Perhaps the biggest news to come out of this stormy winter may be the birth of what SEPTA could well call its “one-way guarantee.”
It works this way: SEPTA says it will get riders to their destination, but can’t promise a return trip.
The agency’s aim, according to SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney, is to avoid stranding both passengers and vehicles in the midst of a big storm. The policy was implemented during Saturday’s snow storm. Maloney said it worked well: No passengers were stranded, and only a fraction of the usual number of buses had to be towed.
The policy appears to be a case of one step forward and two back.
Riders rely on SEPTA especially during extreme weather conditions. The region’s sprawling rail network, in particular, is nothing short of a transit lifeline. (The agency does plan to keep the Broad Street Subway and Market-Frankford El running throughout storms.)
The new policy is jarring, given the regional rail lines, trolleys and buses have plowed through snow, sleet and rain for decades. Now riders must cope with a huge uncertainty. Essentially providing one-way service is impractical and unreliable.
That’s not to say SEPTA must run regardless of the conditions. The recent storms have made travel extremely dangerous. But that is not the norm.
Going forward, it is unclear what weather conditions would call for the shutdown of the rails. How would SEPTA get the word out?
The current storm will provide more information on how this policy will work, or won’t work. (By 5 p.m. today, bus lines are to be taken out of service and there are advisories up for a number of rail lines.) But it’s clear the policy may need to be tweaked, or even scrapped.
At the very least, perhaps it would be better if SEPTA designated key regional rail lines as “lifeline” routes that would only be shutdown under the most dire circumstances. The agency may have other ideas on how to improve this policy from a customer-service standpoint.
One thing’s clear: A one-way ride is useless.
Dude, what are they supposed to do??? Obviously, they're going to run if they possibly can; and they don't have any obligation to even provide a guarantee at all. People should stay home and heed this warning. If you NEED to take SEPTA, at least you're on notice that SEPTA may not be able to operate. If you DON'T NEED to take SEPTA, then the message is plain and simple: DON'T!!— Philth- Perhaps they can adopt "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC in a new advertising campaign. ----------------------------------- Living easy, living free Season ticket on a one-way ride Asking nothing, leave me be Taking everything in my stride Don't need reason, don't need rhyme Ain't nothing I would rather do Going down, party time My friends are gonna be there too I'm on the highway to hell ... --------------------------------------— JerryCurlan
- I can understand buses will have problems with the snow stranding them but patco is able to run in the snow, they need to keep running. what is septa's problem?— flavious27
- Its all about revenue. The cost to keep the system running can not be supported by the level of ridership to a minimum cost level. Follow the money for your answer.
Actually, Ed, I think it's all about lawsuits. Imagine if a train got stranded in blizzard conditions and the passengers were trapped for many hours, or if someone was injured or (god forbid) killed in an accident. The injury doesn't even have to be severe for a nuisance lawsuit to be filed; I envision people running to an attorney over a little bump or bruise, claiming whiplash, psych injuries, etc.— digitalowl- Septa should maintain CRITICAL routes during weather emergencies, and should make that clear what those routes are as far in advance as possible. Then people can plan! It's a mess to implement a "one way" policy in the midst of the storm. Pick a limited number of critical routes, and let people know that Septa will do everything possible to keep those routes in service. I suspect that they can do better than limiting CRITICAL service to the Market-EL and Broad St lines. At the same time, i can see where a number of bus routes may be better off not running.— NickEeee
- The conditions are too dangerous to keep Septa running. It is a matter of safety in unsual weather, it is hardly their fault. However, they should get the blue lights (telling you a station is closed) working properly. I have seen the lights on at open stations and off at closed stations during normal weather.— phillypapers
Comment removed.- So lame. Another reason to hate Septa.... But at least the drivers and conductors are curteous!— jowillia1
- How do trolleys work in Moscow?— Gilliam
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