The NJT/Septa is more like 2 and quarter, which is literally faster than driving, despite being on two separate commuter lines.
It hasn't been less than 2.5 hours the last 3 times I've taken it, and it only drops you at 30th st, which adds even more time and money if you want to continue on other Septa lines to other than western Center City. If you're taking it off-peak, it really is closer to 3 hours.
Faster than driving? I routinely do it in under two hours while driving at a sane speed, and that includes getting through the Holland Tunnel *and* getting to my destination in Center City via surface streets/ 676.
Also, I'd like a pony.
Um, I'll concede it's taken you longer than three hours before, but you can take the SEPTA Regional Rail to 30th St. (University City), Market East (Old CIty/CC), or Suburban Station (Smack in the fucking middle of the city). From any of those, you can get to SEPTA intracity trains, such as they are.
Also, Greyhound is fairly cheap, and will take you from Market East to Port Authority nearly as fast as the Chinatown Bus, albeit wihtout Mandarin game shows.
It's also worth pointing out the distinction between peak and off-peak travel. If you tried to drive that route during any rush hour, on either end, it would take forever. I know people who routinely take three hours to drive in to Philly from Jersey. Not Hoboken, mind you, but about fifteen miles from the state border, and on a pretty direct path to the Walt Whitman.
Also, one of Stiles' claims to fame is tuning the fastest Philly PD patrol car ever. So mebbe it's faster for you speed demon scofflaws, but the rest of us law abiding citizens driving twenty year old beaters that have trouble getting up to NJ Turnpike cruising speed can't quite outrace the NJT train.
adjunct said:
Also, one of Stiles' claims to fame is tuning the fastest Philly PD patrol car ever. So mebbe it's faster for you speed demon scofflaws, but the rest of us law abiding citizens driving twenty year old beaters that have trouble getting up to NJ Turnpike cruising speed can't quite outrace the NJT train.
I build fast cars; I don't make a career of speeding on public roads. There's a reason I haven't gotten a speeding ticket in nearly a decade.
Hence:
Faster than driving? I routinely do it in under two hours while driving at a sane speed, and that includes getting through the Holland Tunnel *and* getting to my destination in Center City via surface streets/ 676.
HarManic
Urbana, IL
March 2005
JUN 11, 2007 12:27 PM