Comments on: Joyce Eleanor on CT Cuts, Fare Increases

By: New CT Board of Directors - Seattle Transit Blog

New CT Board of Directors - Seattle Transit Blog — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:21:02 +0000

[...] CT in the throes of devastating cuts and with little hope of revenue help, it’s a tough time to be a board member. In fact, this [...]

By: Editorial: The Olympia tax fight matters for transit - Seattle Transit Blog

Editorial: The Olympia tax fight matters for transit - Seattle Transit Blog — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:32:49 +0000

[...] Transit collects about 17% as much sales tax revenue as Metro, but their budget hole is “only” $11m. All the measures listed above combined could buy back about half of the abolished Sunday and [...]

By: Hermes

Hermes — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:46:56 +0000

“Why then do us drivers still repeatedly drive buses to locations where another bus is going out of service?”

Because you aren’t going into service at the same time they are going out of service. They’re paying you the same time whether you go by car or by bus during the off peak. Driver wages are the biggest operating cost of CT, it makes more sense to not to pay a driver to wait thirty minutes before starting their first trip. Increasing mid day bus pull outs also reduces the peak usage of relief vehicles, so they don’t have to buy more vehicles. Long story short: the tactic saves the agency money.

To other posters: Commuter service is far from being across the board more expensive than local service (esp if you consider Boeing service local). Due in no small part because much of the service is contracted out at a fraction of the in house cost. They also have very high per hour ridership. People use commuter service and they vote for it. Look at the political ads they run, they aren’t “vote for us so shut ins can go to church”, they are “vote for us to improve our travel network and cut congestion”.

Be careful trying to frame transit as primarily an agency for the poor. Programs for the poor perform poorly in the realm of public opinion.

By: Jeff H.

Jeff H. — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:13:37 +0000

Oh wow. Are Mountlake Terrace’s city council and mayor looking into this at all? I would think they should be jumping on this rather than our grand invisible town center. This kind of change may make us move our family out of our house here rather than have to buy a car just so I can work. I would expect the impact on MLT should be pretty major with those who moved here for the convenience of a straight bus to downtown heading out and those who might have moved here will decide not to. And as another affect commuter said, the 414 helps off-peak commuter stay off the roads; there really is absolutely no parking in Lynnwood while our glorious new MLT Transit Ctr has it’s parking garage. But that’s not CT’s problem, is it?

City leaders, looking to you to lead on this. Are you listening?

By: alan

alan — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:04:17 +0000

I don’t doubt that CT has done some unwise spending. Show me any company that hasn’t. And while I’m a huge supporter of “every penny counts” I cannot believe that you would even suggest that they could simply eliminate posters to come up with $15 million.

No one, NO ONE will argue that revenue is down and money is tight. For CT, ET, ST, Metro, my family, your family, car dealers, stores, etc.

So instead of pointing fingers and nitpicking every little thing, how about offering a suggestive alternative to CT or even on this board?

Know what my wife and I did when our family finances got tight? We sure as hell didn’t bitch at each other about prior purchases. We reigned in spending. We carpool now. We make sure to be more aware of leaving lights on in the house, we lowered the thermostat, and we make way, way more home cooked meals.

I will always agree that CT’s cuts suck, and they hurt. I will not, however, simply “wish” the troubles away and yell at them for a recession they didn’t create, nor expect. None of us did.

By: Jeff Welch

Jeff Welch — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:57:42 +0000

Joyce,

Sorry – you lost me at “GO TIM”.

By: ct driver

ct driver — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:02:13 +0000

Full color posters by the way. And the rider alert posters in the bus do not mention eliminating sunday service, just fare increase and service cuts, the riders are shocked when you tell them about no sundays.

By: Enquiring mind

Enquiring mind — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:32:35 +0000

If it is true: CT froze hiring to help this issue in 2008; Why then did the last class of driver’s graduate in October or November of 2009 and at the time of offer of employment the company told them to expect to be laid off in June of 2010. Why were employee in classes prior never told they would be laid off in 2010? If it were true CT were trying to save money and not have to borrrow from asset accounts; Why then do us drivers still repeatedly drive buses to locations where another bus is going out of service? I have been told this is because CT only gets paid TAX DOLLARS for miles put on buses not vans. Why is then we are continuing to pay for posters and propoganda throughout the company halls which must be a minimum of $5.00 a poster if not banners minimum of $100. Where a new one pops up weekly like the two (I saw) to welcome Jay Inslee.

Why has CT repeated abused the TAX PAYERS dollar and now is crying for help?

Employee wages are posted publically however, the CEO is not posted publically! WHY?

Would not Tim Eyman not have a feild day with this information (GO TIM) and much more that could possibly leak Hmmm. I love my job, greatful for it, but ashamed of the money wasted.

By: heinousbitca

heinousbitca — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 01:27:09 +0000

I stand corrected. I thought First Transit ran all CT service…ewps.

By: This Week’s Big Posts - Seattle Transit Blog

This Week’s Big Posts - Seattle Transit Blog — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 23:59:25 +0000

[...] in the news: ORCA cards free for another month, Community Transit facing service cuts and a fare hike, RapidRide will open later than we thought, Seattle suspends its private park-and-ride ordinance, [...]

By: Martin H. Duke

Martin H. Duke — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 23:37:18 +0000

In general, that’s true, but the 402 fully overlaps with the 511. You could also argue the 416 overlaps with Sounder.

By: Kaleci

Kaleci — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:39:40 +0000

How would ST pay for that?

By: Community Transit cuts affecting MLT residents | MLTnews.com | Mountlake Terrace News

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:48:26 +0000

[...] The Seattle Transit Blog has a good run down of all the changes that are being made. [...]

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 07:07:43 +0000

The commuter routes that CT operates are not “competing” with Sound Transit buses. They are separate routes with different destinations. Some areas with CT operated commuter buses are not even in the Sound Transit district and the nearest ST bus is miles away. Also, since these buses mainly operate during rush-hour and serve more as a point A to point B with few stops along the way, passenger turnover is probably higher than the local routes; they are routinly packed.

By: Kaleci

Kaleci — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 04:21:58 +0000

I think the answer is yes and no. Between Everett and Aurora Village, one can use the 101 as a feeder. However, because the two routes have two ends at the north, it is also a route that people will use to go end-to-end.

Based on my experience of SWIFT (only twice now)it might be worth boarding SWIFT in case you pass a 101 enroute.

By: Nathan L.

Nathan L. — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 03:30:36 +0000

Question: Is CT’s goal to use the 101 as “more-local” feeder system for Swift (i.e. board 101 at closer stop and transfer to Swift for moving along the corridor) or as a end-to-end route itself?

By: Kaleci

Kaleci — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:20:47 +0000

I believe it’s a different operating base.

By: Nathan L.

Nathan L. — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:07:18 +0000

Ultimately Swift needs to be given time to see how the 101 riders switch and how many new riders it attracts.

Speaking for myself, I’m a new bus rider and it’s because of Swift (I noticed the new stations and was intrigued). My total home-to-work time is just over an hour via Swift (I ride the full route), which is quick enough to justify over driving (30 minutes), but any longer would be a challenge. But if it wasn’t for Swift, I’d still be driving and I sure as heck wouldn’t be looking for other bus routes to try.

By: 47hasbegun

47hasbegun — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:38:18 +0000

Additionally, the ST routes as they run now couldn’t take up all the slack due to relatively limited capacity on their routes compared to all the CT commuter routes, even to places such as Lynnwood. There’s standing room only on the 401/402 during peak hours.

CT is omitting commuter service to Snohomish, by the way.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:27:02 +0000

It’s the same dilemma that has ruined SamTrans and San Jose VTA in the California bay area – put all this money into fancy operations (BART Airport extension, light rail) that do not carry many people; you lose money and cut local bus service. Z wants CT to destroy local bus service and make people walk a long way to the nearest “Swift” bus stop, much like the “Rapids” in LA make service worse for the majority of people who would like to board at their local bus stop.

But it’s the elimination of Sunday service that is really asinine. Transit’s first order of business should be to serve the transit dependent. Not only are there many transit dependent who work on Sunday, but do we doom the rest of them to spend the whole day trapped in their home? Their commuter buses are incredibly expensive to operate, primarily because their is no passenger turnover, and compete with both Sound Transit buses and commuter rail. Either raise commuter fares enough to cover the cost, or can them and focus on providing service that Sound Transit won’t – local service in Snohomish County.