One of the more frustrating aspects of living in the Philadelphian suburbs is the lack of convenient non-car access to the city.

I estimate I make 4-5 evening trips downtown a month, so about once a week. These trips often involve imbibing, necessitating travel plans, and a designated driver.

The last train leaves Philly around 11:30p.m. There’s nights when I’m not even showered at 11:30, much less ready to come home. So I feel fairly confident stating it’s nearly impossible to use the regional rail system to recreationally enjoy the city in a manner suiting my lifestyle.

Now if my friends weren’t so lame, we could just stay out until 5 or 6 when the trains start back up in the morning, but unfortunately they are (and with the bars closing at 2 the city dies around 3).

There’s also the cost. It’s $3.50 a trip to take the train into town (ideally, more on this below), so $7 for a round trip. Parking ranges from $10-20, depending on the lot, so it only takes splitting the parking with one passenger to match all but the most expensive parking lots. So even in an imaginary world where the trains ran all night it’d still be quicker and cheaper to drive into the city.

My major contrast to the Philly mass-transit situation is Chicago. I know two things about Chicago mass-transit: 1) You have to buy a CTA card and 2) I’ve never not been able to get on a train whenever I wanted too. It’s ridiculous - the trains run everywhere, all the time. It’s like that want me to explore the city!

My friends and I attended Sippin’ On The River last Sunday afternoon. Being one of the rare times the trip times coincided with the trains operating, we took the trains down. The slightly longer travel time is almost entirely negated by none of us having to drive, or do much of anything other than talk or relax.

However, all was not perfect. I assumed a closed ticket window on Sunday, a non-operational automatic ticket machine and having to buy the ticket on the train. I was mostly correct - the ticket machine went from non-operational to non-existent. I was surprised on the train when the ticket-guy charged me $5 instead of $3.50.

Yesterday’s Inquirer solved the mystery yesterday, when they ran a story about SEPTA mandating the surcharge on all on-train ticket purchases:

SEPTA’s new policy requires passengers to pay a higher onboard fare, even if the station where they board has no ticket agent. Of SEPTA’s 153 rail stations, 75 - including Tacony - have no ticket sales, and very few booths are open afternoons and weekends.

Also, SEPTA took the last of its ticket vending machines out of service in January, citing their inability to accept newly designed U.S. currency.

Until six weeks ago, SEPTA had a $2 surcharge for onboard tickets if the passenger could have purchased a ticket at the station.

It’s like they don’t want me to take the train. What’s the solution here?

# 2007 Sep 27