Family Moving to Philadelphia: Recommended Suburbs

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

Correction: you would not need to transfer to the subway to get to Temple from Exton.

You just ride all the way through the Commuter Tunnel and get off at the first stop outside it, Temple University. It's at the eastern edge of the campus, at Ninth and Berks streets. Your Paoli/Thorndale train that enters the tunnel leaves it as a Lansdale/Doylestown train. We used to have numbers that referred to the through routes; this was route R5. You'll still hear the occasional Philadelphian use these.

I swear, neither SEPTA nor many of the riders seem to understand the importance or significance of the Commuter Tunnel. There is nothing else like it in North America.

Why are you saying septa does not understand the significance of it since it's pretty vital to what they do every day? Because people take it for granted? Think the link was always there?

But, yes, it gets lost in many conversations about pub trans networks nationwide. It's the only decent to have come out of the Rizzo admin, imo.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

Correction: you would not need to transfer to the subway to get to Temple from Exton.

You just ride all the way through the Commuter Tunnel and get off at the first stop outside it, Temple University. It's at the eastern edge of the campus, at Ninth and Berks streets. Your Paoli/Thorndale train that enters the tunnel leaves it as a Lansdale/Doylestown train. We used to have numbers that referred to the through routes; this was route R5. You'll still hear the occasional Philadelphian use these.

I swear, neither SEPTA nor many of the riders seem to understand the importance or significance of the Commuter Tunnel. There is nothing else like it in North America.

Thanks for that correction. I remember when they changed from the R- designation for the lines to the name of the end station, I thought part of the motive was to avoid having to carry passengers through CC and out the other side without de-boarding a getting a new ticket. But since I never had the need to do that, I was obviously mistaken.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by PHL10

Thanks for that correction. I remember when they changed from the R- designation for the lines to the name of the end station, I thought part of the motive was to avoid having to carry passengers through CC and out the other side without de-boarding a getting a new ticket. But since I never had the need to do that, I was obviously mistaken.

I waged a rather noisy campaign to "Bring Back the R-Numbers!" on Phillymag shortly after SEPTA dropped them. (This was when I was freelancing there, before they hired me full-time.)

Most of those who commented in response to the article agreed with me and my argument. One prominent and knowledgeable transportation blogger didn't, in a post that praised me to high heaven before demolishing my argument.

It was for naught, though, as SEPTA's then-Assistant General Manager for Public Relations (an ex-FBI agent who's really sharp) said to me when we ran into each other at a transit advocacy event. "Give it up, Sandy," she said. "They're not coming back."

(Full disclosure: when I worked on the media-relations side of Penn's Office of University Communications, one of the professors I often pitched on transportation subjects was the Engineering School professor who SEPTA commissioned to come up with the new numbering scheme for Regional Rail when the Commuter Tunnel opened.)

Edited to add: Funny, the impression you got when SEPTA dropped the R-numbers was one of the criticisms I made about the move in the first place: namely, that by doing this, SEPTA was behaving as though the Commuter Tunnel had never been built.

[NewtownBucks]

Originally Posted by PHL10

Thanks for that correction. I remember when they changed from the R- designation for the lines to the name of the end station, I thought part of the motive was to avoid having to carry passengers through CC and out the other side without de-boarding a getting a new ticket. But since I never had the need to do that, I was obviously mistaken.

I think Temple is considered a Center City station, is it not? Temple to U-Penn, not just 30th/Suburban/Jefferson.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by NewtownBucks

I think Temple is considered a Center City station, is it not? Temple to U-Penn, not just 30th/Suburban/Jefferson.

You are correct. There are five stations in the Center City zone; University City is the only one not served by all Regional Rail through-routes.

[PHL10]

Thanks for all the info!^^^^

Regardless, the train from Exton to Temple is outside their desired 30-45 minute commute.

[orchid32]

Seconding Jenkintown! The commute to Temple is amazing (only about 15 minutes via SEPTA express trains that run during rush hour), and the Wintersports Ice Arena is about 14 minutes away. There are shops and restaurants in walking distance. You can join the Abington Club for a year-round pool, or Abington Township has outdoor pools you can join in the summer.

Jenkintown has a great little school with very low student:teacher ratios, and everyone in the district can walk to school (the whole Borough is only 0.6 square miles, which also means kids can also walk to their friends houses). It's a great little community.

[bdeclee56]

Not to derail this conversation (no pun intended!), I grew up in Ardmore in the 1960s. Back then the train was called The Paoli Local. I graduated from LMHS in 74 and moved away. When I returned to the area in 2014 and asked about the Paoli Local, I was met with blank stares. People said, “Oh, you mean the Paoli-Thorndale line.” “Thorndale?” I replied. “Where the heck is that?!?” :-)

[sares22]

Thanks. I'll look into those areas.

[sares22]

That sounds great! Thank you