How do u think we handled the crowds?
Did we frustrate you in anyway?
Did u see employee staff at all stations were your questions answer in a respectful matter?
What did u think we should have improved ?
How long did u wait for trains ?
Do u think we did a good job with shuttle buses?
What was your problem at any metro station or bus stops?
Would've been nice if local regular routes were actually running on a Saturday schedule like the website said instead of a weekday schedule. On the bus side, as usual, Metro did a relatively awful job, at least on the local side (this is coming from an employee of another transit system, not just an average Joe Commuter). That 75% on-time performance rating is a crock of shit when Metro's standard for "on time" is within 20 minutes of scheduled time (at least, that's what Customer Service has said several times).
Quote from: Tristan on January 22, 2009, 12:28:20 AM
Would've been nice if local regular routes were actually running on a Saturday schedule like the website said instead of a weekday schedule. On the bus side, as usual, Metro did a relatively awful job, at least on the local side (this is coming from an employee of another transit system, not just an average Joe Commuter). That 75% on-time performance rating is a crock of shit when Metro's standard for "on time" is within 20 minutes of scheduled time (at least, that's what Customer Service has said several times).
Better than here where most lines get headways of 30 mins from 7pm, some even of upwards to an hour. And yes, no kind of on-time performance seen here let alone any kind of efficiency.
With all the packed buses, it might not have been a bad idea to borrow some of MTA Maryland's artics (if not all of them - how many do they have anyway)? Would've helped with crowds on the B30.
I did kinda cringe when I saw a picture of a New Flyer on the X2...that must have been rather packed!
Just from the sounds of things, it sounds like bus coordination could have been A LOT better. The local jurisdictions did their part to funnel the crowds to the Metro (Ride On, PRTC, Fairfax Connector), but it sounds like a lot was left up to the rail to do its part. So many roadways were being left open to the buses that it seems rather silly that the only extra service that was provided was to corridors that had service available to it. Maybe more Metrobuses could have been sent further inbound instead of adding insult to injury at the rail stations since the localities were feeding into them so much.
It seems that more express service or at the very least more park and ride shuttles could have been worked out.
I don't know, I sort of wish for this moment I was working for PRTC so I could have heard the coordination meetings, but it sounds like certain aspects were pushed to the wayside.
OTP is measured within 20 minutes? ROFL. At 20 minutes most transit systems would be at 100% and they're only at 75% with that measure?
I'm not sure if it's absolutely factored that way, but I know Central considers a bus late after 20 minutes.
I didn't even know about this until I saw them yesterday morning, but we actually ran express buses all the way into downtown from King St Metro. I haven't yet gotten to that day to find out how many people patronized the service, however, but I know it wasn't a huge dent - granted, our buses were full, but it would take a mile-long convoy of our 38-passenger buses to equal the capacity of an 8-car crush-loaded train.
We ran on Saturday schedule but with reduced headways and expanded service span...we ended up pulling out only 5 buses less than a regular weekday, with all the stages and shuttles factored in.
From the rail side, I think they did well considering the amount of people they moved and so on. There were lots of employees on hand to advise passengers, encourage them to move down the platforms etc. The police would stop passenger traffic at some choke points when platforms got too crowded. At Gallery Place I think it was a wise decision to turn off the escalators and have passengers walk. They did some small things that in my opinion helped like calling for people with day passes to flash their pass and walk through the gate rather than using the regualar fare gates.
We had planned to get off at L'Enfant Plaza, but at the time trains weren't stopping there. I decided to ride over to the Pentagon and possibly walk across the bridge, but as we arrived at the transit center, there was a line of free shuttle buses to take people over to 14th Street. On the return trip, I was prepared to do lots of things to avoid the heavy crowds transferring at downtown stations like riding the Yellow then Green up to Fort Totten to get a Red line train to Shady Grove. However, when our Yellow line train arrived at Gallery Place the platform wasn't bad at all so we transferred to the Red line there and again, it wasn't too bad. I think a big part of this was the crowds were very orderly and cooperative.
I do think WMATA should've done more with the buses to help out rail.
I was expecting the worst and was pleasantly suprised (except the guy at Shady Grove who wrongly said the parking lots were full).
As for the bus side, at least with Greenbelt, I think most of the extra B30s were probably from operators who finished their runs on the R12, V12, T16/17, etc who were about to pull in. Those 4 tics did help out the crowd but with the mix of motorcoach buses, PG, and Metro buses in the same lanes, it was chaos. It took some time just to get around Greenbelt Station loop to exit out of the station.
As for my observations being at Shady Grove almost all day, WMATA did an ok job with the rail. But I have 2 gripes, 1) They were turning people away saying that parking was full at the station though it clearly was'nt. 2) Damn WhyMATA (Q2) buses keep parking in the Ride On bays and blocking the bus lane up at Shady Grove West and the worst part was the street supervisor was standing there and did'nt do S**T!! Then again this is on a daily basis they do this.... >:(
All the more reason to kick the Q2 out of Shady Grove and have them short turn at Rockville or MC.
During special events at Franconia Springfield, we used to have an awful time with Fairfax Connetor because we'd try to queue at the beginning of the bus bay lane but their buses would continue to sit there blocking us in even though the agreement was that they'd stage elsewhere.
At least everyone has 4 years to fix the issues they ran into this time around. I don't think any service could go perfectly, but some of the things done seemed so last minute and thrown together.
This event was something unusual and something that might not happen again BUT.......
1)If I am correct on the website it said that these "SPECIAL" bus routes were going to be limited, but they weren't. If they were going to be limited they should have been.
2)I share Tristan's gripe about buses running on Saturday schedules and to my surprise seeing the F14 running at 8am in the morning and D1s running in the evening.
3)I think to limit the load on metrorail (I guess this applies to more MD than VA), that they should have used park and ride lots and used express buses into downtown. I think, if I am wrong VA had this set up (probably because all of the bridges in VA going to DC were closed).
4)Better coordination between the local T/As and metro and maybe borrow more local T/A buses and maybe MDMTA AND express buses to ferry people to and from the inauguration instead of doing it themselves.
5)Prevent parking on the streets so that metrobuses can pull to the curve to pick up passengers instead of have the buses block the street and people walking into the street to catch a bus, blocking traffic causing traffic jams. Also along that note have a specific place for pickups. There were 70s loading people on both sides on H Street, instead of loading them from one side of the street. Having temporary bus stops would have helped also, they still have hubcaps that they can use can't they.
This isn't a metro thing but more of a DC/Fed thing. Next time block off more a 5 block perimeter around the parade/inaugural sites, to only allow buses/police/other emergency vehicles/other authorized vehicles into that area, so getting in and out would have been smoother than it was on Tuesday. STUUUUUUPID people driving downtown, clogging traffic. H Street was HORRIBLE Tuesday evening trying to get out.
Contributing to the shittiness I've already commented on, I'm hearing that we actually ran a special shuttle not to downtown Washington or to a subway station to drop inaugural visitors off, but...
From King St Metro to Seven Corners SC...introducing the DASH AT28A.
That's right, good ol' WMATA missed a trip on that hourly route, we had extra stage buses in place, there were "many" people waiting, and the route serves a good bit of Alexandria, so ... welcome aboard special Inaguration Day-only service to replace failed Metrobus operations. Too bad we can't do it every day of the year.
NICE....
That's some great customer service you guys have over there.
HAHA. The day before Inauguration, the whole downtown D.C was jammed. Gallery-Place, Union Station, Metro Center everywhere just about. It took me damn near two hours to get home due to slow traffic and f***ing roadblocks and shit. I'll never do that again. Metro handled it well from my point of view. When you have damn near 2 million people crowding the damn city, there's not much you can do to stop it. Kudos to Metro!
Quote from: Tristan on January 23, 2009, 02:55:16 PM
Contributing to the shittiness I've already commented on, I'm hearing that we actually ran a special shuttle not to downtown Washington or to a subway station to drop inaugural visitors off, but...
From King St Metro to Seven Corners SC...introducing the DASH AT28A.
That's right, good ol' WMATA missed a trip on that hourly route, we had extra stage buses in place, there were "many" people waiting, and the route serves a good bit of Alexandria, so ... welcome aboard special Inaguration Day-only service to replace failed Metrobus operations. Too bad we can't do it every day of the year.
*Shakes head*
All I can say is wow. I'm speechless otherwise.
Brandon:
As of last Tuesday, the MTA had 19 TICS available for service minus the normal 10% down for service. NW coaches not included.
Chuck
Quote from: smithavechuck on January 24, 2009, 11:52:55 PM
Brandon:
NW coaches not included.
Chuck
Why not? Guesstimation?
Tristan:
They're 14 years old, have an analog electrical system and are about to be retired. For the most part, they're kept close to "home."
The agency is in the process of taking delivery of 30 new Flyer TICS. While the NW TICS are being retired, the 19 Bush TICS will be retained giving the MTA a total of 49 TICS once all of the new buses arrive.
Hope all is well.
Chuck
Check out Michael Dresser's evaluation of public transportation systems in the DC area before/after the inauguration.
Chuck
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/traffic/bal-md.dresser26jan26,0,23142.column
All i have to say is those shuttle's from D.C. to Springfield,Pentagon city,Crystal city,linconia,etc. came in handy!
Turns out that we ran a lot more of Metro's service than I originally thought. 2 consecutive 28s did not show up, so we carried about 100 people on that, and some 7s did not show up at Landmark Mall so we did "several" trips on that route as well.
So how does WMATA qualify as the best transit system in the nation when they can't even run the service they committed to run?
I'm amazed that your drivers knew how to run the route, and that you were able to provide that service on a whim.
Do people really call WMATA the best transit system in the nation? The Metrobus system, albeit getting better, has more than a few flaws, and Metrorail is admittedly starting to deteriorate as well. Interesting to see all that cute green fungus growing on those walls.
But that is another thread :).
Quote from: Tritransit Area on January 28, 2009, 08:47:32 PM
I'm amazed that your drivers knew how to run the route, and that you were able to provide that service on a whim.
Do people really call WMATA the best transit system in the nation? The Metrobus system, albeit getting better, has more than a few flaws, and Metrorail is admittedly starting to deteriorate as well. Interesting to see all that cute green fungus growing on those walls.
But that is another thread :).
Yes, people say it is the best system, and I think one can make convincing arguments for Metrorail being the best subway system in this country. But if those people who make such a claim totally forget about Metrobus, does it still exist? Apparently, it doesn't in this case.
It's not that hard to run from King Street to Seven Corners. I think most are familiar enough with the area. For that matter they may have had the maps of the route to refer to.
Pentagon to Landmark parallels a lot of the DASH routes. It would be different if they were told to run to Centreville or Chantily, but both of those routes are straight enough shots. Fortunately there are other operators in the area that handle a lot of the same territory otherwise lots of people would be SOL.
I love how they now have the nerve to ask for more money to pay for the service they ran on Inauguration Day...how about reimbursing my cab fare for all the service they DIDN'T run that they were supposed to run? How about reimbursing my employer for volunteering to run service that they forgot about?
I think my next project is to start a blog with my WMATA stories, updated daily....yes, daily - when you're transit dependent like me, leaving the house means to expect a WMATA adventure.
wmata employee, any answers? Or is it business as usual on Fifth Street and its environs, sweeping it under the rug?
I guess it is business as usual; even Catoe refused my question at LunchTalk yesterday:
The "good job" on the inauguration is not shared by everyone. While I admit that the rail system did hold its own minus a few issues, those of us on the bus side were left in the cold. I found many buses actually running on weekday scheduled times instead of Saturday as advertised on the website, and there were several missed trips on many routes -- and I'm talking about Northern Virginia, not stuff in Downtown Washington that I would expect to be messed up. There were actually instances where other transit providers did trips that Metro missed with spare buses they had around for Inauguration Day.
What exactly are your bus supervisors doing if they aren't keeping the buses running on time and on route?
Quote from: Tristan on February 07, 2009, 11:52:58 AM
I guess it is business as usual; even Catoe refused my question at LunchTalk yesterday:
The "good job" on the inauguration is not shared by everyone. While I admit that the rail system did hold its own minus a few issues, those of us on the bus side were left in the cold. I found many buses actually running on weekday scheduled times instead of Saturday as advertised on the website, and there were several missed trips on many routes -- and I'm talking about Northern Virginia, not stuff in Downtown Washington that I would expect to be messed up. There were actually instances where other transit providers did trips that Metro missed with spare buses they had around for Inauguration Day.
What exactly are your bus supervisors doing if they aren't keeping the buses running on time and on route?
Wow are you still talking about Inauguration Day? Dude it's over with. Move on.
I was going to say the same thing. Jan 20 has come and gone. Let's end the convo on this already. Jeez.
Tristan raises some very valid points in this thread with regard to how WMATA ran its Metrobus service that day. And if he doesn't write it in this thread, he is going to start a discussion on the farce that is the WMATA monthly online chats. Take your pick...
First of all, landoverdivision and 79MetroExtraMD, there's no time limit for posts on this forum. If I wanted to resurrect a discussion from 1979, I can do that. If you see a post with the title "HOW DO YOU THINK METRO HANDLED TUESDAY SERVICE?" KNOWING that the post is about Inauguration Day, and you DON'T want to read any more about Inauguration Day, I think most computer mice sold today have this thing called a SCROLL WHEEL, and there are arrow keys and scrollbars available for your use so you can SKIP THE TOPIC. Just DON'T READ IT if you don't want to read it.
Onto my response - YES I'm still talking about it because it still happened.
"Let it go"
That's what I've been doing for 22 years - when there's a Metro problem, I kinda wince about it for a minute, then let it go. But THAT's why nothing gets SOLVED. Maybe I won't turn these forums into a WMATA rant session, but I WILL make life a living hell for anyone who claims to be responsible for Metro "Customer Service" until there are ANSWERS and IMPROVEMENT.
I'm tired of waiting for buses that either aren't going to show up or have left 10 minutes early, I'm tired of drivers intentionally driving the wrong route, and I'm tired of WMATA not doing anything about it.
Friday's chat (read the transcript) was the first since the inauguration, so it contained several questions and congratulations about inauguration service, so I added mine that didn't give Metro the carte blanche pat on the back that they had been getting. If I want to add that to a discussion on this website that is relevant to the question I asked, I don't see how that is inappropriate.
If you want to be complacent about it and deal with substandard bus service while YOU are pissing away YOUR FARES and YOUR TAX DOLLARS, feel free, but I'm not putting up with it anymore.
The question was: How do you think Metro handled Tuesday Service? I think they did a poor job on the bus side, and I am going to voice that until someone at WMATA explains why and makes the necessary changes.
If you have a problem with that....scroll on by.
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on February 08, 2009, 01:15:18 AM
Tristan raises some very valid points in this thread with regard to how WMATA ran its Metrobus service that day. And if he doesn't write it in this thread, he is going to start a discussion on the farce that is the WMATA monthly online chats. Take your pick...
LOL, I might just have to do that.
Just like the typical transient who isn't pleased one way or the other. Begging and whining to Metro won't get squat done. Unless you bribe folks on the Board, I doubt anything drastic will happen in the future for the better.
Thanks for that useless comment.
Triston, does anyone at DASH know what may have happened? Did someone radio in to say the buses weren't coming, period, or did someone figure that if the bus didn't show up, for example, 30 minutes past the schedule departure time, the bus wasn't coming at all?
Someone at DASH must have the ability to get answers. After all, "if I ran DASH", I'd be sure to get some sort of reimbursement for the fuel burnt and driver hours (overtime?) paid for running a WMATA route. If WMATA refuses that to a transit operation of a stakeholder/paying municipality, then...wow, WMATA's an offensively awful agency that needs to be checked.
Oh, by the way - an editorial to the Washington Post or one of those newspapers down there may get some answers, especially on WMATA's "press rebuttal" page. After all, it's one thing to miss trips, especially on a crazy day like the last inaugeration day, but to not have answers/an apology/or even awknowledge that it happened is just ridiculous.
Quote from: 79MetroExtraMD on February 08, 2009, 03:10:18 PM
Just like the typical transient who isn't pleased one way or the other. Begging and whining to Metro won't get squat done. Unless you bribe folks on the Board, I doubt anything drastic will happen in the future for the better.
Yes, and if you were a passenger who was waiting for that hourly bus, I'm sure you wouldn't be pleased either. And you'd be surprised what letters to the appropriate legislatures can/cannot do.
Quote from: Tristan on February 08, 2009, 12:28:48 PM
First of all, landoverdivision and 79MetroExtraMD, there's no time limit for posts on this forum. If I wanted to resurrect a discussion from 1979, I can do that. If you see a post with the title "HOW DO YOU THINK METRO HANDLED TUESDAY SERVICE?" KNOWING that the post is about Inauguration Day, and you DON'T want to read any more about Inauguration Day, I think most computer mice sold today have this thing called a SCROLL WHEEL, and there are arrow keys and scrollbars available for your use so you can SKIP THE TOPIC. Just DON'T READ IT if you don't want to read it.
Onto my response - YES I'm still talking about it because it still happened.
"Let it go"
That's what I've been doing for 22 years - when there's a Metro problem, I kinda wince about it for a minute, then let it go. But THAT's why nothing gets SOLVED. Maybe I won't turn these forums into a WMATA rant session, but I WILL make life a living hell for anyone who claims to be responsible for Metro "Customer Service" until there are ANSWERS and IMPROVEMENT.
I'm tired of waiting for buses that either aren't going to show up or have left 10 minutes early, I'm tired of drivers intentionally driving the wrong route, and I'm tired of WMATA not doing anything about it.
Friday's chat (read the transcript) was the first since the inauguration, so it contained several questions and congratulations about inauguration service, so I added mine that didn't give Metro the carte blanche pat on the back that they had been getting. If I want to add that to a discussion on this website that is relevant to the question I asked, I don't see how that is inappropriate.
If you want to be complacent about it and deal with substandard bus service while YOU are pissing away YOUR FARES and YOUR TAX DOLLARS, feel free, but I'm not putting up with it anymore.
The question was: How do you think Metro handled Tuesday Service? I think they did a poor job on the bus side, and I am going to voice that until someone at WMATA explains why and makes the necessary changes.
If you have a problem with that....scroll on by.
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on February 08, 2009, 01:15:18 AM
Tristan raises some very valid points in this thread with regard to how WMATA ran its Metrobus service that day. And if he doesn't write it in this thread, he is going to start a discussion on the farce that is the WMATA monthly online chats. Take your pick...
LOL, I might just have to do that.
Why don't you go take that up with WMATA then. We can't do anything about it so stop crying about it to us and take that up with John Catoe or whoever.
You must have missed this from my prior post - which you quoted:
QuoteFirst of all, landoverdivision and 79MetroExtraMD, there's no time limit for posts on this forum. If I wanted to resurrect a discussion from 1979, I can do that. If you see a post with the title "HOW DO YOU THINK METRO HANDLED TUESDAY SERVICE?" KNOWING that the post is about Inauguration Day, and you DON'T want to read any more about Inauguration Day, I think most computer mice sold today have this thing called a SCROLL WHEEL, and there are arrow keys and scrollbars available for your use so you can SKIP THE TOPIC. Just DON'T READ IT if you don't want to read it.
I don't feel like I need to justify what I post on my very own website that I finance and maintain out of my own time and pocket, but to please you, I will:
-This is related to an issue with DC Transit
-I was sharing a comment I had on an issue that someone brought up here (it's not my fault that Friday was the first LunchTalk since the Inauguration, and it's not my fault 99% of the questions asked there were about the Inauguration)
-I didn't ask YOU or anyone here on this website to do anything about it - I'm not "crying" to anyone, I'm posting what I said in a discussion HOSTED BY JOHN CATOE HIMSELF.
-Seems like at least a couple people don't have a problem with this thread.
So I don't really see a good reason not to discuss the subject, and this discussion will continue. Not necessarily about the inauguration, but about WMATA's continual lapses in service. I'm sorry that I'm dogging the world's greatest transit system ever invented, as you seem to think, but they have serious problems and I have every right to discuss those here.
Now again: if you don't give a damn about it, STAY THE HELL OUT OF A THREAD THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. Yes, I shouted. If I had emailed you or messaged you directly, you have the right to tell me to stop...but that wasn't the case I don't think. So if you can't take the heat, stay out of the fire, but if you jump in the fire and complain about it again, you will be kicked out permanently, then you DEFINITELY won't have to see it.
Think a little before you tell me what I can and cannot post on my website. That's all I have to say on this issue in public; if you want to discuss it in private, you know how to do so.