even with signal prioritization It is the volume of buses that overwhelms the Signaling system, If there were fewer buses it would be easier to allow them to skip lights.

 

Example it takes a minimum number of seconds for the light to go from green to red and back to green again.  when you have intervals of 3 minute between buses it becomes impossible to give signal priority to every bus. 

 

I disagree that loading and unloading is the main problem.  Even at the busiest stops, it takes only 15-20 seconds to load and unload passengers.  But most traffic lights stop the bus for anywhere from 30 seconds to over a minute.

 

Also, I thought the busses were run every 5 minutes at rush hour, not 3?  Regardless, even at 3 minutes, you should be able to have effective signal prioritization.

 

Also, I know you wouldn't want to have to run green line trains every 5 minutes, and there's no way there is density to need it.  But I was just referring to a train system with a similar number of traffic lights and short platforms (such that you couldn't run large trains to handle more capacity) to point out that a street level train has many of the same problems as BRT.

 

But don't get me wrong, I'd still much rather have Light Rail down Euclid than BRT.  I am just saying that it wouldn't magically solve all of the line's problems.

 

I comfortable in saying i've been riding the Shaker Rapid longer than anyone on this board, and I've never seen three min headways.  The lowest I've seen is 4 minute departures, when the line was first renovated, which means, 8 min departures from Shaker Square.  In addition, when there were 5 min departures (old shaker lines) they would use 4 car trains on Van Aken and 2 car tains on Shaker.  Also, this is when the trains on the opposite side between 55 and TC.

even with signal prioritization It is the volume of buses that overwhelms the Signaling system, If there were fewer buses it would be easier to allow them to skip lights.

 

Example it takes a minimum number of seconds for the light to go from green to red and back to green again.  when you have intervals of 3 minute between buses it becomes impossible to give signal priority to every bus. 

 

I disagree that loading and unloading is the main problem.  Even at the busiest stops, it takes only 15-20 seconds to load and unload passengers.  But most traffic lights stop the bus for anywhere from 30 seconds to over a minute.

 

Also, I thought the busses were run every 5 minutes at rush hour, not 3?  Regardless, even at 3 minutes, you should be able to have effective signal prioritization.

 

 

3 things:

 

1 The Heathline is scheduled to run at 7 minute headway throughout the day. But the number of buses need to meet the expectation of the Volume of traffic forces RTA into more frequent  departures from downtown and Windermere.    This creates the bunching, unscheduled buses allow flexiblity to respond to the peaks and troughs of the day without altering the schedule.

 

see here:

http://www.riderta.com/schedules/rt65wk.html

 

2 The time it takes to load and unload increase with the number of people on the bus.  crowding especially around the door from standees increases the time it takes to load and unload.  more doors helps the problem and is the reason why sbway systems from new york to London have alot of doors per car.

 

3 signal preemption. i have studied the effect of traffic signals on the health line for All aboard Ohio.

 

for a midday the average delay for a Healthline bus at a light is  9 minutes 

 

most that delay happens in the section of the route from Stokes Blvd to Windermere, there isn't any signal prioritization with in most of this corridor, and there is a hell of alot of traffic in University Circle.

 

signal preemption is not a panacea, because unlike a completely isolated system like the Redline you can never have complete control over traffic congestion, and the best way to deal with a stoplight is to remove it thus when the traffic signal warrant study is completed in east cleveland, RTA will save alot of money becuase it removes 30-50% of the lights on Euclid Ave.  Preemption works best when you do not have large olume of cross traffic which can delay the Cycling of the light.

 

 

 

 

 

I comfortable in saying i've been riding the Shaker Rapid longer than anyone on this board, and I've never seen three min headways.  The lowest I've seen is 4 minute departures, when the line was first renovated, which means, 8 min departures from Shaker Square.  In addition, when there were 5 min departures (old shaker lines) they would use 4 car trains on Van Aken and 2 car trains on Shaker.  Also, this is when the trains on the opposite side between 55 and TC.

 

MTS, we may be neck-and-neck in this regard... but I agree with your Shaker Rapid history.  IIRC, the absolute tightest headways were during those wacky-crazy late 70s days shortly after RTA was established (in 1975), when 75-cent (no transfer) fares were dropped to 35-cent fares (with complete transfer rights with all the old CTS bus and Rapid routes), and thousands of new riders rushed, and often overwhelmed, the old Shaker Lines during their pre-rehab days; the lines were rebuilt (with the new LRTs) in 1981.  I'll see if I can dig out one of those old late 70s era Shaker Rapid line "timetables", as SHRT had called them back then .. The only thing to remember is that the capacity of those old PCC cars was much less than the current LRV's.  I don't know the exact figures to do a 1-to-1 comparison, but dare say that a 2-car LRV may be pretty close, in capacity to a 4-car PCC train of the only SHRT (that is crush capacity, standing and sitting and not just seated passengers).  ... and I'm all but certain that those 3-car LRV trains RTA has been running for 'big days' in recent years, has more capacity, probably significantly so, than a 4-car PCC train of yesteryear.

^^Once again, I agree with the sentiments of Biker16 and others, that it's going to be very difficult for the HL to handle the convergent problems of lack of speed and overcrowding.  I haven't ridden the HL beyond CSU (outbound), but it seems to me that the lightly populated/commercial light density segment (Midtown) between CSU and the Clinic would be the segment where HL buses can make up time, speed-wise.  I also agree, from my vantage point of a car driver/passenger, that the University Circle segment (from Stokes/E. 107 through Uptown around E. 118) is a very slow HL ride, especially around CWRU/UH during rush hour and the rush hour "shoulder" periods.  <--- this area is similar to the bottleneck, slow speeds of the Blue/Green Rapids through Shaker Square (but of course, the extremely high speed sections of the rail lines -- esp between downtown and Shaker Sq -- more than make up for this than I suspect any faster sections of the HL, respectively)...

 

... Once again, I think that ultimately a light rail replacement (with much higher capacity along with electronic train spacing) will be the only way to satisfactorily fix the crowding/slowness of the HL.

I comfortable in saying i've been riding the Shaker Rapid longer than anyone on this board, and I've never seen three min headways.

 

I was referring to the HealthLine.

Thanks for the info, biker.  I don't know why I had 5 min in my head.  Did the schedules change since the line first opened?

 

I still feel like traffic light prioritization could make a big difference.  It shouldn't matter how heavy the cross traffic is if it is implemented well (3 minutes is more than enough time to clear the cross traffic in between busses if the light timings are done well).  However, as you indicate with your study, this may not have as big of an effect overall as I think it would (which is admittedly based on anectodal observations, not a study).

Thanks for the info, biker.  I don't know why I had 5 min in my head.  Did the schedules change since the line first opened?

 

I still feel like traffic light prioritization could make a big difference.  It shouldn't matter how heavy the cross traffic is if it is implemented well (3 minutes is more than enough time to clear the cross traffic in between busses if the light timings are done well).  However, as you indicate with your study, this may not have as big of an effect overall as I think it would (which is admittedly based on anectodal observations, not a study).

 

that was 9 minutes of a 32 minute route.

 

the study has shown that buses spend alot a time at lights but they spend far more time loading and unloading, especially if there are alot of people paying cash to get on the bus, feeding 5 singles into a fare box to get an all Day pass, takes alot time.

 

 

But on the health line those tickets can be purchased at the stations before boarding.

The POP system speeds up the loading process.  Few people if any pay their fares on the vehicle.  In my experience the time spent at any one station is never as long as a red light, through there seem to be more stations than lights.  I have yet to stopwatch the whole shebang though.

But on the health line those tickets can be purchased at the stations before boarding.

 

True, but on all other bus routes you can't. That includes the top 10 busiest bus routes where an average of nearly 300 minutes of delay per day are caused by boarding/payment issues. Another 150 minutes of delay per day is caused by buses waiting at traffic signals, just on the 10 busiest bus routes.

Want to take RTA to the polls on Tuesday? Go to www.rideRTA.com/vote.

But on the health line those tickets can be purchased at the stations before boarding.

true I was talking about buses overall.

The POP system speeds up the loading process.  Few people if any pay their fares on the vehicle.

 

Why do they permit any on-board fair-paying on the HealthLine?

 

One thing that would (will) speed up boarding even for conventional bus operations are smart farecards.  I think urbanlife mentioned that they aren't yet on the horizon because of the ongoing ticket machine disaster, which stinks.

The POP system speeds up the loading process.  Few people if any pay their fares on the vehicle.

 

Why do they permit any on-board fair-paying on the HealthLine?

 

One thing that would (will) speed up boarding even for conventional bus operations are smart farecards.  I think urbanlife mentioned that they aren't yet on the horizon because of the ongoing ticket machine disaster, which stinks.

 

What if the payment system goes down?  They still need fareboxes on board.  Also, IIRC the buses need to be ADA compliant so that those who need assistance can pay on board if they can't do so on the platform.

^Does the Red Line do any on-board fair collection these days?

"Fare" collection. Not "fair" which would be unfair. :)

 

Imagine if GCRTA went West Coast on us and decided to go with a smartcard fare system for ALL transit routes? Seattle's ORCA Card is just one example of many. But All Aboard Ohio's Chairman is most familiar with it as he was the rail program's manager for the Washington state Department of Transportation, based in Seattle. He was telling me a lot about it. But since you all can't hear about it from him, here's a chance to read about what this type of card does.....

 

http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/01/07/orca-good-thing/

 

And it would also save GCRTA a ton of money in vehicle service hours, speed up bus schedules to make them a little more competitive with driving, and let commuters save time in their own lives.

On a related note, I was surprised to find out that RTA fare cards are only good for 1 hour.  I guess I should have known this?  I took the Red Line to the Cavs game the other day and thought I'd save myself a step by getting down on my hands and knees ;) and paying for the return trip fare card at the same time as the departure.  I was surprised with this card was no longer valid later.  Another instance where patrons could stock up on cards and use them when needed, rather than crowding the kneeling POS machines or drivers.

Buy a 5-trip card next time. I keep a few around for myself, guests, and one on my bicycle.

"Fare" collection. Not "fair" which would be unfair. :)

 

Imagine if GCRTA went West Coast on us and decided to go with a smartcard fare system for ALL transit routes? Seattle's ORCA Card is just one example of many. But All Aboard Ohio's Chairman is most familiar with it as he was the rail program's manager for the Washington state Department of Transportation, based in Seattle. He was telling me a lot about it. But since you all can't hear about it from him, here's a chance to read about what this type of card does.....

 

http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/01/07/orca-good-thing/

 

And it would also save GCRTA a ton of money in vehicle service hours, speed up bus schedules to make them a little more competitive with driving, and let commuters save time in their own lives.

 

I emailed the GM of RTA about a week ago, suggesting a couple of improvements that I felt would be relatively inexpensive, yet would enhance the overall ridership experience immensely. One of the issues was bus stop sign improvements, and the other was a "smart card" system.

 

His response:

 

Thank you for your email.

 

I agree that we need to make it easier for first-time customers to use our service.  I have directed staff to give me a plan to increase the amount of information at bus stops.

 

After our fare collection system vendor improves the fare vending machines, our next project is to develop a smart card system somewhat similar to the one you described.  Meanwhile, we encourage use of the all-day pass because it's the simplest way for a new or occasional rider to pay the fare.

 

We are encouraging our customers, especially those who are unfamiliar with our system, to use the TRIP PLANNING icon on our website to plan their trips in advance.  We work closely with Google on developing and maintaining this feature.

"Fare" collection. Not "fair" which would be unfair. :)

 

Imagine if GCRTA went West Coast on us and decided to go with a smartcard fare system for ALL transit routes? Seattle's ORCA Card is just one example of many. But All Aboard Ohio's Chairman is most familiar with it as he was the rail program's manager for the Washington state Department of Transportation, based in Seattle. He was telling me a lot about it. But since you all can't hear about it from him, here's a chance to read about what this type of card does.....

 

http://seattletransitblog.com/2009/01/07/orca-good-thing/

 

And it would also save GCRTA a ton of money in vehicle service hours, speed up bus schedules to make them a little more competitive with driving, and let commuters save time in their own lives.

 

awesome system.

^^Nice work emailing the GM.  I definitely agree about the room for improvement in terms of bus stop info. RTA made clear that smart cards were on their medium/long term agenda when they rolled out the systemwide fare collection upgrade a few years back (http://www.riderta.com/fares/farebox.asp), so I'm sure they appreciate the benefits, but it's no doubt helpful to let them know their customers really want them too.

 

Buy a 5-trip card next time. I keep a few around for myself, guests, and one on my bicycle.

 

Can you buy those at Red Line/HL stations?  According to the RTA website's wretched fares/how to ride pages, you can buy a 2-ride card at the station machines, but they make no mention of the 5-trip card. And then on their overall fare web page (http://www.riderta.com/fares/) they make no mention of the 2-trip card at all.  And also say that the trolley cost $1.50.  I know they have a new web site under construction, but the written material on some of these pages is just awful and should have been improved years ago.

Most stations do not sell the 5-ride passes, which are by far the most useful in RTA's lineup.  I wish they sold them in 10 and 20 as well.

Most stations do not sell the 5-ride passes, which are by far the most useful in RTA's lineup.  I wish they sold them in 10 and 20 as well.

 

I don't remember them being offered at the Red Line station at West Blvd.  There certainly was no warning that fares expire 1 hour after purchase.  I would think there has to be a way to get my money back? 

^Info like that is buried in the web site, but not at the machines it would appear.  If you buy fare media from the station vending machines, it automatically validates (or "activates" in RTA parlance) it right away.  Do you recall if the 2-trip card was offered? That sounds like the perfect card for a round trip.  If available, not sure why Calabrese would be pushing the all-day pass for typical riders.

ilivecle, thanks for e-mailing the GM and for sharing it with us. Don't be a stranger here at UO!

But on the health line those tickets can be purchased at the stations before boarding.

 

True, but on all other bus routes you can't. That includes the top 10 busiest bus routes where an average of nearly 300 minutes of delay per day are caused by boarding/payment issues. Another 150 minutes of delay per day is caused by buses waiting at traffic signals, just on the 10 busiest bus routes.

 

I was referring only to the HealthLine since we were talking about the bunching up of HealthLine busses.

 

Most stations do not sell the 5-ride passes, which are by far the most useful in RTA's lineup.  I wish they sold them in 10 and 20 as well.

 

Amazing how gaps in my practical knowledge emerge and persist. My grocery store sells them and I order off the RTA website from time to time. Because I always have some around if I'm ever using one of the fare machines it's for one ride because I know I have a bunch of the 5-trip cards at home.

^Info like that is buried in the web site, but not at the machines it would appear.  If you buy fare media from the station vending machines, it automatically validates (or "activates" in RTA parlance) it right away.  Do you recall if the 2-trip card was offered? That sounds like the perfect card for a round trip.  If available, not sure why Calabrese would be pushing the all-day pass for typical riders.

 

I don't recall seeing the 2 trip pass, but didn't spend much time on my knees in front of the machine deciding.  I just thought buying an extra pass would cover me.  Turns out I just donated 2 bucks to RTA.

<<"And also say that the trolley cost $1.50.">>

The fare page also says that trolleys are in the bus loop category. We reserve the right to charge $1.50 per ride. That is the fare. However, the free trolley promotion has been in effect since they began, because the private sector is underwriting what we would normally collect. So, every time you get a trolley ride, you are saving yourself $1.50. Legally, we have to post that info,

 

<<I know they have a new web site under construction, but the written material on some of these pages is just awful and should have been improved years ago.>>

 

This is a cheap shot, grossly overstated and completely unfair. ("Yes, Jerry, but how do you really feel?") The new Web site design does not mean we are ignoring the current site. If it's on the site, then it is in the public domain, and it needs to be correct.

 

IF you (or anyone else) believe that you have spotted something out-of-date or incorrect, then please follow the correct procedure. Send the page link with your comments to [email protected]. We will look into it. Just because you think something is wrong does not mean it is. All comments will receive replies when the matter is resolved.

 

Pointing out specific examples of "possible inaccuracies" to the people who can change them is certainly a better use of energy that sending out a negative, generic blast to a multitude of people who cannot.

 

I have said this before several times here, but it bears repeating. Thanks for giving me that opportunity.

<<Most stations do not sell the 5-ride passes, which are by far the most useful in RTA's lineup.  I wish they sold them in 10 and 20 as well.>>

 

There is not enough space on the back of the farecard to record the start and end times for more than 5 trips.

 

 

<<Most stations do not sell the 5-ride passes, which are by far the most useful in RTA's lineup.  I wish they sold them in 10 and 20 as well.>>

 

There is not enough space on the back of the farecard to record the start and end times for more than 5 trips.

 

Wow.  I could recommend technology to help RTA accomplish this extremely simple task, but that tech was made obsolete by smart cards many years ago.  Therefore recommending it would be incompetent on my part.

 

Waitaminute, what is the purpose of recording all that data in the first place?  Who cares when the trips start and end?  All it needs to do is increment.  There's this device called a hole punch, which is often used in conjunction with cards to determine how close one has gotten to earning a free coffee.

Pointing out specific examples of "possible inaccuracies" to the people who can change them is certainly a better use of energy that sending out a negative, generic blast to a multitude of people who cannot.

 

Jerry, I understand your frustration and very much appreciate your presence here (seriously), but keep in mind that this is a general discussion forum, not an RTA tip line being abused.  If we only communicated things to people with the power to change them, the whole internets would go out of business :)

 

Seriously though, on its face, saying on one part of your site that a service costs $1.50 and then saying on another part that it's "free with a smile" is grossly misleading.  I'm skeptical that the legal constraints don't allow for a clearer explanation, but I'll take your word for it.

 

My other reaction to the "how to ride" and "fare" pages isn't about specific errors, it's just my honest opinion about the clarity of the presentation.  I think there's a lot of room for improvement to help first time/occasional riders or visitors.  I realize that the complexity of the explanation is related to the fact that RTA currently employees three distinct fare payment systems in its network (which is itself an issue), in addition to multiple fare classes, but I still think it could be made a lot clearer.  Maybe I'll look around at other transit sites for some examples of ones I like better.  I know this is only my opinion- I'm not "demanding" changes, just expressing my thoughts, as I would to the design of a new building or whatever on other parts of Urban Ohio.

Jerry, I understand your frustration and very much appreciate your presence here (seriously), but keep in mind that this is a general discussion forum, not an RTA tip line being abused.  If we only communicated things to people with the power to change them, the whole internets would go out of business :)

 

Okay then, here's a more direct statement: I monitor the aforementioned e-mail address multiple times per day, and have seen nothing, ZERO, insofar as constructive commentary about what one might like to see on the pages mentioned. I value other people's opinions, but I can only act upon conversations I actually have. Even if the constructive comments were ONLY posted here, at least that would be something. Complaining is easy.

 

I appreciate your search for more concrete examples, and look forward to seeing what you discover.

I just downloaded the new system map, and, WOW, what an improvement!  I love it, it's gorgeous!

^^I posted a very long and boring example of a possible revision (really a rewrite) of a significant portion of the "fares" page many months, or maybe years ago now.  I can try to find it, but might take a while to dig through all the pages of the thread--and no, I certainly don't expect anyone else to look for it.  I guess my overall advice is to stop describing POP and the fare boxes as a recent change, and to structure the fares/how to ride section in a more clearly organized way based on mode:  *To ride the Red Line and HealthLine;  *To ride the Green and Blue Line and Waterfront Line; *To ride other bus routes; *To ride the trolleys; *To transfer between routes, etc.  One of RTA's most confusing elements is the variety of payment routines.  I know I'm just some unofficial yahoo, so it's not like I feel entitled to have RTA read my unsolicited text, but maybe I'll PM more thoughts to spare the reading public.

 

Here's a specific question about the fare structure: why does RTA offer separate fare media for "trips" and "rides"?  Is it the financial implications of offering free transfers to all fare payers?  An added incentive to get people to purchase 5-trip cards? Right now it's a strange hybrid between free transfers and no transfers which is an extra layer of complexity and adds to the confusion.

 

Smartcards will, thankfully, simplify many of these issues, so I'm sure you're looking forward to them as much as the rest of us are.

I just downloaded the new system map, and, WOW, what an improvement!  I love it, it's gorgeous!

 

I like it very much, too... There are a few constructive improvement (tweaks) needed.  One glaring one is the downtown map.  While the larger county map was changed and drafted to scale, it appears that the downtown map was drafted along the same dimensions of the old RTA map which makes it feel hand-drafted and unprofessional... for example, look at the lopsided Public Square and the loopy Rapid routes.  Also the placement of the Tower City Rapid station makes it look like it sits south of Huron Road (or, in other words, directly on top of the surface portion of the current Tower City parking lot).  This could deter visitors on foot from using the Rapid downtown simply because it seems too far from Public Square which we know is not true. 

 

Also, much like the old downtown map, this one does a poor job of marking popular districts.  Where's E. 4th St?  Playhouse Square? The Warehouse District?  The Flats?  The fact that, like the countywide map, this new downtown map now uses easier-to-read clearly identified, color-coded bus routes, puts it light years ahead of the old one.  Still, I think the changes I suggest should be considered.

Being someone that's really into maps, the downtown map does not look hand drawn.  It actually looks very precise.  Some may actually say the precision is a disadvantage, though (many maps draw features out of scale on purpose to make them easier to read).  However, I like it, especially for a map showing all roads and bus routes.  Schematics like for subway maps would not work in this case.  The new maps actually remind me of the Chicago system maps, which I also think are great.

 

Public Square only appears lopsided because there are many lines along Ontario at that point, and due to the way some break off westbound on the north end of the square, there are more running down the right half at that point, causing it to look like the right side of the square is smaller.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "loopy Rapid routes".  If you looked at an overhead satellite view of the tracks, I'd bet the routes on the map would lay pretty much directly on top of where they actually run.

 

There could be a few additions, such as maybe using subtle background color differences to denote different districts, but overall I think it's a very nice map.

Being someone that's really into maps, the downtown map does not look hand drawn.  It actually looks very precise.  Some may actually say the precision is a disadvantage, though (many maps draw features out of scale on purpose to make them easier to read).  However, I like it, especially for a map showing all roads and bus routes.  Schematics like for subway maps would not work in this case.  The new maps actually remind me of the Chicago system maps, which I also think are great.

 

Public Square only appears lopsided because there are many lines along Ontario at that point, and due to the way some break off westbound on the north end of the square, there are more running down the right half at that point, causing it to look like the right side of the square is smaller.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "loopy Rapid routes".  If you looked at an overhead satellite view of the tracks, I'd bet the routes on the map would lay pretty much directly on top of where they actually run.

 

There could be a few additions, such as maybe using subtle background color differences to denote different districts, but overall I think it's a very nice map.

 

Thank you for addressing the points I was going to respond to, in practically the same language I would have used.

 

One small additional point to bring up -- this map does feature a scale at the bottom that allows one to compute both distance and average walking time. Using that scale, it's clear that the Tower City station, even located as shown, is not more than 1/4 mile from the center of Public Square. If that's too far of a distance for a person to walk to board the Rapid, I don't know that there's much that can be done to address that, other than perhaps installing moving sidewalks (I kid, I kid).

 

I don't know that we could ever achieve the nirvana of "one map to rule them all", but as information-rich as this map is, I think it does a pretty admirable job of achieving its first goal, which is communicating the availability of public transit (no fewer than 29 bus routes, plus the Rapid) throughout a small, dense downtown core.

In my humble, amatuer, and probably ignorant opinion, there appear to be multiple causes to the bunching we're seeing on the Healthline.

 

-Traffic Lights not giving the Healthline priority as they were supposedly designed to do

-Overcrowding on the Healthline buses causes stops to take longer than intended, which then makes that bus fall progressively further behind, making it more crowded when it picks extra people up at the next stop thus causing a negative feedback loop

 

Now traffic lights as most of us know are up to the city, but probably would work better if more people (including RTA) were screaming about them. Yes, a streetcar or lightrail running on the street would have the same issue.

 

Now as far as overcrowding slowing down the busses, that is where RTA's choice of busses over trains is hurting timeliness. If a train was overcrowded, they could just add more cars. With the articulated busses they've got, that's not an option.

 

The other advantage of a train is that generally they're designed with stations further apart. If the Healthline had half as many stops, it would have half as many overly long delays sitting while people got on and off. Even if we accept busses for the Healthline, it's pretty obvious that the stations are too numerous and close together.

 

They can't simply add cars if the Station is a fix length.  So in order to add more cars RTA would then have to reconstruct every stations.

They can't simply add cars if the Station is a fix length.  So in order to add more cars RTA would then have to reconstruct every stations.

 

Not all its stations. Just a few on the east side Red Line.

They can't simply add cars if the Station is a fix length.  So in order to add more cars RTA would then have to reconstruct every stations.

 

Not all its stations. Just a few on the east side Red Line.

 

They can't simply add cars if the Station is a fix length.  So in order to add more cars RTA would then have to reconstruct every stations.

 

Not all its stations. Just a few on the east side Red Line.

 

He's talking about the HealthLine.

 

He's talking about the HealthLine.

 

I was addressing your comment.

Community activists proclaim December the month to be courteous on buses and trains

By Donna J. Miller, The Plain Dealer

on November 11, 2012 at 10:30 AM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Community activists will hold a news conference today to proclaim December Courteous and Polite While Riding the Bus month.

 

Fired RTA bus driver Artis Hughes will attend.

 

Black on Black Crime and Victims/Survivors of Tragedy said Curtis was a bus driver for so long because he loved working with people. He was fired after 25 years on job for punching an irate passenger who had confronted him.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/11/community_activists_proclaim_d.html#incart_river_default

 

He's talking about the HealthLine.

 

I was addressing your comment.

 

They can't simply add cars if the Station is a fix length.  So in order to add more cars RTA would then have to reconstruct every stations.

 

Not all its stations. Just a few on the east side Red Line.

 

Most notably Quincy-E. 105.  This really needs to be addressed; even if the E. 105 station has to be lengthened cheaply, with a wooden platform extension, it should be done; esp. with the increase in traffic the Red Line has experienced, and will experience (even more) when the Little Italy station is opened/relocated.  But regarding the HL, the Red Line gets away with some shorter stations because, unlike LRT trains, passengers can pass from one car to the next through the doors at each end of the rail cars.

Cleveland transit agency begins gathering rider data for project planning purposes

 

Over the next four weeks, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) will be conducting an extensive on-board analysis of its rail and bus routes as part of a broader effort to help planners develop projects that suit the region's transportation needs.

 

Surveyors from national research firm ETC Institute began riding trains and buses, and counting riders who get on and off at each stop, last week. They will continue to survey the routes through Dec. 6, as well as during one week in January, GCRTA officials in a prepared statement.

 

Read more at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=33299

From an update e-mailed by Jim Kopniske, Communications Director, Cleveland City Council:

 

Public Safety Committee on Wednesday at 10 a.m. – Will meet with RTA officials to discuss recent issues of violence toward, or involving, RTA drivers.

 

RTA union head wants shields on buses to protect drivers, after another assault

By Tom Breckenridge, The Plain Dealer

on November 12, 2012 at 10:00 PM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The head of RTA's largest union is demanding shields on buses to protect drivers, after a third attack on a driver in seven weeks.

 

William Nix, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 268, said Monday that the shields -- typically clear, plastic barriers that are high enough to protect a seated driver -- are needed to combat an "epidemic" of assaults.

 

"Enough is enough," Nix said. "One of the main things we can do now is to protect our operators so no one gets hurt inside or outside the bus."

 

Nix's demand follows the punching of RTA driver Gregory Vranekovic by a passenger Thursday afternoon, near East 93rd Street and Union Avenue. Vranekovic, 59, needed treatment for cuts and bruises. The driver told a television station that he thought twice about defending himself because of the firing of a colleague.

 

Read more at: [/bhttp://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/11/rta_union_head_wants_shields_o.html#incart_river_default

They can't simply add cars if the Station is a fix length.  So in order to add more cars RTA would then have to reconstruct every stations.

If the Healthline stations had been built as rail stations with a 3 car length, no reconstruction would be needed. Obviously they weren't built that way, but I still feel they SHOULD have been.

In my humble, amatuer, and probably ignorant opinion, there appear to be multiple causes to the bunching we're seeing on the Healthline.

 

-Traffic Lights not giving the Healthline priority as they were supposedly designed to do

-Overcrowding on the Healthline buses causes stops to take longer than intended, which then makes that bus fall progressively further behind, making it more crowded when it picks extra people up at the next stop thus causing a negative feedback loop

 

Now traffic lights as most of us know are up to the city, but probably would work better if more people (including RTA) were screaming about them. Yes, a streetcar or lightrail running on the street would have the same issue.

 

Now as far as overcrowding slowing down the busses, that is where RTA's choice of busses over trains is hurting timeliness. If a train was overcrowded, they could just add more cars. With the articulated busses they've got, that's not an option.

 

The other advantage of a train is that generally they're designed with stations further apart. If the Healthline had half as many stops, it would have half as many overly long delays sitting while people got on and off. Even if we accept busses for the Healthline, it's pretty obvious that the stations are too numerous and close together.

 

They can't simply add cars if the Station is a fix length.  So in order to add more cars RTA would then have to reconstruct every stations.

Well I'm just speaking on the East Side Superior, MAYBE East 120, East 79th, hopefully the new UC Station, East 55th, East 30th, Tower City, and Windermere stations can support 3 or more cars so that is majority of them and I think RTA is constructing stations to all be like that so they can just add cars...

Dec. 9: Rail frequency increases & 29 RTA schedules adjusted

CLEVELAND -- On Sunday, Dec. 9, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) will change the schedules of 31 bus and rail routes.

 

Rail service

 

Damage from the 2011 lightning strikes is repaired!

 

Frequency on the Red Line will improve to 15 minutes off-peak, and 7-8 minute service – between the Brookpark and Tower City stations -- during rush hours.

 

When the Airport tunnel is closed for repairs for six months starting on Nov. 27, all westbound Red Line trains will stop at the Brookpark Station, where riders can transfer to a bus for the trip to Hopkins International Airport.

 

During rush hour, the Blue and Green Lines will each provide 10-minute service, with 5-minute service in the common area between Shaker Square and Tower City.

 

http://www.riderta.com/newsroom/releases/?listingid=1812