum for persons travelling to or from center city, the dominant market.
However, the through-train convenience will attract some new traffic.
Most southward trains run six minutes earlier from Warminster and meet
northward trains at the siding just north of Willow Grove.  This slows service
in one direction and may prove to be an "instability factor."  One important
train with a meet (the 8:11 at Sub. Stn.) averages only 22 mph over its route.
Evidently, all R2, R3 and R5 trains stop at Fern Rock Transportation Center in
addition to their traditional stops between Market East and the city line. One
minute has been added to the schedules of most West Trenton trains to
accommodate the new Fern Rock stop.  All but one express on this line (the
8:03 AM Penn Center arrival) have been eliminated.
Sunday R3 West Trenton service has been severely cut, to the last inbound at
4:33 PM and the last outbound at 5:13 PM.  Saturday R3 West Trenton service
has been trimmed back to the last inbound at 6:13 PM and the last outbound at
6:51 PM.  Clearly this is as close to abandonment as you can get without a
hearing examiner's prescription. On the R5, most off-peak service between
Paoli and Downingtown is gone.  On both ends of the route, expresses which run
late in the peak periods have been merged with other trains.
All midday and evening Cynwyd service was eliminated.  The former afternoon-
only Norristown Limited is combined with a local.  Some evening service is
dropped.  On R7 and R8, peak hour service is thinned out, now being mostly on
a half-hour basis.  At best, this change more closely matches typical downtown
job starting and quitting times.
As this newsletter is published, SEPTA is about to unleash a publicity blitz
for the lines which were impacted by the first stage of RailWorks(R).  The
next few months will show whether all RailWorks(R) refugees return from their
cars to the trains.  The Warminster line's meets and slow-or-slower-than-ever
running times are not encouraging.  We were under the impression that the
acceptance tests the RailWorks(R) contractors would have to pass  included
operation at some of the higher speeds promised.  Publicity is not enough to
restore and increase ridership:  what's needed is a complete re-design and
speed-up of the peak schedules for faster and more reliable service.

**Flash!  Ridership Results
DVARP has been informed by John McGee of SEPTA that about 60 percent of
ridership lost by SEPTA during RailWorks has come back to the railroad.  This
is consistent with observations of more crowded trains starting last Thursday
the 1st.  Details and analysis in next month's Delaware Valley Rail Passenger.

**Passengers Win Again       by Tom Borawski
     Board decision catches management with pants down
The major newspapers reported that the four suburban counties agreed to bail
out the Authority by allowing it to keep the excess paid into the SEPTA
treasury for state matching funds which never showed up.  What was not
reported was the story of this October's crew assignment list (pick list) and
the waters that it stirred.
Weekend service cut plans were announced in April, when the operating budget
was released.  It seems to be standard management practice to wait until the
last moment to spring such a decision on the Board when, for technical
reasons, management can have its way.  As we will see, the county governments
saved the Board from the managerial fait accompli shoe going down the Board's
trachea:  The Board already knows from the TWU contract debacle that alligator
skin tastes terrible.
The October pick list had two versions, with an Option A ("A Pick") and an
Option B ("B Pick").  Ostensibly, the "A Pick" would be the schedule adopted
if the Board went along with the weekend cuts and the "B Pick" would retain
the service. Unfortunately, this list was a deck of cards with all the aces
missing:  Neither the "A Pick" or the "B Pick" included Saturday service to
Doylestown or Downingtown nor Sunday service to Doylestown.  Neither included
weekday service to Parkesburg.or full weekday service on the Cynwyd Line.
The service saved by the counties and now running is the product of hard work
by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in overcoming this pick list
stacked deck.  BLE promised to waive various rules and cooperate fully with
management to schedule crew runs and get schedules to the passengers.
As DVRP readers know, the hearings were held on August 31st, September 1st &
2nd.  The only mention of the severe cuts to take place on weekend evenings
and weekdays was a single statement:  "and generally, to consolidate certain
peak period express and local trains on other lines, and to adjust service
intervals accordingly."  The difference between that bland statement and the
last inbound Sunday West Trenton train departing at 4:33 PM is the difference
between brushing your teeth and having a lobotomy. At the same time these
hearings were taking place, the pick list was being finalized.  The footers on
the run list have "9/1/92" and "9/2/92" dates.  The picking began September
3rd. We find it hard to believe that this schedule leaped out of the sky after
the hearings were over. In summary, the whole process stinks.

**Sleep Well Mr. Krambles       by Tom Borawski
Last December, during the RailWorks(R) public hearing, DVARP cited the example
of the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin, an electric interurban railroad which served
the Chicago.  During a 1951 highway construction program, through service on
the CA&E was shut off, forcing passengers to transfer to the "L."  The
arrangement was unsuccessful, the railroad never recovered and the property
was scrapped in 1961.  DVARP learned of the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin's story
through a bulletin of the Central Electric Railfans Association.
DVARP cited the RailWorks-like example of the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin as a
textbook case in the disastrous results of valuing physical infrastructure
over human infrastructure:  the passengers.  The editor of that bulletin was
George Krambles, the hearing examiner for SEPTA's service cut proposal.
But Krambles accepted SEPTA management's decision without question, and
ignored most of the testimony of the hundreds of individuals and groups who
said that the cuts would make SEPTA's ridership and budget woes even worse.
Although these people proposed many money-saving alternatives, but Krambles
dismissed their suggestions out of hand.  Krambles even noted that
SEPTA did not provide any evidence to support their case!  His report
concludes that not only does management know best, the people know nothing,
and their evidence counts for nothing in his idea of the decision-making
process.
DVARP fought against the weekend service cuts hard because that is
traditionally the first step in the destruction of a railroad.   Let's imagine
that the weekend cuts went through.  Coupled with the non-tariff cuts, it
would mean that the circle of victimization of RailWorks(R) lines was
complete. All RailWorks(R) lines would have Sunday service deleted  with the
exception of R5 to Lansdale only segment and the R3 West Trenton bankers hours
service.
The threat of permanent cuts on railroads under reconstruction resembles a
watchmaker getting slapped in the face just as he is installing a mainspring.
We thank Mr. Krambles for informing the world of the CA&E story.  We hope the
actions of our county commissioners will keep history from repeating itself,
at least this year.  Sleep well, Mr. Krambles.

**PILCOP: The Power Behind the Diesel       by  Tom Borawski
The story of DVARP's struggle to get SEPTA to see the reasonableness of
RailWorks(R) direct diesel service is quite familiar to the readers of DVRP.
Also familiar is that a few weeks after the RailWorks(R) public hearing (back
in December of '91) top SEPTA management, including Mr. Gambaccini, met with
DVARP to discuss the diesel option.
The result of the meeting was an exchange of "bullet" charts outlining each
other's positions.  We told them they were making a mistake. They told us we
were "militant."
DVARP member Zeke Bodan formed a company to operate direct diesel service,
lined up the necessary rolling stock and presented his plan to SEPTA Officials
on March 25th. The meeting can best be summarized as a "don't-call-us-we'll-
call-you" exercise.
RailWorks(R) rolled in like a lion on April 5th.  April passed with no DVARP-
SEPTA meeting regarding direct diesel service. May passed with no DVARP-SEPTA
meeting regarding direct diesel service.
June 30th: DVARP meets with SEPTA RRD officials. DVARP presents an agenda and
it is discussed.  The meeting is to be the first of a series of meetings.
What happened?  PILCOP happened.
PILCOP stands for the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia.   Mr. Jerome
Balter of PILCOP arranged for the meetings.  Because of his presence, DVARP
plans were seriously considered instead of being summarily dismissed.  Without
PILCOP, R8 Fox Chase direct diesel service, based on part  of the DVARP plan,
would have never happened.
The talks PILCOP arranged are continuing.  In the language of diplomats they
are "frank and constructive."  If SEPTA adopts the DVARP plan for RailWorks(R)
direct diesel service, you can thank Mr. Jerome Balter and PILCOP for helping
them see the light.

**On the Railroad LinesI
*R1
Seven Schedules for Jenkintown!
Again, SEPTA published no Combined Timetable for the local stations between
Center City and Glenside, forcing riders to consult multiple line timetables
to find out when the next train will leave.   With the R1 extension and the
separate weekday and weekend timetables, this means that trunk passengers need
up to seven schedules to show all service to and from their station, instead
of one.  If this is SEPTA's idea of an economy move, it's clear why they are
in dire straits.
DVARP came to the rescue by compiling and publishing the combined timetable,
and distributing it to the passengers.  Commuters were visibly thrilled to see
the more-convenient schedule folder; the first printing was snapped up before
the Monday morning rush hour was through.  A second printing of the weekday
edition, and a weekend edition designed to slip into the weekday schedule are
now in press.  If you can't find one at your station, send DVARP a self-
addressed stamped envelope for your copy.
news from the ex-Reading trunk to Glenside will now appear monthly in this
space
*R3
SEPTA Continues to Make Enemies at Moylan
The summer-long fight between neighbors of the Rose Valley-Moylan station and
SEPTA has escalated.  SEPTA wants to expand parking at the station while
neighbors want to save trees there from being cut down.  DVARP member Andrew
Saul reports that SEPTA did an end-run around the neighbors and found a
"Nether Providence Tree Committee" to support its plans.  Communications have
clearly been fouled up.  A letter to Louis Gambaccini states:  "Since I
haven't heard from you, I assume that the SEPTA bulldozers and 30-foot light
standards are still on their wayI  If they arrive, I'll be history at the
station.  Why should I help out an organization that seems to have the
mentality of the 60's Q that throwing money at a project produces good
results?  I Finally, I have been told that you have been quite successful in
obtaining government funding from Harrisburg and Washington.  However, if this
small project in my neighborhood is a fair example, it appears that you don't
know how to use what you have hustled for.  Maybe it's time you moved on to a
job Q wherever that might be Q that needs a great fundraiser, but the
enterprise never has to repair or build anything.QMDM
*R7
Board Balks at Station Closings
Frankford Junction and Andalusia stations won a reprieve as the SEPTA Board
delayed management's plan to abandon service to these stations.  Frankford
Jct. remains closed for the time being, as SEPTA is still hoping that the
station will be abandoned, and has not repaired the tunnel.
*MFSE
Station Partial Closings
As part of the service economy program, selected station entrances have been
closed during the evening, requiring passengers to enter the system on the
opposite side and cross under or over to their desired platform.  All stations
and platforms remain accessible.QMDM
*BSS
Broad-Ridge Back Monday
The Broad Ridge Spur resumes service Monday the 12th after a four-month outage
caused by signal failure.  The signals have not been repaired, so peak-hour
Ridge trains will deadhead from Erie to Olney, turning there instead of on the
upper deck at Erie.  Service on the main part of the subway returned to pre-
RailWorks levels yesterday, meaning a reduction in service frequency for
subway riders who had both more frequent service and extra crowding.
Transit Notes:  SEPTA will hold a public hearing (see page 11 for time and
place) on elimination of portions of bus route 68.  SEPTA plans to eliminate
route 68 service to the Food Distribution Center and the Airport.
SEPTA will also hold hearings on several bus route changes and abandonments in
Wynnefield.  Route 85 will be abandoned, with part of the route covered by the
40; and the Route 38 zoo and Conshohocken Rd. routings will be abandoned.
SEPTA is now allowing round-trips on the Historic Trolley Loop in Chestnut
Hill, so long as passengers stay on board the car.

**RailWorks(R)  Roundup
RailWorks(R) Ridership Reconstruction Begins
SEPTA radio spots and newspaper ads are heralding the end of construction and
the resumption of normal service on the commuter rail lines.  We're glad to
see them.  Billboards will follow next month with the message: "Ride a car
that doesn't get stuck in traffic."
Passenger appreciation and community relations have been a major part of the
multi-million dollar RailWorks(R) PR effort.  Rider appreciation days were
held this week, both on the commuter lines and on the Broad St. Subway.
Because the PR element was paid for with RailWorks(R) capital funding, not
operating dollars, it was loaded up like a Christmas tree with less-necessary
projects, just like the construction element.  Subway riders and North
Philadelphia residents were targeted for much of the PR attention, including a
poster contest sponsored by Concerned Black Men, and buying safety booklets,
pencils and other items to distribute to schoolchildren.QMDM
DVARP is starting work on our effort to help SEPTA bring the riders back.  We
are starting with the lines worst hit by Railworks: R8 Fox Chase and R6
Norristown.  If you can distribute literature in these areas, please let us
know by calling 552P8873.  If you can help us along any of the other
RailWorks(R) lines please call the same number.  Because, a line is a terrible
thing to waste.QTB
RailWorks(R)(R) is a registered trademark of SEPTA

**Cross County Metro:  3 Markets Need 3 Distinct Services
In its recent SEPTA Capital Budget hearing testimony, DVARP presented a more
passenger and taxpayer-oriented approach to solving north suburban
transportation problems.  We believe that the construction interests inside
and outside SEPTA which are pressing for a costly "heavy rail" solution need
to be tamed by responsible citizen action.  Currently, DVARP is detailing
costs and schedules for our concept as proposed to SEPTA:
SEPTA's peers advise DVARP that in its present concept, this project is not
economically viable.  It is likely to create a turmoil when, as they expect,
its costly completion fails to shift large numbers of travellers from their
cars to the rapid transit line which SEPTA envisions.
In echoing this warning, DVARP suggests that the main problem is the failure
to recognize the existence of three distinctly different travel markets.
These three markets, their needs, and the indicated solutions are as follows:
a)  Short-haul traffic from points east and west to jobs located within the
Allendale Rd-County Line Rd-Route 202 triangle of Upper Merion, which is
vaguely being called "King of Prussia."  This is not a central business
district by any stretch of the imagin-ation.  Public transport's segment of
travel to this area is bound to be low but finite.
The success of Schuylkill Expressway bus routes 124 and 125 joined with park-
and-ride techniques not yet used significantly by SEPTA is applicable.  Park-
and-ride lots would form the residential ends of proposed bus routes.  The
Turnpike and Blue Route would form the trunk parts of the routes.  It may be
justifiable to build bus-only links between these express highways and local
arterials, such as where route 202 crosses the Turnpike.  The business end of
the routes would (like routes 124 and 125) thread the business complexes in
the King of Prussia triangle.  This concept permits marketable one-seat rides
over a considerable distance from the park-and-ride lots to the businesses,
something that is not possible with other concepts.
In the capital budget and program, this should be a separate project under
"Bus Transit."  The service would be operated or sponsored by the Suburban
Transit Division.  An initial cost of about $1 million is suggested.
b)  Intermediate-haul traffic between residential areas of eastern Delaware
County and adjoining areas and the King of Prussia triangle.  A spur of SEPTA
Suburban Transit Division's route 100 ("Norristown High Speed Line") is
extended to enter this complex. Final distribution is by feeder bus or van.
Light rapid transit route 100 has experienced a ridership decline of about
one-half over the past generation to about 5000. Such a spur, observers
believe, will restore ridership to a 7500 level, which appears to be the
figure used to justify long-term operation of the route.
Unfortunately, staff has created in-house a plan to generate a high-cost spur
of route 100. This three-mile plan, besides its high cost, would pre-empt the
right of way of Conrail's Trenton Cutoff (now known in the area as Dale
Running Track).  Furthermore, the plan would not enter the triangle but would
terminate on the railroad right of way at Gulph Road.
DVARP suggests a return to the original 1960-era low cost proposal to use the
now-derelict Chester Valley Track (located parallel to and just north of the
Dale Running Track) in such a way as not to impinge upon the Dale track.  A
low-cost surface extension would bring the spur to a terminus within the
triangle instead of stopping well short of it.
This separate project should be listed under "Rail Transit." The service would
be operate by Suburban Transit as part of route 100.  A construction cost
estimate for the route using the Chester Valley track is approximately $30
million.  No additional rolling stock is needed.
c)  Long-distance commuter service using the Conrail Dale Track, its eastward
extension, the Morrisville Line (commonly known as the Trenton Cutoff) and
Amtrak's Northeast Corridor to New York City.  Travel, which now uses the
Turnpike, is predominantly oriented toward jobs in the New York City area.
Limited-stop, diesel-powered commuter trains would serve this market
initially, and later also serve markets in Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester
Counties.  Station-to-station traffic would be served as a byproduct of the
New York orientation.
The initial service would run from Downingtown, PA to Hoboken, NJ, taking the
place of New Jersey Transit's "Diesel Expresses" which currently run only east
of Trenton. Trains would be serviced on-line at SEPTA's Frazer Shop, with
minimal deadheading cost compared to NJ Transit's current arrangement.  A
dozen simple, but attractive, park-and-ride and business-adjacent stations
would be provided between Downingtown and Trenton.  The stations would be
optimally located to serve the market, not necessarily located where existing
rail lines cross.
In the capital budget and program, this should be listed as a separate project
under "Regional Rail."  Service would be operated or sponsored by the Railroad
Division, in conjunction with NJ Transit.  Full construction cost is estimated
at about $40 million. Only about $10 million is needed to begin the basic
service.
SEPTA should heed the advice of its peers.  If the three projects are crafted
to fit their respective markets, SEPTA will be successful.  Moreover, DVARP
believes that the three coordinated projects will result in more passenger
miles at less total cost than the $100-million-plus figure often associated
with the "one size fits all" Cross County Metro.

**Newsletter Mailing Update
Some members have reported delays in receiving newsletters last month, as we
changed over to presorted permit mailing.  Part of the delay was caused by the
newsletters being delivered to the Post Office on Monday instead of the usual
Thursday or Friday.  Still, there were further delays; if you received last
month's issue more than three or four days later than usual, please contact
us, so we can work with the Post Office to resolve any problems.
We expect that this newsletter will be delivered to the Post Office on Friday,
October 9.  Thank you for bearing with us during the transition.


**SEPTA Needs Reorganization
     an excerpt from DVARP's statement on SEPTA's Operating Budget
The Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers recommends that SEPTA
undertake a fundamental reorganization.  The present SEPTA organization is not
best suited for today's transportation and general business environment.  It
is outdated compared to organizational changes made in recent decades by
private industry responding to greater competition and the need "to do more
with less."
Nonetheless, SEPTA still is organized along traditional functional lines with
eleven vertical functions reporting directly to the General Manager and his
deputy.  Until changes were made two years ago, all operating functions were
centralized in a huge unit. Today, all non-operating functions continue to be
centralized.
SEPTA carries fewer passengers today while utilizing more employees than it
did ten years ago.  This dramatic fact alone demands major changes in SEPTA.
SEPTA offers three distinct product lines:  urban mass-transit, suburban
transit, and regional rail (often regarded as only commuter rail).  In their
daily use, most of SEPTA's customers make substantial use of only one of these
services.  Each product must meet distinct customer needs and expectations as
well as having distinctive operating characteristics (traffic volumes, trip
length, etc.).  Although SEPTA needs to remain integrated and intermodal trips
need to be made relatively seamless for the customers, it is appropriate that
SEPTA be reorganized so that each line of service:
a) be a relatively self-sufficient and autonomous division within SEPTA;
b) be managed by a top level staff officer, who has full authority and
responsibility for the division; and
c) have its own marketing/planning, engineering, and capital-project
functions.
By placing responsibility and authority for economic performance within the
same division level, as operating performance, we can expect a more cost-
effective service that better meets the customers' needs.
SEPTA's current emphasis on production (i.e. operations) has led to some
economically questionable policies.  Among them is a practice of extended
massive "shutdowns" of some of the railroad for infrastructure repairs, and a
"one city, one fare zone" transit tradition.  We expect that a strong
marketing function within each division will head off such destructive notions
before they become policy or alter them where they are already in effect.
The "free capital" notion which produces excessively elaborate equipment and
construction programs to the detriment of overall cost-effectiveness will tend
to disappear when a single manager for each product-line division is made
responsible for economically balancing the operating and capital dollar inputs
and for optimizing the service outputs to the customers.
Relatively autonomous, modally-specific public transportation is the normal
practice in the industryQNew York, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, etc.
The nature of suburban transit and regional railroad service areas, their
demographics, politics, car ownership, etc., differ greatly from those of
urban mass-transit.  Different quality expectations, longer hauls, and lower
traffic densities prevail. With autonomous divisions, the plant and product,
as determined by their own marketing/planning and engineering efforts, will
better reflect those differences.
The current status in the Suburban Transit and Regional Rail Divisions in
having many functions intertwined with urban mass-transit makes for a
bureaucratic thicket.  Because the City Transit Division generates the bulk of
SEPTA's revenues and contains the majority of its employees, the thinking of
the urban mass-transit function tends to permeate the other divisions.  More
autonomous Suburban Transit and Regional Rail divisions will make it easier
for these divisions to work effectively and to attract qualified personnel
from educational institutions and other organizations.
Wholly responsible and empowered product-line divisions can be expected to
produce great improvement in the efficiency, discipline, and morale of their
present employees.
SEPTA's present public image in nearby metropolitan areas is essentially that
of an urban mass-transit operation beset with a large variety of problems.
This situation makes it unlikely that these areas will look to SEPTA to
provide extended commuter rail service.  Thus, a relatively autonomous
Regional Rail Division will be better capable of dealing with the present
system and of extending it into other areas.
Once reorganized, management and staff can work effectively in implementing
Board policy.  The three autonomous product-line divisions will report to the
General Manager.
Besides responsibility for operations, as now, the divisional manager will
have facilities engineering and construction, capital projects, service
planning and scheduling, marketing and planning, safety, and training
functions to coordinate to best advantage. This is an important point:  by
giving division managers the control of all major relevant activities, there
no longer will be any opportunity for distraction from the mission of
providing effective passenger services.
The remaining vertical functions still directly reporting to the General
Manager will be those best left centralized: the specialized functions and
those functions which relate to government and other outside entities.
The General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, who reports to the Board of
Directors, will set and monitor economic and other goals for each division;
this will assure the overall effectiveness of the organization.

**SEPTA Ridership Update
Ridership continues to slip on all SEPTA's commuter rail lines.  The following
figures are from SEPTA Revenue and Passenger Analysis:

     Weekday Ridership
RRD LINE     June '91     June '92     DIFF. %
-------------------------------------------
R1 AIRPORT     2,329     2,119     P9.0%
R2 WARMINSTER     5,307     3,035     P42.8%#
R2 WILMINGTON     7,068     6,165     P12.8%
R3 W. TRENTON     6,844     3,969     P42.0%#
R3 MEDIA-ELWY     8,333     7,839     P5.9%
R5 DOYLESTOWN     10,520     6,498     P38.2%#
R5 PAOLI     20,715     19,818     P4.3%
R6 NORRISTOWN     3,611     0     -100.0%#
R6 IVY RIDGE     464     403     -13.1%
R7 TRENTON     8,214     8,383     +2.4%
R8 FOX CHASE     4,279     0     -100%#
R7/R8 CH. HILL     8,827     7,760     120.5%
     #INDICATES RAILWORKS IMPACTED LINE

     Weekend ridership
RRD LINE     June '91     June '92     DIFF %.
----------------------------------------
R1 AIRPORT     2,726     2,573     P5.6%
R2 WARMINSTER     1,779     638     P64.1%#
R2 WILMINGTON     2,418     2,114     P12.6%
R3 W. TRENTON     2,019     799     P60.4%#
R3 MEDIA-ELWY     2,176     1,799     P17.3%
R5 DOYLESTOWN     4,681     2,106     P55.0%#
R5 PAOLI     8,015     6,792     P15.3%
R6 NORRISTOWN     1,497     0     P100.0%#
R6 IVY RIDGE     0     0     0
R7 TRENTON     6,633     6,795     +2.4%
R8 FOX CHASE     1,011     0     P100.0%#
R7/R8 CH. HILL     3,549     3,462     -2.4%


**New Positions for SEPTA Brass
SEPTA General Manager Louis Gambaccini has been nominated to be Chairman of
APTA, the American Public Transit Association.  His election is expected next
month.  Gambaccini has been Vice-Chairman of APTA during the past year, during
which time he has been active in extending the coalition-building process
nationwide.  While Gambaccini's post raises SEPTA's visibility in Washington,
it will cut into the time our General Manager has to spend on the numerous
problems SEPTA has.
SEPTA Engineering and Development Director John Tucker will become the
executive director of MVRTA in Dayton.  Tucker had been in charge of SEPTA's
commuter rail lines.  The previous transit management had been embroiled in a
controversy over Dayton's trackless trolley system.  A management plan to
scrap the electric buses and replace them with diesel buses was stopped by the
public and elected officials.QMDM

**DVARP History:  Part 2QAnalysis and Education
by Dave Cundiff and Matthew Mitchell
Throughout its history, DVARP has had a reputation for through analysis of
transportation policy alternatives.  This was epitomized by the document
titled Year 2000 Rail Transportation System for the Delaware Valley:  Based on
an Energy-Short Scenario.  Prepared at the time when the Delaware Valley
Regional Planning Commission was revising its transportation master plan, this
book-length work was a DVARP response to planning scenarios which put
unrealistic emphasis on the private car.
A committee led by James Farny worked for nearly a year to develop and edit
the "Year 2000 Report."  John Pawson and Ernest Cohen did much of the work,
surveying specific routes for rail service expansion and mapping the plan for
expansion.
Another important planning document was published in 1986, as DVARP responded
to SEPTA's proposed elimination of several trolley routes with a report to the
Urban Mass Transit Agency detailing the flaws in SEPTA's anti-rail program.
That report laid the foundation for DVARP efforts to save light rail service
in the City of Philadelphia, efforts which continue today.
Dave Cundiff was secretary of DVARP for several important years in the 80's.
Now moved to Arizona, he shares his recollections with us:
I joined DVARP soon after I returned to Philadelphia in late 1982. I was
probably attracted by the DVARP/NARP kiosk at 30th Street Station. I admired
John Pawson's analytical and writing skills from the beginning.
Around 1984, I got deeply involved in DVARP work. This was one of Amtrak's
toughest budget years, with the Reagan Administration's repeated efforts to
kill Amtrak. We knew the survival of the national rail system was at stake.
I was appalled that DVARP, the region's strongest pro-rail voice, had only 121
members at the time. I volunteered to become DVARP's secretary, and supplied
what I believe was DVARP's first computer. We found an inexpensive, reliable
printer in Powelton Village, and began printing timely alerts for rail
passengers.
These leaflets weren't fancy. Most of them had minimal or no graphics. They
did have lots of information and some action suggestions. We learned to put a
coupon on the bottom, to make it easy for riders to join DVARP.
Most SEPTA passengers weren't aware of their stake in Amtrak's infrastructure,
or of DVARP's work on their behalf with both railroads. We stressed those
connections, recruiting members whose primary interests were in local rail.
Sometimes these were re-recruitments; We were glad to attract Chuck Bode back
into DVARP, with his passion for Philadelphia's light rail. We adapted DVARP's
structure and policy to give many people a voice through the newsletter and
through DVARP's policy mechanisms. That made us stronger.
We needed rapid processing of checks and rapid updating of our growing mailing
list. Art Malestein and I consolidated his treasurer's office with the
secretary's work, in order to speed member services. First the mailing labels,
then parts of the newsletter, were computerized. We made thousands of copies
of our introductory brochure, mailing it to NARP members and others. We
systematized our outreach to past members.
And we grew! DVARP membership nearly quadrupled in two years, because of
higher visibility, diverse voices, a committee structure, and an action
orientation. Even after Steve von Bonin and others formed a separate Delmarva
Peninsula group, DVARP membership has stayed strong.
I remember others too: Sharon Shneyer's willingness to work hard wherever
needed. Bob Machler's consistent optimism. Alfreda Worrell-Swepson's amazing
moral support, and her sponsorship of 30th Street mailing parties. Lots of
people who came to meetings, made commitments, and followed through. I salute
you all, and remember our comradeship.
I don't think DVARP has achieved its potential yet. A new vision will emerge,
of a fully effective advocacy group. This will require enhancement of DVARP's
size, structure, funding, and communications. I think DVARP's friends and
adversaries will both be amazed by the organization's future.

**Up and Down the Corridor
News of other Northeastern commuter rail and rail transit services
Baltimore Light Rail Extension
Another segment of the Central Light Rail Line in Baltimore has been opened.
The three-stop extension continues south from Camden Yards (MARC B&O Line
terminal) over the Patapsco River Trestle.  The line's two branches will
eventually reach BWI Airport and Glen Burnie, in the congested Baltimore-
Annapolis corridor.  Marketing of the whole light rail service began
immediately.  Highway signs directing traffic to Oriole Park all carry the tag
line: "Have you considered park and ride?"

**Dates of Interest
IEEE Vehicular Technology Society:  Wed., Oct. 14, 7:30 pm at Holiday Inn,
1305 Walnut, Philadelphia.  "ATC for SEPTA's Subway-Elevated Division."  info:
569-1795
DVARP General Meeting:  Sat, Oct. 17, 12:30 to 3:30 pm at Lansdale Public
Library.
SEPTA on Site (Suburban Tran.): Wed., Oct. 21, 7:30 to 9:30 am at 69th St. &
Norristown.
SEPTA Board Meeting:  Thu., Oct. 29, 3:00, 714 Market St., Philadelphia.
SEPTA Public Hearing on Route 85 abandonment, Route 40 extension, Route 38
revisions: Thu., Oct. 29, 6:00 pm at Adams Mark Hotel, City Av. and Monument
Rd., Philadelphia.
Election Day:  Tues., Nov. 3
SEPTA Public Hearing on Route 68 Cut:  Thu. Nov. 5, 6:00 pm, Guest Quarters
Hotel, 4101 Island Av., Philadelphia
Delmarva Rail Passenger Association: Thurs., Nov. 5, 6:30 at State Capitol,
Dover.  info: Doug Andrews, 302-995-6419.
DVARP General Meeting:  Sat., Nov. 21, 1:00 to 4:00 at Temple Univ. Center
City, 1616 Walnut St., Philadelphia.
Listings based on information provided to DVARP.  Contact sponsor to confirm
time & place.

**DVARP Phone and Voice-mail Directory
DVARP also has a new voice mail system, to direct messages to the appropriate
volunteers.  If you have a touch-tone telephone, you can select a mailbox by
following the recorded instructions and pressing the appropriate key.  If you
call from a rotary-dial phone, just stay on the line, and messages will be
directed to the main message box.  For your convenience, the message box
numbers are now included in the directory below.
1  215-222-3373  DVARP main number (voice mail line)
1  215-222-3373  Chuck Bode, President
5  215-552-8873  Tom Borawski, Vice-President-Transportation
6  215-222-3373  Robert H. Machler, Vice President-Administration
5  215-386-2644  Sharon Shneyer, Vice President-Public Relations
6  215-782-8826  Mark Sanders, Treasurer
4  215-222-3373  Betsey Clark, Volunteer Coordinator
2  215-659-7736  John Pawson, Commuter RR Committee (6 to 9 pm, please)
3  215-885-7448  Matthew Mitchell, Transit Committee
7  609-869-9048  Don Nigro, SEPTA Capital Budget Task Force
8  215-222-3373  Bob Bodan, Octoraro Task Force

**Clarification:  Last month's report on CTD service changes incorrectly
reported that all Route 46 service to Darby would be eliminated.  The service
is now being operated as a shuttle from 58th & Baltimore on weekdays, as it
had been on weekends.
Opinions expressed in The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger are not necessarily
those of DVARP or its members.  We welcome your comments.