Parade + SEPTA = Fail

[reldnahkram]

As best I can figure, there was not an inbound train that stopped in Ambler between 8.30 and 12.45 (no more than a half-dozen trains went through without stopping, no more than two or three trains went by northbound). I'm not bitter, not at all. By the time a train did stop, the number of people waiting at the station had dwindled from several hundred to maybe 50, probably less (I definitely used the phrase "like rats from a sinking ship" to describe goings on at the station after a train just pulled through without stopping in a voice message left for someone). The train then ran express to Fern Rock.

I heard rumors that Suburban Station was closed at one point due to volume. The 30th St. SEPTA concourse was closed at 3.45 PM. Southbound BSL service was suspended south of Race-Vine around 1 PM. I saw a train of Silverliner IVs that spanned the Schuylkill River easily - probably somewhere between 12 and 15 cars. Evening rush out at Suburban was handled like it was during the strike in late 2005 and was relatively painless (for me, anyway).

I give SEPTA a C for doing relatively decent damage control and for not screwing up the subways, but their advance planning was terrible (no extra trains added?!?) and communications to passengers were mediocre, as usual. The system never really recovered from the overload.

"Due to overwhelming demand, regional rail trains are nearly filling at point of origin. Please seek alternate means of transportation."

SEPTA Watch (septawatch.blogspot.com) Headlines:

Phillies fans crowd SEPTA.
SEPTA begs people not to ride its trains
We broke SEPTA

My suggestion for a plan to follow, probably tomorrow morning. Thankfully, jdh92 wanted someone to Tivo the parade coverage, which I did. I never thought I'd be the one watching it.

EDIT: PATCO got hit hard too. I heard a report of a two-hour wait to get tickets then another hour just to get to the platform.


Oh, and on the train home, I overheard a little kid say "Chase Utley said the F-word." That totally made my night.

Comments

[ajacs.livejournal.com]

I'd be interested in watching the coverage. I'm presuming that by "tomorrow" you mean "saturday", so I'll note that I believe there's a gaming saturday.

How was it getting home?

[reldnahkram.livejournal.com]

Just about pain free. They had lines for each branch setup at the station level just like they did for the 2005 strike, and only let people down to the platforms when that train was coming in. The train was packed and there were long stops at each station, but everything moved smoothly.

[baaaaaaaaaah.livejournal.com]

my goverment is broken but our train systems work.

am I suposed to feel better???

[reldnahkram.livejournal.com]

Our government might be broken too.

[baaaaaaaaaah.livejournal.com]

my government is permanently broken*. therefore our trains has to work

*note: 3 PM's (possibly 4th) in 3yrs, cabinet seat is a never-ending musical chair, fistfight on the floor, PM who doesn't know the price of cup noodles, voter turnout less than 50%, pundits marvel at approval rating higher than 35%, being the world's 2nd largest economy, being permanently in recession stagnent for last decade be afraid.. be very afraid..

[leepinleemur.livejournal.com]

Comcast is supposed to be replaying the coverage often so you should be able to catch and/or tivo it if you wanted to.

"Comcast SportsNet will cover the entire parade, commercial-free, starting at 11:30 a.m. (SportsNet will rerun it at 11 p.m. today, 1:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. tomorrow, 1:30 a.m. Sunday, and 12:30 p.m. Monday. "