FINALLY The Media exposes the RT.15 FIASCO.

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/11840852.htm


Finally, the Daily News has coverage on the 15 fiasco.

What incenses me is the fact that those disputed spaces are ILLEGAL, and that is the perfect example of some two-bit ward leader being obstinate, and will not let a project that will better the community go forward because he or she was "disrespected".

This rotten town needs some new leadership so desperately.

Hell this is Philly. I think if a few palms get greased, the line could run as is tomorrow.

I went by the Reading bridge on Richmond St the other day, and there were no wires that I could see under them.

They aren't going to reconnect those til the line restarts.

just read the article. a freakin WARD LEADER!!???

just when I thought this city could sink no lower, it does.

Absoluteley rediculous.

Too bad the article didn't go further and put the heaviest blame on SEPTA. THis whole thing is nonsense, everyone is pointing fingers at everyone but SEPTA. This is their fault, they failed to do the research, contact the community and as usual expects neighborhoods to submit to their will (ride our stinky buses or DIE).

Its just as bad that the line is being held hostage by a counciman and a ward leader, but again, had SEPTA done their homework, this would not be a problem. Sorry guys, but if I lived there I wouldn't want to give up my parking spot on a whim's notice for SEPTA's benefit. Trust me, if you live in a city neighborhood, a parking sport NEAR your house is a coveted thing.

SEPTA needs to do better. They have other options, they exercized none. This is their classic replacement in kind policy. Intuitive thinkers might have seen a benefit to restoring 2 way travel on 60th St and Callowhill. Its the path of least resistance.

The larger problem is that the rest of our politicians don't care and don't get involved, and aren't making a push for restoration of street car service.

jfrey40535 wrote:Its just as bad that the line is being held hostage by a counciman and a ward leader, but again, had SEPTA done their homework, this would not be a problem. Sorry guys, but if I lived there I wouldn't want to give up my parking spot on a whim's notice for SEPTA's benefit. Trust me, if you live in a city neighborhood, a parking sport NEAR your house is a coveted thing.

I know the pains of parking in a city neighborhood. I've had to park blocks away before, and I'm not even in one of the "hot" neighborhoods. However, if I routinely parked in an illegal space, then I'd have no choice but to give it up when the city (and SEPTA, or neighbors, or the police, or ANYone) called me on it and told me to move. Regardless of whether it's inconvenient, if the parking spaces are illegal (as the article implies), then the residents don't have a case. SEPTA can have evey car towed.

So what do we have to do to get the PPA to start ticketing those cars?

If they really are illegal spots, its as easy as dialing 911 to get them ticketed.

I still have to place blame on SEPTA for not foreseeing this. They had years to prepare for this, they should have been working with city agencies such as PPA or Street(s) Dept. to build their case before service was ready. Now we're just playing a finger pointing game in which everyone loses.

In any case, I don't know if there is any signage on 59th St that indicates no parking. Like I said, if the spots really are illegal, its as easy as dialing 911, the police will come out and ticket the offenders. You will need to identify the color of the vehicle and its location (street address). Of course its anonymous. If anyone is going to pursue this, let me know, I'll be happy to join in the fray.

I wonder if stirring up those people there would help or hurt our cause?

Just send a couple of SEPTA squads and some tow trucks and the answer is solved. However then you will hear about the jack booted thugs of SEPTA police and see all sorts of lawsuits.

Of course its anonymous.

You live in a pre-9-11 world. Almost every call to 911 is traceable, including cell phones.

no kidding its traceable, what i meant was that you don't have to give your name. All they need is vehicle location & description.

If there aren't any no parking signs, the cops probablly won't ticket them though.

You can always spray paint "No Parking" on the cars that are parked there -- THAT'll be a sign, all right!*

*Just kidding of course. I would never condone the use of vandalism or vigilantism to further SEPTA's (or anyone else's) cause. This post was intended entirely for comedic effect. Please do not ban me.

jfrey40535 wrote:Too bad the article didn't go further and put the heaviest blame on SEPTA. THis whole thing is nonsense, everyone is pointing fingers at everyone but SEPTA. This is their fault, they failed to do the research, contact the community and as usual expects neighborhoods to submit to their will (ride our stinky buses or DIE).
might have seen a benefit to restoring 2 way travel on 60th St and Callowhill. Its the path of least resistance.

The larger problem is that the rest of our politicians don't care and don't get involved, and aren't making a push for restoration of street car service.

So what is the proposed solution? And are any of them viable cost and otherwise? It's been a YEAR since the thing should've been running. No sense pointing fingers anymore, what's the quickest easiest way to get this thing running? If it isn't running in the next year, my hopes for the 15 to EVER return as a trolley are abysmal at best. BTW, is any rail and infrastructure MAINTENANCE being done, or is it sitting there being left to deteriorate like the 23, 56 and Reading viaduct?

TuckertonRR wrote:No sense pointing fingers anymore, what's the quickest easiest way to get this thing running?

Put up "No Parking" signs on one side of the pull-out route on 58th Street, paint a yellow line on that side of the trolley tracks, and have cops ready to cart off the people who decide to block the street in protest.