Transit Briefs: MBTA, NJ Transit, Rail Online, SEPTA

MBTA has issued a 29-page Service Delivery Report, with information on ridership, span of service, service coverage, accessibility, reliability, operated service, rider comfort and paratransit standards. (CRRC Image)

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) releases second-annual Service Delivery Report. Also, New Jersey Transit launches the “Know Your ABCs” travel planning campaign; a new online ticketing platform is offering travelers access to U.S., Canada, U.K. and European rail bookings; and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) boosts Regional Rail capacity after the I-95 collapse in Philadelphia and debuts a new website for the Office of Inspector General.

MBTA on June 14 issued a 29-page Service Delivery Report (see above), with information on ridership, span of service, service coverage, accessibility, reliability, operated service, rider comfort and paratransit standards. It covers fall 2022: from Aug. 29, 2022, to Dec. 18, 2022. Fall represents typical service throughout the year, as it is the time when ridership is generally consistent, schools are in session, and service is operating on its most regular schedule, according to the report. An exception in 2022 was the Orange Line shutdown, which coincided with the first three weeks of the fall.

Ridership was generally higher in fall 2022 compared with fall 2021, the report found. Figure 1 (above) shows average weekday ridership by mode (by line for rail rapid transit) as a percent of pre-pandemic levels. For many modes, particularly bus, ridership was higher in fall 2022 than in fall 2021. The increase over fall 2021 is particularly evident for peak travel periods, as seen in Figure 2 (below), the report noted.

“Impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic continue to affect the MBTA’s service provision,” according to the report. “While the revenue impacts of the ridership decline were mitigated by federal funding resources, the ongoing labor shortages brought on by the pandemic continue to prevent the full resumption of pre-pandemic service levels. Turnover and slow hiring for operators and dispatchers have resulted in staffing shortages for key positions needed to run frequent, reliable transit service. Another service provision factor is the availability of the rolling stock on heavy and light rail. Delays in the delivery of new trains for some lines limited the number of trains available for service at any given time during the fall rating. The MBTA continues to adjust service to meet the changing transportation needs of the region—offering more service throughout the day (instead of focusing on peak service) while also continuing to provide robust service on essential routes where ridership has remained high during the pandemic.” The report noted that small declines in performance from fall 2021 were “primarily due to changes in service, service conditions and operator availability.”

New Jersey Transit has debuted a travel campaign, “Know Your ABC’s,” to encourage riders to be prepared with “alternates, backups and contingencies” should there be a disruption on their usual mode of travel. For example, if a rider normally takes a train from Penn Station New York to New Jersey, they should also know which bus routes from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York could be an alternative to, or near, their home station.

“Over the past several years New Jersey Transit has been working diligently to improve the reliability of the system through numerous major capital improvements,” New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and New Jersey Transit Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “But it’s always good for our customers to be aware of a plan B and to practice that alternate route should they need to utilize it.”

“While, thankfully, major service disruptions are an infrequent occurrence, New Jersey Transit’s ‘Know Your ABCs’ campaign empowers customers to proactively navigate an unplanned disruption to their commute,” New Jersey Transit President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett said. “We want our customers to be familiar with all of the alternatives that New Jersey’s extensive transportation network offers.”

International rail ticketing platform Rail Online has launched in the United States and Canada, allowing customers to book and receive e-tickets for North American, U.K. and European travel. Customers can currently book tickets with Amtrak, VIA Rail Canada, National Rail (UK) and SCNF (France, including Eurostar), with further networks to follow, including Trenitalia (Italy), which will be introduced in the coming weeks, according to Rail Online, which was established in 2019. Eurail passes, for travel itineraries across Europe, are also currently available. Customer service is said to be available 24 hours per day.

“Following a successful launch in Australia, New Zealand, and more recently, the U.K., we are now attracting customers from the USA, Canada and throughout Europe,” Rail Online Founder and CEO James Dunne said. “With the aim of becoming the ticketing platform of choice for travelers from North America, we made sure that payment for bookings made in both countries [USA and Canada] is taken in local currency, meaning no foreign exchange transaction fee.”

Following the June 11 collapse of I-95 in Philadelphia, SEPTA has been working with city, state and federal officials to support travel through the city and region. SEPTA reported that its operations personnel have put in place a service plan to support the immediate transportation needs of the affected commuters, and staff is evaluating options for a longer-term service plan that will be required for the repairs ahead, which could take months. The transit agency increased capacity on its three of its 16 Regional Rail lines—Trenton, West Trenton and Fox Chase—by adding railcars to scheduled peak service trains. Ridership on these lines was up 12% over the previous week, according to a June 13 WHYY public media report.

SEPTA “Spokesperson Andrew Busch said the agency is constantly monitoring for possible changes to make the new plan more efficient,” according to WHYY. “‘We hope that we come out of it with more people who are going to stick with SEPTA moving forward,’ Busch said. ‘And to do that, we know they have to have a great experience on the system and see that it’s getting them to and from where they need to go in an efficient way.’

“The transit agency has been dealing with a worker shortage since before the pandemic, but Busch said SEPTA has enough existing staff to compensate for the increased regional rail service.

“‘We’ve been in close contact with the unions that represent our employees, in consultation with them about, you know, some more overtime for employees, so doing as much as we possibly can with our existing staff,’ Busch said.”

According to SEPTA, parking continues to be free at Regional Rail stations and the agency is deploying operations personnel and ambassadors to assist riders. Additionally, Philadelphia Parking Authority parking lots near SEPTA stations are also free.

Separately, the SEPTA Office of Inspector General (OIG) has introduced a new website. More than a year in the making, the website allows users to read the OIG’s audit and investigation reports as well as reviews of SEPTA programs, according to the transit agency. The website also features a recommendation and implementation dashboard, resources, OIG career opportunities, press releases, and a form to report wrongdoing.

“The OIG is committed to an increased level of transparency and accountability,” said SEPTA Inspector General Denise S. Wolf, who joined the agency in 2021. “Through the publishing of audit and investigation reports on this website, and management’s responses and corrective actions, the public will see that SEPTA is vigilant about monitoring itself and stewarding public funds.”