Month: August 2008

In my previous post about possible options for revision of Metro service after Light Rail, one that attracted extra attention was the circulator idea, which would route almost all downtown-bound commuters into the light rail. This would add a transfer for many people, but it would also reduce travel time (if done right), maximally leverage the huge capital investment in light rail, and allow more frequent bus service.

Anyway, I haven’t done professional analysis on the viability of this concept, but with the help of STB Flickr Pool superstar Oranviri, I’ve sketched out how such a concept might work. I emphasize that I haven’t heard of anything like this coming out of Metro, nor do I think it likely that such a radical change would occur. However, even if full implementation isn’t in the cards, I think this might be an interesting thing to phase in during off-peak hours, to test its viability and reduce bus operating expenditure.

Maps and discussion after the jump.

Continue reading “Rainier Valley Circulators”

I just wanted to expand a bit on Andrew’s post.  Like him, I’m all for Metro scrounging every dime of revenue they can, especially given the concessions they’re making to ride quality.  From the Times article:

Sims now proposes that the council allow partial-wrap ads that would leave a 15-inch band of glass unobstructed.

While I imagine that would still leave buses feeling somewhat bunker-like, that’s a lot better than the full wrap, and much better than service cuts.

Councilman Bob Ferguson, who commendably commutes to work on the bus, got in the best cuts at Sims, and they’re worthy of reprinting:

The council has yet to take up the issue, and Councilman Bob Ferguson, a bus commuter who strongly opposes any wrap that would cover windows, said it may be considered as part of the 2009 budget.

He added he would support wrapping bus windows when county executives agreed to wrap their office windows.

Ferguson said there’s nothing to stop Metro from wrapping its buses with ads, as long as the windows aren’t covered. He also said he’s encouraged advertising on bus shelters and in the downtown bus tunnel.

Office windows: tee hee.  Seriously, though, Andrew’s pushed the idea of advertising at stops before, and since it’s done in pretty much every transit system, there’s really not a good reason not to.  It certainly doesn’t impact quality of ride as much as wrapping does.

The bus tunnel, especially, will see tens of thousands of riders shortly, and could be quite lucrative for Metro.

Photo lifted from Bus Chick, who in the same post has lots of neat pictures of shelter advertising in other cities.

I guess Sims has being reading this blog, either that or the idea just makes too much sense: with sales tax receipts down and taxing authority fully tapped: Metro needs other funding sources. SF Muni makes 15% of its operating budget from advertising; if Metro could get that much, there would be no crisis.

I’ve just been notified that, just like Bus Bitch, I will be on the Southeast Seattle Metro Sounding Board, which will provide comment on proposed service changes in the wake of Light Rail.

I imagine that later this fall I’ll circulate some service concepts on behalf of Metro’s outreach program, so that the wider community can comment.  I also promise to make it clear when I’m speculating and when I’m putting out official plans.