frequently contributes photos, video, and transit maps for the blog. He grew up in Wallingford riding the 44 and 16 and enjoyed collecting bus timetables before spending 10 years in Bangkok, where he enjoyed its chaotic vibrancy, but was frustrated with its massive gridlock and poorly-run transit system. He holds a BS and MS in Civil Engineering from the UW.
Oran currently works for CHK America, producing maps and passenger information solutions for numerous transit agencies across the United States, including LA and DC. He has been living car free in downtown Santa Barbara, California since April 2012. Prior to that, he lived in Kingsgate and was a regular rider of the 255. Previous work experience include traffic operations and safety at the City of Seattle and King County. He joined the blog in November 2008.
Outbound train on Monday, June 13th, 4:32 pm, an average June weekday
Central Link’s summer ridership surge continues. In June, weekday/Saturday/Sunday boardings were 25,629/22,919/18,841. That’s up 9.5%/30.9%/35.4% over last year.
New revenue service ridership records were set on Friday, June 17th with 30,542 boardings, Saturday, June 4th, 26,089 boardings, and Sunday, June 26th, 22,922 boardings. Ridership broke the 28,000 mark for two consecutive days on Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th.
Sound Transit revised past estimates again. For unknown reasons, weekday estimates for March, April, and May increased by a few hundred, while April’s Saturday estimates jumped by 2,000.
This is King County Metro’s back door policy, stated in my words:
Passengers may exit through the back door on any trip that is pay-as-you-enter at any time, except at downtown bus stops when the Ride Free Area is not in effect (7 pm – 6 am).
Jim O’Rourke, Metro’s Manager of Operations confirms:
Current policy is as Oran states – back door is OK outside of the CBD.
As for the signs on buses, Linda Thielke, Metro spokesperson, says “[management] will work to see what can be done to get the signs altered; but it may take some time unless it’s already part of the decal campaign for this summer.” The policy change by Metro’s Operations folks probably didn’t reach everyone, thus signs that continue to conflict with the new policy.
The Metropolitan King County Council this evening decided to give themselves more time before deciding on the fate of the temporary 2-year $20/car/year Congestion Reduction Charge (CRC). They will meet to discuss the matter again and vote on Monday, August 15. Jim Brewer, legal counsel, said that August 16 is the deadline to put the CRC on the November ballot. To put the CRC on the ballot that late would require 6 votes and an emergency clause. However, there is no immediate deadline for adopting it directly, not until the authorizing legislation expires in 2014.
Councilmember Reagan Dunn reaffirmed his position that he will not support councilmatic action (adoption without a public vote), “There’s no scenario where I’m able to accept passing this out of the council.” He might support sending it to the ballot if Metro continues to demonstrate additional efficiencies.
The public hearing, scheduled at 3 pm, began an hour late. Over two hours, over 50 citizens testified, most were in support of the council adopting the CRC with a supermajority vote. Only two spoke against it. After a brief recess, the council was scheduled to reconvene at 6 pm for debate and the vote. At 6:15 pm, the council was called back to the chamber, only to have Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer request an additional 20 minute recess to discuss “new information”. After 40 minutes, Councilmember Patterson withdrew her motion to allow more time to work things out and the meeting was adjourned.
Transit advocates at the hearing remain optimistic. There’s still time to convince the other councilmembers to support and adopt the fee.
Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce Charles Knutson and Councilmember Larry Phillips
Yesterday, the Metropolitan King County Council received 10,000 petitions from citizens urging them to save Metro bus service by enacting the temporary Congestion Reduction Charge (CRC). The petitions were delivered at an event organized by Transportation for Washington (T4WA), a state-wide coalition of pro-transit advocacy groups, against the backdrop of a packed South Kirkland Park & Ride at 3 pm, to symbolize the cars that would be on the road if transit service is cut. The petitions represent citizens from all over King County and 30 major environmental, business, student, and social justice groups (including this blog) and were collected online.
County Councilmembers Larry Phillips and Joe McDermott, Senior Vice President of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce (GSCC) Charles Knutson, and Kirkland Councilmember Dave Asher were present to speak of the importance of Metro bus service and why they supported the CRC.
Asher said the a 17% cut in service would “directly impact everyone that uses our roadways” by adding 15,000 car trips that switched from transit and would “restrict access to thousands of jobs” for those who rely on transit. Asher said leaders should have the “moral courage to hold back drastic cuts” using the tools given only to King County by the State Legislature.
Knutson, representing 22,000 member businesses in the GSCC hopes the CRC can be enacted with a supermajority to avoid the million dollar cost of placing it on the ballot and thinks people will be paying more in transportation costs if Metro service is cut. 1,400 of those businesses buy bus passes for their employees.
Phillips reiterated that employers rely on Metro to get their employees to work. He says the temporary fee is “worth the cost” to maintain mobility for families on a limited budget, and for people who have no other option like low-income people, students, and people with disabilities.
McDermott reminded that Metro has cut costs and increased efficiency (saving $900 million out of a $1.2 billion shortfall) while raising fares on passengers by 80% to fill the gap. He believes that the other non-committed councilmembers can be persuaded to support the CRC.
When asked on the issue of avoiding a public vote on the CRC, Phillips said that every permanent tax increase for funding Metro was voted on, it’s appropriate for a temporary measure like this to be enacted by the council. McDermott adds that both he and Phillips are up for reelection this year and it’s important to lead on this issue. Brock Howell from T4WA notes that transit funding reform at the state level is needed for a long-term solution.
Installing catenary on the Paris-Strasbourg high speed rail line. Interesting how a new rail line basically starts off as a bare road followed the rails along with the catenary. The other half of the video is the same without the music.
If you ride a Metro bus at night you’re probably familiar with the “front door exit only after 7 pm” rule. It states that “after 7 p.m., for extra evening security, board and exit buses via front doors only.” Metro calls it a safety feature and a way to cut down on fare evasion. CORRECTION: Pittsburgh does this. They have a downtown Ride Free Area in effect until 7 pm like us. This is a rule unique to King County Metro. I have not yet found another major metropolitan transit agency in North America that does this Most major cities don’t do this and for good reason, because the cost of delay caused by forcing everyone to exit through the front door outweighs the security and revenue protection benefits.
The rule is now effectively rescinded after a Metro bus driver was assaulted last year for not letting more people out the back door. There is no longer any mention of the front door only rule in The Book, Metro’s transit operator manual. Section 6.19 (Ride-Free Area) and 6.20 (Fare Collection and Loading Procedures) tell drivers that “customers may exit through either door.” Metro spokesperson Linda Thielke confirmed to me that “bus drivers do have the option to open the rear door to allow passengers to exit the coach during [7 pm – 6 am]”. Meanwhile, signs on the rear door, inside and outside, continue to say “Use Front Door Only 7 PM – 6 AM”, even on RapidRide buses.
I’ve seen people having trouble figuring out where to tap their ORCA card on the reader. The correct location is on the ORCA logo but many try to tap on the screen, the lights, or on the “TAP ORCA HERE” instruction label. Having people unnecessarily learn through trial-and-error is poor design.
The text and arrows on the instruction label give conflicting instructions. People read the text and then try to tap the card on the label itself. If they are lucky the card may be read but they don’t learn the correct tapping location. Why doesn’t it say “TAP ON THE ORCA” or “TAP ORCA BELOW”? Better yet, how about including an outline or graphic of an ORCA card in the target area to make it obvious where to tap. People see the card graphic and instantly know where to tap the card.
Tap on the ORCA LOGO, not the label
Who is the “TAP ORCA HERE” label intended for? The label isn’t useful for people looking for the reader since it’s not visible from a distance. The yellow post and cover does that function better. The label also fails to effectively communicate to people who don’t know where to tap the card on the reader.
On buses, which have different type of reader, there are similar problems. Some have taken a marker and drew arrows in by themselves. People still try to tap on the bright screen. The latest generation of readers solve the problem by making the entire screen the tapping target. As cool as they look we don’t need to get new readers. Doing the same as suggested for the Link readers would be a relatively quick and cheap usability improvement.
Chart 1: E-purse fare revenue apportion to two agencies
“Your ORCA card works like cash or a pass, automatically tracking the value of different fares and transfers so you don’t have to.” —ORCA card website
This is the first in a series exploring the workings of ORCA based on communication with agency staff, contract documents and technical documents received by public records request. One of the key agency benefits of ORCA is automatic apportionment of fare revenues based on actual use. In this post, I am going to use examples to explain how the fare you pay is divvied up among the transit agencies. If you understand the chart above, then you pretty much get the general concept. Otherwise, read on for an explanation.
King County Metro’s upcoming RapidRide B Line will feature a passive restraint system that simplifies boarding for wheelchair and mobility device users, resulting in a faster ride for all users. As Metro describes, “users simply wheel into place without operator assistance, greatly speeding up boarding time.” Each RapidRide B Line bus will have two spaces for users of mobility devices: one passive restraint and one standard forward-facing with securement.
How does a passive restraint system work? The wheelchair user backs into a cushion and sets the brake. A stanchion or a foldable armrest prevents the wheelchair from tipping over and provides additional support. This allows rapid boarding and deboarding of disabled transit users in mobility devices i.e. no more complicated straps and belts. Passive restraint systems on transit buses are widely used in Canada and Europe and are beginning to be used on US BRT systems, like Community Transit’s Swift.
Metro has been evaluating the passive restraint system for RapidRide since early last year. That didn’t give Metro enough time to evaluate the feature and get it installed on A Line buses. “The plan is that if all is well on the B Line buses, we will retrofit the A Line buses”, said Metro spokesperson Linda Thielke. “We did have some structural features put on the A Line buses when manufactured so that they could be retrofitted.” There is potential that the feature be expanded system-wide, “although no specific plans have been made at this time.”
Several members of the Accessible Services Advisory Committee assisted Metro with evaluation of the passive restraint prototype (seen in photo above). They have been supportive of the feature. Experience in other cities like Vancouver BC suggests that after an initial learning period, passengers prefer passive restraint.
Sound Transit’s June 2011 service change took effect today. As usual, Link has the basic span and frequency of service information in a schedule. For those who want more detail, I created this unofficial schedule[UPDATED: October 2013] that shows, to the minute, when frequency changes and the first and last trains of the day. It includes a fare table and line map with station-to-station travel times.
The reason I didn’t include times for every station in my schedule is because the pattern is very consistent and the math is simple. In fact, I’d argue that my schedule is unnecessary once you learn the pattern. All you need to know are the first and last train times from Westlake and SeaTac/Airport, the frequency schedule, and the travel time between stations. Knowing that, you can derive most of the detailed schedule from Sound Transit’s basic schedule.
As I spent time creating this schedule I saw why Sound Transit made its schedule the way it is. Of course, many people won’t spend time figuring this out, so a more detailed schedule than currently printed is still needed. All they need to do is add the timetables to the current format. I tried and it works, with some space left for other useful information like travel times and late night/early morning bus connections. Throw in some real-time arrival predictions at stations and the result is a significantly more user-friendly system than what we have now.
A London bus driver experiences the life of a bus driver in Manila. And I thought Bangkok’s traffic, buses and life of the poor was tough, Manila’s is tougher. This is more than just driving buses. This is plain survival.
KCM Orion VII - 128 Southcenter (photo by Atomic Taco)
Metro’s 40-foot Orion VII Next Generation hybrid diesel-electric buses began carrying passengers on Monday. The restyled New Flyer articulated (DE60LFR) buses entered service a few weeks ago. Both of these buses feature the new seats we reported last month. They are low-floor and have automated stop announcements powered by GPS. These 170 Orions are the first low-floor 40-foot buses Metro has purchased since 2003.
The buses are running on routes in South King County. The Orions were spotted running on Route 128 between the Admiral District and Southcenter. The DE60LFRs can be seen on major South King tunnel routes like 101, 106 and 150. If you want to find out which buses are running on which route, you can check the status of a vehicle on OneBusAway using its coach number. The Orions are the 7000 series (7000-7169). The DE60LFRs are coach numbers 6866-6921. For example: Coach 7001 (for other coaches, change the 7001 to the desired number)
I rode a DE60LFR on Route 106 in those new seats. I really like the improved ergonomics. Unlike the old seats, I never slipped in these seats, even as the bus twisted and turned through Georgetown. The concave back fits snugly with my back and keeps it from moving sideways. The cushion was adequate. The lack of a high back didn’t stop me from taking a nap. It makes sitting sideways tolerable. Your feelings may vary.
Read Metro’s press release on the new buses for the costs, funding, and fuel savings.
It’s been two years (and a day) since ORCA was launched to the public. How much progress has been made in its adoption? Two key measures for measuring its success are usage and availability. Sound Transit and Metro in a joint press release announced today that the “cards are used on more than 250,000 trips each weekday and 49 percent of all transit trips in the region.” The press release didn’t break down the usage by agency. They also announced that customers can now reload their ORCA cards at 37 QFC stores. QFC joins 50 Safeway stores, seven Saar Marketplaces, and four other retailers for a total of 98 ORCA retail outlets across the region.
In other ORCA news: The ORCA system has reached “Full System Acceptance” which means enhancements to the system can be considered and implemented. Sound Transit spokesman Geoff Patrick tells me “there are no final decisions about any system enhancements” at this time. Speaking of enhancements, all downtown tunnel stations served by Link now have ORCA readers on the platform, three months after Sound Transit said it would be done.
For comparison with March last year, according to an ORCA Progress Report, 34% of all transit trips in the region were paid with ORCA and only 14 retail outlets were in operation. Nearly a hundred retail outlets is great improvement from 14 but it’ll take a lot more to make ORCA easily accessible to all.
Metro bus riders will be sitting on slimmer and more modern looking seats when they get on board King County Metro’s new 40-foot Orion VII Next Generation buses and 60-foot articulated New Flyer DE60LFR buses, according to photos on Flickr by punkrawker4783. The 4One Aries seats are the same type as those used on Community Transit’s local buses and in Vancouver TransLink’s buses. I don’t have any word yet on when these buses will be in service but it should be very soon.
The new seats are a radical shift for Metro, which traditionally used fully upholstered seats and over the past decade, seats with a higher back rest than typical urban buses. The slimmer profile seats create more leg room and make the bus interior feel roomier. The stainless steel construction and padded inserts should make maintenance easier. And the design of the seat along with Metro’s new grippier vinyl pads should make the seat reasonably comfortable.
The seats used on most Metro buses are too bulky. The black plastic seat backs “box” people in, look really ugly when vandalized, therefore cheapening the look. The smooth vinyl covering and angle of the seat bottom make slipping off the seat all too common, though this has been partially solved with the more recent seats. And some people may find them cramped. A lot of people are going to miss the deep soft cushions and head rests.
UPDATE 1:16pm: I’ve received word that Metro is adjusting a Route 36 trip so it connects with the last Link train from the airport at Beacon Hill Station and extends it to downtown. More information when I get it.
UPDATE 3:22pm The last train/bus connection change begins Tuesday, June 14, 2011. Details from Jack Lattemann, Metro service planner:
On weekdays, the inbound/northbound trip on Route 36 leaving 39th Avenue South & South Myrtle Street at 1:04 a.m. is being rescheduled to leave 5 minutes later in order to allow a connection with the last northbound Link train at Beacon Hill Station. Route 36 will be scheduled at the 15th & Beacon timepoint at 1:21 a.m. This should provide about a 7-minute window to make the rail-bus connection. This Route 36 trip will then be extended to continue to 3rd Avenue & Pike Street in downtown Seattle instead of ending at 5th Avenue South & South Jackson Street. Making this change will make early morning weekday inbound service on Route 36 more consistent seven days a week.
The latest issue of Sound Transit’s RIDE newsletter gave a preview of bus and train service changes coming this June. Most of the bus changes are the same as previously anticipated. One new change not seen before is:
Central Link—Night trips that currently end at Mount Baker Station will be extended to Beacon Hill Station
Under the current schedule, this change would affect three nightly trips leaving SeaTac/Airport Station at 12:20 am, 12:35 am, 12:50 am, Monday through Saturday, and at 11:20 pm, 11:35 pm, 11:50 pm on Sunday and holidays. All of these trips leave after the last train to Westlake has departed.
If I remember correctly, when Link opened, trains used to end at Beacon Hill before they changed it to Mount Baker for some reason. I have not received a response to my question from Sound Transit I asked a few days ago. Martin told me “that Beacon Hill had to be cleared and shut down for the night” so someone might get locked in overnight but Mount Baker, as an elevated station, needs to follow a similar procedure so I’m not convinced with that answer.
Sound Transit’s completely redesigned website went live on Tuesday evening. My first impressions are mostly positive despite the glitches, which should be worked out soon. The design is modern, fresh, and clean. Key customer information is logically organized and easily accessible right from the home page and menu bar. There is a brand new trip planner and interactive mapping system. Check it out and let Sound Transit know what you think by clicking Submit Feedback in the top right corner.
I am disappointed to see the continuing absence of detailed Central Link service information from Sound Transit publications and its website. Also, schedule information was removed from OneBusAway and replaced with headway information*, a decision that the agency made a few months ago.
While Link provides very frequent service by Seattle standards (and that is a pretty low standard, in context of big city transit systems), it is not frequent enough to completely disregard a schedule that lists specific departure times. The Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual, considers service headways less than 15 minutes as “frequent service”. It states that between 10 and 14 minute headways, passengers do consult schedules to minimize their wait time. Any headway below 10 minutes, most people don’t bother with schedules, since the waiting time is minimal and is often assumed to be half the headway on average. This statement is supported by empirical research by Bowman and Turnquist and seems to make “common sense.”
Knowing the time a train is scheduled to depart, is necessary in planning trips that involve transfers to other services be it a bus, Sounder or ferry, especially to services that are not frequent. Trip Planner does this for us automatically but not everyone has access to it, some prefer manually planning, and some just want to know the departure time of a specific train. If Trip Planner has the information, why can’t we all easily see that information?
