R6 Cynwyd: SEPTA's "Dinky"

[Clearfield]

Sure its possible. Gas prices are up, and we're only talking about a few hundred people. The chart shows a positive progression.

[CComMack]

A poster on another forum wrote a few days ago that one of the Cynwyd Line's main competitors, the 44 bus up City Line and down the Schuylkill Expressway, is now SRO in both directions on the Schuylkill during rush hour. That can indicate that there's mode shift (cars -> transit), or that people with a choice have incentive to deal with the Cynwyd Line's more sporadic schedule, instead of slugging through traffic on the bus, or both.

[tgolanos]

And with any luck (and I know I'm pushing it here), more ridership may lead to schedule improvements for the line.

Now that I think of it, what was the Cynwyd line's all-time highest ridership, or is this it?

[Clearfield]

The new outbound routing MAY improve the ability to add more runs.

[Patrick Boylan]

What new outbound routing?

[Matthew Mitchell]

At-grade rather than using the flyover.

[Matthew Mitchell]

SEPTA reports that in January 2011 the Cynwyd line's average weekday ridership was 493 people. But that in March 2012 it was 809. That's a huge jump in ridership, doesn't seem possible, does it?
See last page:
http://www.septa.org/reports/pdf/revenue-ride.pdf

I don't know what was driving that figure, but it looks to me like the "history.pdf" file in the RRD census counted Ivy Ridge on the Cynwyd instead of the Norristown. That's 600 or so right there.

Elsewhere, the Census says 308 boards total for Wynnfield, Bala, Cynwyd.

[bth8446]

They counted the morning and evening rush (last time the census taker fell asleep from boredom)

Which SEPTA executive lives at the end of this line, that it still exists

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

My favorite SEPTA move was a good many years back when SEPTA was trying hard to get state money, they
cried of revenue shortfalls.

Something HAD to give. The money HAD to be saved from cutting something!!! But what??? What is it that
provides very little service but costs SO MUCH money to maintain.

Lets cut . . .

The Cyn... no no, I mean, lets cut the Warminster line. Yes, Warminster line is BAD. It costs MONEY to run trains on Warminster line . . .
And by no means, should you believe rumors that we chose Warminster line because it runs straight thru state senate member (And SEPTA board member) Stewart Greenleaf's territory, AND it is election year. These were just coincidences and hadn't the slightest influence on what line we chose to eliminate if the state didn't give in to our blac... I mean, if the state doesn't hear and respond to our need for extra funds to help with our infrastructure activities and other financial needs.

[bth8446]

All right, all right, I may have ommitted a fact or two. If I recall the threatened cuts were quite extensive.

They said the R1/R2 (back then R1 was all pretty much Warminster line, and still is (mostly originating Warminster or Glenside)

But the R6 was also mentioned as a total cut.

R8 was also on chopping block, but I think they would have lived with R7

[Matthew Mitchell]

Which SEPTA executive lives at the end of this line, that it still exists.

That SEPTA executive (I don't think her residence had anything to do with the status of the Cynwyd) actually rode the train infrequently.

The line does have some well-placed friends in Lower Merion, and of course DVARP's defending it as well. And as was mentioned earlier, it's cost recovery at this point is at a satisfactory level.

[M&Eman]

I know this will never happen, but given how much of a pain it is to get to the City Ave. area during rush hour via the Schuykill, it would be interesting to see how this line would do if it had frequent service. I imagine Bala and Wynnefield would see pretty good ridership. Cynwyd would probably only marginally improve. Hell, add a few stations and through-run with the Fox Chase Line and you have a pretty (sort-of) solid S-Bahn style line there.

[SCB2525]

If they increased track speeds a bit and allowed transpass usage all the way to Cynwyd a-la the Airport line, ridership would skyrocket.

[walnut]

Not to mention if it were extended to Ivy Ridge/Manayunk...

[trackwelder]

this may be right up there with dollar gas and dodo bird sightings, but i've been thinking for a while now about restored service to reading utilizing this line partly. get some of those alp-45's that njt is just putting in to service and run the old reading main/norristown line down the first convenient crossover to the old schuylkyll division/ivy ridge line, restore double track through the present day cynwyd line and run express past norristown. thoughts?

[scotty269]

this may be right up there with dollar gas and dodo bird sightings, but i've been thinking for a while now about restored service to reading utilizing this line partly. get some of those alp-45's that njt is just putting in to service and run the old reading main/norristown line down the first convenient crossover to the old schuylkyll division/ivy ridge line, restore double track through the present day cynwyd line and run express past norristown. thoughts?