Reverse Commute/Park & Ride on NHSL From West Philly to Oaks/Audubon (Norristown: home)

[murphymumich]

Hey everyone - I live in West Philly a short walk from the 46th St El, and am looking at opportunities out in the Oaks/Audubon area.

While I gain some driving options by virtue of being west of Center City, I'm still not too enthusiastic about the driving commute.

Would it make sense to take the El out to 69th, take the NHSL somewhere like Dekalb Station or Norristown TC and then drive a car (parked overnight at the station) to the office? Seems like a more dependable solution. And if so, which stations would work for this plan? I know that parking is free at NHSL stations except Norristown but wondering if I'd find them full at 5:30pm when I came by to park on my way back?

Any thoughts, insights, etc much appreciated.

Thanks!

[phillytransplant13]

I used to ride the El from 30th Street to 69th street, then the NHSL to the Dekalb Station in Bridgeport for about 6 months. My car was permanently parked in the unsecure, free parking lot at the Dekalb Station and I would drive to and from my job in King of Prussia. Here are some solid pros and cons:

Pros
- Affordable. The Zone 1 Trailpass is the best way to go ($109/month at the time) because it's unlimited rides on the subway and doesn't require add-on fares for the NHSL. Plus, no need for tokens, quarters, etc.
- Quick, especially from where you're at. It would probably be faster than driving, although I'm not too familiar with the back ways leading from Norristown to Oaks.
- Free parking at most NHSL stations

Cons
- The connection between the El and NHSL can be very tricky. Considering SEPTAs track record, both can run late and sometimes you get stuck hanging out at 69th street waiting for the next NHSL to take you to Norristown area. Not every NHSL goes all the way to Norristown, so accurate timing is crucial unless you add some buffer time for late trains.
- NHSL has regular delays due to inclement weather, specifically if it's cold/snowing, and sometimes shuts down all together for days at a time.
- The El is...the El. There were plenty of times I felt uncomfortable, but ultimately wasn't deterred.

Overall, I found this form of transportation to be a positive experience. I would definitely recommend having a backup plan - I always drove home before large weather systems. Hope this helps!

[murphymumich]

This is great insight, thank you very very much! Based on my testing with Waze at certain times, it'll be faster than driving if I'm leaving at reasonably normal (i.e. rush hour) times, but not faster otherwise - so makes sense as a hybrid approach. I think we'll end up getting two cars and keeping one in the city and one at the station, which would cover the NHSL's occasional vacations.