Tag Archives: KC Metro

New sign designs!

Metro is testing prototypes of a new bus-sign design. They’re on display in front of King Street Center for about another week. (After that they’ll be at Third & Union, at the Benaroya stop.) I went to check them out yesterday.

Here’s the prototype for a sign at a major stop:

And here’s the prototype for the smaller stops:

Note that the numbers are bigger and now read left-to-right instead of top-to-bottom. They are also removable, which makes the signs easier and cheaper to update.

As you can see, the route destination is now listed under the route number. This is a helpful addition, but I wonder how Metro will handle routes that don’t always terminate at the same location. Some examples: 48 Rainier Beach vs. 48 Columbia City; 3 Madrona vs. 3 First Hill. Will the route be listed twice? Will there be two destinations listed under the number? (I’m not even going to touch those routes that change numbers halfway through the ride.) Then again, I suppose that’s not as much an issue with the signs as with the route numbering, and that’s a post for another time.

Another cool (but possibly problematic) addition: The stop numbers are now printed on the signs. This is a good thing for those of us who’ve tried calling Metro’s automated service to find out when a route is scheduled to be at a particular stop, only to be prompted to enter a stop number, which is not available anywhere at the stop. Unfortunately, the stop numbers used by this system are not the same as the stop IDs used by Tracker and MyBus. I predict a whole lot of confused riders. But again, this is a problem that’s bigger than the signs.

I love (without reservations) the rail, airport, and ferry icons and the addition of Metro’s rider information number and Web address. Adding these is a good step toward making the system more usable and predictable, and making it easier for newbies to find their way around.

I must close with the disclaimer sign that was posted next to the prototypes.

This is only a test, folks, so don’t start expecting to see these at your local stop anytime soon.

Of course, the testing phase is a good time for feedback. You like?

Upcoming events for transit types

Thursday, January 24th

Metro is hosting a class to help employers lower employee commuting costs.

The law allows employees to set aside up to $115 per month in pre-tax income for purchase of a transit pass or ticket book. Because pre-tax benefits lower an employee’s taxable income, the employee saves federal withholding and FICA payroll taxes on the amount deducted. The employer also saves paying FICA on the amount deducted. Employers can also choose to contribute to the cost of their employees’ public transportation fare and still allow employees to use pre-tax dollars for the employee share.

Metro staff offers free training classes for employers – the next one is Jan. 24 in Seattle – tool kits to start the program at individual worksites, and assistance in carrying out the program.

If you don’t work for a company cool enough to buy your bus pass, you should encourage your boss (or HR rep) to go.

Details:

Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Mezza Cafe Conference Room, Third Floor, Starbucks Center, 2401 Utah Ave. S.

Tuesday, January 29th

The Transportation Choices Coalition is hosting Transportation Advocacy Day.

We’re heading down to Olympia on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 to advocate for action on climate change, better transportation choices, and healthier transportation. Last year more than 150 citizens like you advocated for better transportation alternatives. At Advocacy Day you’ll have the chance to learn more about transportation issues, meet with legislators, attend hearings, and be a professional lobbyist for a day!

Last year this event was extremely successful. If you can make the time, it’s worth it to attend–if only to be part of the bike/Flexcar caravan.

Details:

Times: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Meet at: The United Churches of Olympia, 110 11th Avenue SE, Olympia

Friday, February 1st

As part of their First Friday Earth Forum series, the Rainier Valley Unitarian Universalists will show the documentary Bus Riders Union .

This film by Academy Award winner Haskell Wexler traces three years in the life of Los Angeles’ Bus Riders Union as it forges a powerful multiracial movement to fight transit racism, clean up LA’s lethal auto pollution, and win billion-dollar victories for real mass transit for the masses.

Does the Seattle area need its own union to fight for more transit to better serve both the needy and the environment? Come and be part of this conversation.

I’ve been wanting to see this film, so I’ll be there.

Details:

Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Rainier Unitarian Universalist Center, 835 Yesler Way (Yesler and Broadway)

And while you’re providing feedback…

The King County Transit Advisory Committee, of which I am a member, has started working with Metro’s IT staff to find ways to improve the agency’s Web site. In addition to providing our own suggestions for improvements, we’re collecting additional suggestions from the folks we know. So…

Got ideas about how to make Metro’s Web presence more useful to customers? Post them here.

To start the process, the TAC will receive a presentation from a Metro staff member to learn more about how the IT group at Metro works. TAC meetings are open to the public, so if you’re interested attending (note that you won’t be able to provide suggestions for specific improvements during the meeting), here’s the info:

Tuesday, December 11th, 6pm
King Street Center, 8th Floor Conference Center, 201 S Jackson Street

UPDATE: The presentation about the Web site is scheduled to start at 7:20 PM.

About those missing shelters…

Good news! From Dale at Metro:

We noticed…that you are interested in what became of the bus shelters in the photos…next to the Douglas Truth Library. The shelters were removed last week for refurbishing, and will be re-installed this week. All Metro bus shelters are pulled every 7 to 8 years, repainted and reinstalled w/new windows, walls, and translucent roofs. When a shelter is pulled it is usually replaced the same day or within a few days after the removal.

The terra cotta tile artwork that was in these shelters, will need additional restorative work before returning to the shelters, but should be re-installed in the shelters sometime this fall.

I am relieved to know that my shelters will soon return. Now if only we riders were provided with warnings before our shelters were removed. Something as simple as a paper rider-alert sign near the schedule would have eliminated a lot of confusion.

Calling all bus poets!

Poetry on Buses is back. This year’s theme is “Dreams.”

Poetry on Buses

4Culture and King County Metro present Poetry on Buses 2007. We are seeking poetry written by residents of King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish Counties. The theme for Poetry on Buses 2007 is Dreams. Selected poems will be displayed on interior bus placards, published in a book and featured at a poetry reading in November 2007. Selected poets will also receive an honorarium of $125 for use of the poems on the bus.

Here are the submission guidelines:

• Only one (1) poem per applicant.
• Poems must be 50 words or less not counting the title.
• Poems must be authored by the applicant and previously unpublished.
• All residents of King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish Counties in Washington State may submit except for the following: 4Culture staff, board members or advisory committee members, selection jurors, and the immediate family members and business partners of any of the above.
• Copyright for published poems remains with the authors.
• Poems must be submitted at www.4culture.org/publicart/poetry/index.htm on or before April 30, 2007 to be eligible.

I’m no poet (leave that to Bus Nerd), but I might be inspired to submit a little something this year. I love this program!

Another cool(ish) bus tool

Am I the only one who didn’t know that Metro’s website lets you create custom schedules? Probably, but just in case there are one or two others: Go to any route timetable; click the “custom print” button at the top of the page; and then choose the direction, window of time, and stops that are important to you. I just made custom schedule for the 8 and one for the 4. Easy. For a bus chick, even fun.

This feature would be amazingly useful (Finally–a way to manage the insanity that is the 3/4 schedule!) except that, you can’t create direct links to your customized schedules. (Someday soon, perhaps?) For now, I’ll use the same workaround I use for Trip Planner itineraries: copy the data into Word or Outlook.

The good book(s)

My new friend Jeffrey, aka “Bus Man,” the same man who is responsible for Busfather‘s brief but memorable visit to my house, recently gave me these:

My favorite is the one on the left. Betcha can’t guess why.

Transit operating handbooks, baby! Soon, I will know everything there is to know about Metro routes, rules, and regulations.

Jeffrey, you’ve created a monster.

It is too possible!

I’m a very big fan of software-assisted trip planning. Bus Nerd tends to use schedules, route maps, and his own brain to figure out how to get where he’s going, but I am quick to type in my start and end points and let Trip Planner (these days, via Spotbus) do the work for me. I use it at least once a day–even when I know which buses to take (not a big fan of reading multiple schedules). I absolutely cannot imagine my life without it.

But (gasp!) the mighty Trip Planner has its flaws. Here’s one:

A few days ago, Vlad, a transit type who will soon be moving to Seattle from Philly, e-mailed to ask how to get from 11th and Pike on Capitol Hill to 9800 Willows Rd NE in Redmond. His message implied that he had attempted to find the information himself but had been unsuccessful. Always up for a good bus challenge, I decided to try.

When I entered the addresses in Trip Planner (assuming he’d be traveling during peak hours on a weekday), I received this message:

#20007–Trip not possible
See Trip Planner Messages [link] for additional information and alternatives

To return to the previous page, use your browser’s Back button.

The “Trip Planner Messages” link leads to this:

Trip Planner Tips – Messages

At times, the Trip Planner will return a message instead of the information you requested. This section describes the most common messages and what they mean.

Some of the messages indicate that transit service is not available near a location or at the time you requested. There may still be alternatives that the Trip Planner can’t give you. Read more about those alternatives.

If you receive a message that does not seem correct, you can report it using the ‘Comments’ function at the top or bottom of each Trip Planner page or the ‘Feedback’ link on some pages.

• Dates – too far in the past or in the future [link]
• No query data [link]
• No service at origin (or destination) at the date/time specified [link]
• No stops within walking distance [link]
• No times available [link]
• Start & end locations are too near each other for transit to be of use [link]
• The Trip Planner system is currently being updated [link]
• Trip not possible [link]
• Walking distance exceeds one mile or is not safe [link]

You might remember that the original message for Vlad’s trip was, “Trip not possible”:

Trip not possible

More than one factor has caused the trip planner not to be able to respond. You may get better results by checking your entry for one of the conditions described above and making adjustments as noted, or there may be a suitable alternative to transit. [Hey!] Note: you may get this message when you are using the Schedule portion of the trip planner and not actually planning a trip

What actually fixed the problem was changing the answer to question #4 on the original form–What is the farthest distance you want to walk?–from the default of 1/2-mile to 3/4-mile. The resulting itineraries were far from convenient, but the trip was certainly possible.

A more specific and appropriate message could have made a huge difference here. A couple of stabs:

“The walking distance for this trip is longer than the distance you are willing to walk. Do you want to see the itinerary anyway?”

“The walking distance for this trip is longer than the distance you are willing to walk. Try changing the distance you are willing to walk.”

You get the picture. If those kinds of specific messages are too difficult to implement, how about a more helpful generic message that lists some likely reasons the trip did not work? I’d hate to put folks like Vlad off the bus before they even start riding it.

Recent transit news of note

In Seattle:

• 2006 was a year of record ridership for Metro. The current estimate: 103.2 million passenger boardings. I’m guessing Bus Nerd and I account for about 10% of those. Kidding! (sort of)

The article also explains how Metro counts riders:

The most precise method of counting ridership involves the use of Automated Passenger Counters (APC) that are on about 15 percent of Metro buses at any given time. Most of these are floor mats that rest on the steps inside each door of the bus, and count the number of times people board and deboard. The APC-equipped coaches are rotated throughout Metro’s system, so that each route and each individual trip on that route is counted several times a year.

I always thought it was that beep you hear when you pay. (The bus driver presses a some kind of button that makes the same beep when folks show a pass.)

• Sound Transit’s board has released initial recommendations for the East Link route. They’ve identified several possible alternatives for stations and maintenance facilities, which will be included in the “conceptual engineering” phase of planning. Look for a draft environmental impact statement sometime in 2008.

• Flexcar has a new pricing model. One of the coolest changes: Every vehicle will now have a “day rate,” a flat rental fee for any 24-hour period (midnight to midnight). I don’t think the details are on the website yet, but the changes (which, they’re calling Flexcar 2.0) take effect on February 1st.

Elsewhere:

• The Allegheny County Port Authority announced drastic cuts to transit service in the Pittsburgh metro area:

Authority staff has recommended eliminating 124 of 213 weekday bus routes starting June 24, thereby reducing the daily hours of service by 25 percent, to address an estimated $75 million to $80 million budget deficit for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Similar cuts are in store for weekends and holidays, although no service changes are planned for the authority’s nationally recognized ACCESS paratransit system serving people with special needs.
Did I mention they’re also increasing fares?

Riders in Pittsburgh are understandably dismayed.

• Richard Bernstein, a Detroit lawyer who sued the city over inoperable wheelchair lifts, was recently featured on CNN. Viewers of Anderson Cooper’s “Keeping Them Honest” segment selected him as a top watchdog. Said Bernstein, “”It’s something I will never forget. I guess the voters realized that public transportation is vital for people’s lives and independence.”

Amen.