3 things you want in transit for the new year
2020 returns to FMR
Metro gets rid of those hanger straps in the middle bar of certain rail cars
John Catoe leaves
Increased service and new buses for PG (Just some better hope for them)
Spare the life's of some Flxible's
And just more money for PG!
Given the times, I'll keep it pragmatic, but short and sweet:
1 - No Service Cuts!
2 - No Tragedies!
3 - Someone finds out if 9310 is still at CET!
1. Metro starts to donate retired buses to countries that could really use them (ahem...Peru...)
2. Better service for PG county, including restoring the old The Bus 17, and some artics for Landover
3. A limited-stop Q route
1) More Funding
2) Increased Ridership
3) An end to the loss in sales tax revenues.
I can do only three? Can we do more? If I had to narrow it down to just 3:
1: A stable funding source.
2: No doomsday cuts.
3: New blood in management regionwide.
My two cents
1. Better scheduling for routes (even the operators complain the schedules are too inaccurate)
2. Improved Nextbus with open development (also fixed radios)
3. The X9 (supposedly by next Fall)
4. Improvements along C2, C4.
5. Improved service on the B30 (with better connections to Light Rail and Metro)
6. Improved Metrorail operations
7. Better customer information
8. Something really random for a certain part of the region.
1. Just get the LFA's in service already
2. Get the NABI 60 BRT's to the X2
3. At least order some more Clean Diesels (I'm tired of Hybrids)
4. The fares doesn't rise
5. Increase service in PG County
6. (Random Talk Here) Bladensburg Trades with Four Mile Run C40LF's For JD Orion VII's
7. Repaint at least half of the D40LFR, Orion V, and Orion VI's in the New Paint (Maybe an Orion VII in the Local)
8. Rebuild the Annex Division (Which might not happen anytime soon)
9. Bladensburg Doesn't hog all the 5200s
10.(The same as Ken) The X9
And thats about is so far.......
Increase more service on Landover routes and some limited stop routes for them.
New buses for FMR.
Artics for the B30.
Put the NABI-60-BRT's on more routes.
Improve the SmarTrip card.
Bring back paper transfer's. (Not really important to me just something i miss)
Rehab/Overhaul more buses in the fleet.
Here are mine, simply put
1)The region needs to get off of their a**** and come up with a funding source for metrobus and metrorail, so fare increases and service cuts are thought of less.
2)PG needs to get rid of TRIM so that not only would more money can be raised for schools, but also a HUGE improvement to THE BUS.
3)A continuous transit system from Dale City to Baltimore, Frederick to Anne Arundel, with a simplified, unified fare structure.
And my own New Year's resolutions for DC transit:
WMATA:
1. All of the 1990 Flxibles will be retired.
2. The other half of the 1994 Flxibles will be retired (9801-9818 are retired, 9819-9835 are still around).
3. New buses to replace the 1990 & 1994 Flxibles.
4. Annex & Royal, the only 2 Metrobus divisions that do not have hybrid buses, will get them.
5. Hope for 6040's return.
RIDE ON:
1. All, if not most, of the 1995-97 Gillig Phantoms will be retired. Whatever happened to 9360-62?
2. 5735-5757 to transfer from Silver Spring to Gaithersburg.
3. Get 2010 Gillig Advantage hybrid BRTs, either 30', 35' or 40' (or all of the above).
4. Bring back the 2007 Navistar International/Champion buses, which haven't been on the streets in ages.
5. Retire all of the 2001-02 Navistar International/El Dorado buses.
FAIRFAX CONNECTOR:
1. Get hybrid buses, either from Gillig, New Flyer or Orion.
2. Have destination signs replaced on the 1994 RTS & 2001-02 Orion V buses (Orange Crush).
3. All of the buses from 1999-2002 repainted in the 2nd scheme (yellow-white-red).
ALEXANDRIA DASH:
1. Retire all of the 1996-98 Gillig Phantoms.
2. Get hybrid buses from either Gillig, New Flyer or Orion.
3. Get low-floor, clean diesel buses from the above manufacturers. DASH needs them to keep up with their peers.
Quote from: ChristopherF on December 24, 2009, 10:20:18 PM
And my own New Year's resolutions for DC transit:
WMATA:
1. All of the 1990 Flxibles will be retired.
2. The other half of the 1994 Flxibles will be retired (9801-9818 are retired, 9819-9835 are still around).
3. New buses to replace the 1990 & 1994 Flxibles.
4. Annex & Royal, the only 2 Metrobus divisions that do not have hybrid buses, will get them.
5. Hope for 6040's return.
RIDE ON:
1. All, if not most, of the 1995-97 Gillig Phantoms will be retired. Whatever happened to 9360-62?
2. 5735-5757 to transfer from Silver Spring to Gaithersburg.
3. Get 2010 Gillig Advantage hybrid BRTs, either 30', 35' or 40' (or all of the above).
4. Bring back the 2007 Navistar International/Champion buses, which haven't been on the streets in ages.
5. Retire all of the 2001-02 Navistar International/El Dorado buses.
FAIRFAX CONNECTOR:
1. Get hybrid buses, either from Gillig, New Flyer or Orion.
2. Have destination signs replaced on the 1994 RTS & 2001-02 Orion V buses (Orange Crush).
3. All of the buses from 1999-2002 repainted in the 2nd scheme (yellow-white-red).
ALEXANDRIA DASH:
1. Retire all of the 1996-98 Gillig Phantoms.
2. Get hybrid buses from either Gillig, New Flyer or Orion.
3. Get low-floor, clean diesel buses from the above manufacturers. DASH needs them to keep up with their peers.
Haha now you've just set it up straight. Thats what im talking about!
I propose the creation of a four-state transit authority (MD, DC, VA, WV)with a dedicated funding source from each state. The new authority would be called the Mason-Dixon Transit Authority and would take over, coordinate and operate all transit operations (MARC, VRE, WMATA, RIDE ON, THE BUS, HOWARD COUNTY, RICHMOND, PRTC, MTA, etc).
My transit-resolutions for 2010:
WMATA
1. No more unnecessary spending on anything (period)
2. This whole Q2 debacle is simplified (cuz I really like that line)
3. The 1994 Metro D's are moved to VA garages
4. The Regional Day Pass is sold on Metrobus again
5. There is an integrated Metrobus/rail day or weekly pass.
Ride On
1. They don't change their style of driving (cuz I like it like that). That's all I'd want from them.
Duh b...what ever that is..
1. Jack Johnson leaves, or is RECALLED out of his seat!!!
2. They decide to save some of WMATA's Metros to get rid of them damn SLFs (though that will be a hot chance in hell).
Fairfax Connector
1. They don't even think of getting rid of those RTS. That's the closest transit that I can ride one on!
DASH
1. I actually wouldn't mind them getting hybrids. Given Alexandria's tight, twisty streets and traffic, they would really be useful there. And that comes from someone who doesn't care too much for hybrids.
2. Let the Phantoms stay there. I like em'.
3. Perhaps one of those drivers can grow a freakin' LEAD FOOT for once!
Quote from: Perry on December 24, 2009, 05:52:59 PM
1) More Funding
2) Increased Ridership
3) An end to the loss in sales tax revenues.
I second that!
Yeah, to be quite frank, out of all the "suburban" agencies out there, I think DASH would benefit the most from hybrid buses. Brand new "clean" hybrid buses would surely match their LEED "Center". I can't wait to see what a DASH low floor would look like!
For 2010, I'd love to see significant progress on Silver Spring Transit Center. For Ride-On, go get some Voiths for your next batch of clean diesels! Enough of this Allison nonsense, lol. Oh yeah, bring back the tip-in windows - I miss fresh air on Ride-On.
For WMATA, I'd really like for 2010 to be a better year for them, and for everyone to just calm down and enjoy riding them. So much highly publicized bad things happened that just has everyone running scared. Let's get back and remember that WMATA has always been there to take us around safely, except in blizzards.
ART - keep on bringing in those NABIs, although...NABI really owes them some warranty work on their latest batch of NABIs. The floor on those buses is deplorable - Crappy NABI quality indeed!
PG THE BUS: OK, you got some stellar Phantoms and other real buses. Now, let's create REAL routes! Someone needs to go back to their sketchpad and redo that 17!
The only thing I want for WMATA to do is bring back day passes or transfers.
Ride On
-Give the interior roulette wheel one more spin, not a big fan of the new "standard" interior.
-Bring back the tip-in windows
-Avoid service cuts
-Retire what remains of the Helldorados
-Replace some of the ancient, outdated timetables at various bus stops
-Bring on some new non-Gillig buses
DASH
-New interior
-40' buses
-Hybrid buses
-Low floor buses *ahem*with a LOW FLOOR paint job*AHEM*
-Bike racks
-New paint scheme
-Alcoas
Quote from: aznboy4305 on December 25, 2009, 06:23:40 PM
Ride On
-Give the interior roulette wheel one more spin, not a big fan of the new "standard" interior.
-Bring back the tip-in windows
-Avoid service cuts
-Retire what remains of the Helldorados
-Replace some of the ancient, outdated timetables at various bus stops
-Bring on some new non-Gillig buses
DASH
-New interior
-40' buses
-Hybrid buses
-Low floor buses *ahem*with a LOW FLOOR paint job*AHEM*
-Bike racks
-New paint scheme
-Alcoas
Yes, Ride On definitely needs to bring back tip in windows. Those sealed windows on the Gilligs are not suitable for the summers here, plus you kinda loose the emergency exits on the windows just in case something happens.
Ride On definitely needs to put better timetables at the stops. Just putting up print outs of the online stuff aint gonna cut it.
The Helldos really gotta go.
Heh. Yes for non-Gilligs. I thought they were supposed to get another order of CNG New Flyers. I want to see some ISL G powered buses running along the 55.
A couple of additions for Ride On
1. Redesigned website. Alot of cluttered stuff and out of place. A little organization goes a long way.
2. Nextbus. I mean why not join the bandwagon with PG, Circulator, CUE, and Metro. They have the new radios in place (albeit with some glitches here and there), bringing in Nextbus could improve things and provide good customer information.
going for more than 3 wishes I see...well in that case...
WMATA:
4. More artics for Montgomery, especially newer ones not the crappy 5200s
5. Bring back the regional one day bus pass...even though Ride-On still sells them and all the regional TAs have to accept them, some drivers still won't accept them because they think that if their own TA doesn't sell them, then they can't accept it. Or at least make it available to the public to have 1-day passes on your smartrip
6. Bring back the 5B, make it go to Herndon-Monroe P&R to ease crowding on the 5A
Ride-On
1. Bring back windows that we can actually open
2. Bring back some '01-'02 Orion Vs to Gaithersburg (probably won't happen lol but that would be nice)
3. Nextbus service would be AWESOME
4. New buses for Gaithersburg
DASH
1. Get some low-floor hybrids now that they have a new garage
All TA's
1. Have a safe year, no more metrorail accidents, no more bus accidents, no more casualties
Hey, in terms of Ride-On - bring back some 40 foot Orion Vs to boot! Outside of the 2001 Orion Vs, Silver Spring's a Gillig town!