Who’s watching my parking spot?

PHILADELPHIA. SEPTA General Manager Joe Casey take questions about bus stops, Fairmount station and parking policy.

Q: Who is responsible for monitoring the $1 slot boxes at the stations? If I pay to park from 6am to 10am and vacate my space, then someone enters my original space and also pays $1 from 10am to 2pm, is there anything preventing another person from not paying because money may already be in the box?
– Shamie Singh, Northeast Philadelphia

A: SEPTA checkers monitor the payments made for parking at the $1 slotboxes. When one makes a payment for parking, it is for a full day or any portion of a day. If someone pays early in the morning and leaves by 10:00 AM, and another person arrives and parks in the vacated space, they also must pay $1. The slotboxes are set up so that the person who arrives for the second time will not be able to determine if a previous payment was made.

Q: Why does Fairmount station on the Broad Street Line close earlier than other stations? It inconveniences most people who live in the Ridge/Fairmount area. Is there a chance it will ever have normal hours of operation like other subway stops?
– Tawanda Allen, North Philadelphia

A: We carefully monitor ridership at all of our subway stations. Historically, Fairmount has had low ridership during the late evening hours, and is an exit-only station after 10 pm. This schedule could certainly be reviewed if there is a significant ridership demand in the future.

Q: How are stops on a route determined? I ride the Route 38 and there are two stops on Cranston Road (in Wynnefield)— one at each end of the street. The bus turns the corner and has three stops on Ford Road. This is only one example and seems like a waste on both the time for stopping and wear and tear on the brakes.
– Marion Magnotta

A: Bus stop spacing on city routes is typically every block or about 500 to 600 feet. SEPTA’s Service Standards suggest a minimum spacing of 500 feet on established routes. For new routes, stop spacing of 1,000 feet is a desirable minimum for the reasons you stated, to improve service speed, to burn less fuel and to reduce brake wear. Exceptions are made for major traffic generators (heavy use bus stops) transfer locations, and for areas with hilly terrain.