Sunday, May 31, 2009
Bus foul!
Okay, I really wish RTA would give some folks the power to enforce ettiquete on the bus. Today's bus foul? The cell phone. Okay, so you're allowed to make phone calls on the bus. That's fine. What you really shouldn't do is lean in to the central aisle so you're as close to fellow passengers as possible, and then shout into your phone to drown out the engine. Speak in a low voice, and if the bus is too loud for your party to hear you, don't yell. Just stand and move forward. If you successfully manage this, I and other fellow passengers will not be sorely tempted to snap your phone in half.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
FlickRiR
Riding in Riverside is now on Flickr! Why? Because Blogger imposes some space constraints on how many photos I can upload here. Flickr doesn't. I'll continue to post best-of samples here, but I'll just throw everything on the Flickr and let you all decide. :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ridinginriverside/
By the way, above is CDTX (Amtrak California) #461 as Pacific Surfliner #582, stopped in Santa Ana on it's way to San Diego.
Blogger on board!
Hey all.
I went down to a get-together in Laguna Beach today, and of course I took the train and OCTA. Part of my reasoning in doing this was to test my T-Mobile G1's mobile internet capabilities, and I'm proud to report that they're working well. 3G service in Orange County provides ~600kbps, even from a moving Metrolink train, and EDGE service provides passable data (~150kbps) in less-benighted parts of the world (read: Riverside). I'm very happy with it, and I can see how this will improve my soon-to-be-daily commute to Los Angeles significantly.
I also did a bit of railfanning at the Santa Ana depot while we waited for our train. I'll be posting the photos shortly.
Anyway, for all of you transit riders, I heartily recommend the T-Mobile G1 (with Google). It's an invaluable resource for checking maps and timetables, especially when you're riding an unfamiliar system. One annoyance is that the Google Maps application, which is otherwise great, does not yet include Google Transit data. (Neither does RTA, for that matter.) It does show the locations of stops and stations, but not the services and schedules at those locations. Google promises they're working on it. Otherwise, it's a solid device and well worth the outlay.
I went down to a get-together in Laguna Beach today, and of course I took the train and OCTA. Part of my reasoning in doing this was to test my T-Mobile G1's mobile internet capabilities, and I'm proud to report that they're working well. 3G service in Orange County provides ~600kbps, even from a moving Metrolink train, and EDGE service provides passable data (~150kbps) in less-benighted parts of the world (read: Riverside). I'm very happy with it, and I can see how this will improve my soon-to-be-daily commute to Los Angeles significantly.
I also did a bit of railfanning at the Santa Ana depot while we waited for our train. I'll be posting the photos shortly.
Anyway, for all of you transit riders, I heartily recommend the T-Mobile G1 (with Google). It's an invaluable resource for checking maps and timetables, especially when you're riding an unfamiliar system. One annoyance is that the Google Maps application, which is otherwise great, does not yet include Google Transit data. (Neither does RTA, for that matter.) It does show the locations of stops and stations, but not the services and schedules at those locations. Google promises they're working on it. Otherwise, it's a solid device and well worth the outlay.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Public comments still open.
Sorry for the quietude folks, it's the end of the quarter and that means I'm doing a bit of work finishing up a couple of research projects. However, I wanted to pop in and let you guys know that comments on the 2010-2012 Short Range Transit Plan are now open, and are open until the next RTA board meeting, June 25th of this year.
Yeah, I thought they were done this month too. Whoops!
So anyway, you've already heard my take on the SRTP. Make your own conclusions, and get those comments in!
Yeah, I thought they were done this month too. Whoops!
So anyway, you've already heard my take on the SRTP. Make your own conclusions, and get those comments in!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Omni to Straphangers: No Barbecue for You!
I rode over to Fontana today, and while onboard the Omnitrans 67 I overheard the driver say something curious. "Nope. None of our buses run on Monday." I thought that this surely must be a mistake on the driver's part, so I checked the Bus Book. True enough, there is no Omnitrans service on Memorial Day, nor Labour Day nor Independence Day. (And obviously none on Thanksgiving or Christmas- bus drivers are people too.) Metrolink will not be operating either, though this seems more reasonable.
What gives, Omni? Most of RTA will run on a Sunday schedule. Do you just hate grilled corn on the cob that much?
What gives, Omni? Most of RTA will run on a Sunday schedule. Do you just hate grilled corn on the cob that much?
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Fare-gate hits home
Many of you may be aware of Fare-gate (some say "faregate-gate"), the upcoming installation of faregates LA County Metro lines, which, combined with the recent mandate of TAP cards for all bus day pass customers, has led to many technological headaches and a PR disaster for Metro. (See this post at The Bus Bench for an example.)
I figured that all of this, while certainly unpleasant for the Los Angelenos, wouldn't affect us suburbanites because, when we do go into LA on transit, we use Metrolink. Metrolink tickets are, of course, valid for full fare on LA county transit operators (except Santa Monica for no good reason), and I assumed that Metro would follow the same pattern that most agencies with faregates use (including SF Muni and BART). They have a station agent booth stationed at the faregates, and customers with passes that must be visually inspected simply flash their pass at the station agent, who allows them through. I've done it many, many times in the Bay Area, and it works fine.
Apparently, LA has to be different. When the faregates are installed and implemented, in Q1 2010, all customers will either have to pay with cash or use a TAP card at all Metro stations. No visual inspection. No exceptions. This throws a monkey wrench into the works for Metrolink riders.
Oh, and there's another thing. Apparently, EZ Pass transit providers have decided that, instead of paying the ~40% reimbursement rate that Metrolink had been paying them for allowing ticketholders passage, they'd now have to come up with the full fare for every customer. This 60% increase in the reimbursement rate for transfer passengers led Metrolink to propose cutting transfer privileges for one-way and round-trip riders, and charging a 30% co-pay to 10-trip and monthly ticketholders for an EZ transit pass, which would correspondingly be loaded onto a TAP card.
One of those proposals survived the board meeting last month. One-way and round-trip tickets will no longer be valid for transfers to LA county bus operators in the near future. (Implementation date unknown at this time.) Oh, and fares are going up 3% in July.
Furthermore, passengers who wish to use Metro buses and (especially) trains come next January will have to load their Metrolink pass or 10-tripper onto a TAP card, at no additional cost but some additional hassle, and a $5 TAP card fee.
That said, passengers who wish to purchase a day pass in LA (even now) will need to have TAP cards, and since Metrolink tickets will no longer be valid for connecting transit in LA, it might be a prudent step to purchase one in the near future, for those once or twice a year trips into the city.
And I don't think I need to mention that Metrolink trips to LA just got a fare bit more expensive.
I figured that all of this, while certainly unpleasant for the Los Angelenos, wouldn't affect us suburbanites because, when we do go into LA on transit, we use Metrolink. Metrolink tickets are, of course, valid for full fare on LA county transit operators (except Santa Monica for no good reason), and I assumed that Metro would follow the same pattern that most agencies with faregates use (including SF Muni and BART). They have a station agent booth stationed at the faregates, and customers with passes that must be visually inspected simply flash their pass at the station agent, who allows them through. I've done it many, many times in the Bay Area, and it works fine.
Apparently, LA has to be different. When the faregates are installed and implemented, in Q1 2010, all customers will either have to pay with cash or use a TAP card at all Metro stations. No visual inspection. No exceptions. This throws a monkey wrench into the works for Metrolink riders.
Oh, and there's another thing. Apparently, EZ Pass transit providers have decided that, instead of paying the ~40% reimbursement rate that Metrolink had been paying them for allowing ticketholders passage, they'd now have to come up with the full fare for every customer. This 60% increase in the reimbursement rate for transfer passengers led Metrolink to propose cutting transfer privileges for one-way and round-trip riders, and charging a 30% co-pay to 10-trip and monthly ticketholders for an EZ transit pass, which would correspondingly be loaded onto a TAP card.
One of those proposals survived the board meeting last month. One-way and round-trip tickets will no longer be valid for transfers to LA county bus operators in the near future. (Implementation date unknown at this time.) Oh, and fares are going up 3% in July.
Furthermore, passengers who wish to use Metro buses and (especially) trains come next January will have to load their Metrolink pass or 10-tripper onto a TAP card, at no additional cost but some additional hassle, and a $5 TAP card fee.
That said, passengers who wish to purchase a day pass in LA (even now) will need to have TAP cards, and since Metrolink tickets will no longer be valid for connecting transit in LA, it might be a prudent step to purchase one in the near future, for those once or twice a year trips into the city.
And I don't think I need to mention that Metrolink trips to LA just got a fare bit more expensive.
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