Although SEPTA eliminated its regional rail numbering system a year ago, a prominent University of Pennsylvania transportation planner is still up in arms.
In an open letter to SEPTA general manager Joe Casey, emeritus engineering professor Vukan Vuchic blasted the elimination of regional rail numbers ― and the simultaneous elimination of separate colors for each of the lines ― calling the changes “destructive to the quality of RRD [regional rail division] services and detrimental to the riding public.”
“Under the pretext that the information system on RRD was confusing,” he wrote, “SEPTA introduced changes which actually eliminated most information, degraded the system’s image and introduced illogical and often directly incorrect information. Bearing in mind the facts that the changes that cost tens of thousands of dollars resulted in the virtual elimination of the concept of diametrical lines in our regional network, produced confusing schedules, reduced the legibility and contents of signs, these 'innovations' have been a real fiasco.”
Asked for comment, SEPTA spokeswoman Jerri Williams said the authority would have a response to the letter by the end of the week.
SEPTA changed its regional rail designations after a year of internal debate. Officials at the time argued that the previous system was confusing to out-of-town riders who didn't realize that, say, an R8 train could be traveling to both Chestnut Hill West and Fox Chase.
But Vuchic, one of the designers of the regional rail system argued vociferously at the time that the move would represent an abandonment of the chief benefit of the Center City commuter tunnel.
At the time the tunnel opened in 1984, he sketched out a plan that would have established a European-type S-Bahn service on regional rail ― with trains running every 15 or so minutes as is the case with the Washington D.C. Metrorail system.
But a variety of factors, including persistent funding shortfalls, prevented SEPTA from adopting that model, and off-peak trains on most lines now run every hour.
Vuchic reiterated many of these points in his letter, which he says he wrote because of calls and emails he received from colleagues “expressing concerns” about the changes.
He said the changes have “diminished” the “basic concept of transit lines” and that SEPTA was underutilizing the railroad by focusing on suburb to Center City commuters as opposed to other markets of riders.
He also criticized SEPTA's aesthetic choices, writing that “SEPTA has now become the first system in the world which has abandoned colors” and that the shade of gray that replaced them “has the lowest visibility.”
“As a conductor said on an RRD train, 'It is not even a color, it is drab gray,'” Vuchic wrote.
He said that public opinion was squarely on his side, writing that “negative reactions to the new information system are unanimous.”
“Passengers are confused, unable to find where the train proceeds from center city (sic), nor which stations it serves. Conductors admit that the signing is much more limited than it was. And nobody knows how many passengers have been lost due to the confusion,” he wrote.
Interviews PlanPhilly conducted with riders immediately after the name change revealed little confusion.
In the letter, Vuchic offered to help SEPTA design a new designation system for regional rail that would allow trains to change lines without sacrificing the benefits of the S-Bahn-like system he designed.
At the time of the changes, SEPTA argued that most off-peak trains changed lines while passing through the Center City tunnel, further confusing riders.
Matt Mitchell of the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers, who received a copy of the letter, said that Vuchic was thinking longer-term than many other regional planners by voicing these concerns.
He added, though, that S-Bahn service may not work for regional rail given the expansiveness of the system and differing land use patterns between Philadelphia and European cities. Many suburb-to-suburb trips, Mitchell said, will always be more convenient by automobile.
While he said that Vuchic had several “perfectly valid complaints” he cautioned that “there are bigger barriers to using this as a true regional network than just the things under SEPTA's control, like [the] nomenclature” of regional rail lines.
The city, which also received a copy of the letter, did not return a call for comment.
Though Vuchic, currently in Europe, said he was unable to comment further on his letter until the end of the month, it appears to have been sent, in part, because he feels his recent advice has been ignored by SEPTA management.
“I am quite upset by the fact that you ignored numerous pieces of advice I gave to you and members of your staff,” he wrote. And in an earlier interview with PlanPhilly, he expressed frustration that, though transit systems around the world solicited his advice, SEPTA ignored it.
His letter promised a follow-up in which he would lay out objections to one SEPTA plan for smart card implementation that would introduce one-way fares to regional rail.
Contact the reporter at acampisi@planphilly.com
Comments
Ok, you don't need much brain power to figure out the train lines. Old or New. So stop complaining about the lack of your own IQ.
While I agree that number/color system is easier to identify visually when you're in the rush. The old R# system is completely irrelevant. Why? Because the trains do not run through. R3 from West Trenton does not automatically becomes R3 Elwyn once it reaches the tunnel.
While 15 minutes head-away S-bahn system would be nice to have, it is not feasable. The trains would run empty to non-pick directions (I used to commute in non-pick direction, you could really strech you legs there). The issue is planning and development. Do busenesses in suburbs have any insentives at all to be located near existing train stations??? That's what you need to create reverse trafic for the S-bahn system: JOBS in both directions (not SEPTA's resposibility). Mr. Vuchic's idea is good, but not at the moment...
The "R" designations no longer made sense for a variety of reason:
Also, all the bus schedules and lines are the same color and people don't have a problem with that, so why is it a problem on the RR?
Vuchic needs to retire and stop living in the past. And suburbanites need to stop whining and get with the program.
Every available brain cell and dollar at SEPTA and DVRPC should be used to find ways to expand and improve real passenger rail service throughout the region. If it doesn't increase passenger miles and decrease Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, then it shouldn't be done. SEPTA has been fooling around with cosmetic changes like electronic signs and elimination of the R system while shrinking the system down to transit hubs with huge new parking garages that increase VMT and GHG emissions. Riders want to use their local stations. Many can walk to them, if they had a higher frequency of service. We need real solutions that include better service, not fluff.
I guess the arrogance of SEPTA will keep them from commenting on being the first system in the world to eliminate colors. The R system was easy to use and simple. Now, there are numbers on trains, when they are there. On stations with multiple trains, or where a train is running late, you simply have to ask the conductor since there are no more color indicators which in every other major urban area is easy to use. So instead of being leading edge, instead of trying to be better than other cities, we continue to sink backwards. We have an extensive train system in Philadelphia - we need to rethink it so that we serve more commuters (far suburbs) and city dwellers. In the midst of all this, where is the far reaching thinking about expansion - more lines further out, more cross city expansion. Why not a more complete vision? And why not admit a mistake here, and go to a European numbering system that is proven.
I could not agree with Vuchic more. After riding the regional rail nearly every day for the past two years, I had the same thoughts. Why spend money to eliminate important indicators. I've personally witnessed numerous people realize they are on the wrong train, since the changes that Septa made. Furthermore, even I was confused several times, not knowing all three/four of the endpoints on my line. It also didn't help that there was a clear lag time in the development of new signage that actually goes on the train. Some trains did not even indicate the endpoint and relied solely on their conductors yelling the final destination. At least RRD has brought colors (although not the same ones) back to the paper schedules.
These changes had me jaw dropped when I first heard of them. SEPTA essentially claimed that removing two forms of identification would help alleviate confusion. How is that the case? Previously you could define the airport line as an R1, Yellow, or simply Airport. Or my frequent train would be an R3, Orange, Elwyn. The fact that any color or number could mean two directions makes sense! It's the same train after all... Getting on in the middle would cause confusion to the small minded traveler no matter what the signs should look like. Now, any association with a route’s other half is near gone. All that's left is a small abbreviation in the schedule.
I half expected all buses and trolleys to remove their numbering too by this logic. I was confused getting on the 47 wanting to go south but instead going north. It's really hard to tell which direction a 47 is going. It's not like they tell you it's destination at any point in time. (strong sarcasm)
That blue / gray really is horrendous...
This guy has nothing better to do. The SEPTA system is great. Deinately the best. But the only issue is, SEPTA listens occasionally to those morons at dvarp, but they don't take advice from this guy who, unlike dvarp, has experience, knowledge, and has an idea of what he is talking about. SEPTA has a right to refuse advice. They know what they are doing
I moved to Philadelphia a few days after the change was made. I can't help thinking that if I could actually identify lines, I might have ridden the regional rail by now - particularly when people give you directions that include things like "I'm just a couple blocks East of the R6 stop". I don't understand how eliminating the means of identifying routes in favor of only communicating endpoints is supposed to help me identify which train to get on.