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SEPTA - Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
Rating Details »
Category: Public Transportation [Edit]
Neighborhood: Market East1234 Market St
Ste 100
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 580-4000
103 reviews for SEPTA - Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
Oh, SEPTA. I ride you all the time. The pee smell and messy stations, I don't care about. That's just something you get when you ride the subway.
What really drives me up the wall is the two-tiered fare system, where you pay more or less depending on your access to tokens. This is just WRONG, especially since token machines are present in tourist areas and near universities but absent in stations where the majority of people actually live in the city full-time. I know in theory you can get tokens at stores around the city, but I lived near Broad and Snyder for three years, and was able to buy tokens at the Rite Aid at that corner not more than ten times. At one point I asked when they got tokens in, and the manager said SEPTA delivered them at random times, and they never knew when they were going to get more. Really, SEPTA? Really?
Someone below mentioned that SEPTA is not too bad because it has extensive service to the suburbs. Well, the vast majority of people who ride SEPTA are using it to get around in the city, but the suburban transit (in my experience, I don't usually go out there) is better, more efficient and reliable than intra-city transit. This is a flaw in the system, not a plus. SEPTA needs to serve the majority of its patrons better, not a few of its patrons really well.
A few more things:
1) Why can't the people in the booth give me change or sell me a god damn token? What do they do except roll their eyes and go on strike every few years?
2) Sometimes buses just don't stop. For no apparent reason. At Olney. When there are twenty people waiting.
3) The signage in all the stations is horrible. This is true of all subway and surface lines and regional rail
4) "we're getting there": most appropriate and hilarious slogan ever.
I have lived in philadelphia on and off, mostly on, since 2001 and I avoid the train like the plague. After riding public trans in other cities like Portland and DC whos public trans systems are pristine and beautiful I feel bad giving philly even one star - its too much!
On the few and far between times I ride the train when it rains, snows or I'm traveling places with my friends who don't bike, it has been pretty lame. It smells, its dirty, people are rude, 50% of the time the trains are late and don't seem to run on any sort of schedule. Once I got on the train and the seats were covered in blood...then newspaper was covering the blood and the blood was seeping through the newspaper Mmm... Do they ever clean the trains, ever?
Additionally you can't buy tokens at most subway stops, you have to have exact change if you don't have a token because people working at the windows don't give change - also the people that work at the windows at the subway and el are the rudest most unhelpful people I've ever dealt with. Don't bother going to them if you have a question because its hard to find one that will actually help you even if you are nice...though I know there are diamonds in the rough, maybe you'll get lucky.
The only good thing I can say about the trains is the local flavor that gives me entertainment...its annoying entertainment, but entertainment none the less. I know that its a lot of the local people making the train rides hellish but seriously, Septa....you're doing a really poor job...not to mention your strike sucks.
You can look at SEPTA from any angle you want but you'll never see it in a positive light. Yeah, the El will get you (though not much else) across the city quickly but that's it. The employees are actually bad people, not just lazy, dumb or apathetic, but bad people who hate the residents of Philadelphia. I don't think George Bush could do a worse job running SEPTA. The people working the booths are pathetic as well.
There is a bit of excitement riding the subway. You never know when you might be beaten by a hammer, assaulted by children, beaten and thrown off the bus by the bus driver, or stuck underground in a subway car without power... though you could bet this will happen when you're actually in a rush to get somewhere important.
Dear Maureen S and Ben G,
You seem to be oddly satisfied with SEPTA. Perhaps you are a worker for SEPTA, or know someone who works there. If you aren't you either 1. Have never been outside Philadelphia or 2. Don't have to get anywhere in a reasonable semblance of time.
Having to take SEPTA again to where I need to go the past two weeks has reminded me why I dislike it. And I'm moving towards a hate/loathe:
To summarize:
1. Not enough trains on the Market/Frankford line in the morning. Most days I have to wait for at least 2 trains and then jam on with six million people.
2. Juniper St. station smells like rotting garbage at least 50-75% of the time. The floors are also usually dirty(Though to be fair, they were cleaning the floor last week. Though why it took at least 2 whole days to clean the floor is beyond me).
3. The other week I tried to take a green line trolley at Juniper St. Waited at the station for over 10 minutes while the departing trolley stood still. No announcements no nothing. Trolleys start backing up behind it. Finally the guy in the trolley immediately behind it pulled out some type of thing that looked like a bumper used on a boat and got into the trolley. At that point I got back on the Market/Frankford line
4. The Market/Frankford line trains are always dirty. Always.
5. The City Hall stop and the corridors leading to it still smell of piss. Other stops on the Green line also smell to varying degrees. Green line stops don't seem to get washed/cleaned often.
6. Last weekend there was a fire or some big deal at one of the train stops/trains on the Market Frankford line. The ONLY reason I know this is that the guy ahead of me in line at the ticket counter was asking about it. Otherwise I would have purchased a ride and stood at the stop with the six million other poor souls. Supposedly they had a shuttle bus coming to the 40th St. station, but given my previous experiences with SEPTA buses, I know better than to take one. So I humped from 40th St. to the 15th St. PATCO.
SEPTA doesn't have to be this bad. If you want a good model for a what a commuter train service should be, go use the DC Metro trains(which I did again recently). If you do you will see:
The stations are immaculate
The people who run the trains and hand out tickets are nice and actually want to help you
The trains themselves are usually pretty clean
They have announcements on the train for each stop in plain English on speakers that work
They have digital signs that indicate when the next train is coming at most if not all the stops.
Oh yeah, and the whole argument about the people being responsible for the trains, yeah that only goes so far. When you see the same pile of sunflower seeds that some ill-mannered commuter left at the Fairmount stop stay there for a week, that's negligence on the part of the people servicing/cleaning the stops. And I could give many more such examples.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/9/2008
Cleanliness:
I've ridden train/bus systems in San Fran, Chicago, D.C. and NYC. Philly trains are… Read more »
Gosh, Philadelphians are such whiners.
SEPTA has lots and lots of room for improvement, but many of the reviewers here seem to have misconceptions about the state public transit in most of the United States. The bottom line is that SEPTA is a functional and comprehensive system. Philadelphia is a large city and SEPTA literally goes everywhere, including extensive service to the suburbs.
The real problems with SEPTA are:
- The antiquated fare system
- The lack of token machines to deal with the existing fare system
- The trolley signaling system (they have been working on this for years now)
- Lack of new technologies like bus tracking systems
All of the other complaints are things you will forever have to deal with in a city of 1.5 million and a metro area of over 5 million, all being served by a quasi-governmental agency with unionized workers.
Dearest Septa,
How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways...5 billion.
I was wavering between one and two stars, but decided to be generous. I have now been a SEPTA commuter for over a year. The friendliness of employees is about a 10:1 surly to nice ratio. The trolleys are slower than walking during rush hour, and buses...well, you're in luck if they come on time. Better just start walking, especially if you're trying to catch the 31 from West Philly into the train station or center city. No change? Credit cards only accepted at 30th street? What is this, the dark ages?
The regional rail is the least of Septa's evils, but on the other end of the spectrum we have the BSL. If you're trying to connect from the MFL to the BSL on a weekend, be prepared to wait a half hour. And then fear for your life on that 10 minute ride.
I could say more, but I don't want to pop a blood vessel. And yet, I continue to commute, because it's still cheaper than having a car.
This is a love and hate relationship. Which should I start with? Probably the love, since that's shorter.
I love SEPTA for providing me with endless hours of entertainment. I've seen drunk kids from the burbs on the way home from New Years puke all over a car. I've heard countless cell-phone arguments and break-ups. I've watched the police escort troublemakers off. I've even watched the regional rail pull up to the TU stop in FLAMES.
I love SEPTA for taking long enough between stops that I can get my homework done on it.
And that's about it. Don't count on SEPTA for anything but cynical amusement, and more often disappointment.
More grotesques here than in Goya's sketchbook.
On the bright side, the service has frequently spared me the unpleasant experience of arriving at work at the early hour my boss has selected as my start time. It's like SEPTA senses my reluctance.
One of my favorite BYOBs.
Oh SEPTA. Where would I be without you? At my correct destination and on time, that's where!!
I've always fascinated by mass transit for some reason, and observing the way that the system functions still interests me. Unfortunately, in this town most of my "interest" consists of rage. Between the blatant disregard for the schedules, strikes and fare hikes every 5 or so years, rude drivers, urine aroma, wild goose chases through stations, and overall inefficiency, I still continue my masochistic cycle by taking SEPTA anytime I need to go somewhere. Because well....their motto is (hilariously and ironically) "We're getting there". And I guess I do get there eventually, which is what's most important, right? Right?
I would like to recognize the people in the ticket offices/booths though, who are usually pretty friendly, albeit a little slow sometimes. Still waiting on an explanation for why all of the Regional Rail ticket machines were removed. :[
Whose motto is "We're Getting There"?
Seriously?
It couldn't be something like "We Get There" or "We Get You There" or something implying speed and efficiency, instead of slow moseying and all around incompetence?
I cannot tell you how many times the 34 trolley had passed me by with barely anyone in the car.
Or the time I had to go to KOP and the bus decided to stop the line at the Wissahickon Transportation Center, leaving us to fend for ourselves in the rain.
GRRRRRR. This is why I ride a bike.
I have only used SEPTA to get from Trenton to 30th St Station Philadelphia and it has always gotten me there on time. It isn't glamorous but gets the job done.
I used SEPTA during my weekend visit up to Philadelphia. For a visitor sticking to the major neighborhoods of Philadelphia proper, SEPTA will do, though we found that walking often provided more direct/efficient routes (and that Philly seems a lot bigger on the map, but walkable in reality).
The highlight of my SEPTA use was chanting "SEPTA-pus! SEPTA-pus!" while waiting for the subway (http://www.youtube.com... between 3:07-3:34).
Coming from an area with NO public transit I love the fact that it exists. It is easy to take mass transit for granted when you don't have it.
Of course there should be more mass transit but that is a whole other conversation. They should create a hub at the Spring Garden Station and build an elevated train system along the Delaware River that goes down to the stadium and connects with the BSL and PATCO.
It would be awesome if they revitalized the trolleys in the rest of the city and repaired the tracks. Building more underground subway networks would be awesome but most likely impractical.
I am 6 blocks from Tioga on the MFL. There are hookers who wait near the exit late at night. It smells like urine but almost all the subway stations smell like urine.
The people in the ticket window are always rude and surly. I think is a requirement to have horrible people skills to work for SEPTA. Plus why can't any of them make change? WTF!!
My experiences are based entirely on using the BSL, MFL, Regional Rail and one trolley ride. I have not stepped foot into a bus yet.
Dear SEPTA,
Thank you, 33, for running into my car (which was parked in a legal spot, mind you), leaving a monstrous dent that started to rust within days, and driving away as if nothing happened. I really needed a use for that lonely $500 in my savings account.
Disdainfully yours,
Meredith
OK.... I am a union member and don't relish any union worker working without a contract, and of course I want to be paid more for the work I am doing....but this SEPTA workers strike is simply self-serving and selfish and even, dare I say, unpatriotic. Those SEPTA workers on strike already HAVE jobs in an economy where people are LOSING jobs every day without much hope of getting new ones soon. is this a fair and decent way to treat your fellow citizens? These workers...in my opinion...not the greatest in the public service industry...are then adding insult to injury by trapping those who need Public Transit the most in their neighborhoods, unable to get to work or find jobs, get to school, or shop and thereby hurting a wider and wider circle of people with every day they stay out. Note that the rich and mostly white suburbs have service into CC...but what about Germantown and North Philly? can students use bus passes on the trains? No. So thats another 3 bucks out of their already shrinking wallets. I say this strike was pure bad timing and meanness.
This review is for a friend who took the regional rail from suburban station to 30th street (1 stop) and got charged $4 for it. Which wasnt the main issue, since I told him technically thats the rule...$4 per way for CC/1st zone. What pissed him off was the conductor charged him and his friends, then completely surpassed the rest of the people on the car and walked to the next one. I jokingly told him that no one in Philly likes college students, so thats why the conductor charged them. He took it seriously.
But in all seriousness, that sucks. Nice discrimination against the people you think are loaded with money, SEPTA.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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6/30/2009
I have been taking the regional rail to work for about a month now since I have moved. I am… Read more »
SEPTA subways are okay. I had the pleasure of riding the train from downtown Philly into Ardmore. Easy ride but what struck me was the live train coordinators yelling from across the cab to let you know the next destinations are and what to expect if you're on the wrong line.
You'll need to stand in line for tickets which you can either buy on the subway cab or at the ticket concession stand.
It sure ain't NorCal's BART or the Washington DC METRO, that's for sure.
I have to agree on one main point that everyone hints on in their responses, the homeless problem that inhabits the subway system needs to be stopped, and in return, the smell of pee will magically disappear. Other than that, what people have to realize, is that it is the public that makes the buses, trolleys, subways, and el dirty!! I always make sure I put my trash in the trash, and don't add to the problem. I have seen people of all types litter when using Septa, with no regards to the fact THEY are part of the reason everything is such a mess. I live in South Philly, and I take the G bus every morning to 62nd and elmwood and catch the 36 trolley up to island ave to drop my son off at his babysitter. When I leave there, I catch the 36 down to City Hall, and I hop on the BSL to school, community college of phila. The BSL is very reliable, especially during the work/school day. The 36 you get when it comes, but overall it always comes within a half hour (it's supposed to come every 8 minutes or so during the day! 4 minutes apart at peak times!) I am just grateful that we have public transportation, because if we didn't, I'd be SOL. I simply cannot afford a car and everything comes along with it, maybe once I graduate and get a better job. They could definitely improve, and need to concentrate on the safety issue they have. They need to install security cameras, and have someone monitoring them at all times. With government funding, this is possible, and would create jobs as well to stimulate our city's economy. Public transportation is a need, and a right for those who are unable to afford personal transportation. How are those in already difficult financial situations supposed to better themselves if they can't get to work or school. They then become dependent on the system, regardless of their desire to remain off of it! I gave SEPTA four stars, because I need it, and by giving myself extra time every day to allow for a delay, I always make it where I am going on time. The one I took away is for the safety and homeless inhabitation issues. They are simple things to control, it's simply an issue of the money.
SEPTA, you are dirty and overpriced and late. You're late, late, late. I've been waiting for an hour for you to arrive. Where are you?
And, buses, please stop hitting signs and trees along the street. Please. And, hey, it's not a race.
SEPTA's rail service just doesn't make any sense.
If you're traveling the Regional Rail lines and need to transfer, forget it. I know it's been lamented 1,000 times over, but being forced to travel to a "hub" stop in Center City just to transfer trains is absolutely ridiculous. On top of that, you have to buy another ticket.
And forget traveling the Broad St. line subway. I've had too many scary experiences with total creepos on there. I'll never ride alone, and never after dark (although even in the afternoon, sketchy people are all over). And the b.s. with the exact change or token...it's just too much of a hassle.
On the bright side, regional rail trains are usually on-schedule, reliable, and relatively clean.
Dear SEPTA,
I hate your service. the buses are always late. The prices are always increasing.
Your 42 bus even hit my friend's car and your driver claimed we hit him though he was pulling out of a bus stop. And how can a blind man sue you if they couldn't even see you?
You need to do something about the random people asking if you want to have a good time.
Sincerely,
I think septa needs reform and budget cuts and lots of help.
I take SEPTA every day to and from work. Hmmm . . . where do I start?
First of all - every station of the Market - Frankford line and the Broad Street line should have, at the very least, a working token/fare machine on each side. Each one, at the very least, should provide the booths with change. If they are going to accept fares, they should be able to make change. How hard is that.
I think if SEPTA trimmed off about 30% of its corporate staff, provided customer service training (ongoing) to it's workers, made it seem as if they appreciate the riders rather than tolerate them . . . then maybe it'd be a good system. Maybe.
Last week -- was waiting on the train at Margaret-Orthodox -- heading home from work. Four trains went by heading to Frankford Terminal. Nothing heading toward CC. Finally one came. Packed, of course. Now -- since it was obvious that the trains were held up for some reason for QUITE a long time -- there should have been AN ANNOUNCEMENT of some kind. And, maybe even a SEPTA police officer to board the first, crowded train to provide some level of security. As it was, on one end of my car there was a guy running a shell game and people holding up wads of money as they placed bets with the rip-off artist . . . nice.
The week before I reported to the person at the gate at the same station that a guy was physically and verbally abusing a girl on the platform. Several minutes passed -- no one came to check . . . they borded the train one car ahead of me -- and it all continued for two more stops.
We need SEPTA - when will SEPTA learn that it needs us, too?
SEPTA time and date - 6:45 AM on January 1st, 1980. And that is how I had come to ride on a SEPTA bus before I was even born. Happy new year to us everyone! The only problem? It was 4:45PM on June 2nd, 2009 (And I thought that I was usually way off on time.)! Stupid SEPTA, when will you ever learn?
Sadly after over ten prolonged years of using it (that will still continue on tomorrow, and the next day, and....fuck!) I've come to the conclusion that it never will. Yet while I grasped that concept from the get go I've continuously taken a ride in it while in a shrouded state of denial. But lets just say that riding in a dingy and crowded bus before your born, even though your 29 years of age does something to your mindset. And that's why I refuse to ride like that any longer. And while my last review was pretty negative in it's own right (I still don't believe they came up with that stupid ad campaign), this review is going to be a whole different beast of negativity.
So with that said this one middle finger (middle finger because SEPTA is not worthy of any stars) review is in honor of the following -
- The fact that it's been a good 3-4 years since you had any ticketing machines in any of your major stations.
- Yet despite that you still manage to charge people extra when they purchase their tickets on the train. yet the majority of your suburban workers only have one/two workers who leave at obscenely early hours.
- Your prices go up, yet your quality goes down.
- While you do have some nice and accomodating workers, too many of them are ass hats.
-Your always manage to be obscenely late and early when I don't need you to be!
-Too many of your subway stations smell like rotten urine.
-Your Sunday hours are a joke!
-Your customer relations and complaint office is a total joke!
-Too much of your equipment is severely old and out of date.
-The fact that none of these complaints will probably ever make a difference.
-The fact that you crashed into Meredith's car and didn't do anything about it. You bastards!
-The fact that I could keep on going!
But at least it's always good to share - http://www.septafail.com/
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/18/2007
Where do I possibly begin. How about some responses to the new campaign "where would you be without… Read more »
I hate to keep complaining about SEPTA, yet keep using it. But for once I think I have a semi-legitimate reason being that I was trying to get to the airport without spending $30 or drive.
So I tried to catch the airport train, the R-1, coming back from PHL airport. This isn't SEPTA's fault that the airport apparently decided that both escalators leading to the platform should only go upwards, so I was forced to lug my baggage down the steps manually, but it was a sign of what was to come.
I get to the platform and there's a SEPTA train sitting there. I looked at the number on it and it says the R3. Well, I know the R3 doesn't come down here and that the R1 should be there but... who knows.. So I stand there looking for a conductor with another man, and we cannot find a conductor for the life of us. Finally we get on the train anyway since the listed time for departure was coming.
Apparently we did get on the right train with the wrong label, but what's worse was the ticket guy's attitude and weird.. dance. The airport doesn't have a ticket machine so everyone is forced to buy a ticket onboard. He was doing some weird trick thing with the tickets he had to punch and handing then back to people in some weird.. bent.. dancing sort of way as if he were cool.
Look dude. Just punch my tickets and get it over with. What the hell. Already you've b*tched at us for having luggage (SORRY that this is from the freakin airport) and you're not cool okay?
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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11/19/2008
One star review for yesterday's service!
It was FREEZING outside and me and about 20 other people… Read more »
Dear SEPTA,
I guess I was too busy hating on DC to remember all the shit things that you do. So you think you can stop your trolley for thirty minutes without letting us know what's going on and keep your three stars? Methinks not, homes.
You see, people, I was on my way back to the east side of Philly after a toasted-whole-wheat-bagel-and-cream-cheese run and an unsuccessful attempt to get into Penn's library for a hard day's work (they're closed, bummer -- though I probably would have spent half the day on Yelp/Gmail/Facebook/http://i-am-bored.com anyway...). I decided to take the trolley at 37th street instead of walking to 34th street for the El. I mean, the trolley's _right there_. Am I crazy or does it make sense?
How in the world could I have guessed that the ride from 37th to 30th included a thirty-minute nap in the tunnel? Well, for some people anyway. I was too busy glaring at the conductor who sat on his ass and never told us anything.
Sidenote: I'm really impressed that no one on the trolley bitched about the whole thing. Not a single sign of dissatisfaction. Either it's because the seats are warm, or this shit must happen pretty damn often.
So twenty five minutes later, we learn from a third party that we were ON THE WRONG TRACK. Say whaaaat? Meanwhile, two other eastbound trolleys passed by us; couldn't they have made us get out of this one and walk five steps to get on the other trolleys?
I say, that's a long freaking way to go for a soggy bagel, but at least my ass was warm.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/30/2008
Yeah, SEPTA's shitty, but you know what? I like it better than the DC Metro (I swear one of these… Read more »
My roommate described our love/hate relationship with SEPTA better than I ever could...
"If I saw the 38 bus being gang-raped and left for dead on the side of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, I would just laugh..."
SEPTA never ceases to disappoint me. Just when I think it couldn't get any worse, the bus that is scheduled to come every 40 minutes just doesn't show up, leaving me standing in some of the not so nice neighborhoods in West Philly at night for an hour and a half, just waiting to be mugged.... Because you just never know; the bus could be late, it could be early, or it could not come at all...
Although I'm being overly generous, one star goes for having a direct train line from the airport to the city that actually manages to run reasonably well. I award the other star for SEPTA's self awareness. They may not care that they are a sh*tty public transportation service, but they do acknowledge it, which is more than I can say for other public works in this city...
I got around Philly while I was visiting the city last month by walking and taking the subway, it was kinda tough but I dealt with it. The trains don't run as often as the NYC subway but they sure are A LOT less crowded that's for sure, you usually won't have a problem getting a seat on the subways, I hate how the subway is like a 20 min walk from Pat's and Geno's and while it's like a half hour walk or so from Tony Luke's cheesesteaks, I also hate how the subways don't have a whole lot of stops but at least it got me where I needed to go for the most part. I got the convenience pass twice since I was there for 2 nights and it's good for 8 rides on the subway and buses for a day and it was only 6 bucks a day so it was alright.
Having never been to Philly in my life, I was able to navigate SEPTA (apparently named by someone who ditched Marketing class in college) with ease and get myself from downtown to the airport. Coming from a city that has a terrible public transportation infrastructure (Phoenix, Arizona), I appreciate the value of a system like SEPTA even as smelly, scary, and accurately-named it may be (this according to the Philadelphians I spoke to, not me). The trip cost me some 6 bucks, compared to the $30+ a cab would have cost. Pretty nice.
Plus, I got an entertaining Philly story out of my experience. While seated on the bench waiting for my train, a lady who was either very ill or very high began acting erratically on the platform. A SEPTA employee grabbed her and started calling out, "Joe! Joe come here! Joe? Joe!!!" A really old, wrinkled black dude sitting next to me playfully swatted my shoulder and said, "Joe's slow as Heinz ketchup!" Never a boring moment in your fine city, folks.
Ah SEPTA, quite possibly the worst part of living in Philadelphia.
It is overpriced, it is never on time, and I have been in multiple accidents on their buses and trolleys.
The stations are so disgusting that I am actually embarrassed to take people from out of town on the subway.
When you can find a token machine, it is usually broken. That's right, they still use token machines.
I have used subways and buses extensively in Chicago, New York and Boston. Philadelphia is significantly dirtier and slower (including but not limited to public transit).
In conclusion, I walk everywhere.
Complain about Septa all you want, but it's about 8000 times better than NJ Transit in South Jersey. I grew up in Dirty Jerz and unless you lived in Glassboro or Camden, you were pretty much beat for public transportation.
Yeah, I have some hate for Septa every now and again, mainly for the R1. Between the obnoxious white people fleeing to the airport and having to tell the conductors multiple times that I was going from Eastwick to Temple, it was a bit maddening. (My favorite is when the above mentioned obnoxious white people don't understand that the racks for your shit exist for a reason. I can't tell you how many times I almost broke my neck on baggage in the aisles and got dirty looks from these jackasses. Or how about the time some hipster couple literally barricaded me into my seat with all their ugly luggage? OH! Or the very recent time on the C bus when the obnoxious jerks in front of me didn't understand that "excuse me" is the polite way of saying "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!" Good times, good times.)
Anyway.
Is it the beautiful and comfy DC metro? Hells no, but it's hardly the worst you could do. Try NJ Transit a few times and you'll be begging for Septa.
Why do I always get off the train feeling like I've been punched in the face?
SEPTA's got us all in a corner, because there simply is no other option. In fact, a lot of the time, there is NO option (i.e. Going from South Philly to Northern Liberties? You'll need at least 2 buses). SEPTA may be the reason I am an alleged "militant walker." I prefer walking the 2.5 miles to and from work every day to giving SEPTA $2.90 and STILL having to walk 10 blocks.
Just last week I was taking the R6 from Norristown to Suburban and was transporting my bike with me. As circumstances had it, I had an appointment in which I had to wear a business suit (high heels and all!), and the SEPTA workers unapologetically informed me that they are not allowed to touch my bike, not even to help me lift it up the three steps on the train. "Uh-uh, I can't touch your bike. Not allowed. I don't touch no one's bike." ...whatever that was about. On top of that, the Norristown train station ticket office closes at 1pm. COME ON! So when I accidentally asked the girl at the Information Counter if I could buy a 1-way Zone 3, she just said, "No." How's that for customer service? "Um, why?" I asked. "I don't sell tickets." "I'm sorry, where's the ticket counter." "Closed at 1." (No eye contact made on her part).
So that brings me to tickets/MONEY. Why is it that SEPTA has no money, when every G.D. bus is a mobile advertisement for high rolling companies (T.H.P, CCP, The Phillies... you know they paid up to cover those buses in ads). But, no, SEPTA is so broke, that they went and changed the Regional Rail ticket buying policies so that it's extra on the train, even if there is no ticket office at the station. And then they changed their ticket hours to close at 1. Brilliant!
Oh, one last thing, thanks for all the strikes, SEPTA workers. It's really a great annual tradition.
I move for a SEPTA commuters strike.
Philadelphia's public transit system is sadly lacking, when compared to other cities' transit systems.
Some of this mess is not entirely SEPTA's fault. It inherited a hodgepodge of different transit systems when it was founded in the 60s, and it's still stuck with over half a dozen noninterchangeable types of rail. It's fashionable to complain when buses and trolleys are late, forgetting that they have to wait in the same traffic everybody else does.
However there are things that most decidedly are within SEPTA's control, such as the customer service problems, disgusting state of stations, and infrequent service.
The fundamental problem, however is that SEPTA has failed to invest in their infrastructure. For years RR stations have been decaying, populations have been growing, and the subways have been getting smellier. New fare collection technologies have been adopted by every major metropolitan city transit agency _except_ for SEPTA.
The King of Prussia area to which I commute is a great example: When they were founded this area was almost all farmland, but now it's a bustling suburb with a glut of office buildings and conventions centers, and a very nice mall. But SEPTA has failed to match any of this expansion with growth of their own! What SEPTA needs to do, and has needed to do for at least a decade, is spend the money to expand the Norristown High Speed Line into the area, but instead they just send more buses up the delay-prone Schuylkill Expressway.
For a city the size of Philadelphia, buses do not a public transit system make! Nor does a scant two real mass transit lines (the El and the BSL) combined with a lot of trolleys. I see bus lines that have a full double-bus go by every ten minutes and I think to myself "why isn't that a subway line?"
Unfortunately SEPTA seems to be incapable of spending real money to improve their coverage, instead relying on the same old fare system, the same old two subway lines, and the same old stations that quite frankly stink like hell. There are signs of change within the agency, but I think if SEPTA is to become the transit system of the future, it will have to be dragged into it kicking and screaming.
Dear Septa,
Stop ruining my life. Your El "update" project is years behind schedule, and $$$ over budget. You shut down my service every goddamn inconvenient time you can, and your "new" subways stations look ugly and cheap, and the elevators still don't work. What's a person with disabilities supposed to do - walk a mile and half to find an accessible location?
You dump your construction junk all up and down my road, attracting more trash. You've currently blocked off such a huge section of Market that it's difficult for me to find a way to get to work. Your 30 bus, which gets me from home to work in the rain, only runs every 40 minutes, is frequently late, or just doesn't show up at all (like this morning). My brother, who rode the El everyday for a week when he visited, noticed that it took Septa work 2 whole days, and countless men, to change one light on the construction project.
You try to screw the poor by giving them the shittiest service and then trying to up the price for those who can least afford it. Your subway "workers" make more money than I do, yet refuse to make change. You just WON"T put a token machine near any of my stops (screwing the poor again) because you think your stupid machine needs too much "security."
I've been on buses when they hit cars and just kept going.
That said, I LOVE public transportation. And I LOVE that it's an option. But this whole West Philly reconstruction thing has really made me bitter and lowered my property value and destroyed a lot of neighborhood businesses. It's ass all around.
One good thing: Last Friday afternoon I got off at the 13th St. stop and walked to 11th street, and the whole underground area was literally sparkling. SPARKLING! There was actually a guy in there, hanging out to clean in case anything got dirty. It was awesome. Thank you Michael Nutter. Now whip the rest of SEPTA"s ass into gear.
Dirty, scary, and bus drivers are probably one of THE worst drivers in the city, and it doesn't help that they have absolute power of running me and my little car over.
One star because I worked in DC for 6 months and I can't help but compare.
But I'll give one additional star because it does get me from the suburbs to the city.
I never really had a problem. But hey SEPTA riders, can you stop pissing in the subway area (City Hall Station especially). Put out your cigarette too!
To the bus drivers:
If you see someone who is about 10 feet from the back of the bus and you are about to pull off, you should just stop.
the best thing about SEPTA is that it encourages me to ride my bike more.
I do have to say that it is much better than Atlanta's public transportation (MARTA) because at least it does have the ability to get me most of the places I want to go - the trip is just always unpleasant.
also, here's a funny story: one time a few weeks ago, I was waiting in the rain for about 15 minutes before a 34 trolley appeared in the distance. as it was coming down my block, it HIT A CAR. everyone got off and proceeded to go wait patiently for the 13, which took another 15 minutes to arrive.
Well, I've ridden the system here for more than ten years, and I have to say, it's bad, but it's not quite horrible.
The building here has a small museum, interesting for the kids. Mostly administrative and a few places to get coffee or sit down in.
Yes, certain lines are overcrowded, it can be dangerous depending on which line you're on, there's always construction, and timing can be very horrendous.
The regional rail lines usually have the best of it, with plenty of service, a mix of several trains and while sometimes delayed, most stations have the clocks up that tell you about how long you'll be waiting (or will announce delays).
The trolley/subways are a bit dirty, although they did replace many of the cars on the blue line this decade, and it's a simple, relatively smooth system. The trolleys themselves are dangerous to pedestrians and other traffic, but all people need to be more aware of their surroundings, too.
The bus system varies - Center City service is generally pretty smooth, but as you get outwards into the areas of the city beyond the little rectangle of Center City, the service drops downwards... suburbia is serviced by a few lines, like any other large metropolis, split into zones and while payment can be a bit confusing, it's not horrible.
I still think the entire system could do without tokens, though. It's time to go the plastic card route of the MTA or almost any other system. They already do it for monthly passes. Stop taking money at all at the tellers and just adjust the machines to accept change. Make sure stops have a working method to enter the transport, too.
And while the underground walking corridor is nice from 15th to 11th, clean it out frequently (power wash the corridor with a lot of water is my suggestion), and keep a patrol or two around each side, it scares some people (although you can just as easily walk above ground).
Sometimes I wonder if people actually ride SEPTA before they complain or complain then ride SEPTA and then they see it through shit colored glasses. It is a lot better than most municipal transit in the country but it's not perfect. The fact that they were the largest public transportation system without dedicated state funding for-friggin-ever also contributed to the state of disrepair of a lot of things and the assholes that they've got operating the vehicles.
I've been riding SEPTA for the better part of 27 years on this planet, and while I've run into horrible things that have made me want to quit life, those are a rarity and if you take septa more than occasionally, (or 7 days a week like I did until recently) you start to realise that.
In fact I'm something of an idiot savant with SEPTA and where buses go and how to get where you need to go.
Regional Rail:
The r5 is late A LOT. That's because they're on Amtrak tracks and Amtrak SUPER unreliable, and it forces the r5 to get cocked up. The loss of a star is here for the really stupid On Board Fare for buying your ticket on the train. There is a convoluted refund scheme as well.
Suburban Divisions:
Jesus Christ, it's hilarious how on the SEPTA Board that there are a disproportionate suburban representation but if you are traveling anywhere besides Upper Darby or Norristown you're kind of screwed. The service is reliable, leaves on time--buses can be crowded, but you are just not that well served in the suburbs. It's a vicious cycle of when you get more riders you'll be better served but you can't get more riders without the better service.
City Division:
So much love for SEPTA City Division. Sometimes buses don't come on time, but it gets you where you need to go. When I lived in New York, the worst thing was getting back and forth to the Airport, and you've got a couple of options to do that here including buses and regional rail. It does suck that people get beat down on the subway--but that's been happening forever.
Website:
Fucking Germans. The trip planner is workable if you know what to enter in. If you're looking to catch the bus at say Broad and Locust but live at 17th and Locust, don't put in 17th and Locust as your starting point. Besides that it's pretty neat. The Train view function totally does your trainspotting for you which is AWESOME.
this is tl;dr way of saying that there's really not too much to complain about!
After reading Sally's review of our city's horrible public transportation system - I felt the need to rant about it.
Seriously, what is the deal with tickets and tokens being sold at every location? This is absurd! Then, the regional rail charges extra if you get on at a station that has no ticketing and you have to purchase from a train operator. This is a new policy, and it drives me crazy. I don't live downtown, and it is a hassle for me to get train tickets ahead of time. Why should I be penalized, because they can't put a damn machine at each station?
Will they ever expand the subway? I know it has been in talks for years, but seriously?! We need more subway, and we need it now.
Do something with the underground concourses! There are other issues here, like dealing with the homless and mentally ill. But, can't we clean up a little down there, and offer the homeless better places to sleep on cold winter nights? The halls reek of urine, and its pretty scary down there after dark. This is probably an issue with City Management, but affects my septa riding experience. This is something they both need to deal with.
OK, I am done ranting. I just wish someone over there would listen to all of us!
What a total embarrassment for a public transportation system.
