Philadelphia 2035 (Penn: circuit, cluster, destination)

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by Hannah5555

As someone who rides these buses almost every day, the only way they can get faster is to have fewer cars in Center City and finish up the construction, neither of which is likely to happen any time soon. Not sure stopping every other block instead of every block is going to do the trick. There is already informal all-door boarding and I rarely see anyone using transfers since everyone has a SEPTA card now.

I think the current routes provide good coverage. I never have to take more than two buses to get where I need to be. Riding public transit is an existential exercise that those of us who do it on a regular basis willingly accept . Hope springs eternal, though.

Well, your story is one among hundreds of thousands. SEPTA is shedding bus passengers in droves in a year-after-year freefall along with an ever-decreasing on-time performance, so they must feel some change needs to be implemented, despite your relative satisfaction. The consultant who did this study turned around Houston’s failing bus system: https://www.citylab.com/transportati...ership/496313/

[Pine to Vine]

New luxe 10 unit townhouse complex slated for empty lot at S Broad and Fitzwater: NYC developer planning $2 million townhouses on South Broad and Fitzwater Streets - Philly.

[Hannah5555]

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

Well, your story is one among hundreds of thousands. SEPTA is shedding bus passengers in droves in a year-after-year freefall along with an ever-decreasing on-time performance, so they must feel some change needs to be implemented, despite your relative satisfaction. The consultant who did this study turned around Houston’s failing bus system: https://www.citylab.com/transportati...ership/496313/

No doubt. My main complaint with the system is how long you have to wait on a regular basis (almost 30 mins today around 1pm heading east to CC) but I suspect that's because of the awful traffic getting out of Center City. If there's a way for them to improve that, I would be a happy camper. It can be super frustrating.

Edit to add that 3 buses went by going west while I was waiting so maybe getting out of CC wasn't the issue.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by Hannah5555

As someone who rides these buses almost every day, the only way they can get faster is to have fewer cars in Center City and finish up the construction, neither of which is likely to happen any time soon. Not sure stopping every other block instead of every block is going to do the trick. There is already informal all-door boarding and I rarely see anyone using transfers since everyone has a SEPTA card now.

I think the current routes provide good coverage. I never have to take more than two buses to get where I need to be. Riding public transit is an existential exercise that those of us who do it on a regular basis willingly accept . Hope springs eternal, though.

The informal all-door boarding is something SEPTA personnel try to discourage, for reasons that should be obvious. At the stop where I board the buses that take me from the Broad Street Line to my Germantown home, I have seen drivers stop to let riders off the bus before pulling up to pick up the waiting passengers and others who simply refuse to open the rear exit door. That last isn't too common, again for reasons that should be obvious, and many drivers do simply pull up, open all the doors, and let the passengers board for free at the back even without a loader present. (SEPTA does station loaders at this stop at the afternoon peak so that passengers can be checked for passes or Key cards when they board at the rear door.)

It wouldn't take much effort to install Key readers at the rear doors of the buses. The trick would be setting them up so that the riders have to use them in order to board but passengers wishing to exit could do so unhindered. Bringing back the old passenger-activated exit doors might be a solution.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by Hannah5555

No doubt. My main complaint with the system is how long you have to wait on a regular basis (almost 30 mins today around 1pm heading east to CC) but I suspect that's because of the awful traffic getting out of Center City. If there's a way for them to improve that, I would be a happy camper. It can be super frustrating.

Edit to add that 3 buses went by going west while I was waiting so maybe getting out of CC wasn't the issue.

Your experience may be a reason why people are finding new ways to get from Point A to Point B. I don’t use use the buses that often, but when I do, I share your complaint that the buses are not frequent enough. Unlike you, I do find the recommendation of having buses stop at every other intersection in CC rather than at every block a good idea. This eliminates half the stops which should speed things along.

Hopefully SEPTA can see some of the success that Houston’s METRO has seen.

[Hannah5555]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

The informal all-door boarding is something SEPTA personnel try to discourage, for reasons that should be obvious. At the stop where I board the buses that take me from the Broad Street Line to my Germantown home, I have seen drivers stop to let riders off the bus before pulling up to pick up the waiting passengers and others who simply refuse to open the rear exit door. That last isn't too common, again for reasons that should be obvious, and many drivers do simply pull up, open all the doors, and let the passengers board for free at the back even without a loader present. (SEPTA does station loaders at this stop at the afternoon peak so that passengers can be checked for passes or Key cards when they board at the rear door.)

It wouldn't take much effort to install Key readers at the rear doors of the buses. The trick would be setting them up so that the riders have to use them in order to board but passengers wishing to exit could do so unhindered. Bringing back the old passenger-activated exit doors might be a solution.

Yes and I have also witnessed what you describe. In the Bay Area the way they "make" users tag on is by also making them tag off, because if you don't, you get charged for a ride from CC to Germantown, for example, instead of just going to Whole Foods. That would require a total system rehaul I know, so maybe it's not practical here.

[Hannah5555]

Originally Posted by Hannah5555

Yes and I have also witnessed what you describe. In the Bay Area the way they "make" users tag on is by also making them tag off, because if you don't, you get charged for a ride from CC to Germantown, for example, instead of just going to Whole Foods. That would require a total system rehaul I know, so maybe it's not practical here.

Ok. Scratch that. Senior moment.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by Hannah5555

Yes and I have also witnessed what you describe. In the Bay Area the way they "make" users tag on is by also making them tag off, because if you don't, you get charged for a ride from CC to Germantown, for example, instead of just going to Whole Foods. That would require a total system rehaul I know, so maybe it's not practical here.

Actually, that's how the Key is being implemented on Regional Rail.

That's why the five central Regional Rail stations now have fare lines installed.

Each outlying station has a reader on the platform.

This could also be done on the rapid transit system by replacing the current turnstiles with readers only as you enter with two-sided turnstiles like in the RRD stations. Downside: the metal roto-gates that allow for exit would either be replaced with turnstiles or be connected to readers as the roto-gates are at lightly-used station entrances (Chinatown, Vine Street at Race-Vine) to allow patrons to enter when the attendant booths are unstaffed and the regular turnstiles closed off. This would slow down exiting, though.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

I wouldn't, and with the exception of how to class Brooks Brothers - I think southbound_295 made a very valuable point when she pointed out how the disappearance of the term "better" from the taxonomy of clothing classes has muddied the waters; if the top tier of menswear is the "bespoke" designers, then Brooks Brothers makes "better" menswear - I didn't really disagree with cpomp's characterization of what's "fashion" and what isn't.

But it is skewed upmarket. Granted, the "fashion" that the magazines and TV shows cover originates there, then makes its way down into the next two tiers and may end up reflected in something you see on the shelves at Forever 21 or Primark or H&M or Old Navy. But it does seem to me that there are "fashions" among the middle and lower classes too. Sean John and FUBU, for instance, would be good examples of "street fashion," which is far from high-end even if some of this stuff carries high price tags.

But I think it also useful if we can draw a distinction between "fashion" and "style." I think we need a word that describes something that's not as ephemeral as "fashion," which changes from season to season and year to year. "Style," unfortunately, overlaps; after all, things go in and out of style too. But I think it also works in the sense of describing something that's not so "of the moment."

And some retailers seem to agree with me. Before Hudson's Bay Company bought the chain, Lord & Taylor advertised itself as "the signature of American style." (L&T would also be an example of a "better" department store - a notch above Macy's but still looking up at Neiman Marcus.) Brooks Brothers, as I said above, epitomizes "style" in menswear (and more recently women's wear too) - it's a look that's timeless but easily recognized.

BTW, southbound, what's the place you've found that functions like a bargain basement? Back when I lived in Boston, I used to pick up Brooks Brothers shirts at Filene's (original) Basement (the one with the automatic markdowns) all the time. They also had an annual Harris Tweed jacket sale that packed them in. It seems that even Syms (where "an educated consumer is our best customer") has bit the dust.

In these stores' place, it seems, we now have the thrift shop. These shops vary in the quality of clothes they offer depending on where they're located, but they've become magnets for the thrill-of-the-hunt crowd (not to mention the subject of a hit rap song celebrating the trash-to-treasure one finds at them). There's an active discussion underway over in the Frugal Living forum about whether thrift shops have ceased to be an option for the poor and become a middle-class pleasure.

Check out Hamricks. They have a website. They go up to some point in Virginia. If you remember Ports of the World, that's Hamricks in a nutshell. Apparently, Mr Boscov borrowed the idea from the Hamrick family. While the inventory is erratic, I've found some spectacular buys. Who knows, since Belk has headed north, Hamricks may follow.

There are several terms concerning clothing that have been ditched. I had been mulling the topic when it hit me about better. In my mind, I was replaying ads of long ago when Wanamakers advertised sales in the better mens department or the better ladies department. Those, of course, were ready to wear, not that the department stores didn't have taylors & seamstresses, but they were off the rack.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

It wouldn’t surprise me if the Gallery makeover doesn’t come up with a different rebrand than “Fashion District.” I know initially, they were going for a kind of mini-KOP on Market, but didn’t find enough high-end retail interest. Then it was going to be an (ugh) outlet mall, which, for whatever reason, had a mercifully failed liftoff. Now, there will be a mix of restaurants and bars, a movie emporium and outlets for some retailers we currently lack in the city, such as Columbia and Levi’s. It is both, not a “fashion” district, and more than a “fashion district.” There has to be a better way to market the place.

I forgot about the movie theater...