"Big Changes to Buses" comes the headlines today.
http://www.kmov.com/Clip/12282774/big-changes-coming-to-metrobus-routes-monday
http://www.nextstopstl.org/17968/metro-releases-new-north-county-service-plan/
They change the buses all the time, but it never makes anything better. This is because Metro does not do enough research on what transit riders need, and when they do, it's the wrong way.
Their blog congratulates holding FOUR "open house" transit meetings. Four. To change the entire bus system.
At least they came to the transit centres. But it is still not enough. They really need to have someone out every day, soliciting information from passengers, and they need to have surveys. (You can always volunteer the OPTINSTL survey information when you call them. http://optinstl.blogspot.com/2014/04/what-metros-new-survey-should-be.html)
I also find it amusing that they always congratulate themselves for figuring out that North County is the most transit dependent area. The focus is always on "reducing traffic congestion". Very few people with cars are going to give up driving to ride the sloooooow buses. The train, maybe. But only to and from work and ball games. Of course, most of the money for the North County Transit Center came from funding to reduce traffic congestion and emissions.
Well, at least they are trying to appear like they are trying, and who knows? Maybe they really are. But four open house meetings? How many people decided these changes? It can't be more than 200. Hardly representative or comprehensive.
I still don't see how they can live down the shame of buying those used Grand buses. Love seeing them break down (*sarcasm*), and other than peak times, and between Mid-Town and Arsenal, they never seem very full. Remember how that was going to reduce congestion on Grand? Right.
It's up to the transit rider to call them, email, and generally communicate EXACTLY what we need to make public transit serve us, instead of the other way around.
Oh, and those sidewalks on Pershall, make sure there is plenty of lighting, too. That whole area along 270 is a nightmare for pedestrians, on the Pershall and over on the other side, on Dunn. If you live in North County you know how many accidents go unreported. This one wasn't. A transit friendly city is a pedestrian friendly city. That would mean that the planners and designers and engineers and executives would need to ride transit and do some walking.
More people are going to be walking over to Clocktower Aldi's and the Wal-mart, and down to the Home Depot on Halls Ferry. Don't just build the transit center and leave it, like you did in Maplewood for 7 years. Put in the sidewalks NOW.
http://www.kmov.com/story/31467896/pedestrian-suffers-serious-injuries-after-being-by-car-in-north-county
OPTINSTL
OCCUPY! PUBLIC TRANSIT Image by Eric Drooker for Occupy Wall Street, click on image for Drooker's website
Showing posts with label bus routes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bus routes. Show all posts
Monday, March 14, 2016
Monday, April 14, 2014
METRO: HAVE YOU CONSIDERED RE-ROUTING BUSES WHEN THERE IS A CARDINALS GAME?
I'm almost fifty years old, and the Cardinals have played baseball every year that I have been alive.
That means there has been heavy traffic downtown after a game, every year that I have been alive.
On Saturday the number 40 bus was so far behind schedule because of the game that, according to a guy that had been waiting, the bus was an hour and a half late.
I was waiting at Grand and North Broadway, having gotten off the Grand bus, at 5:15. The bus was scheduled to come at 5:26 according to the trip finder.
It showed up about 5:50. There was a man that had been waiting since 4:15, and a lady with two little boys waiting for the southbound 40 (I was waiting for the northbound 40) that ended up taking the Grand bus because at least she could get close to her house.
So, Metro, after how many years of buses downtown after a Cards game, you still can't figure out that you need to re-route the buses?
And seriously, you couldn't have some sort of recorded message (not just email alerts-- again, not everyone has data on their cell phone plans) on the customer service line when buses are stuck in traffic or MIA?
At least the 40, when it finally came, was the cleanest, newest bus I have ever been on. Not a bed bug or anything else in sight.
That means there has been heavy traffic downtown after a game, every year that I have been alive.
On Saturday the number 40 bus was so far behind schedule because of the game that, according to a guy that had been waiting, the bus was an hour and a half late.
I was waiting at Grand and North Broadway, having gotten off the Grand bus, at 5:15. The bus was scheduled to come at 5:26 according to the trip finder.
It showed up about 5:50. There was a man that had been waiting since 4:15, and a lady with two little boys waiting for the southbound 40 (I was waiting for the northbound 40) that ended up taking the Grand bus because at least she could get close to her house.
So, Metro, after how many years of buses downtown after a Cards game, you still can't figure out that you need to re-route the buses?
And seriously, you couldn't have some sort of recorded message (not just email alerts-- again, not everyone has data on their cell phone plans) on the customer service line when buses are stuck in traffic or MIA?
At least the 40, when it finally came, was the cleanest, newest bus I have ever been on. Not a bed bug or anything else in sight.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
WHAT METRO'S NEW SURVEY SHOULD BE
Metro bus and train Riders! As part of JAM THE PHONE LINES, April 4th-July 4th, feel free to call Metro and say "I'd like to volunteer some survey information so that you can learn more about your customers" and tell them the answers to as much of this as you would like.
If you ride the bus, and even if you ride the train, you know that Metro does not sufficiently survey its' customers, or really know them at all. And they don't ride the bus. (Once a year survey on the Metrolink is pretty lame, considering they admit that the buses are the majority of their service. And they don't ask enough questions, and seem to choose the survey times to their convenience.)
WHEN AND HOW THE SURVEYS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED
They should be able to accurately measure the weeks out of the year with the most boardings, including the inflation of sports and special events fans on the Metrolink.
The busiest time of year for bus boardings, without special events, should be their primary target. Every day for a week, on every single bus and train. (The survey itself is detailed further on in this post, and ideas on how they could conduct these in a way that incorporates their riders and saves costs.)
On each bus, for the buses entire daily run. One person with a lot of little pencils and the survey sheets, handing them out and collecting them back, or in the case of someone going to another bus or train, promising to give it to the next surveyor, or bring it back the next day, or mail it in.
If only one survey can be conducted a year, than that should be it. Not special events. The heaviest regular boarding time of year.
SURVEY FORMS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE ON ALL BUSES AND TRAINS AT ALL TIMES
AT ALL TIMES their should be survey forms available, and a box to deposit them.
The first question on these should be "have you filled out a survey in the last year?"
If yes, "please tell us how your transit needs have changed"?
And "why"? (optional)
You see, the more you know about what your customers need and why, the better you can serve them. So, if one week you get a drop off in boardings on one bus line, and an increase on several others, and it turns out a business or company has closed or laid people off, you can anticipate those changes and respond to them with alterations in service.
THE SURVEY TAKERS
You could offer a free monthly pass (or equivalent discount on other fares and passes) for 4 hours of surveyor work to students during the week of the survey. This would involve a lot of riders, which would be a bonus for Metro in getting to know the riding public and involving young people in civic work.
As I said, they would have the pencils and surveys. A detail at the stops where the surveyors changed shifts could collect the completed surveys. (If you have been accurately counting boardings on each bus and train, you should be able to anticipate the amount of surveys needed for each shift.)
THE DATABASE
I have no idea how comprehensive your system is. It's seem lame. So this would be the biggest cost for you-- building something fairly large, 15 years ago this would have been Oracle, I don't know if this is still the preferred platform. The Federal Transit Authority and Department of Transportation might have something, or a larger city, like Los Angeles.
In addition to collecting and analyzing the data from the surveys, it would need to be integrated into the current route and street system.
Since your website frequently congratulates your "state of the art" systems and "effective analysis", at the same time pleading poverty and overwhelming federal and local limitations, it is hard to know what you all really have going on there.
And even if I did, the technical aspects might be too much for me.
But again, you could turn to the young people. St. Louis has several fine universities and perhaps some sort of contest or internship opportunity to work on this database could provide funding. Undergraduates and Graduates. Perhaps some sort of grant for Ph.D's?
Universities are very good at coming up with things like this. Reach out.
THE SURVEY
Please fill out only one survey today: 00/00/00
Where did you first board?
How did you get to the stop? (walk, get a ride)
How long did it take you to get there? (Detail your route as much as you would like)
Where will you get off this bus/train?
Will you make another connection?
What bus/train? (Metro or another service provider?)
If so: where? will you have to walk to make the next connection? how far? what is your next connection (Metro or another service provider)? Where will you exit? Please list any more transfers you will be making on this trip. Detail your journey as much as you like.
How often do you make this trip? each day? Week? month? etc. Please detail as much as you would like.
Does your route alter with weather or other factors, or are there any alternate routes that you use for this trip? If yes, please list all alternates and reasons for using (or not using) them.
How often do you ride the bus/train?
What bus/train lines do you use the most?
Please tell us about other trips you make regularly, that you will not be making this week, during the survey.
Do you have any suggestions that would make your trip better?
What is your
age
race
gender
income/fulltime. part-time/ how many jobs/unemployed/government assistance
student/veteran/disabled
do you have a car
do you live with someone that has a car
Please tell us anything else about yourself that you feel is important to your transit needs.
EDIT: And Metro, please print these in black and white on recycled paper. You use WAY too much red and blue ink! http://optinstl.blogspot.com/2014/03/metro-have-you-explored-cutting.html
If you ride the bus, and even if you ride the train, you know that Metro does not sufficiently survey its' customers, or really know them at all. And they don't ride the bus. (Once a year survey on the Metrolink is pretty lame, considering they admit that the buses are the majority of their service. And they don't ask enough questions, and seem to choose the survey times to their convenience.)
WHEN AND HOW THE SURVEYS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED
They should be able to accurately measure the weeks out of the year with the most boardings, including the inflation of sports and special events fans on the Metrolink.
The busiest time of year for bus boardings, without special events, should be their primary target. Every day for a week, on every single bus and train. (The survey itself is detailed further on in this post, and ideas on how they could conduct these in a way that incorporates their riders and saves costs.)
On each bus, for the buses entire daily run. One person with a lot of little pencils and the survey sheets, handing them out and collecting them back, or in the case of someone going to another bus or train, promising to give it to the next surveyor, or bring it back the next day, or mail it in.
If only one survey can be conducted a year, than that should be it. Not special events. The heaviest regular boarding time of year.
SURVEY FORMS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE ON ALL BUSES AND TRAINS AT ALL TIMES
AT ALL TIMES their should be survey forms available, and a box to deposit them.
The first question on these should be "have you filled out a survey in the last year?"
If yes, "please tell us how your transit needs have changed"?
And "why"? (optional)
You see, the more you know about what your customers need and why, the better you can serve them. So, if one week you get a drop off in boardings on one bus line, and an increase on several others, and it turns out a business or company has closed or laid people off, you can anticipate those changes and respond to them with alterations in service.
THE SURVEY TAKERS
You could offer a free monthly pass (or equivalent discount on other fares and passes) for 4 hours of surveyor work to students during the week of the survey. This would involve a lot of riders, which would be a bonus for Metro in getting to know the riding public and involving young people in civic work.
As I said, they would have the pencils and surveys. A detail at the stops where the surveyors changed shifts could collect the completed surveys. (If you have been accurately counting boardings on each bus and train, you should be able to anticipate the amount of surveys needed for each shift.)
THE DATABASE
I have no idea how comprehensive your system is. It's seem lame. So this would be the biggest cost for you-- building something fairly large, 15 years ago this would have been Oracle, I don't know if this is still the preferred platform. The Federal Transit Authority and Department of Transportation might have something, or a larger city, like Los Angeles.
In addition to collecting and analyzing the data from the surveys, it would need to be integrated into the current route and street system.
Since your website frequently congratulates your "state of the art" systems and "effective analysis", at the same time pleading poverty and overwhelming federal and local limitations, it is hard to know what you all really have going on there.
And even if I did, the technical aspects might be too much for me.
But again, you could turn to the young people. St. Louis has several fine universities and perhaps some sort of contest or internship opportunity to work on this database could provide funding. Undergraduates and Graduates. Perhaps some sort of grant for Ph.D's?
Universities are very good at coming up with things like this. Reach out.
THE SURVEY
Please fill out only one survey today: 00/00/00
Where did you first board?
How did you get to the stop? (walk, get a ride)
How long did it take you to get there? (Detail your route as much as you would like)
Where will you get off this bus/train?
Will you make another connection?
What bus/train? (Metro or another service provider?)
If so: where? will you have to walk to make the next connection? how far? what is your next connection (Metro or another service provider)? Where will you exit? Please list any more transfers you will be making on this trip. Detail your journey as much as you like.
How often do you make this trip? each day? Week? month? etc. Please detail as much as you would like.
Does your route alter with weather or other factors, or are there any alternate routes that you use for this trip? If yes, please list all alternates and reasons for using (or not using) them.
How often do you ride the bus/train?
What bus/train lines do you use the most?
Please tell us about other trips you make regularly, that you will not be making this week, during the survey.
Do you have any suggestions that would make your trip better?
What is your
age
race
gender
income/fulltime. part-time/ how many jobs/unemployed/government assistance
student/veteran/disabled
do you have a car
do you live with someone that has a car
Please tell us anything else about yourself that you feel is important to your transit needs.
EDIT: And Metro, please print these in black and white on recycled paper. You use WAY too much red and blue ink! http://optinstl.blogspot.com/2014/03/metro-have-you-explored-cutting.html
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