Chicago Public Transport

Greater Chicago, or Chicagoland, is served by the Regional Transit Authority, or RTA, and is made up of three parts. Pace, the bus system for suburban Chicago, Metra, the suburban commuter rail system, and the CTA, for travel within Chicago and adjacent urban suburbs.

The CTA Green Line is one of the more interesting lines in the system. Created in 1993 by combining two less used pieces of track, the Green Line sees about 65,000 riders per weekday, the fourth busiest CTA rail ("L") route. The line utilizes some of the oldest pieces of track in the system, and is the only line that doesn't circle the Loop and go back outbound. From Harlem/Lake, the line runs along the Metra tracks to just before Laramie, when it goes above Lake Street until State/Lake. This piece of the line is unusual because in Chicago, most pieces of the L operate over alleys parallel to major roads, not over the road itself. After leaving the Loop, the line runs over alleys on the South Side until after Garfield, when the line splits in two. The East 63rd Branch goes over 63rd Street to Cottage Grove, and the Englewood Branch goes over alleys to Ashland. The whole line was rebuilt in 1993, and along with the rebuilding seven stations were closed. A big problem in my opinion is the horrendous frequencies on the two branches, and large gaps between stations in some places. While the main piece has 10 minute weekday and 12 minute weekend daytime frequencies, each branch has only 20 minute weekday and 24 minute weekend frequencies! To solve this, I would propose routing all Green Line trains via the Englewood Branch, and making the East 63rd Branch operate with shuttle service from Garfield to Cottage Grove. While this would force Cottage Grove and King customers to make an additional transfer at Garfield, it would allow for increased frequencies on the branch. The line operates with the newest rolling stock in the system, the 5000 series, which are my personal favorite. Though the general public dislikes the seating layout on them, I quite like the aisle facing, or bench, seats. I think that the addition of infill stations at Western, 26th, State, Princeton, and Racine would help boost ridership, and spur development. At Princeton, a passage to 63rd on the Red Line would be built. I would also propose extending the line from Cottage Grove to Dorchester, with an intermediate stop at University. At Dorchester, a passage would extend from the station to the 63rd Street Station, which serves the Metra Electric Main Line, South Chicago Branch, and Blue Island Branch, as well as the South Shore Line. A bus transfer facility for routes 6 Jackson Park Express, 15 Jeffery Local, 28 Stony Island, and 63 63rd would be constructed as well, in addition to pedestrian and cyclist improvements and a Divvy station. Finally, I would propose extending the line from Ashland to Midway, with stops at Damen, Western, California, Kedzie, Central Park, and Pulaski. A minor quibble I have with the line is the fact that park n' rides exist at Ashland and at Garfield, which should be destroyed and replaced with transit oriented development in my opinion. Of note is the two new stations that have opened in recent years on the line, Morgan and Cermak-McCormick Place. Morgan opened in 2012 on the shared Green/Pink Line alignment on the Near West Side, and Cermak-McCormick Place opened on the Near South Side earlier this year. This time, I only used the latter station, which appeared very nice. The station has three entrances, the main one being on the north side of Cermak, and auxiliary ones on the south side, as well as at 23rd. The station is very nice, with good signage, two ADA accessible entrances, and ample bike parking. A large cylindrical metal roof thing protects customers from wind and rain in the central piece of the platform, and smaller canopies on the outer pieces of the platform keep rain from assaulting customers waiting there. A Divvy station is located next to the bike parking on the south side of Cermak, and the #21 Cermak serves the station directly. In addition, the #29 State serves the station from about half a block away on State Street. An interesting line, with lots and lots of potential!
The CTA Brown Line is the third busiest L route, with about 106,000 riders per weekday. The line is also the busiest of the traditional "L" routes. The line serves several hipster neighborhoods, and, as I have said before, is humorously known as the "Cappuccino Line" by some. The line is served entirely by the 3200 series cars, which are beginning to look very dated, and have an odd seating layout, with not many aisle facing (bench) seats, but still better than the even older 2400 and 2600 series cars. After circling the Loop in a counterclockwise manner, Brown Line trains cross the Chicago River at Wells Street, and begins its journey north on the North Side Main Line. From the Loop to Armitage, the ride is quite slow, though the CTA has begun to rebuild this segment of track, which should help alleviate this issue. At Armitage, the Brown Line runs on Local tracks to Belmont, when it veers westward onto the Ravenswood Branch. Afterwards, the line speeds up quite a bit, and stays on an elevated line until Western, when it descends to grade level right up to its terminus at Kimball. Most stations feature side platforms, and have been recently renovated to allow for eight car trains to run on the line. Some of the stations in the Loop are quite old looking and are in bad need of renovation. The most dilapidated Loop stations in my opinion are LaSalle/Van Buren, Adams/Wabash, and State/Lake. Though Randolph/Wabash and Madison/Wabash could use a renovation, they are both being replaced by a new station at Washington/Wabash anyway, so it doesn't really matter if they are renovated, and Madison/Wabash is already closed for the new station's construction. North of the Loop, all stations have been recently renovated, and are quite nice. I would propose an infill station at Division, as well as the construction of the Belmont Flyover to allow for faster access to Belmont Station for Brown Line trains. However, the Belmont Flyover would mean that some buildings would be demolished, so I think that the CTA would then have to finance the building of new, pedestrian friendly buildings in their place. Finally, I would propose that the Brown Line be extended to Jefferson Park to connect with Metra commuter rail, the CTA Blue Line, many CTA bus lines, and some Pace bus lines. This would mean elevating the line west of Western, and constructing the line as an elevated over Lawrence west of the current Kimball Station, with new stops at Pulaski and Elston. At the Kennedy Expressway, the line would leave Lawrence and join the current Blue Line tracks until its endpoint at Jefferson Park. A more short term proposal I would also make is the demolishing of the park n' ride at Kimball to make room for new buildings and the Kimball Yard expansion.
The CTA Blue Line is another unique line, with about 171,000 riders per weekday. The line contains almost none of the original elevated alignment that characterizes the Chicago "L", and instead runs in subways and in the median of expressways for most of its long run through Chicago's Northwest Side, the Loop, and back out to the West Side again. Starting at O'Hare, the line runs underground to the Kennedy Expressway, and then stops at Rosemont, Cumberland, and Harlem. All of these stations feature transit centers and park n' rides, and were opened at the same time. Only Rosemont and Cumberland have justifiable park n' rides, due to the suburban and not very walkable character of Rosemont, and the lack of business or many bus connections at Cumberland. Harlem, however, has a small park n' ride anyway, far more businesses in the surrounding area, higher density development, and is more walkable, so I would propose the removal of the park n' ride there. From Jefferson Park to Addison, the line continues in the median of the Kennedy Expressway, but has stops that are much closer together, opened earlier, and without park n' rides. Jefferson Park features a large transit center, but Montrose, Irving Park, and Addison do not. From here, the line runs into a short, two station subway under Kimball and Milwaukee Avenues, the only one outside of the Loop. This piece of the line has two stations, Belmont and Logan Square, both of which feature transit centers. Afterwards, the line ascends to run on the last piece of traditional elevated line, from California to Damen with an intermediate stop at Western, and in an alley parallel to Milwaukee. After Damen, the line goes underground from Division to Clinton in the Milwaukee-Dearborn-LaSalle Subway, with a continuous platform from Washington to Jackson under Dearborn Street. After Clinton all the way to Forest Park, the line runs in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway. This stretch of the line is quite slow, so I would definitely propose modernizing the tracks here, in addition to the "Your New Blue" program modernizing the O'Hare branch's tracks. Stations located in the expressway medians on branches are quite spartan and a little noisy on the platform, so better screens to close riders off from the cars on both sides would be a nice addition. I would also propose reopening the three abandoned Forest Park branch stations at Central, Kostner, and California, as well as the abandoned auxiliary exits at Lavergne (Cicero) and Keeler (Pulaski). In addition, I think that an infill station at Nagle would be a good idea, as well as getting the line new trains, as right now the second-busiest "L" line uses some of the oldest trains. Finally, I would propose that some weekday rush hour Blue Line trains start at Jefferson Park and make all stops until Racine, when they would climb to the Pink Line tracks, and stop at 18th, Western, Pulaski, and 54th/Cermak.

The CTA Yellow Line is much the same as my last visit to the city. The short, three station line has a lot of potential ridership wise, but due to the lack of infill stations along the denser parts of its route the line has very low ridership, with only about 6,000 riders per weekday! The line was created in 1964 on the route of the former Niles Center Branch, but with only two stations at Howard and Dempster. A large (for the time) park n' ride was created at Dempster, and the line was operated as a temporary experiment. However, the line soon outpaced the ridership projections and became a permanent addition to the CTA system. However, the Village of Skokie has begun to try and urbanize and invest in its downtown, and consequentially opened a station at Oakton in 2012. The line is operated at fairly good frequencies, but doesn't run very late into the night. The line is run with exclusively 5000 series cars in two car arrangements, which are often fairly crowded for a three station branch! At Oakton and Dempster, transfer to a few bus lines is available, and a large bus terminal is present at Howard. Personally, I would suggest building infill stations at Asbury and Crawford to start with, and possibly at Dodge in the far future. An extension to Old Orchard would help provide many connections with bus lines and a major shopping center, so this would be a good idea as well in my opinion.
The CTA Orange Line is also much the same as it was in my last visit. The newest major addition to the CTA system, the line is run with 2600 and 3200 series cars, and has about 57,000 riders each weekday. The line's stations are spaced fairly far apart, and it is quite clear that the main purpose of the line is to link Midway Airport with the Loop. However, the infill stations do see fairly high ridership, so this is OK. All stations on the line past Roosevelt feature large bus terminals, and all the stations feature nice architecture and design. Due to its recent construction, the line is quite fast and features a very smooth ride. One thing that I commend the CTA on is the wise choice to place the line on the railroad right of way, instead of in the median of the Stevenson Expressway, as putting "L" lines in highway medians often isolates them from the neighborhoods they are intended to serve. Audio announcements on the line, as with the rest of the CTA's buses and trains, was amazing, with clear announcements at every station announcing nearly everything one needs to know, though announcing connecting buses would be nice. I would propose infill stations on the line at Cermak, 43rd, and California, as well as extending the line to Ford City (79th), with an intermediate stop at Marquette. I also would strongly recommend the removal of all park n' rides along the line, with the smaller ones at Halsted, 35th/Archer, and Kedzie being turned into small buildings, such as health clinics, walk up apartments, or restaurants, and the larger ones at Western, Pulaski, and Midway being turned into full scale mixed use development. Finally, I would add a Metra station for the Heritage Corridor Line at 35th/Archer to create a transit center there.
The CTA Red Line is by far the centerpiece of the entire CTA's transit system, if not the whole RTA's. Carrying around 252,000 passengers every weekday, 365 days a year, the line runs much of the length of the city, from the city limits at Howard Avenue all the way to 95th Street on the South Side. Because of this, extremely frequent service is offered seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Even at 2:00 AM on a Monday, one would still wait no more than 15 minutes for a train. The line is operated with eight car trains, most of which are 5000 series cars, though some 2600 cars still run on the line. The southern terminus of the line, 95th, is home to a very large transit center, with many frequent CTA and Pace buses stopping here before going to points north, south, east, and west. Currently, this transit center is in the process of being rebuilt and modernized, as the station is the busiest in the system. From 95th to Sox-35th, the line runs in the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway. around 27th Street, the line rises out of the expressway to stop at Cermak-Chinatown. This entire segment of track from Cermak-Chinatown to 95th was renovated in late 2013 as part of the Red-Purple Modernization plan. These vital renovations help save South Side residents up to 20 minutes on there commute, and newer, better, wheelchair-accessible South Side stations. After Cermak-Chinatown, the line goes underground to stop at Roosevelt, where transfer to Green and Orange Line trains is possible via a series of walkways. Afterwards, trains stop at the recently renovated Harrison Station, before traveling into the heart of the Loop to stop at the three (formerly four) Loop stations on the Red Line's long platform from Lake to Jackson under State Street. At Jackson, transfer is available to Blue Line trains via an underpass, and to Brown, Purple, Pink, and Orange Line trains via a short walk on the surface. at Lake, transfer is available to Brown, Purple, Pink, Orange, and Green Line trains via another short surface walk. from Lake, the line continues in a subway to North/Clybourn. Stations in this section have all been renovated fairly recently, but still look quite shabby, so something must be done about this immediately, such as taking out the ugly center wall between the side platforms at three of the four stations. From just past North/Clybourn, the line runs above ground over the North Side Main Line all the way to its terminus at Howard. From Fullerton to Belmont, the line runs on express tracks, and then on local tracks from Belmont to Howard, as the center tracks begin as the local tracks, but become express tracks after Belmont, and the line never leaves these center tracks. Stations on this northern segment are generally in good repair, although some are in bad need of renovation, such as Sheridan. As far as proposals for the line, work is being done on extending the line south to 130th Street, as well as constructing a new express/local interchange at Wilson, and modernizing the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, and Bryn Mawr. However, I would propose a radical new plan for the North Side "L" Routes. First, the Red Line local trains would operate from 95th (eventually 130th) to Howard, with some trains losing six of their eight cars and continuing on to Dempster, replacing the current Yellow Line. The Purple Line of today would be replaced with Red Line Express, which would run all stops from Linden to Howard, and then use express tracks from Howard to Armitage, with intermediate stops at either Morse or Loyola, or possibly both, Bryn Mawr, Wilson, possibly Sheridan, Belmont, and Fullerton. Afterwards, express trains would make all stops from North/Clybourn to Roosevelt, except Monroe and Washington, if it is ever reopened, which it should. These express trains would run seven days a week, with very frequent service.
The CTA 49B North Western bus is a nice, medium ridership line that runs from Western & Howard to the Western Brown Line station, and gets about 5,800 riders a day, not bad for such a short route. The line runs with New Flyer D40LFs, which are a little noisy for my taste and should be replaced by hybrid buses as soon as possible. A good thing about the route is it only travels along Western Avenue, creating a very direct service for people living in the diverse West Ridge area. The line sees a large weekend ridership as well, and many people use the line for short trips in their neighborhood, not only for going further into the city. This means that the bus stops quite often to let people on and off, which can make the ride slow. Audio announcements on the line are quite good, but do not announce connecting bus lines, so I feel this should be added. Bus stops are quite nice, featuring the line name, a short route map, destination, and a general hours of operation table. At shelters, benches and a system map are provided as well. Seating in the bus is mostly aisle, so with the next order of buses to run on the line more bench seats should be included. I would propose consolidating some stops so as to speed up the ride, as well as curtailing the 49 Western at Western Brown Line as to reduce duplication from Western Station to Berwyn. Finally, an extension into Evanston via Asbury, Church, Sherman, and Davis to serve the Davis Purple Line station and future Asbury Yellow Line station would be useful.
The CTA 49 Western bus is the second busiest route in the CTA's bus system, and operates 24/7 with very frequent service. The line sees about 29,000 riders per weekday, and runs with New Flyer D40LFs, as well as both new and old NovaBus LFS buses. Personally, I much prefer the LFSs to the D40LFs, but both lack a suitable amount of bench seats, especially for such a busy route. The 49 serves a fairly dense and transit friendly corridor from its southern terminus at 79th to its northern terminus at Berwyn, and functions as a very important crosstown bus, connecting CTA bus, CTA rail, and Metra lines together. Many bus stops feature shelters, and some shelters feature digital next bus indicators. Weekend ridership is fairly high as well, with people getting on and off at almost every stop, and consequentially I would propose stop consolidation for the line immediately to help speed up the corridor. The line is also very direct, never leaving Western Avenue along its entire route, except to serve bus loops at 79th, Western Orange Line, and Berwyn. I feel like short term fixes could be to consolidate stops, as mentioned previously, increase frequencies, and curtail the line's northern end at Western Brown Line, instead of Berwyn. I would also propose replacing Pace route 349 South Western with a CTA route 49A South Western, and increasing frequencies along the line. In the long run, the Western Avenue BRT should help alleviate congestion on the 49, which will mean that frequencies can be decreased, and the BRT can become the more frequent, busy route in the corridor, while also offering a faster travel time.
I am really sorry for how long it has taken me to finish my Chicago entries, and if anyone actually reads these I thank you for your patience!

Downtown/Loop

Chicago's Downtown, known as the Loop, is the oldest piece of the city, and is incredibly dense and transit friendly. The Loop is bound by Lake Michigan, Roosevelt Road, and the Chicago River. Buildings are quite varied, and many of the buildings are quite old. In recent years, a new wave of construction has swept through, and glass and steel highrises can be found in some areas. Some mid rise buildings still cling to the streets, but for the most part, skyscrapers prevail. However, this doesn't make the Loop a soulless downtown. For the Loop has history, and life on every street. Cafés can be found hidden in alleys. Historic brick structures are on every street. People of all walks of life conduct their business in the Loop, from Jackson to Lake all the way to Lakefront. Big business and the homeless can both occupy the same street, and this is what gives the Loop its magic. The neighborhood is experiencing a population boom, which has led to the Loop diversifying to become not only a business district, but also a place or residents, and many new shops have opened to serve this need. The area is extremely transit friendly, and includes a lot of bike infrastructure as well. 

Bronzeville

Bronzeville is a neighborhood located on Chicago's South Side, in the Douglas Community Area. From the 1920s through the 1940s, Bronzeville was home to the city's wealthier African Americans. During this period, many nice homes were constructed, and later were for the most part subdivided into apartments. Fortunately, many of these large homes survive to this day due to the loving care of their residents. Currently, Bronzeville is undergoing gentrification,  but is in a stage where both rich and poor reside in the neighborhood. Businesses vary a lot as well, from T-Mobile stores on Pershing to Pan-African restaurants on King, though the neighborhood is mostly residential in character. The neighborhood appears to have many residents who own their homes, so hopefully this will stem some of the worse effects of gentrification. Many famous African Americans have lived here, including Louis Armstrong, Ida B. Wells, and Gwendolyn Brooks. Bronzeville also seems to have a strong sense of community, with many of the residents exchanging words as they pass by. Bound by 26th Street, State Street, Pershing Road, and Lake Michigan, the neighborhood is quite walkable, and also fairly bike friendly. Many Divvy Stations exist here, and bike lanes can be found on King, 26th, 31st, Cottage Grove, and Oakwood. The Lakefront Trail runs through the neighborhood as well. Transit-wise, the CTA Red Line operates 24/7 with frequent service, and serves the neighborhood with the Sox-35th Station. The Green Line operates with frequent service as well, and serves the neighborhood through the 35th-Bronzeville-IIT and Indiana Stations. The Metra Electric Service operates infrequent, seven day a week commuter service to Bronzeville via the 27th Street Station. The Metra Rock Island District also serves Bronzeville with infrequent, seven day a week commuter service through the 35th Street/"Lou" Jones/Bronzeville Station. CTA Buses 1 Bronzeville/Union Station, 3 King Drive, 4 & N4 Cottage Grove (24/7 Service), 21 Cermak, 24 Wentworth, 29 State, 35 31st/35th, and 39 Pershing all serve the neighborhood, most with frequent service.

West Ridge, Chinatown, Downtown Skokie, & Lincoln Square

I have visited all of these neighborhoods many times already, which is why they are combined into one post and each have only short descriptions rather than extensive impressions.
As always, West Ridge was very nice. I still feel, however, that Western Avenue needs to become more pedestrian friendly, with less auto oriented businesses. The area also contains many Desis, especially along Devon Avenue, where the city's "Little India" is located. The area around the corner of  Western & Lunt contains some walk up apartments, one story commercial buildings fronting Western Avenue, and many urban houses.
Chicago's Chinatown is quite large, and both the "New Chinatown" and "Old Chinatown" areas are nice. However, the commercial portions of New Chinatown all face inner pedestrian passages instead of the street, and front the street with parking instead, which must be fixed.
Downtown Skokie has had lots of new investment recently, leading to an interesting mix of pre-WWII shops and apartments, as well as 21st century mixed use developments. Many businesses had Russian signs outside, and the area is quite diverse.
Lincoln Square is a pleasant neighborhood and community area on Chicago's North Side, centered on the eponymous square. The neighborhood hosts many old-timers, as well as newer residents. Historically German, Lincoln Square is now home to people of many cultures.

Wicker Park & Bucktown

Wicker Park and Bucktown are separate neighborhood on the Northwest Side, but are in close proximity to each other and are very similar, so the two will get one post describing both. In fact, depending on who you ask, the neighborhoods often overlap each other!
Wicker Park is the more popular and upscale neighborhood in the Wicker Park-Bucktown conglomeration. Along Milwaukee Avenue, one can find many shops selling artisanal coffee, and an unusually high concentration of record shops. In short, hipster central. The area has a strong biking culture, with Milwaukee Avenue hosting many cyclists. Bike lanes can be found on Damen, Armitage, and Division. In addition, the Bloomingdale Trail, an elevated railroad being turned into a park and bike highway, will run through the neighborhood. Side streets in Wicker Park play host to dense, urban houses and walk up apartments, and main roads are lined with mixed use residential/commercial space. The area also has many clothing stores and fine restaurants. Of note is the presence of many small parks and large, leafy trees in a neighborhood so close to the Loop.
Bucktown is the slightly less gentrified, less popular northern piece of the grouping. Walking down Milwaukee from the intersection of Milwaukee & Western, one could see that a few vacant lots were still present, and businesses were less upscale than those further down Milwaukee. Housing stock is much the same as in Wicker Park, but with a larger number of detached houses and less walk up apartments. 
The two neighborhoods's total boundaries are Western Avenue, Division Street, Ashland Avenue, and Armitage Avenue. Transit-wise, the neighborhood is served by the Division, Damen, and Western Stations of the CTA Blue Line, which runs 24/7, as well as the 9 & N9 Ashland (24/7 Service), 49 & N49 Western (24/7 Service), 50 Damen, 70 Division, 72 North, and 73 Armitage buses.

South Loop

The South Loop is a neighborhood on Chicago's Near South Side, and as the name implies is just south of the Loop. Formerly quite rough, recently the neighborhood has begun to see new residents and construction. The South Loop lies within Chicago's 33rd Community Area, the Near South Side. The South Loop's boundaries are not official, and there are many different opinions on their exact location. However, the boundaries that seem 'right' to me are Roosevelt Road, Lake Michigan, 26th Street, Wentworth Avenue, and Clark Street. A strong sense of community is present here, with neighborhood cafés and shops acting as community anchors. Old buildings are being converted into lofts left and right, and McCormick Place is in the neighborhood. Some former housing projects have been converted into lofts as well, which has helped speed up gentrification, and has gradually pushed this neighborhood out of a "mixed income" makeup. Businesses range a lot, with some industry still present. Housing stock consists mainly of apartments, some of which are mixed use. The city's "Motor Row" is located here. The area is fairly bikeable, with a protected bikeway on State and a buffered bike lane on Wabash, with standard bike lanes on other streets, such as Roosevelt. Walkability is good in the neighborhood as well. For transit, the area is served by the Metra Electric District's 18th Street and McCormick Place Stations. The Museum Campus/11th Street and 27th Street Stations lie just outside of the neighborhood. The South Shore Line serves the Museum Campus/11th Street Station as well. The CTA Red, Green, and Orange Lines serve the neighborhood through the Roosevelt (Red, Orange, Green), Cermak-Chinatown (Red), and Cermak-McCormick Place (Green) Stations. CTA also serves the neighborhood through the 1 Bronzeville/Union Station, 3 King Drive, 4 & N4 Cottage Grove (24/7 Service), 12 Roosevelt, 18 United Center Express (Special Events Only), 21 Cermak, 24 Wentworth, 29 State, 62 & N62 Archer (24/7 Service), and 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express buses, many of which are frequent, seven day a week routes.

Philadelphia Public Transport

Philadelphia's public transit network is, for the most part, run by SEPTA. During my stay, I rode the 15, 23, Market-Frankford Line, and Broad Street Line (Local). My observations of each line is as follows:
     The #23 was a good bus route. Running from Chestnut Hill Loop to Broad & Oregon, the line is SEPTA's busiest bus route. However, SEPTA's archaic fare system makes the line slow, as many passengers must pay cash or use tokens, though a smart card system, SEPTA Key, is on the way. Bus stops were nice, with signs showing the route number and destination in clear print, as well as stop ID and other important information. Bus shelters were very nice, and looked like green tents. The bus itself was nice, and exceptionally clean for 8:00 PM on a Friday. Seats were nice, with a thin layer of blue padding, and some bench seats. A major downside, however, is that the bus vocals only announce major stops and the connecting routes at these stops. In my opinion, the bus should announce each stop as it is passed. At Germantown & Broad, as well as at Germantown & Erie, transfer to the Broad Street Subway was available. The line has very frequent service, Monday-Sunday, and 24/7 service is available on Germantown Avenue north of the subway station. I think that the line should reinstate streetcars from the subways station to Chestnut Hill Loop, where the demand is highest, and keep the route a bus on 11th and 12th Streets, where travel through Center City is best done by bus and demand is lower. 
     The #15 is SEPTA's last trolley route that doesn't use the Center City Streetcar Tunnel. The line runs from Richmond & Westmoreland to 63rd & Girard. The line runs with frequent service seven days a week, and runs 24/7, acting as an important crosstown route through many low-income, transit dependent areas. Something of note is that this line does not run with the 1980's "K-Cars" the other trolley routes run with, but with refurbished ADA accessible PCC Cars, as SEPTA doesn't have the funds for new cars. Along much of Girard Avenue, the line boards at raised concrete platforms in the center of the road, much like in Praha (Prague). Although having been reinstated as a streetcar in 2005, SEPTA did not take advantage of this upgrade very much, as one must board through the front door and pay there, like on a bus, one must pull a cord to get off, like a bus, and stops are relatively simple signs, like a bus. I feel as though SEPTA could at least make it so on the portions of the line where concrete platforms are used to board one pays before boarding, and the stops were more permanent and station like. Also, the trolley had no stop announcement system whatsoever, which should be installed immediately. The trolleys each have two doors facing the same direction, and seats all face the driver, which is a horrible use of space in the narrow cars which are often standing room only on weekends and weekdays.
     The Market-Frankford Line is one of the two urban, frequent SEPTA Rail routes, and one of the three SEPTA Rail routes in total. The line is the busiest in the entire system, and as such sees frequent service 24/7, though "Night Owl" service Sunday-Thursday night is provided by bus. Trains had three doors on each side of the car, and operate using Pennsylvania Gauge, which is wider than the standard gauge of the Broad Street Line. Train cars are shaped like rectangular prisms, as opposed to the more conventional cylindrical shape. The line is A LOT like the CTA Rail system in Chicago, especially the Red Line there. Center City stations were in a subway, were very close together, and had the same columns and low ceilings. Outer stations were on elevated tracks, and many were recently renovated. The line utilizes an old system of "A" and "B" trains, so that during peak hours "A" trains only stop at designated "A" stations, as well as "A and B" stations, and "B" trains do the same except with "B" stations. This is only used during weekday rush hours, and isn't necessarily a bad system. Seats were hard blue fiberglass, and none were in a bench seat format, which is unacceptable. The trains had audio systems, which were a little excessive. The announcements of stations and connecting routes was nice, but the announcement of closing doors, opening doors, wheelchair accessibility, etc. was unnecessary in my opinion. 
     The Broad Street Line is the second urban, frequent SEPTA Rail route, and runs almost entirely under its namesake, Broad Street. The line is the second busiest in the system as a whole, and is actually a system of three services. The Broad Street Line Local trains operate most frequently, seven days a week, 24/7, from AT&T to Fern Rock Transportation Center. However, Sunday-Thursday nights "Night Owl" service is provided by bus. Next, the Broad-Ridge Spur operates fairly frequently, Monday-Saturday, from Olney Transportation Center or Fern Rock Transportation Center to 8th Street. Finally, The Broad Street Line Express trains operate very frequently, Monday-Friday, from Fern Rock Transportation Center to Walnut-Locust. Additionally, Some Express trains branded "Special" operate the same route as Express trains, but with one additional stop at AT&T, and operate during sports events. The line as a whole is reminiscent of the New York City Subway, with Local and Express trains, the same four track configuration with express on the inner two tracks and local on the outer two, and the same wall mosaics. The trains had three doors on each side of the car, and interiors of the train had a few bench seats, with seats overall being hard orange plastic, like in New York City. Local only stations were simple structures with mosaic walls, but larger stations where all three services stopped often had bus hubs on the surface, multiple entrances and exits, and many platforms. Audio systems on the trains were slightly over excessive, and were very similar to those on the Market-Frankford Line. All in all, a good system!

Chinatown

Chinatown is a very busy neighborhood just north of Center City, bound by Vine Street, Broad Street, 7th Street, and Arch Street. Over its long history, many attempts to destroy or shrink the district were enacted, including building the Vine Street Expressway, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, The Gallery at Market East, The Philadelphia Police Headquarters, The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, The IRS Philadelphia Offices, and The US Federal Courthouse-Philadelphia, among others. These buildings have helped form a ring around Chinatown, but even so, the district is still quite prosperous. Although not very large, Chinatown houses a great deal of Chinese and Vietnamese businesses. The community here is quite strong, and have resisted the closure of Chinatown Station on the Broad-Ridge Spur, as well as the closure of Holy Redeemer Chinese Catholic School & Church. Most residents of the neighborhood are low income recent immigrants from East Asia, though its proximity to Center City may change this. The neighborhood is mostly made up of mixed use residential and commercial buildings, with the area as a whole centering on the intersection of Race & 10th. Chinatown is extremely walkable, and bike lanes exist on 13th and 10th. SEPTA Rail operates the Broad Street Line's Race-Vine and Chinatown Stations, the former having Local and Express train stops, whilst the latter has Broad-Ridge Spur trains. SEPTA City Division operates the 4, 16, 23, 27, 47, 47M, and 61 buses. I would suggest adding bike lanes in more areas of the neighborhood, and allocating some housing for low-income residents so gentrification doesn't kill the area.

Callowhill

Callowhill could best be described as a neighborhood of extremes. In many areas, Callowhill is mostly vacant lots and abandoned railroad tracks, with a few empty factories mixed in. In other areas, Callowhill is filled with bars, lofts, bike lanes, and street life. Callowhill's borders are Broad Street, Vine Street, Spring Garden Street, and 8th Street. The area's population is rapidly increasing, and new apartments are built left and right. Although the neighborhood was traditionally industrial, not much of this industry remains today. However, much of this vacant land is being occupied again, especially on Ridge by Noble. In fact, today Callowhill is often called the "Loft District". Notable features of the neighborhood include the almost total absence of the Philadelphia rowhouse, SEPTA's only abandoned rail station, Spring Garden on the Broad-Ridge Spur, and the Reading Viaduct, an abandoned elevated railway line. The area is fairly walkable, and bike lanes are present on 13th and Spring Garden. SEPTA Rail and SEPTA City Division serve the neighborhood through the Broad Street Subway's Spring Garden and Race-Vine stations, served by Local and Express trains, as well as the 23, 43, 47, 47M, and 61 buses.

Poplar

Poplar is a typical struggling urban neighborhood destroyed by suburbanization, urban renewal, and deindustrialization in Near North Philadelphia. The neighborhood is in the square formed by Girard Avenue, Spring Garden Street, Broad Street, and 5th Street. The area is filled with vacant lots, and the buildings which are still standing are for the most part vacant, even on main roads such as Girard and Broad. Poplar has a fairly high crime rate as well, however as gentrification moves northward in Broad this may begin to change. Although there were many vacant lots, there was also very heavy pedestrian traffic on Broad. Notable buildings include the former Metropolitan Opera House on Broad & Poplar, now partially occupied by a church, and the former Divine Lorraine Hotel, which is being renovated and will be converted into condos, at the triangle formed by Broad, Ridge, and Fairmount. However, the neighborhood is showing signs of recovery. Former high rise housing projects are being converted to low rise duplexes, and some formerly empty commercial spaces are seeing life again, with a few art galleries present near the Callowhill border. Housing stock in the neighborhood is primarily owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority, with a few privately owned residences present, especially on the eastern edge along 5th Street. Transit in the neighborhood mainly consists of SEPTA Rail's Broad Street Line, with stations at Girard, Fairmount, and Spring Garden. Of these, Girard serves Local, Express, and Broad-Ridge Spur trains, Fairmount serves Local and Broad-Ridge Spur trains, and Spring Garden serves Local and Express trains. SEPTA City Division runs the 4, 16, 23, 43, 47, 47M, and 61 buses through the neighborhood, as well as the 15 trolley. A not so great neighborhood at the moment, but its proximity to Center City should help spur redevelopment.

Fishtown

Fishtown is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Bound by Frankford Avenue, the Delaware River, and York Street, the area is very mixed socioeconomically, with gentrification only beginning to take hold in the neighborhood. Personally, I think neighborhoods in this stage are some the best overall, as people of all walks of life can work, live, and shop in the neighborhood. If rent control is not already practiced in the neighborhood, it should be instituted immediately to help keep the neighborhood socioeconomically diverse, so everyone is able to enjoy Fishtown! Historically, Fishtown was the center of Philadelphia's shad fishing industry, hence the name "Fishtown". The neighborhood consists primarily of working class Irish, as well as newer residents, many of which are hipsters and artists. Many murals and community gardens are spread throughout the neighborhood, as well as complex works of wrought iron. Businesses range from beer gardens and artisanal coffee shops to auto body shops, and a few factories still remain in Fishtown as well. Housing stock consists primarily of the common Philadelphia rowhouse and some walk up apartments, as well as some apartments above commercial spaces on main roads. The neighborhood is OK for biking and is quite walkable. Transit-wise, the neighborhood is served by SEPTA Rail, and SEPTA City Division. SEPTA Rail runs the Market-Frankford Line, offering fast, frequent service 24/7 via the Girard and Berks Stations. SEPTA City Division operates bus routes 5, 25, 43, and 89, as well as trolley route 15. The 5 from Front & Market to Frankford Transportation Center operates seven days a week, with good weekday and OK weekend headways. The 25 goes from Columbus Commons to Frankford Transportation Center, and operates seven days a week, with good weekday and OK weekend headways. Route 43 from 50th & Parkside to Richmond & Cumberland operates seven days a week, with OK weekday and bad weekend frequencies. The 89 goes from Arrott Transportation Center to Front & Dauphin, and has the worst headways of the routes serving Fishtown. Finally, the 15 from 63rd & Girard to Richmond & Westmoreland operates with 24/7 service, and good headways seven days a week.

Center City

In general, the City of Philadelphia is a lot like a busier, more dense version of the City of Saint Louis. Both have primarily mid-rise downtowns consisting of primarily 1890s-1930s buildings, both are very stereotypically "American" cities, both experienced heavy population loss to suburbs, and both have a generally Caucasian southern section and a generally African-American northern section. However, Philadelphia has begun to see population and job growth again, whereas Saint Louis hasn't. Because of these similarities, Downtown Philadelphia (known as "Center City") is a lot like Downtown Saint Louis. For one thing, building heights are quite low due to the commonly followed "gentleman's agreement" stating that no building should rise taller than City Hall. In recent years, this rule has been ignored, but its legacy can still be seen in the many turn of the century buildings present in Center City. Recently, the area has seen an explosion in the number of residents as lofts and high rises are constructed. The area defined as Center City is rapidly expanding, and the boundaries of the district push out in all directions. Center City is also Philadelphia's cultural hub, with most fine arts institutions located here. Of note is the former Reading Terminal, which has been converted into the Reading Terminal Market, a large indoor food market with a good diversity of businesses, ranging from fishmongers to bakeries. The area hosts many bike lanes, and is very walkable. Transit in the neighborhood is very good as well, with many frequent bus and rail lines converging on Center City. Honestly, I can't really think of any improvements to suggest, the area is near perfect by American standards already! 

Chestnut Hill

Chestnut Hill is a neighborhood in Northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The area ranges from middle to upper class, and centers on the businesses along Germantown Avenue. The street, which is quite prone to congestion, is lined with duplexes that have been converted to shops, as well as some mid-density apartment buildings with commercial space on their ground floor. South of Germantown Avenue, the main housing stock is large duplexes, and although within the city limits these duplexes are often fronted by large lawns. North of Germantown Avenue, homes consist of smaller, more densely packed duplexes and rowhouses. The neighborhood is bound by Northwestern Avenue, Stenton Avenue, Cresheim Valley Drive and Cresheim Creek, and Wissahickon Creek. The neighborhood's buildings are for the most part quite old, as Chestnut Hill was once an independent village. The buildings are also very nice architecture-wise. Density in the neighborhood is quite low, especially for an area within the City of Philadelphia. Even so, Chestnut Hill is quite transit-friendly, and is very walkable and bikeable. The area is also a good place for families due to the large homes and ample green space. Transit in the neighborhood is made up of SEPTA City Division, SEPTA Suburban Division, and SEPTA Regional Rail. For SEPTA Regional Rail, the Chestnut Hill East and Chestnut Hill West Lines each have three stations in the neighborhood. However, frequencies on the line aren't very good at rush hour, and are horrendous on weekends and holidays, especially on the Chestnut Hill West Line. The SEPTA City Division service in the neighborhood consists of the 23, 77, and L. The 23 from Broad & Oregon to Chestnut Hill Loop is SEPTA's busiest bus route, with 24/7 Service north of Erie Station, and has very frequent service. The 77 from Roosevelt & Saint Vincent to Chestnut Hill Loop is a not very busy route, with service seven days a week, though with very low headways. Finally, the L from Olney Transportation Center to Erdenheim OR Plymouth Meeting Hall has seven day a week service, and operates fairly frequently from Chestnut Hill Loop to Olney all of these days. SEPTA Suburban Division service is made up of routes 94 and 97. The 94 from Montgomery Mall to Chestnut Hill Loop has the worst service of them all, although it does operate seven days a week. Lastly, the 97 from Norristown Transportation Center to Chestnut Hill Loop has bad service, operating seven days a week, with bad frequencies. Overall, Chestnut Hill is a nice neighborhood with a lot of history and a thriving business district, though it could benefit from some mixed income housing.