Comments on: Last Week’s Highlights

By: Mike Orr

Mike Orr — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:17:22 +0000

Another conspiracy theory by Blue Swan.

Bus fares went up in early 2009 because of the spike in fuel costs. They went up this month because of the precipitous drop in sales-tax revenue after the crash, which decimated Metro’s funding source.

The fare is set as a percentage of the operating cost, I think 25% or 33%. With inflation the fare gradually covers less and less, so when the difference reaches 25 cents the county raises it. There was no increase for several years until the gas-spike increases.

By: Jeff Welch

Jeff Welch — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:09:58 +0000

Aleks,

I did have some MS employees with passes set to off-peak. Could be folks working this side of the water.

I’m also hearing from a user/blogger out there that his goof stemmed from a “voucher” that his employer provided, which he normally used to add value (from the default provided by the employer) to his existing monthly pass – i.e. to “upgrade” from the default on-zone peak that the employer paid 100% for to a two-zone for an extra $60.00, which the employer provided a voucher for.

It could be that some of these folks didn’t update the use of their voucher to compound confusion, just paying what they normally did – which would reflect the old peak value vs. the new off-peak.

Today, a lot of those folks showed up with an extra quarter and didn’t say a word – so I’m guessing they may have talked to someone.

By: Aleks

Aleks — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:44:23 +0000

Yes, report it. What if there had been a blind person or a small child?

I’m sure that it was an innocent mistake on the part of the driver, but if Metro knows that this kind of thing is happening, they can institute more safety procedures.

By: Aleks

Aleks — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:40:07 +0000

Re Microsoft: Are you sure about that? I have a Microsoft ORCA pass, and I’ve had no problems using it to get between Seattle and Overlake in 2010.

Besides, Microsoft passes are much higher than a one-zone peak fare — it’s at least a two-zone peak, for employees coming from Seattle, and I’m pretty sure it’s enough to cover Sounder too.

By: ericn

ericn — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:17:25 +0000

This happened to me on the streetcar once, at the Fairview stop where the other side of the streetcar faces a lane of traffic. Fortunately, the driver realized his mistake quickly enough to tell us not to walk into traffic.

By: Jeff Welch

Jeff Welch — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:36:07 +0000

I’d wager good dollars that these folks are also responsible for a lot of people having the old peak value (which is now the new off-peak fare) loaded. I’m also hearing buzz that there’s folks who have had one-zone passes loaded instead of two-zone, along with combinations of issues relating to peak/off-peak and zone fares.

Ooops.

By: Ed R.

Ed R. — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:29:54 +0000

Ha! My employer (actually the company that outsources this function from my employer, along with flexible spending accounts) still has the fares from before the previous increase, e.g. one-zone vanpool $63, two-zone vanpool $81. I’ve called them twice and written a letter as well, to no avail.

By: Oran Viriyincy

Oran Viriyincy — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:50:51 +0000

I saw it happen at Stadium station once since the line opened. I didn’t report it, though.

By: serial catowner

serial catowner — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:50:42 +0000

Gee, I dunno, ‘Blue Swan’- why don’t you just assume that what you want to believe is the case? That shouldn’t be too much of an effort, considering that your entire comment is composed of unproven assumptions.

By: Someone

Someone — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:04:01 +0000

Yesterday I was in a Link train and it opened the doors to the wrong side of the airport station. I used the emergency intercom to inform the driver, and he then closed them. They were probably open for about 30 seconds total. I’ve never seen an operator open the wrong side doors on any train system ever. Should I report this?

By: Kaleci

Kaleci — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:22:09 +0000

Didn’t there use to be a cab stand on 6th Ave for the Westin (between Olive and Stewart)?

By: Oran Viriyincy

Oran Viriyincy — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:44:45 +0000

Correct me if I’m wrong but I’ve heard that the luggage racks on Minneapolis’ Hiawatha Line that serves their airport go mostly unused.

I don’t see people use the racks on ST Express buses either.

I read that CTA put racks on their trains to O’Hare and later removed them.

By: Jeff Welch

Jeff Welch — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:34:02 +0000

Add to that the increase in people asking for the use of the lift aboard buses to get their luggage on the bus on the way to the Link train.

Guaranteed to get a dirty look from me, but that’s all I’m allowed.

By: Jeff Welch

Jeff Welch — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:32:27 +0000

Nobody with an existing corporate/employer issued Orca card should have to get a new card – I believe that the loading of the new off-peak fare value (the former peak value) is a result of screwups in the HR departments of the impacted companies simply purchasing pass value at the former (vs. the new) rate and not paying attention to the fare increase.

By: Jeff Welch

Jeff Welch — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:20:47 +0000

Keep in mind as well that the current round of increases was under heaviest contemplation during the gas price spike of ’08.

Increased ridership should in theory have a nominal effect (if any) on revenues. Since increased ridership rarely results in increased service capacity – at least in the short term – a rise in ridership should if anything increase revenues.

By: Lucas Smith

Lucas Smith — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:17:29 +0000

I think our fare increases have much more to do with the decline in tax revenue due to the recession than they have to do with increased ridership.

By: Zed

Zed — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:57:52 +0000

Why would transit use lead to a decline in bicycle use? If anything, transit makes it more convenient and practical to use a bike for commuting or day=to-day use. Without transit I wouldn’t be able to bike to work and would be forced to use a car. Being forced to use a car would be a limit to my personal freedom.

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:33:11 +0000

Notice the comment on that page about people putting their luggage in the handicapped seating area. Since the Airport station opened, I’ve noticed lots more luggage on the train — and people putting it on the seats, in the bike area, and in the handicapped seating area. And these weren’t even full trains. I wish they would have put luggage racks on the trains after all.

By: Blue Swan

Blue Swan — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:26:17 +0000

Here’s a study I would like to see conducted:

As more people become more dependent on ‘mass’ transit and the use of personal transit (bikes,cars,taxis) is reduced…does the overall transit fare price trend upwards? It seems that Seattle — which has been (a) running bikes off the road (b) making it difficult to park cars (c) taking away taxi fare livelihood with the airport station — now has been quietly moving fares upward, thus concentrating power into the hands of a centrifying bureaucracy.

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:27:17 +0000

Interesting, in my travels to Asia, most of the TVM’s are manned (generically speaking) by men and women who help you understand their machines. They stand there and help explain to people how to use the machines and purchase tickets. I thought they were there for us American’s who don’t speak the language, but there is always an English option. However I see a lot of native speakers not understanding them either. Their machines are just as confusing as ours to use at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s very easy to understand.