Some news today besides the inauguration:
- Sumner gets a new bus route (409) serving its Sounder station on February 9. There will be no stops; riders can board the bus at the point of their choosing. It’s nice to see that the budget crisis hasn’t put every transit agency in a defensive crouch.
- More tolling is being considered on both SR 167 and the SR 99 tunnel.
- The infrastructure lobby is disappointed in the composition of the stimulus proposals.
- Congress may bribe you to get rid of your gas guzzler and replace it with an efficient car or transit pass.
- New Yorkers dream of a transit-heavy stimulus.
(H/Ts: Andrew, Monica)
I would say that the new route is definitely a good thing… There has been a LOT of new industrial development in Sumner over the past cycle, and there is just no need for all of the mega-warehouse workers to individually drive everyday. Also, over time I expect this are to fill completely, as it is essentially the final development spot in many people’s definition of the “Kent Valley.”
One of Pierce County’s smartest moves was moving to natural gas powered buses. They kept them from having to deal with the gas price run up.
“Congress may bribe you to get rid of your gas guzzler and replace it with an efficient car or transit pass.”
I knew I should have bought that sportscar, instead of my nice fuel efficient car. Let’s reward those who make bad choices.
is there a specific term for a route where there are “no stops; riders can board the bus at the point of their choosing”?
surely some jargon should exist!
gennerally accepted is “flag” stops.
Safety is a real concern though. That’s why bus zones go through such a laborious process before getting approval. Staff from all jurisdictions get a say so, as to where the bus can stop (sight distance, adequate shoulders, etc) and drivers have the final say during operations on flag stop routes, like dial-a-ride, or Access buses.
Anyway, just standing by the side of the road, is no guarentee that the bus will stop. This will be interesting to watch.
Technically, the 409 isn’t a new route, it just has new routing. PT is also adding a 497 which will provide Sounder shuttle service between Lakeland Hills and Auburn. There are a lot of people living in that neighborhood so hopefully that route will get decent ridership.
Craig,
I was talking to one of the liaison who helped get the 497 funded. They are expecting to be “at capacity” for each bus.
Neighborhood fliers are also going out the next few weekends promoting the new service. Lakeland is VERY excited.
I found this (from LaHood’s confirmation hearing yesterday) somewhat reassuring:
“LaHood also spoke on the need to focus on the environment with transportation policy. “We must acknowledge the new reality of climate change,” he said. “This has implications for all areas; investments in intercity rail and mass transit, as called for in the economic recovery and reinvestment plan, are part of the equation, but only part.””
Source: http://fleetowner.com/trucking_regulations/ray_lahood_transportation_plan_0122/index1.html