JeTDoG

Without wanting to put words in the Councilman's mouth, I know Mike was supportive of landmark declaration for this property. While he is very much in favor of development that will benefit the neighborhood, that development shouldn't come at the expense of the neighborhood's character. The LaSalle is a far different animal from the Commodore.

RED FREAKIN' ALERT! Demolition has been proposed for the former LaSalle Theater property at 819-829 E 185th St. The only possible reuse I've heard of for this empty property, once cleared, is relocation of a McDonald's located on Lakeshore Blvd near E 156th St. Meanwhile, Northeast Shores Development has made overtures to the bank holding the property to purchase it, redevelop the upstairs apartments, and has designs on a commercial/retail tenant for the former theater proper, but these overtures have fallen on deaf, (greedy?) ears. I'll know more after Tuesday morning, but I needed to bring this to everyone's attention ASAP. Please don't let this property go the way of the Commodore -- it's not there yet, and need not get there.

The utility cover issue, which appears to be an obvious flaw, has been communicated to the project engineer. I can't necessarily speak to the appropriateness of the station enclosure design, which is more debatable and open to opinion.

"give me a break"... "I don't get paid"... "they know"... "I shouldn't have to point out"; I am very dismayed at the sentiment being echoed in many of the posts made here over the last few days. Along these same lines, do you believe that CPP "just knows" about every streetlight that is out, or that the Fire Department and Water Department proactively are notified by someone <b><i>other than the public</i></b> about every open hydrant, or that the Streets Department continuously goes out LOOKING for potholes to fill? No, more often than not, responses to these deficiencies or problems in the systems they are responsible for are addressed by responding to complaints from the public. You, the riding (and non-riding) public, as taxpayers, have made an INVESTMENT in RTA. Part of being a responsible investor is making certain that your investment is being used wisely. Every time you walk past a questionable circumstance and slough it off as "someone else's job" or "so obvious they MUST know about it", you CHOOSE to shirk that responsibility. Now, if problems get reported and don't get addressed, or if they are actively observed and ignored by Authority employees, then shame on us. Just as many hands make for light work, many eyes make for greater visibility. Transit Police's "See Something? Say Something!" campaign need not be confined to safety & security-related concerns. Along these lines, I'd like to make a request of those who routinely ride the Blue & Green Lines -- if you find yourself in car #826, please let me know if you hear any difference in the onboard loudspeaker system. A new amplifier has been installed in that car, and we're curious to get customer feedback about how it sounds in live use.

I <em><b>believe</b></em>, and I will confirm this with our Planning staff, that the distance between stops is based on population density numbers in a given area. This would explain why stops downtown or in first-ring, population-dense communities are so frequent (perhaps sometimes appearing TOO frequent), keeping in mind that "population" can be interpreted to mean workday population as well as permanent residential population, while those in the outer-rings are spaced further apart. I had asked this very question when I lived in Buffalo, NY, because I had some of the same concerns regarding what seemed to be overly-frequent stop placement on a low-use portion of a given route. I know that there are areas where we have eliminated some stops, but this can also turn into a touchy issue when you attempt to eliminate the <em><b>one</em></b> stop used by the <em><b>one</em></b> person who knows how to bend their councilperson's ear...

It is, if you are willing to risk a $75 ticket. As X pointed out, the threat of enforcement will help ensure payment, rather than actually having to check every rider. Yes, to beat this horse even deader, it's also really easy to lie on your income tax return, sell cocaine or shoplift from a suburban supermarket, but we depend on the threat of getting caught and punished and human psychology to police these behaviors. It's not a bad question to ask, given how different it is from the "old way", but it's really not such a strange set-up. Precisely. This was discussed at length in the planning process for the HealthLine, and there are numerous examples of proof-of-payment systems that have been put in place in other areas of the US and worldwide. One of them exists just up I-90 in Buffalo, NY, my former hometown. The key to proof-of-payment's success is enforcement. A system without enforcement is destined to fail, while one with effective random enforcement can succeed as readily as one with full enforcement or traditional fare collection methods. There's quite a bit of information on proof-of-payment systems design available from the TRB at http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_80.pdf.

dude, self-pity much? what part of "it's certainly a point I'll raise with our scheduling & planning folks" did you miss? I'm on your side here, please don't make me out to be an RTA apologist, whether they provide my paycheck or not... and to tack on a response to ksonic99, no, the elimination of the circulators didn't happen, thanks to eleventh-hour intervention by the Governor prompting NOACA to allocate unused CMAQ funds, but our system-wide planning can't turn on a dime; we had to proceed as if the circulators would be eliminated, and there's still a chance, unless further permanent funding becomes available, that the decision to eliminate those routes will need to be put in place I do not have specific numbers at this time, and ridership numbers on the #81 taken now would be holiday-skewed anyway, but that's not to say that I won't ask those questions; asking them, however, is NOT my primary responsibility, and obtaining a response will take time keep in mind, folks, Jerry and I are not the decision-makers on many (any?) of the issues being raised, we can only facilitate getting answers

I never suggested the gripe wasn't legitimate. I was merely responding to the implication that the scheduled time was in some way wrong. Keep in mind, any intersection of two roads could have as many as 8 points that might be described using the same street name pair (are you traveling north, south, east, or west, and is your stop before or after the intersection?). That being said, it may be worth our considering replacing one time point with another, and it's certainly a point I'll raise with our scheduling & planning folks. There may be some resistance to doing so, as it would put the new timepoint fairly close, time and distance wise, to the W 25 Rapid Station timepoint, and would put a large gap between the Trowbridge/W 25 and Quigley/Steelyard timepoints. There may also be other reasons for doing it this way that I'm not aware of. I'm not saying it can't happen, but I don't want it to be thought of as a slam-dunk in either direction.

Per the timetable, the timepoint listing for 14th and Clark is displayed prior to the listing for Quigley and Steelyard, so, yes, this is the time it turns right and enters Steelyard. However, that intersection is passed through twice, since the circuit through Steelyard is a closed loop, so the time listed for one of these passings is correct. Believe me, I do feel your pain (for those who may not be aware, I'm a 24/7 transit user myself), and I appreciate your feedback. I don't know if there is one simple answer to your concerns, much as I'd like for there to be. Certainly, if adjustments can be made that make the #81 a more viable downtown connecting ride, we'll make every effort to implement them. Keep in mind, changes on one route can have cascade effects on other routes, so we don't make these changes lightly.

As Jerry is off on vacation this week, I believe I can lend some insight into the points raised. First, I think your second sentence would be better-phrased if it were ended with the words "for me". I have had occasion to take the newly-routed #81 out of downtown on a couple of occasions, and have found it to be a better, quicker ride into Steelyard (my intended destination) than the two-seat ride offered by the #20, 22, or 25 connecting to the #807. While we'd like our system to be all things to all people, as has been stated many times, both on this forum and elsewhere, the present economic condition simply makes that an impossibility. As your are (or should be) aware, there was a consideration at one point, which may still come to pass, of eliminating all circulator service as a means of balancing our budget. Included in this consideration was the recognition that Steelyard Commons, as a major urban employment and retail center, should not be left without service. The idea that the #81 is performing "circulator duties" is a baseless assertion -- service is service, and it will be provided with what equipment is available. In this case, that route is capable of being served by either type of equipment, as there are no overwhelming considerations (such as narrow neighborhood streets) that make the circulator more favorable than the big bus. My own anecdotal observation, limited as it is, is that the #81 is actually serving more passengers to Steelyard than the #807 ever did, and it seems to do so in a more direct manner, albeit one that is unfortunately not conducive to your specific needs. I'm unclear what is meant by your statement of "rationalizing the 807 route" - perhaps you'd care to expand on this. Did you take the opportunity to comment at any of the public hearings that were held when this plan was first announced? Any plans that can be proposed to make our service more efficient and effective while remaining expense-neutral (or, even better, reducing our expenses) will certainly be taken into consideration. If a proposed change costs more, that will mean cuts will have to be made elsewhere to implement it, and will greatly reduce its chances of happening.

A friend of mine who lives down that way posted an extensive account, with photos, on her LiveJournal: http://goldiebug.livejournal.com/33893.html.

Your condescending tone and baseless assertions are unnecessary and unappreciated, and belie a lack of understanding of the efforts already put forth, and still in process. However, I will attempt to address your questions as best I can. First off, while the project is substantially complete, and the HealthLine service is running, the project is acknowledged as not yet "done". Signal prioritization is still being worked on, and the ticket vending machines are being brought on line. Don't assume for one second that a project of this magnitude and scope, which most of us are witnessing (or participating in) for the first time in our lives, goes off without hiccups, but also don't assume that those hiccups will be deemed satisfactory by anyone, inside or outside the Authority. Second, as far as the maps, if we had a dedicated map artist in our organization, it is more likely that the maps would have been updated in the time frame you suggested. However, staff reductions and additional responsibilities being what they are, it simply was not possible. The system maps, both online and at all RTA facilities, will be updated in as timely a fashion as possible. Please remember that there is a human element at the other end of any comments you make.

We have hired a number of part-time transit police officers whose primary duties will involve fare enforcement. Part-time does not mean that they are any less trained, or in any way have less authority than our full-time officers. Keeping them in uniform (albeit a slightly modified uniform, since you'll see them wearing two-toned windbreakers emblazoned with the transit police shoulder patches) and fully equipped makes them readily identifiable, both to our passengers who should feel an ehanced sense of security, and to those who might choose to make trouble, encouraging them to either quash that desire or else take it elsewhere. These officers may also be enforcing jaywalking statutes and issuing warnings or citations regarding other violations as necessary.

The 801, 809, and 820 are being kept at a 45 minute interval because, given the existing routing, switching to hourly did not result in any savings (no ability to remove a vehicle from the route). All other circulators will be switched to hourly service as of 11/9. Full schedules are currently posted at http://www.riderta.com/maps-schedules.asp.

Not to worry -- as a one-time occurrence, it's merely an opportunity for corrective, rather than punitive, action to be taken. We all appreciate knowing these things, as it allows everyone to do their jobs better and our customers to have amore enjoyable experience. Now then, if it happens repeatedly, or involves behavior that could be construed as malicious, that's a different story, and is dealt with accordingly. Your report will likely result in a simple conversation between management and operator to determine where the holes are and plug them. Please keep reports like this coming, for the HealthLine and for all of our services...

Without being there, I can say that, most likely, the second driver is keeping to schedule, and the first driver was somehow delayed. Generally speaking, if a driver is ahead of schedule on any route, they will pause at some point to get back on schedule, but we don't allow delays to cascade backward through the line.

I've forwarded the details as presented to the acting Transportation Manager for the district this route operates out of, since the regular Transportation Manager is away. I'll let you know what I find out.

To address some of the multiple questions that have been raised above: TBideon, no, there is no forecast I'm aware of as far as monthly/annual ticket revenue, and one would hope that this would be a diminishing return over the course of time. A better question to ask than whether we're serious about fines is whether we're serious about safety, and I'd hope the answer to that question would be an unqualified "yes". mrnyc, I disagree that jaywalking will be much more of a problem with BRT than it would be with light rail, as light rail operates in the same at-grade, high-accessibility right-of-way mode that BRT does. It's new, it's different, and it's now in what is ostensibly a more pedestrian-oriented environment than any of our other services, so there is adjustment that needs to be made, likely on everyone's part. rockandroller, you pretty well answered your own question. This is the same reason why traditional bus stops are placed before an intersection rather than after -- you can't risk having a vehicle hanging into the intersection when cross-traffic goes green. The size of the BRT vehicles, and the available right-of-way for the road, dictated station placement, and you'll notice that the crosswalk location in relation to the vehicle varies somewhat from station to station. Map Boy, I believe the lack of railings was strictly an aesthetic decision, and one which assumed that pedestrians would properly use the crosswalks provided to them. If this assumption turns out to be erroneous, design-based solutions may need to be explored. Unfortunately, with the behavior I've seen from some people, nothing short of an 8-foot electrified fence topped with razor wire will stop them. 327, I know that our transit police have always had, and will continue to have, discretion in enforcement. It's doubtful that they would take the time to ticket a jaywalker on an empty portion of the street, simply for the sake of writing a ticket, when there are so many occurrences where enforcement can have a positive safety impact. That being said, jaywalking in clear view of a police officer is a level of chutzpah that might just get a ticket written, and the officer would be within his rights to do so. You do raise a good argument in favor of allowing right-on-red, and it's something I'll investigate further to see what went into the decision-making process. MayDay & doctabroccoli: no comment :roll:

I put in a few volunteer hours at the E 19 eastbound platform last night, and when I instructed (in my decidedly loud, but cordial tone) passengers departing an arriving HealthLine to please leave via the crosswalk at the front of the platform, I was challenged by one gentleman who asked if I was a cop, and when I responded that I wasn't, he cursed me out while complaining that I was going to make him late for work (for walking all of an extra 50 feet!), and jumped off the edge of the platform and crossed Euclid Avenue. While his safety is my concern, there's only just so much I can do. Had one of our transit police officers been there, I would have APPLAUDED the issuance of a jaywalking ticket, because this is the same brand of idiot who would gladly sue us had he gotten hit by a car. *sigh*

The reason the new schedules have not been published yet is because there are NO time changes related to the switch from Carnegie to Euclid. This situation was handled via a Riders' Alert (http://www.riderta.com/nu_ridersalerts_list.asp?listingid=1142) that was posted a few days before it became effective. While we normally attempt to have the printed schedules out on the street well in advance of a schedule change, many of our limited resources have been devoted to getting the HealthLine up and running on the date that was promised. Now that this has come to pass, we can refocus our efforts on the next major event that is occurring, which is the schedule change. Keep in mind, the schedules (HTML tables, minus the maps) have been posted on our web site's Maps & Schedules page (http://www.riderta.com/maps-schedules.asp) for over a week now. They will generally be posted there in advance of the hardcopy, as electronic bits tend to be easier to generate. I will be in touch with our graphic artist today to find out when we might have the PDFs online, and what the print production schedule looks like.

To address a couple of questions that have been raised: The schedules for the HealthLine can be found here: Weekday: http://www.riderta.com/schedules/rt6wk.html Saturday: http://www.riderta.com/schedules/rt6sa.html Sunday: http://www.riderta.com/schedules/rt6su.html Saturday schedule is typically a 15-minute headway for most of the day, extending to 30 minutes in the overnight period. All HealthLine RTVs have fareboxes on them, but they typically will not be used. Unfortunately, due to delays in the testing of the ticket vending machines at the HeathLine stations, we will be conducting on-board fare collection for at least this week. For the time being, treat fare payment on the HealthLine as you would any other bus or rapid. Once the off-board fare collection is up and running, monthly pass holders will not have to do anything to activate their pass. They'll just have to display it for the fare enforcement officers when requested. lafont, do you have a picture of the cylinders you asked about, or a note of where they are located? I'm unclear on what you're referring to, and would like to answer your question.

Yes, and has been for some time, with no closures anticipated for the weekend. The ribbon cutting will be taking place on lower Euclid between Public Square (East Roadway) and E 6. The #6 and E-Line trolley will be detoured as detailed here: http://www.riderta.com/nu_ridersalerts_list.asp?listingid=1144.

For information about #7, #9, and #32 routing, please see http://www.riderta.com/nu_ridersalerts_list.asp?listingid=1142

And hey -- let's be careful out there.... (kudos to anyone under the age of 30 who gets the reference :-) )

I don't know if this is related, but I've noticed that Google Maps no longer shows the next train or next bus times when you click on a bus stop or train stop. I hope it's only temporary, because I thought that it was an awesome feature. The lack of information is completely temporary, and is related to difficulties with getting the most recent data set extracted from our scheduling system. We are working to correct these problems as quickly as possible. Google, unfortunately, only runs weekly updates.