Do you trust Septa? Do you wonder why Septa can't come on out to Lower Merion and talk to people who need the R5 and supporting bus routes?

So SEPTA was granted $6 Million along with Lower Merion for what we thought was a new train station, parking, bus access. The funds came through a Federal "earmark". The earmark expires September 30th. Will this money cover a modest train station? According to some, apparently not. Is it true that it could cost upwards of $20 million? Who knows? What will our money available be spent on? "Transit related improvements"? Ok?

Ok, well we need a modest train station and parking and a place for the buses. And we need something ADA compliant (and how is it that many stations including Ardmore have been allowed to NOT be ADA compliant?) But will we see it? And now that SEPTA claims ridership is up, why is it the R5 schdule has so few trains until 4:30 in the afternoon Mon thru Friday? Seriously, look at the March 23, 2008 Septa R5 schedule. Pick Ardmore as your departure. The times trains run are 5:42, 6:17, 6:47,7:12,7:39,7:58,8:14,8:43,9:01,9:54,10:54,11:54. There used to be many more trains. We lost trains a year ago on a temporary basis, so why aren't they back now?

Septa claims ridership is up due to increasing fuel costs, and there was even some snippet on KYW news radio yesterday about where they were adding more parking, etc (they did not mention Ardmore), yet all we see slipped in amongst the PR fluffernutter are notices for decreasing services, or increasing fares and why is that?

Ardmore Train Station

Gasoline in this area is well above what some media claim is the national average, and we are over $4 bucks a gallon. So if we are going to try to switch our local focus from cars and SUVs only to actually using public transportation, don't we need better parking, better stations, and oh yes, better schedules? And don't we need to cap rate increases on fares for a while? Check out NJ transit and Washington DC's Metro system, and even New York City's transit authority. Things run,there are options, the rides are affordable, and schedules are generous enough that patrons aren't schedule slaves.

We received word today that Septa is going to cut the bus route 121 through Gladwyne that has served a part of the township cut off from other public transportation for decades. They are going to do a switcharoo with other bus routes to cover. And the public hearings? Well if you work and take that bus route, you won't be able to go and the locations are inconvenient:

Wednesday, June 11th at 10AM in the SEPTA Board Room, 1234 Market Street, and Thursday, June 12th 2 PM at the Church on the Mall (inside Plymouth Meeting Mall).

Here are links to Septa's supporting documentation:

Route 121 Summary

Septa 2009 Service Plan Public Hearings

SEPTA Capital Budget : Fiscal Years 2007-2018

So do you agree that SEPTA should do better and could do better? Let us know your SEPTA thoughts by posting here or e-mailing

(We would also like to know your thoughts about gas prices - and who has the least and most expensive gas on the Main Line. And if you think any stations are gouging, that would also make for interesting conversation)

Now catch up on some misc. article chit chat , and join the ranks of those who wonder about what we have to do to push Septa to service us the right way, as well as operate efficiently....for example, along the R5, is adding more cars that can't fit on the train station platforms the most efficient solution? Why not add back the trains?

Daily Pennsylvanian 6/5/08 Section: News
With rising gas prices, SEPTA ridership up
Lara Seligman

With gas prices still on the rise and many Philadelphia residents choosing to leave their cars at home, SEPTA is stepping up to the challenge of satisfying an increasing number of customers.

In response to this higher demand, SEPTA has implemented a series of new initiatives to accommodate the heavy increase in ridership.

According to SEPTA spokesman Felipe Suarez, the transit agency has recently adjusted train schedules and provided additional vehicles and seating for many of its operating lines.

For example, SEPTA has extended its peak services on the Market-Frankford line by half an hour. The agency has also begun to operate trains during off-peak hours every six minutes, as opposed to every eight minutes before February of this year.

"This equates to about a 12 percent increase in ridership throughout the day," said Suarez.

Additionally, Suarez estimated that SEPTA has provided about 1200 additional seats during peak hours by implementing extra vehicles on four Regional Rail lines, including the R3 West Trenton line and the R5 Lansdale-Doylestown line.

SEPTA attributes the heavy increase in ridership it has experienced in the past eighteen months to the country's skyrocketing gas prices, Suarez added.

Save some money: Dump the Pump 6/19/08

Working on ways to ease gas costs
By CRISSA SHOEMAKER DEBREE
Bucks County Courier Times

LMLWV: Observer Corps