Normally, I'm talking about alternative transportation for people on this blog. (People and pets- I took my kitten to the vet on RTA.) However, I just got turned on to an alternative transportation option for your stuff, one that will take a large, unpleasant, car-driven chore off of your list.
Grocery delivery has come to Riverside! (Actually, I'm pretty sure it's been here a while, but I've finally noticed.) Both Vons and Albertsons provide home grocery delivery services. Albertsons charges $12.95 flat, while Vons charges between $6.95 and $12.95 depending on the amount ordered and the delivery window. (RiR has no financial interest in either service.) You order your food just like you'd order anything on the internets, and schedule an appointment. A friendly guy in a truck brings said food to your house during the delivery window, and you don't have to go anywhere, haul anything, or worry about long checkout lines. I ordered late on Saturday night and my food arrived just shy of noon on Sunday morning.
Another great benefit I found is, when ordering, you can take your laptop into the kitchen and check to see whether or not you really are out of milk/bread/eggs.
The point is that you can get out of driving for that trip to the grocery store and, for a very small fee, have more time and less stress in your life. This particular form of alternative transport is available today, right here in the IE, from the comfort of your computer. Enjoy!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Good readin'
For all of us who yearn for more money in our wallets and time in our schedules, I have a book for you.
It's called How to Live Well Without Owning a Car, and it's chock-full of numbers, facts and figures about how much your car is costing you and the world around you, plus tips of how to slash those costs dramatically.
The author, Chris Balish, tackles the problem of the auto-dependent city and culture from a uniquely personal perspective. Instead of railing against the social costs of our transportation infrastructure (which this author is guilty of), he asks his reader to take a moment to calculate just how much their car is costing them. As he puts it, the book is "a personal finance and lifestyle book... that can dramatically improve your finances, your quality of life, and your peace of mind."
Included in the calculations of the cost of a car are the usual things, like purchase price, gasoline, insurance and registration, but there are things that you wouldn't think about: AAA membership, car chargers, car washes, and even clothing soiled while changing a flat tire. Balish figures that the average car-owning American could receive "the equivalent of a $5,000-$10,000 raise" from going car-free.
The link above goes to Amazon. The book is not available in the Riverside Public Library system, but can be requested by UCR and RPL patrons through Link+ here. Oh, and as an aside... Mr. Balish resides in Los Angeles.
It's called How to Live Well Without Owning a Car, and it's chock-full of numbers, facts and figures about how much your car is costing you and the world around you, plus tips of how to slash those costs dramatically.
The author, Chris Balish, tackles the problem of the auto-dependent city and culture from a uniquely personal perspective. Instead of railing against the social costs of our transportation infrastructure (which this author is guilty of), he asks his reader to take a moment to calculate just how much their car is costing them. As he puts it, the book is "a personal finance and lifestyle book... that can dramatically improve your finances, your quality of life, and your peace of mind."
Included in the calculations of the cost of a car are the usual things, like purchase price, gasoline, insurance and registration, but there are things that you wouldn't think about: AAA membership, car chargers, car washes, and even clothing soiled while changing a flat tire. Balish figures that the average car-owning American could receive "the equivalent of a $5,000-$10,000 raise" from going car-free.
The link above goes to Amazon. The book is not available in the Riverside Public Library system, but can be requested by UCR and RPL patrons through Link+ here. Oh, and as an aside... Mr. Balish resides in Los Angeles.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Are you hiding something, RTA?
The RTA Board was to vote on the fare hikes and service cuts at their board meeting on Thursday the 26th, two days ago. I was in Sacramento, so I was unable to attend, but remembering that this issue was up for consideration, I decided to log on to the RTA's handy "Board Actions" summaries, posted on their web site, to see how it all went down.
However, "Board Actions" only covers up through December, 2008. Which, by the way, is conveniently before all of these transit controversies started popping up.
I'm certain that a trip to RTA's headquarters will produce the public records of the board meeting, but that post will have to wait until Monday. Until then... RTA, why are you hiding?
If you don't believe me, check for yourself at http://www.riversidetransit.com/board/board_actions.htm
However, "Board Actions" only covers up through December, 2008. Which, by the way, is conveniently before all of these transit controversies started popping up.
I'm certain that a trip to RTA's headquarters will produce the public records of the board meeting, but that post will have to wait until Monday. Until then... RTA, why are you hiding?
If you don't believe me, check for yourself at http://www.riversidetransit.com/board/board_actions.htm
Sunday, March 22, 2009
More on the cost of driving
(Note: This was posted using the Bakersfield Amtrak's free wifi while waiting on San Joaquin #715 to Richmond.)
I'm writing to you from the CA-210 Freeway on board the Amtrak California route 19 bus. Obviously I have no internet, so I'll post this later, but it's currently 10:18 AM on Sunday morning. We've just passed a traffic accident. An SUV and a tractor-trailer got into some sort of conflict- it blocked the freeway down to two lanes, from it's usual six. Took us about twenty minutes to get past. Even the firemen ran the last half mile, traffic was so thick.
Watch your morning traffic report. Most of the time you're just thinking about "How can I get to work?" and a traffic accident is simply an obstacle to you getting there. That's a legitimate complaint- hundreds of people were inconvenienced this morning, just from one collision. The next time you hear about a traffic accident though, think about how it affects the people involved. This time it looked like only minor injuries occured, but both the SUV driver and the trucker are up for major headaches from the DMV and police in the coming weeks. The trucker might even lose his job. Distressingly, injuries and fatalities in traffic accidents are all too common. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for people 18-34, and the #1 cause of accidental death in this country. They take 40,000 lives every year.
That's September 11th every month or so.
Public buses are 10 times safer than driving, per passenger mile. Rail transit is 40 times safer. People ask me why I don't drive. I say, why take the risk?
I'm writing to you from the CA-210 Freeway on board the Amtrak California route 19 bus. Obviously I have no internet, so I'll post this later, but it's currently 10:18 AM on Sunday morning. We've just passed a traffic accident. An SUV and a tractor-trailer got into some sort of conflict- it blocked the freeway down to two lanes, from it's usual six. Took us about twenty minutes to get past. Even the firemen ran the last half mile, traffic was so thick.
Watch your morning traffic report. Most of the time you're just thinking about "How can I get to work?" and a traffic accident is simply an obstacle to you getting there. That's a legitimate complaint- hundreds of people were inconvenienced this morning, just from one collision. The next time you hear about a traffic accident though, think about how it affects the people involved. This time it looked like only minor injuries occured, but both the SUV driver and the trucker are up for major headaches from the DMV and police in the coming weeks. The trucker might even lose his job. Distressingly, injuries and fatalities in traffic accidents are all too common. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for people 18-34, and the #1 cause of accidental death in this country. They take 40,000 lives every year.
That's September 11th every month or so.
Public buses are 10 times safer than driving, per passenger mile. Rail transit is 40 times safer. People ask me why I don't drive. I say, why take the risk?
Friday, March 20, 2009
Always on my mind
RTA, I owe you guys an apology. It's a bit of a backhanded one, because you could have done something to let us know you were still working on it... but it's an apology nonetheless.
Readers will notice my laser-like fixation on the Magnolia Avenue RapidLink project. After a bit more googling around, I actually found a grant request from RTA for BRT buses. Date? January 9, 2008. Long after BRT "disappeared" from the public view.
The reason the buses never showed up here in the IE is apparent from the first page of the proposal. RTA was requesting "unused State Transit Assistance funds"... and bus politicos will note that the STA program was cut in half in '08, and entirely eliminated from the budget in '09. Bye bye, BRT.
You can read the proposal here.
Readers will notice my laser-like fixation on the Magnolia Avenue RapidLink project. After a bit more googling around, I actually found a grant request from RTA for BRT buses. Date? January 9, 2008. Long after BRT "disappeared" from the public view.
The reason the buses never showed up here in the IE is apparent from the first page of the proposal. RTA was requesting "unused State Transit Assistance funds"... and bus politicos will note that the STA program was cut in half in '08, and entirely eliminated from the budget in '09. Bye bye, BRT.
You can read the proposal here.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Did you know?
Amtrak serves Riverside. It's rare that I talk to anyone who actually knows this, and even rarer that anyone knows the full extent of the service offered every day by the national passenger rail system right here in our city. (All Amtrak services stop at the Riverside-Downtown Metrolink station.)
Amtrak's rail service consists of one train per day (in each direction), which may sound laughably meager, but is in fact rather substantial on most long-haul intercity routes. (All routes with more than one train per day are short-run corridor services, such as SLO-LAX-San Diego or Boston-New York-DC.) It is certainly an improvement over the thrice-weekly offerings at Pomona and Ontario stations.
Where does this mysterious train go? The Southwest Chief runs from Los Angeles to Chicago, stopping at Flagstaff, Albuquerque, and Kansas City (and many small towns and cities in between). It takes three days to travel the entire route, if you count the evening on which you leave, and fares vary by distance and accommodations.
Even more useful than the train (for me at least) is Amtrak California's fleet of motorcoaches that call on our city four times a day in each direction. These buses connect with the San Joaquins in Bakersfield, for trips up the Central Valley to the Bay Area and Sacramento, and bus connections throughout California and as far north as Medford, OR. These are clean, comfortable (and reserved, unlike Greyhound) vehicles, with on-board restrooms and guaranteed connections to your train. Yes, they'll make the train wait for you.
Traveling on the train is quick, affordable, and environmentally friendly (the most efficient form of transportation available per passenger mile). Compared to 7 hours' drive up the I-5, the train wins hands-down. Sure, it takes a touch longer, but during that time you can read, play video games or even catch up on work a bit. (The San Joaquins are equipped with power outlets throughout, the Southwest Chief has limited outlets available.) It beats just staring at the road for hours on end, plus there's food and a restroom available on-board. Not to mention it gives you the chance to look out the window, and there's a lot of interesting sights to be seen next to the railway in the Central Valley. And I don't even need to mention the comparison to flying, do I? Cheaper, stops right here in the city, no airport parking/transit hassles, no security problems, no worrying about whether your deodorant is a 3oz container or not, need I go on?
Passenger rail travel in this country is constantly hindered by the fact that it's simply not on most people's radar. Most people wouldn't even know where their nearest Amtrak station was, nor where they could travel, or when, or how. Passenger rail should play a much larger role in our nation's transportation system, due to efficiency and ecological concerns, and the fact that it doesn't worries me.
For those who are considering an Amtrak trip out of Riverside, read on.
The one trick to traveling Amtrak out of Riverside is: you must have reservations first. You can pick up your tickets at the station, from a Metrolink TVM, but you must have made your reservations either by telephone (1-800-USA-RAIL) or on line beforehand. This doesn't preclude spontaneous trips by any means- you can simply call up and order your tickets and print them at the station in a matter of minutes- but it is something you'll want to keep in mind. If you plan your travel in advance, your tickets can be mailed to you. (They require 9 day advance notice, but the tickets will reach Riversiders in a day or two- Amtrak's customer service center is in Riverside.)
Keep this in mind, and enjoy riding the rails!
Amtrak's rail service consists of one train per day (in each direction), which may sound laughably meager, but is in fact rather substantial on most long-haul intercity routes. (All routes with more than one train per day are short-run corridor services, such as SLO-LAX-San Diego or Boston-New York-DC.) It is certainly an improvement over the thrice-weekly offerings at Pomona and Ontario stations.
Where does this mysterious train go? The Southwest Chief runs from Los Angeles to Chicago, stopping at Flagstaff, Albuquerque, and Kansas City (and many small towns and cities in between). It takes three days to travel the entire route, if you count the evening on which you leave, and fares vary by distance and accommodations.
Even more useful than the train (for me at least) is Amtrak California's fleet of motorcoaches that call on our city four times a day in each direction. These buses connect with the San Joaquins in Bakersfield, for trips up the Central Valley to the Bay Area and Sacramento, and bus connections throughout California and as far north as Medford, OR. These are clean, comfortable (and reserved, unlike Greyhound) vehicles, with on-board restrooms and guaranteed connections to your train. Yes, they'll make the train wait for you.
Traveling on the train is quick, affordable, and environmentally friendly (the most efficient form of transportation available per passenger mile). Compared to 7 hours' drive up the I-5, the train wins hands-down. Sure, it takes a touch longer, but during that time you can read, play video games or even catch up on work a bit. (The San Joaquins are equipped with power outlets throughout, the Southwest Chief has limited outlets available.) It beats just staring at the road for hours on end, plus there's food and a restroom available on-board. Not to mention it gives you the chance to look out the window, and there's a lot of interesting sights to be seen next to the railway in the Central Valley. And I don't even need to mention the comparison to flying, do I? Cheaper, stops right here in the city, no airport parking/transit hassles, no security problems, no worrying about whether your deodorant is a 3oz container or not, need I go on?
Passenger rail travel in this country is constantly hindered by the fact that it's simply not on most people's radar. Most people wouldn't even know where their nearest Amtrak station was, nor where they could travel, or when, or how. Passenger rail should play a much larger role in our nation's transportation system, due to efficiency and ecological concerns, and the fact that it doesn't worries me.
For those who are considering an Amtrak trip out of Riverside, read on.
The one trick to traveling Amtrak out of Riverside is: you must have reservations first. You can pick up your tickets at the station, from a Metrolink TVM, but you must have made your reservations either by telephone (1-800-USA-RAIL) or on line beforehand. This doesn't preclude spontaneous trips by any means- you can simply call up and order your tickets and print them at the station in a matter of minutes- but it is something you'll want to keep in mind. If you plan your travel in advance, your tickets can be mailed to you. (They require 9 day advance notice, but the tickets will reach Riversiders in a day or two- Amtrak's customer service center is in Riverside.)
Keep this in mind, and enjoy riding the rails!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
I'm not crazy!
There really was a Bus Rapid Transit project in Riverside.
It really was going forward at light speed in 2004.
Nobody else ever seems to believe me. Even RTA officials have questioned my assertions on this point. But the Internet remembers all!
This is the only mention still on RTA's publicly-accessible web site of RapidLink. In 2004, "focus groups" said that the BRT project was "a good investment" as part of the "final phase" of the RapidLink project.
There's also an old issue of SoCaTA's "Advocate" that mentions the approval of RapidLink.
There used to be a copy of the On Board Bulletin (the old newsletter that RTA used to put out before the single-page "Rider News" we get now... ah, budget cuts, my old friend...) posted on the site, from December '04, that said "RapidLink coming in July". Unfortunately, that file no longer exists, but a diligent Google around shows that RapidLink was in the works. And then it just... disappeared...
It really was going forward at light speed in 2004.
Nobody else ever seems to believe me. Even RTA officials have questioned my assertions on this point. But the Internet remembers all!
This is the only mention still on RTA's publicly-accessible web site of RapidLink. In 2004, "focus groups" said that the BRT project was "a good investment" as part of the "final phase" of the RapidLink project.
There's also an old issue of SoCaTA's "Advocate" that mentions the approval of RapidLink.
There used to be a copy of the On Board Bulletin (the old newsletter that RTA used to put out before the single-page "Rider News" we get now... ah, budget cuts, my old friend...) posted on the site, from December '04, that said "RapidLink coming in July". Unfortunately, that file no longer exists, but a diligent Google around shows that RapidLink was in the works. And then it just... disappeared...
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