Professor Howard Weiss, recently retired from Temple U., shares his insights with us monthly.
The Southeast Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) is responsible for the buses, trains and trolleys in Philadelphia and its suburbs. There are several operations issues that can be seen in SEPTA’s decision to replace trolleys manufactured in the 1980s with new trolleys.
Capacity: SEPTA is purchasing 130 streetcars. The new trolleys will be 80 feet long as compared with the current trolleys which are 53 feet long. This will increase the seating capacity of each trolley to 44 and yield a total capacity of 120 passengers including standing. The current trolleys can carry half as many passengers. (Supp.7 of your Heizer/Render/Munson text)
Project Management: The first trolleys will be completed in 2027 and the last of the new trolleys will be completed by 2032. (Ch. 3)
Quantity Discount: Each of the 130 cars will cost roughly $5.5 million. SEPTA has the option to purchase 30 additional trolleys at roughly $5 million dollars apiece. (Ch. 12)
Suppliers: A recent blog discussed the change in focus from global suppliers to regional and national suppliers. As an example, SEPTA is using a New York company to build the new trolleys. The previous trolleys were built in Japan. (Ch. 11)
Product Design: In the current trolleys, riders must climb four steps to get in. The new ones will be more accessible by having low floors and ramp extensions. In addition, the aisles will be wider than current aisles in order to make it easier to maneuver wheelchairs, bikes and strollers. (Ch. 5)
Standardization: Chapter 1 notes that Eli Whitney popularized interchangeable parts. In the 1930s a group of executives from American streetcar companies developed a standard design for trolleys.
Service Life Cycle: In its mature stage of the life cycle in the 1980s, trolleys covered 69 miles in Philadelphia. In the current decline stage, trolleys currently cover only 40 miles. These 40 miles are still more than any other U.S. city. (Ch.2)
Service Processes: The new design of the trolleys will require SEPTA to rebuild the boarding platforms for the trolleys and make other adjustments to the infrastructure. (Ch. 7)
Facility Location: SEPTA needs a new trolley barn for the new trolleys. SEPTA is planning to repurpose a facility. It had lost out to Amazon on a bid for a former GE plant, but is hoping to acquire a different industrial property. (Ch. 8)
History: In addition to purchasing the new trolleys, SEPTA is refurbishing 18 trolleys originally built in 1947 in order to keep a link to Philadelphia history.