SEPTA's General Manager has decided enough with the "R" system, and in with... nothing.Introduced in the 1980's, the "R" system was designed to help different lines apart and was based on a German system to tell different steam engines apart. In an effort to help end customer confusion, they have decided to end the "R" system from "Regional Rail". They cite people getting confused about what train and platform to get on when they're told to take a train.
Sadly, they're trying to accommodate about 1% of their riders by spending a ton of cash and making life harder for the other 99% of us who take train.
For starters, the only people who get confused by the "R" system are tourists and people who don't pay attention to simple directions. Say you're going to Highland Ave. That would require taking that R2 to Marcus Hook. If someone say's "Take the R2 to Marcus Hook", well, you look at the signs, see the one that says R2 MARCUS HOOK and get on said train.
Unlike the Bus and Subway systems, EVERY station is CLEARLY marked with the final destination of the train. Unless you run down a flight of stairs to catch a train, unless you don't pay attention to where you're going, unless you make an actual effort to get on the wrong train, you won't. You need to use common sense more than anything.
SEPTA's new system involves simply having the name of the end-station be the name of route to try and end confusion. This is not going to solve the problem.
Remember how I pointed out the R2 Marcus Hook? Let's take another line, the R7. There are two end stops: The R7 Chestnut Hill East and the R7 Trenton. There is one single train that goes the entire length of the route. You're at Market East Station, the main train hub, and you need to get to Croydon Station, but not sure what train to get on. "Excuse me, " you ask the someone at the information desk, "but what train do I catch to get to Croydon Station?" "Easy, take the R7 to Trenton." You look around and see something that says "R7 TRENTON." You get on the train.
Why? Because you know you're going on the train that goes to TRENTON, they guy just fucking SAID SO!
The END of the line is in the NAME OF THE TRAIN LINE!!!! It's isn't "R7" with no semblance of where you're going! IT'S R7 TRENTON!!!!!
Eliminating the "R" literally makes no sense unless, like I said, you're a tourist, a drunk, or have no common sense. People will still get on the wrong train.
In fact, this could make matters worse. Remember when I said you could take the R7 straight through from Chestnut Hill East to Trenton? There are plenty of people who don't get off at the main terminals from Market East Station through 30th Street Station. Imagine how many people will now be confused and freaked out that the train that they only needed to get on one train for now appears to be two, or the throngs of people in the future who will think the same thing.
You want to see people confused and waiting on platforms for their train they missed? Folks, you go it!
Also, this is not going to be cheap for SEPTA! We're talking about having to reprint a LOT of things! Not only the train schedules (which are done regularly), but also the large maps at all the train stations to remove the "R" designation. We're looking at replacing all the signs on the trains! That color-coded systems so you knew which train you were getting on since each rail system made sense, like Red for R7, Brown for R8, Yellow for R1, etc? Gone!
It will now take TWO schedules to replicate the old R7 line:
Here is the new Chestnut Hill East line PDF
Here is the new Trenton line PDF
We're talking about TWICE as many schedules in order to reproduce ONE line. Not only that, but they all are the same color, and ugly as hell! Feel free to look at them yourself:
New SEPTA Regional Rail system's maps are at tt the bottom of the page.
We're looking at MORE confusing here, and when it blows up in SEPTA's face in the next few weeks, I shall be laughing.
Photo courtesy of AllAirports.com
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