NYC wasn't exactly an innovator when it came to getting rid of tokens (what, two years ago?) boston just got rid of theirs. chicago, perhaps, an the DC metro, despite having a fairly modern system has been pushing RFID refillable cares pretty well.

As for capital costs, no one is ignoring them but SEPTA's bggest cost is labor and benefits they need to reduce their dependence on it. How? 1 conductor for two cars woudl be a start. machines in most stations that actually work and take debti/credit cards. Introducing fare cards for day passes (sold through machines) and perhaps even weekend passes (for both trains and transit). once the machines are up and running, raise the penalty for buying your tix on the train (NJT charges $5). Also, buying online (yes, an online ordering system too) and perhaps a discount for prepaying your entire year's worth of monthly passes which would be mailed to you a week in advance.

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"You down wit OPM?"
Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"

Does anybody else think it is pretty ironic that a thread about a deluxe Trump Tower condo......where virtually none of the residents would be expected to use mass transit.......has spun off to a discussion of.......mass transit?

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Forget it Jake……It’s CHINATOWN!

I still think it's old world charm when a train conductor punches your ticket.


I think it's a good idea to have some human interaction.

I don't. I'm not even sure much of the old world does it that way. if so, keep it to the tourist trains I'd rather the money go into better service.

__________________
"You down wit OPM?"
Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"

I respect what you're saying since you are a Londoner...but IMO, London has the cleanest subway I've ever seen. I'm actually amazed by their cleanliness whenever I go there. The city in general is 10 times cleaner than most major cities, especially those in the US. And they don't even have trash cans.

NYC, on the other hand - yeah, our subways are cleaner. But I only attribute that to our having less traffic, not due to SEPTA - ha!

You know what irks me the most about SEPTA's out of date practices? Their ticket machines for the regional rain STILL don't accept the new money. How long ago did it come into play? It's gotta be 8 years by now, right?

However, they DO accept those pocahontas gold $1 coins. Always a plus. <snark>

Because somewhere in the thread a New Yorker started comparing *shocker* it to a tower in Manhattan.

Traffic isn't bad on Del Ave....honest. Maybe on south Del Ave by Washington but not north of Market.

It's still dominated by abandoned industry and ...there many more parts of Philly thet deserve regentrification before that specific section. Towers are not conducive to streetscape especially in that location on a 8? lane road. They generally are just gated and sealed from the street.

"First, one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Manhattan is the upper east side, and they have been screaming for a new subway line for years. Second, with all the new people moving into the area, possibly in the thousands, traffic will be unbearably heavier than it is now, so even if it's not the rich who will use transit, other people who currently drive might be insprired to take transit. Third, there could well be commercial development in that area, office buildings etc, such as the World Trade Center (hey, it could still happen, there is still a KOIZ there) that would rely on mass transit to get their tenants to and from."....blah blah blah goes the New Yorker....

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"

Well then you're lacking in charm.

and you in good sense.

__________________
"You down wit OPM?"
Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"

yawn..... unimaginative

ooooooh snap! <sigh> :roll: