From: dboone@IASTATE.EDU (David L. Boone)
Subject: DVARP Newsletter, Dec 8, 1992 (LONG)
Reply-To: dboone@IASTATE.EDU (David L. Boone)
Organization: Iowa State University
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 19:15:25 GMT

"Matthew Mitchell" <IEKP898%TJUVM.bitnet@ksuvm.ksu.edu> writes:
> I had a bounce getting this onto rec.railroad newsgroup.  Can anyone 
> retransmit this newsletter?

I guess I can.  (I hope not too many of us do this.)

========================= DVARP Newsletter follows =========================

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

   December 8, 1992
   Vol. X, No. 12

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
   BITNET <IEKP898@TJUVM>   internet <iekp898@tjuvm.tju.edu>

Note to E.E. readers.  Your membership support helps keep DVARP going,
bringing you inside news and insightful analysis.  Send your $15.00 membership
contribution to the address above, and mention what service you receive this
newsletter over.


Special:  RailWorks in Review
   Inside The Delaware Valley Rail PassengerI
   1-3, 10-11  Special Feature:  RailWorks in review: its effect on ridership,
	 costs.
   4     On the Railroad Lines:  Will RailWorks II be longer than promised?
   5     SEPTA relents, issues Combined Timetable; Paoli line plans.
   6     Inside SEPTA HQ:  Big staff shake-up, "Black budget" for new building?
   8     Employer trip reduction rules: Business predicts doom, where was
SEPTA?
   9     NJT to inaugurate 30th Street service!
   12     Membership Matters:  It's renewal time, earn a special gift!
   13     Newsletter mailing and format update, Volunteer opportunities
   14     Up and Down the Corridor, DVARP Directory, Dates of Interest

   Will the True Cost of RailWorks(R) Ever be Known?   by Matthew Mitchell
   As SEPTA's financial crisis deepens, DVARP investigation has determined
that the RailWorks(R) megaproject has had big detrimental effects on the
Authority's budget, and that some of those effects will be felt for years to
come.  DVARP warned SEPTA years ago about this dire consequence, and used data
from the 1983 rail strike to estimate a revenue loss of $25 million extending
over a five year period.  Meanwhile and incredulously, SEPTA believed that all
the lost riders would be back on the system by this week!  With these rosy
predictions not coming true, the Railroad and all of SEPTA are plunging down
the death trap of declining servce and ridership.
   While most of the water is under the bridge, DVARP continues to press for
direct rail service from the Reading-side lines to Center City, in an effort
to retain ridership and revenue which otherwise would be lost.  Much of the
battle is in convincing SEPTA of the seriousness of the ridership situation,
which in turn implies that critical mistakes were made in the planning
process.  The natural reluctance to admit those mistakes has caused management
to cleave more tightly to their original plan in the face of evidence it
hasn't worked.
   The Railroad Division has not made a public accounting of RailWorks-related
operating costs, though it is almost three months after Deputy Director for
Budgets and Planning David Layton uttered a stunning quote in a public
hearing: "We operate two railroads instead of one.  That cost us a premium of
six or seven million dollars on a base of $150 million."  That added cost
flabbergasted persons who knew that SEPTA totally shut down three rail lines
and curtailed service on three others during RailWorks.  In the Northeast,
"running two railroads" is the standard:  MBTA has two separate operations in
Boston, while MTA in New York and NJ Transit each have three!  Only Maryland's
MARC and the new services in Connecticut and Virginia are single railroads.
Is mismanagement the cause of that seven million dollar premium?
   As terrible as the obvious costs are, the true cost of RailWorks goes much
deeper, and it is clear that SEPTA never took these costs into account when
the fateful decision to shut down the railroad was made by mid-level staff and
approved by top management.  See John Pawson's article (page 3) to find out
about wasteful elements and design flaws in the capital planning of the
megaproject.  Read below to find out about some of the hidden operating costs.
   Subway overload
   RailWorks added well over a million dollars to the cost of running the
Broad Street Subway last summer.  To carry all the diverted rail commuters,
the express service on the subway had to be doubled.  The additional crew
members to run that service cost a quarter-million.  Supervisory needs
increased, too.  The overloading of crucial interlockings caused frequent
delays requiring special attention.  At both ends of the line, "drop back"
procedures were instituted to keep the trains rolling while crews took
necessary end-of-run breaks.  Though the coordination of commuter train and
subway services often broke down, people were needed to carry out that
function too.
   With the added service, 120 of the 125 Broad Street cars were needed to
make the line each day, necessitating careful planning and many overtime
dollars to carry out even the most routine maintenance tasks.  The additional
cost to maintain the trains was perhaps 200 thousand dollars, exclusive of
parts and overhead.  Electric power needs increased with the 30% increase in
peak car use, and SEPTA's power bill reflected the compound effect of both the
increase in total consumption and the increase in peak load.  Passenger-
service personnel were significantly increased during RailWorks.  Without an
estimate of the number of added cashiers, loaders, checkers, police, cleaners,
and the other people needed to maintain a safe and smooth-running service in
spite of heavy passenger loads, we may never know the full cost.
   One of the costs of RailWorks may not ever be quantified:  the cost of
shutting down Ridge Avenue service.  When a signal cable failed near Erie,
SEPTA stopped service out of expedience, resuming it when the RailWorks
disruption ended.  SEPTA now wants to permanently curtail off-peak service, if
not totally abandon the line.  Did RailWorks hasten that process?
   Placating the public
   A serious, but unanticipated cost arose when Suburban Station merchants
went on a rent strike to protest the RailWorks diversions which deprived them
of a large fraction of their customers.  Prize giveaways, PR campaigns, and
other efforts had to be made to mollify the shopkeepers, and a portion of
their rent was rebated.  If these efforts came from the PR costs included as
capital items in the RailWorks budget, they came at the expense of more
necessary efforts to keep passengers on the trains.  More funds were diverted
into a plethora of projects in North Philadelphia, boosting SEPTA's image in
the neighborhoods most impacted by the construction.  Total PR cost: $5
million.
   Opportunities Lost
   What could have happened if SEPTA had spent its $354 million more wisely?
Crossings could have been improved or eliminated, reducing speed restrictions
which increase cost & sap ridership.  Track upgrades would improve running
speeds.  Enough infrastructure improvements and new equipment could have been
purchased to restore rail service not only on the Newtown Line, but on the
Pottstown, Quakertown, and Octoraro lines as well, while still fixing the
North Phila. bridges. Small investments in numerous small projects would have
paid off in increased efficiency and a better bottom line for SEPTA.  But as
long as managers choose glamorous megaprojects and gold plating over mundane
but basic improvements, your fare & tax money will be squandered.
   The citizens of the Delaware Valley need no less than a full and unbiased
audit of RailWorks.  How much of our money was wasted?  What is this
boondoggle going to cost us in the future?  And most importantly, how is SEPTA
going to be reformed so this blunder won't be repeated?


RailWorks Ridership Recovery      by Tom Borawski and Matt Mitchell
   DVARP has determinedthat the revenue SEPTA lost during the first RailWorks
shutdown can be very conservatively estimated at close to 4 million dollars.
Monthly financial Reports said that RRD revenue for the 6 months prior to
RailWorks was down 5% on average.  If 5% of revenue each month was lost for
reasons other that the project (a full investigation of these losses is
warranted) a loss of $3.79 million can definitely be attributed to Railworks.
   The assumption that all the RailWorks refugees will return to the system by
now is crucial to SEPTA's FY93 budget, and is the biggest difference between
SEPTA's and DVARP's projections of the cost of RailWorks.  DVARP used the
historic experience of the 1983 strike (see chart) as the basis for its
projections.  While one can argue that the strike was a total system shutdown
for an undefined period and RailWorks had a definite start and finish, and
spiffy alternatives were offered for RailWorks which were not offered during
the strike, actual ridership losses were much closer to DVARP's predictions
than SEPTA's.  SEPTA failed to understand that when commuters change their
habits, choosing to drive or vanpool or stop traveling instead of enduring the
inconvenience of a shutdown, they keep their habits when the railroad reopens.
In this respect, there is no difference between strike and shutdown.
   Dueling press releases
   In August, DVARP distributed a press release showing a ridership decline of
42% over 1991 levels using a "rider index" formula consisting of five times
the weekday ridership plus the weekend ridership of the RailWorks lines plus
R8 Chestnut Hill West.  In a letter to the Board, Lou Gambaccini objected to
our formula, saying DVARP missed shifts of R3 West Trenton passengers to the
R7 Trenton Line and  missed shifts to transit ridership. The objective of our
index is not to gauge simple retention of ridership, but to measure the value
of the RailWorks alternatives offered and the progress of recovery.
   Frankly, a person driving away from their normal West Trenton station to
the Trenton line is something SEPTA should be ashamed of.  We include the
Trenton figures in this round as to show the effect: it brings the figure up
from P42% to P37%, still far from SEPTA's projected loss of only 19%.
   Though those driving away from their R5 Doylestown and R6 Norristown
RailWorks alternatives are included in the DVARP figures, we consider them
evidence of failure of those alternatives and a demand for direct rail service
to Philadelphia.  Finally, SEPTA must acknowlege passengers on the R6, R7 and
R8 lines whose weekend service was abandoned.
   Meanwhile, SEPTA uses vague transit ridership claims to prop up their
overall ridership retention percentage.  All through the shutdown, we never
received ridership figures for the R6/R7 shuttles.  There was never an effort
to count the meager number of passengers who used other transit alternatives.
Despite DVARP's encouragement to do so, few people rode them.  Without real
counts to back them up, SEPTA's figures aren't any better than DVARP's.


RailWorks: Improvement or Make-Work Project?     by John Pawson
   "Temporary inconvenience, permanent improvement." That has been the
effective sales pitch for the "Main Line Systems" project, now at the halfway
mark. Unfortunately, evidence is mounting that much of the work being done by
SEPTA & its contractors is something less than a cost-effective investment.
   This doubt began with inclusion of the four-tracking of the Broad Street
Subway between Erie and Olney Avenues (a subway improvement).  It increased
with the $10.5 million Fern Rock Transportation Center (which diverts
passengers from the commuter trains to the subway). Another eyebrow raiser was
the elaborateness of the new Temple U. station, which is to cost between $10
and 30 million to replace a station now serving just several hundred
passengers daily. Finally, a SEPTA executive told us that the $290,000,000
Main Line Systems project would not appreciably reduce running time along the
trunk of what (alas) is the nation's slowest commuter railroad system. (More
of that in later articles.)
   Frankly, this writer should have known better. In 1972, he interviewed out
of curiosity for several jobs offered in SEPTA's Engineering Department. It
was shocking to learn that the philosophy then (if not now) was first "to
replace everything," and only after all  that was done, to make the changes
and improvements that the contemporary marketplace demanded!  Whether or not
the real intent was "job security," the result is that under such a philosophy
many jobs must be done twice.
   Let's concern ourselves just with the aspects of Main Line Systems which
relate to train speed and ridership potential. Cinders has reported that
between Brown (where old and new lines join) and 16th Street Junction (where
R6 branches off), the general speed limit was just lowered from 45 to 35 mph.
The railroad structure and track here are better than ever; so why a lower
speed? Either speed is too low for the trunk line of a commuter railroad.
   SEPTA's engineers designed three sharp reverse curves into the line just
south of the new Temple U. station. The outside inbound track is especially
sharply curved. Last summer, all tracks were were built upon their own new
bridges. Thus on three tracks, low speeds have been "cast in concrete."
Straightening the track to raise speed is now economically prohibitive.
   Fortunately, SEPTA executives were able to change the engineers' plans at
North Broad station. As originally planned, there would have been no
conceptual changes; and trains would have continued to negotiate the 30-mph
curves at the north end of the site. Instead, the center platforms will be
entirely removed; and tracks will be straightened to eliminate the 30-mph
restriction. New platforms will serve the outside tracks only.
   Just a half-mile north, however, SEPTA staff has already given us a
replacement-in-kind which utilizes physically new but functionally obsolete
track components which will continue to restrict trains to about 30 mph. New
double-slip switches replaced the old ones. Good railroad practice has avoided
such components in main-line use for decades. In addition, an improperly
conceived new crossover from the inner to the outer outbound track permanently
subjects all traffic on the latter track to 30 mph. So in 1992, we have gotten
a 1920-era junction. It will cost millions in the future to redesign and re-
equip 16th Street Jct. for high speed operation of the main line trains.
   Finally at the new Fern Rock Transportation Center, it was SEPTA's "social
engineers" who have proved wrong. They supposed that many railroad commuters
would desire to transfer there to the subway. In reality at 5:30 one recent
weekday afternoon, this writer saw only about ten persons waiting on the
outbound railroad platform to make the transfer. Fern Rock, like the new
Temple station, promises to become a sizable maintenance "cost center."
   These conceptual and design blunders are typical of what can be expected of
the "systems approach" which was taken in the Main Line project. This
technique is advocated on the basis that once the work crews are on the scene,
additional things can be done efficiently at the same time.
   Unfortunately, this theoretical advantage, at least in the present case,
was outweighed by (a) the future costs of rectifying the mistakes of this
systems project, (b) the extra money spent for things that are too elaborate
for what business they offer, and (c) the present value of items which could
be deferred many years because RailWorks blotted up all the capital dollars.
The systems approach, particularly in the closed SEPTA capital projects and
engineering environment, allows those inside and outside SEPTA who desire
"goodies" to advance their favorites and fantasies with little opposition.
This process is what we learned in high-school Problems of Democracy class as
"log rolling."
   After the work began, we learned that the systems approach was taken only
after an intense struggle within SEPTA. Many wanted the project to include
only highly productive elements. However, secrecy and log-rolling prevailed.
Blunders only came to light as physically they were created. This writer
believes that the philosophy, conception, and development of the Main Line
Systems project caused the costly mistakes.  SEPTA should be abandoning the
systems approach and its excesses, not abandoning passenger services.

   On the Railroad LinesI
   Rumor has it that it that the year 2 RailWorks(R) shutdown will be two
weeks longer than initially announced, 4 1/2 months instead of 4.  Signs on
ticket machines now out of service have had the 1993 ending date removed.
   SEPTA Plans RRD Layoffs
   SEPTA plans to lay off 4 engineers and 15 passenger attendants.  DVARP has
received no word of any service reductions in the December 6 schedule to
complement these layoffs. -TB
   R1
   Combined Timetable Better Late Than Never
   At this writing, the combined R1, R2, R3, and R5 timetable for service to
Jenkintown and Glenside is promised by SEPTA, but not delivered.  Many of the
several thousand passengers using this part of the line have taken four
different timetables, an expense SEPTA can ill afford to bear.
   Why the delay?  This and why no Combined Timetable was published in October
are still a mystery.  The revised schedules were made up well in advance, and
the individual route timetables were made available to the public a day
earlier than usual.  The volunteers of the Jenkintown Station Improve-ment
Committee had their new schdule poster up and ready.  Communications gaps are
also a mystery; customer service personnel learned of the impending combined
schedule publication from DVARP, not from RRD management.
   Stopping patterns improved, but running times not
   One of the key changes on the Reading side was dropping the Melrose Park
stop from most off peak R5 trains.  Melrose had temporarily enjoyed service of
unexpected frequency once R1 Airport were extended in local service to
Glenside.  The December timetable leaves the half-hourly R1 service available
at all times except part of each rush hour when R1 trains terminate at Fern
Rock.  Various R2, R3, and R5 trains serve Melrose and Elkins Park then.
There is a significant gap, though: northbound in the early morning.
   Though the stop was deleted and most R5 trains now run non-stop on 60 mph
track from Jenkintown to Fern Rock, nobody adjusted the timetable to reflect
the time saved.  Regrettably, that has been SEPTA's practice for years.  Track
personnel issue "slow orders;" but with nobody in RRD looking out for the
passengers' interest, there are no "speed-up orders,"  a situation often
lamented in these pages.  As a result, trains poke along system-wide as well
as through Melrose Pk.  The lack of hustle seeps into other parts of the
operation.
   R2
   Sunday Changes for Warminster
   While the senseless duplicate R1-R2 shuttle train operation was ended with
the new timetable, the news for Warminster passengers is not all good: service
hours were cut back significantly.  Service stops northbound with the 8:00
from Center City, making it awfully hard for passengers to count on a train to
get them back from weekend trips.  Route 22 bus service does parallel the R2
from Glenside to Warminster nightly until late, but train and bus schedules
are not coordinated at all; very few people take advantage of the extra
connections.
   R5
   Parking Lot Owner Uses Commuters as Pawns
   In a fit of pique over a Whitemarsh Twp. code violation dispute, the owner
of two parking lots at Fort Washington Station closed off the lots.  SEPTA
leases the lots for slot-box parking, but says the code violations are a
matter between the owner and the Township, not SEPTA.  Until the dispute is
resolved, commuters who can't find a space at Fort Washington should try
Glenside and Oreland lots, which have had vacancies since RailWorks.
   *Riders on both sides of the R5 should look for a new Sunday timetable.
   On the way to Thorndale?
   SEPTA has announced plans to construct a new station at Thorndale.  Ground
is to be broken in spring, should Caln Township approve the proposal.  The
station is to include parking for 450 cars, with direct access to Route 30.
   $150K For A Parking Study ?
    SEPTA awarded a contract "for consultative services for a parking
feasibility study for the Ardmore Regional Rail Station" the total contract
price "not to exceed $153,879."  A multi-level parking garage is being talked
about; it would be SEPTA's first.  Those of us in the general public can
hardly wait to see what a $150K+ parking study looks like. It certainly makes
one's imagination overheat with the possibilities.
   R7
   MontCo Commissioners Under the Gun
   A Norristown Times-Herald story last month quoted Lisa Mancini, SEPTA's
Director of Budgets and Planning, giving a July 1 deadline for Montgomery
County to pay  an estimated $440,000 to retain weekend service on the
Norristown line. The ridership has not come back after RailWorks. The positive
side of the story is that the County Commissioners seem very supportive.
County Planner Leo Bagley proposed a $1 weekend fare on the line, the article
reported.
   News compiled by Matthew Mitchell, Tom Borawski, John Pawson
   Cross-County Road Show
   "Step right up ladies and gentlemen and see the transportation wonder of
the age!" was the message brought to both the Greater Valley Forge Trans-
portation Management Association and the Sierra Club last month. The push to
sell the counties on Cross County Metro sell seems to be a response to the
results of the election, anticipating increased transit spending for an
economic jump-start instead of for useful transit services.  It appears from
the literature that the $100 million project can cure both congestion and
dyspepsia. -TB
   BSS
   Smooth Travelling After RailWorks
   Subway operations have been almost like clockwork since the end of
RailWorks(R)-induced service increases.  Express, local, and Ridge Ave.
schedules have been set up to make across-the-platform connections at Erie and
Girard much of the time.  Overcrowding has relaxed too.
   However, commuter rail passengers should not expect to find the quick
transfer they were accustomed to at Fern Rock.  The cashiers booth on the
commuter station upper level is only open limited hours.  When it is closed,
use the exit at the north end of the inbound platform, and walk up the
sidewalk to the main subway entrance.  Traveling from subway to commuter
train, you can still use the convenient ramp.
   MFSE
   Another Construction Holiday
   Frankford El riders can enjoy their holidays:  Construction-related
shutdowns of the line are suspended until the new year.
   STD
   Schedules, Fare Zones Revised
   Pick up new November 23 schedules for the Media-Sharon Hill and Norristown
trolley lines.  Most Red Arrow bus route timetables have been revised, too.
One of the highlights is the revision of fare zone boundaries to Springfield
Mall, making transfer trips on Routes 101, 109, 110, and 111 more convenient
and less expensive.


Turmoil at SEPTA HQ     by Matthew Mitchell
   The top management structure of SEPTA has been shaken up at the behest of
General Manager Lou Gambaccini.  Almost a dozen key personnel were reassigned
in last month's shake-up, the largest since Gambaccini dismantled the
unorthodox management scheme he had inherited from predecessor Bill Stead.
Politicians and SEPTA observers in all five counties were suprised by the
move, and most are still wondering why it happened.
   The most controversial of the moves was the transfer of former Chief of
Operations Charles W. Thomas to the post of Assistant General Manager (AGM)
for System Safety and Risk Management.  Most of our sources see this as a
demotion for Thomas, who is the highest-ranking black person in SEPTA's
hierarchy.  They quickly add that they see no racial motivation whatsoever to
the transfer.  George T. Hague, who had been AGM for Safety, has become AGM
for Surface (CTD bus and trolley) Operations.  Former Surface Division AGM
James McCormick was transferred to a newly-created AGM post in charge of
SEPTA's compliance with environmental rules.
   Former Subway-Elevated AGM Hal Davidow is now AGM for Planning and
Development, replacing Ronald DeGraw, who had been Acting AGM for Planning
since the departure of Eugene Skoropowski earlier this year.  Davidow in turn
is replaced by Judith Pierce, who had been Chief Administrative Officer.
Gambaccini associate Kyra McGrath has been promoted to Chief Administrative
Officer from her previous role as Director of Constituent Relations.
   Key personnel who were unaffected by the transfers include Railroad AGM Jim
Palmer and Deputy General Manager Howard Roberts, who is known widely as
Gambaccini's right-hand-man.  Roberts has made an increasing share of key
decisions as Gambaccini spends time in his role as a national spokesman for
transit.  The administrative side of the organization was generally unaffected
too, aside from the Kyra McGrath promotion, Treasurer Feather Houstoun, legal
chief James Kilcur, and most of the other half-dozen administrators with AGM
rank go on in their present assignments.
   Inside circles are rife with speculation about the rationale for the shake-
up.  Though neither DVARP nor those persons who are willing to talk to us
don't know what prompted it, two theories predominate.  In the "Circle the
Wagons" scenario, Gambaccini made the changes to reward his loyalists and move
perceived enemies to positions of less influence.  A "Kremlin" scenario paints
the move as an internal struggle between Roberts and Thomas, who would be
leading candidates to be SEPTA's next General Manager.
   A more benign view sees the Thomas transfer as a way of trimming layers of
management which had isolated Gambaccini from the everyday operations of
SEPTA.  DVARP has led the call for a management reorganization which would
give the divisional AGMs much more power over and responsibility for their
operations, but these reassignments do not make the key changes recommended by
DVARP, dismantling of many system-wide offices and dispersal of their
functions to the operating divisions.  Will a second phase of the
reorganization carry out the moves DVARP wants?  We have no idea.


Dedicated Funding Going for a "Black Budget?"
   SEPTA quickly insulted those who lobbied in Harrisburg for the dedicated
capital funding source by using it to "convert" the North Philadelphia trolley
lines.  By making available to management ready-money for the trackless
trolley conversion, SEPTA could keep fixed guideway subsidies from the feds.
This was the linchpin argument (net present value-wise) justifying the
conversion to the Board.  If you turned the other cheek then, prepare to be
slapped again.
   An innocuous entry to the Act 26 funding list in the 1993 Capital Budget
was $5 million for "Debt Service."  With all the other disasters bursting
overhead no one  thought to ask what SEPTA was going into debt for.  Certainly
the budget document offered no answers.
   Part of the answer: for the new SEPTA Headquarters.  During a recent Board
meeting, Carol Lavoritano, AGM Program Analysis, acknowledged that there was
no line item for a new headquarters building but  there was a line item for
"debt service."  She indicated that the new  headquarters building will be
merged into the "debt service" line item. The 1993P2004 Capital Program
budgets a total of $60 million for "debt service."  Clearly "debt service" has
the potential to become a SEPTA black budget: no description of this line item
appeared in the budget.
   Recently, there have been news stories speculating on a possible new  SEPTA
HQ to be built on the Gallery II site.  There has been much speculation
regarding the passivity of The Gallery management during the RailWorks
project. The Gallery must have lost significantly more than the Penn Center
merchants  who have withheld rents and are contemplating lawsuits. The
headquarters building issue throws gasoline on the speculative fire.
   The issue of centralizing SEPTA's office in Center City appears to run
counter to DVARP's proposal to have each SEPTA division semi-autonomous.
Central planning and control looks like a great idea on paper.  Ask the former
Soviet Republics how well it works in practice.
   Other SEPTA Headquarters-Related issues:
   *SEPTA is currently spending over $150,000 to renovate the second floor of
their leased space at 714 Market Street.
   *In June, the Board voted to allow management to modify the existing terms
of the lease for SEPTA's space at 841 Chestnut Street.  Management can notify
the owner of the building on Feb. 28, 1993  ("...with a further directive on
May 31, 1993") at to the terms of each unit  of 841 Chestnut leased.
   *The Board awarded an $854,500 contract to Jackson-Cross to act as a real
estate consultant in the "office consolidation effort."QTB


Board Pays the Price for Deaf Hearing Process
   Chairman Undercofler sent a letter to individuals who have spreviously
poken at SEPTA Board Meetings requesting that only one person from an
organization speak each month and that all parties keep their remarks under 4
minutes, regardless of the number of important issues that month. While Board
meetings should remain businesslike, The Chairman doesn't seem to understand
that the reason so many people feel they must speak directly to the Board is
that they have no confidence in the current public hearing process:  hearing
examiners know that to render an anti-management report can mean an end to the
gravy train.
   A possible solution to this dilemma could be to extend SEPTA's current
contract with the American Arbitration Association to include the running of
public hearings.  The public will have much greater confidence in the AAA on a
long term contract than the current practice of hiring examiners who seem to
know their place.QTB


Can PCC Equal Profit?
   It has been reported that the Newark City Subway, operated by NJ Transit
using rebuilt PCC trolley cars, earns more in revenue than it costs to
operate.  Meanwhile, SEPTA continues to wail about the horrendous operating
costs of the PCCs.  The old question recurrs: what does NJT know that SEPTA
doesn't?QMDM


Employer Trip Reduction:  Big Business Quaking in its Boots
   Two public hearings were held last month on proposed Pennsylvania
regulations mandating that employers take steps to reduce the number of cars
their employees use to get to work.  Business leaders speaking at the meeting
expressed fear that the cost of compliance would be exorbitant.  Some "Chicken
Littles" speculated that the law might cost as much as $5,000 per employee.
Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce President Charles Pizzi mentioned a
more logical figure of $200 per year per employee.  DVARP notes that many
employers spend much more than this subsidizing employees who drive to work; a
committment to mass transit may save business money.
   Though DVARP was not invited to testify at the hearings, a full statement
was submitted to the state Environmental Quality Board.  The Board sought
public input before it answered important questions like how average vehicle
occupancy goals should be set and what the role of transportation manage-ment
agencies should be.  (a copy of DVARP's statement and the proposed regulations
is available, send $2.00 for postage and handling)
   DVARP and other mass transit advocates were highly disappointed at SEPTA's
lack of participation in the process.  The results of the hearing will do much
to shape demand for SEPTA services for the rest of the decade.  SEPTA, the
leading mass transit provider in the region, needs not only to ensure that
regulatory mandates won't force them to run services which will break the
bank, but more importantly they need to position themselves as the source of
transportation solutions to city and suburban employers.
   It is in this role that SEPTA has failed most definitively.  SEPTA could
have taken credit for providing the mobility which keeps Center City
functioning.  SEPTA could have touted its low cost compared to driving.  SEPTA
could have told how much its riders contribute to clean air in the Delaware
Valley.  SEPTA could have developed a plan for quick and inexpensive
restorations of abandoned or suspended train service.  Instead, they have
chosen to sit back and wait for customers to be forced onto their trains and
buses.  Elected officials and clean air advocates aren't that patient.
They'll replace management personnel until somebody gets the message that
"business as usual" won't work in the 90s.QMDM


Op-Ed Piece Slams SEPTA Holiday Rail Service
   An Inquirer guest column by an R8 Chestnut Hill rider and supporter took
RRD management to the woodshed for its weak response to the biggest travel
period of the year.  While other railroads issued special schedules boosting
service, SEPTA ran reduced schedules, and adjusted only a few consists.
Thanks to the lack of planning, the pre-holiday getaway saw crowded trains
before the traditional evening rush, while evening peak trains ran with half
their usual loads or less.  All the New York-area commuter lines moved the
peak of their schedules earlier, but SEPTA didn't.
   The column also ripped management for doing little to propote the trains on
Thanks-giving.  Service reductions prevented many families from using the
train to reach the parade. A last minute decision was made to operate a
Saturday schedule on "Black Friday," but fortunately someone remembered that a
lot of commuters still had to work that day.  An extra West Trenton train was
added, last month's schedule slash left the first inbound R3 arriving at
Suburban Station after 9:00.
   The Sunday after was the worst, though.  Two-hour headways left many
passengers to wait around at 30th Street, while slashed hours of Sunday
service caused others to have to drive instead of taking the train.  Despite
the heavy travel, additional ticket agents were not assigned to 30th Street.
Because ticket machines there are out of service, passengers were given the
unwelcome choice of missing their trains in ticket lines that were 20-deep, or
paying confiscatory fare penalties.  Altogether, it was a black eye for SEPTA
on the one day that many potential passengers try out commuter rail service.Q
MDM


   AC extension: at last !?
   NJ Transit staffers are firming up details for extension of Atlantic City
Rail Line trains to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.  NJT and Amtrak
agreed last month to terms for use of the Northeast Corridor tracks from
Frankford Junction to 30th Street.  Several AC trains already travel to and
from Philadelphia every day, deadheading to the maintenance terminal there.
The projected start of service is April.  Meanwhile, the proposed station at
the Garden State Park Racetrack in Cherry Hill will become a reality, but not
until late 1993.
   The extension is vital if the ACRL is ever to fulfill its potential.  DVARP
has maintained for years that a rail service oriented towards A.C.-bound
commuters will never be as successful as a service to Philadelphia.  Revenues
to be gained from tapping even a small fraction of the Center City commuter
market will exceed the incremental cost of the extension.
   The next step in increasing the effectiveness of the line is to eliminate
restrictions on travel to or through Lindenwold.  The NJT trains have a
somewhat indirect route and will not reach the central business district of
Philadelphia; PATCO service from Lindenwold reaches the office district more
quickly.  However, PATCO does not make any direct connections in Philadelphia
with SEPTA commuter or Amtrak intercity rail services.  The two carriers will
serve distinct markets, so they must be partners rather than rivals.
Integration of fares and coordination of schedules will boost ridership on
both lines by making the combined service more convenient than the sum of its
parts.
   Twenty years ago, DVARP was formed with an initial goal of saving the
Atlantic City train service.  The NJT announcement is a wonderful way to wrap
up our second decade. QMDM


NJ Legislators Push Mandatory Privatization
   A bill quite similar to one rejected last year in Pennsylvania has been
reported out of committee in the New Jersey Assembly.  The proposed law
mandates that NJ Transit privatize 5 to 10 percent of its bus service each
year for five years, totalling a quarter to a half of the entire service.
Assemblyman Alex DeCroce (R-Morris) thinks that privately-run service can be
operated without state subsidy, as the Republican-controlled legislature seeks
major reductions in state spending.  NJT itself will be permitted to bid for
the contracts; the bill's supporters hope competition will force NJT to cut
costs.
   NJT and Florio administration officials, and unions representing operating
employees oppose the move, saying that the savings are overestimated and are
likely to be absorbed by costs of soliciting bids and ensuring that private
carriers comply with their contracts.  The workers also fear losing their
jobs.  The law does not mandate that private operators hire former NJT
employees.  An NJT representative said that Federal regulations would require
the agency to provide six years full pay and benefits for laid-off workers.
Passengers are concerned that privatization would reduce the integration of
transit services: would they be able to transfer from one carrier's bus to
anothers?  The possibility of trading safety for profit is also a big worry,
especially in North Jersey, where a recent fatal bus accident was caused by
the private carrier's lack of maintenance.QMDM

   Coming in next month's Delaware Valley Rail Passenger:
   On Board Amtrak's X2000


   The DRVP:  Now Appearing on Your PC!
   Have a PC?  Want quick access to information from this newsletter?  DVARP
is now pleased to announce that Volume X of The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger
is available on IBM (5.25" or 3.5") or Macintosh-format floppy disks.  To get
your disk, send $8.00 to DVARP with your name, address, and the desired disk
format.

   Volunteer needed to index newsletter
   If you have a word processor and would like to lend a hand to DVARP's work,
volunteer to create an index to The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger.  We'll
supply the materials; you can work at your own pace.  To volunteer, call
Betsey Clark on DVARP Voice Mail, 215-222-3373, message box 4.

   Newsletter changes:  Your opinion counts
   Go back and read pages 8 and 9 of this newsletter again.  Note the
difference in the print?  Latest word-processing technology makes new type
fonts available to us, but they make your newsletter easier to read.  With the
new year will come a few more minor improvements in the format of the
newsletter.  But before we settle on a newsletter "look and feel" for its
second decade, we want to consult our customers.
   Opinion of members at last month's general meeting were exactly divided
between the two styles, after they were picked out from a dozen samples.  You
have to break the tie by registering your opinion via DVARP voice mail.  Call
215-222-3373, message box 3 to register your vote on the two type styles (page
8 or page 9 and make any other comments you have on the format and content of
the newsletter.
   You'll also note that your newsletter was sent by first class mail this
month.  No, DVARP isn't reversing its shift to bulk mailing; we have been
advised by postal authorities that bulk delivery times increase dramatically
amid the crunching December flow of holiday mail.  The ongoing compromise
between cost and speed tips toward speed this month.  The rest of the year,
bulk mail cuts our largest recurring expense almost in half.  A switch in
printing companies has brought more savings.
   Those savings are essential to keeping DVARP in the black while increasing
the number of pages in the newsletter and holding dues steady at the same
time.   Regular membership dues have not increased since 1988!  (The increase
before that was all the way back in 1981.)  Meanwhile, postage rates increased
twice and the number of pages in the newsletter has risen from an average of
11.0 in 1988 to 15.5 this year.
   Technical notes:  page 9 is in 10 point Apple's TrueType* New York font,
while 8 is set in 12 point Adobe Garamond.  Garamond has a little lighter
appearance, which makes blocks of text less foreboding, but at the expense of
smaller details. (the 'x-height')
   Articles for the newsletter are received on Macintosh or IBM disks, by
modem, or read off typed pages using an HP scanner and Caere OmniPage*
software.  Editing and layout are done on an Apple Macintosh* Plus computer
running Microsoft Word*.  Pages are printed out using a 360 dpi Apple
StyleWriter* printer and photoreduced to 80% by our printer.
   The technology makes electromechanical interlockings seem simple, doesn't
it?  It's easier to think of the results: a bigger, more timely, and easier-
to-read newsletter, requiring less volunteer effort to put together.
   Opinions expressed in The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger are not
necessarily
   those of DVARP or its members.  We welcome your comments.


   No Dues IncreaseQRENEW TODAY!
   Our new membership year begins January 1.  Despite our increased activity
and increased expenses, DVARP again will not increase membership dues.
Regular membership will remain just $15.00, Family membership $20.00.  Higher
membership categories are available, they provide additional support of
DVARP's educational and lobbying efforts.  While you're getting your year-end
business wrapped up, take a moment to write a check to DVARP, renewing your
membership.  (use the handy coupon on page 15)
   It was decided at the November General Meeting to simplify introductory
membership rates and procedures.  Introductory membership will now be
available only from April through September.
   Membership categories
   Regular - $15.00     Family  (one mailing, two votes) - $20.00
   Supporting - $25.00*     Sustaining - $50.00*
   Patron - $75.00*          Benefactor - $100.00*

   *Upgrade Your DVARP Membership, Receive a Special Gift!
   For the first time ever, and in celebration of the victories won in our
20th year, DVARP is offering an incentive gift to members who renew their
membership at the Supporting ($25.00) level or higher: a free copy of "Car-
Free in Philadelphia" the guide to public transportation access to hundreds of
places in the Delaware Valley.  To receive your copy of the book, pick a
membership category marked with a * on the list above and renew your
membership by January 31.


   Up and Down the Corridor
   News of other Northeastern commuter rail and rail transit services
   If it's December in New York...
   they're playing politics with subway and commuter rail fares again.  NYCTA
management threatened a subway fare increase if they didn't receive enough
money from Albany or if funding formulas weren't revised to shift money to the
TA from MTA's bridge and commuter rail subsidiaries.  Governor Cuomo raised
the ante by planning a raid on MTA's dedicated funding; he would divert 74% of
the $700 million in transportation funds to fix the general state budget.
Meanwhile, suburban legislators are defending their piece of the pie; they
have the votes to block any budget compromise.  As always, there is more smoke
than fire, but when policy is made in this fashion, bad things can happen.

   DVARP Phone and Voice-mail Directory
   DVARP voice-mail lets you direct a comment or question to a specific
officer or committee chair using your touch-tone phone.  If you call from a
rotary-dial phone, just stay on the line, and messages will be directed to the
main message box.
     DVARP main number (voice mail line)      215-222-3373
   1  Chuck Bode, President      215-222-3373
   5  Tom Borawski, Vice-Pres.-Transportation      215-552-8873
   6  Robert H. Machler, Vice Pres.-Administration      215-222-3373
   6  Sharon Shneyer, Vice Pres.-Public Relations      215-386-2644
   6  Mark Sanders, Treasurer      215-782-8826
   4  Betsey Clark, Volunteer Coordinator      215-222-3373
   2  John Pawson, Commuter RR Comm.      215-659-7736 (6 to 9 pm please)
   3  Matthew Mitchell, Transit Committee      215-885-7448
   7  Don Nigro, South Jersey Coordinator      609-869-9048
   8  Octoraro Task Force

   Dates of Interest
   GVFTMA Transportation Solutions Workshop:  Transit Chek 60QYour Bonus
Benefit and Telecommuting: The Employment Future Now  Tue., Dec. 15, 8:00 am
at Upper Merion Municipal Building, King of Prussia.
   SEPTA Citizen Advisory Committee:  Tuesday, Dec. 15, 5:45 pm at SEPTA Board
Room, 714 Market St., Philadelphia.
   SEPTA on Site (Suburb. Tran.): Wed., Dec. 16, 7:30 to 9:30 am at 69th St. &
Norristown.
   IEEE Vehicular Technology Society:  Wed., Dec. 16, 7:00 pm at 216 Moore
School, Univ. of Penn. 33rd & Walnut Sts., Philadelphia.    info: 569-1795
   SEPTA on Site (RRD):  Thursday mornings: 7:30 to 9:00 am, at Subn. Stn. or
Market East.
   SEPTA Board Meeting:  Fri., Dec. 18, 3:00, 714 Market St., Third Floor,
Philadelphia.
   DVARP General Meeting:  Sat., Dec. 19, 1:00 to 4:00 pm at 12 South Ave.,
Jenkintown.
   Delmarva Rail Passenger Association: Thurs., Jan 7, 6:30 pm at Wilmington
Station.  info: Doug Andrews, 302-995-6419.
   DVARP Commuter Rail Committee: Sat., Jan. 9, 12:00 at Chestnut Gourmet,
1614 Chestnut St., Philadelphia.
   IEEE Vehicular Technology Society:  Wed., Jan 13, 7:00 pm at 216 Moore
School, Univ. of Penn. 33rd & Walnut Sts., Philadelphia.  Topic: "Allied
Jct./Secaucus Transfer"
   DVARP General Meeting:  Sat., Jan 16, 1:00 to 4:00 pm at Temple Univ.
Center City
   Listings based on information provided to DVARP.  Contact sponsor to
confirm time & place.

========================= End of DVARP Newsletter =======================
--
David L. Boone
Engineer, Iowa State University Computation Center
Internet: dboone@iastate.edu    Bitnet:  gn.dlb@isumvs
Voice:    (515) 294-1977        US mail: 74 Durham Hall, Ames, IA 50011