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Transit Nut

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    Any Plans To Add Bicycle Racks On Metro Buses?

    in Traffic and Transportation

    Posted

    Wow, this topic hasn't been updated in almost a year. Anyways, good news from METRO via kf5nd (Peter Wang?) at CTC Houston:

    http://www.ctchouston.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=211

    METRO is about to embark on an exciting new program, and we're inviting all bicycle riders to kick it into the "big" gear.

    On April 20, 2007, METRO will be hosting a bike festival to mark the start of its new bike-racks-on-buses campaign. The festival will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at our downtown headquarters, 1900 Main.

    Bike shops, clubs and a variety of vendors will be joining us for this event. At noon, METRO will host a news conference with METRO's President & CEO Frank Wilson, State Rep. Rodney Ellis and other local dignitaries.

    Come check out the happenings, and check out METRO's new bike racks - attached to METRO's new, futuristic hybrid bus. It's one smooth ride.

    Flyer: http://ctchouston.org/library/metro/metro_...ite_07apr20.pdf

    Light Rail Capacity..present and future...

    in Traffic and Transportation

    Posted

    Yes, the Rodeo is adding extra passengers to the normal volume. METRO only has 18 rail vehicles; they weren't supposed to have this many passengers until 2020 or so, and they had to pay for all the vehicles themselves, so that's probably why they didn't buy more. Even if they wanted to, they can't buy them off the shelf and have them delivered immediately. Also, they can't really borrow any from other cities because each different model has a different dynamic envelope, which is basically a cross section; some manufacturers make wider cars, some make taller cars, etc. Only San Diego has a similar vehicle right now; Charlotte and Portland will also have the same/similar vehicle, but they are being built right now. I think Houston has to wait at the end of the line, but they may be able to get Portland's option vehicles. In other words, it will be at least another year or two before Houston gets new vehicles.

    Now, it takes 78 minutes for a round trip, from the time a train leaves Fannin South to the time it leaves Fannin South again. That's 32 min northbound, 32 min southbound, and about 7 min layover at each end. That means there needs to be 13 trains in service (13 trains x 6 min = 78). They usually try to keep one spare vehicle, so they run only 17. If there are 17 vehicles and 13 trains, only 4 out of the 13 can be 2-car trains; the other 9 are 1-car trains.

    To make a long story short, yes, the light rail system can handle additional passenger volumes in the future. The problem is the existing capacity (number of vehicles).

    METRORail University Line

    in Traffic and Transportation

    Posted

    Mr. Spieler has an interesting article regarding Culberson's editorial:

    http://www.ctchouston.org/blogs/christof/2...akes-his-claim/

    Ultimately, METRO has narrowed down its choices on the western end to 3. We will then have a thorough comparison when the DEIS comes out in March, just like we did for the North Corridor (Fulton vs. Irvington) and the Southeast Corridor (Scott-Griggs vs. Wheeler-MLK). Just wait a month or two.

    METRORail University Line

    in Traffic and Transportation

    Posted · Edited by Transit Nut

    So we can destroy Third Ward to build 288, but we can't disrupt Afton Oaks?

    Freeways built back in the day were built without much regards to what/who was there before. Nowadays we have to accommodate what/who is nearby planned transportation projects.

    Back to the University Corridor, if you look at the 20 alternatives west of Wheeler Station, only 1 appears to have anything to do with Afton Oaks. Based only on a cost/ridership ratio, it ranked 7th. However, other factors besides cost/ridership ratio (the "Federal Funding Ratio") were probably taken into account to chose the 3 finalists. Anyways, even if Afton Oaks people were for rail, it probably would've been better to transition to Westpark anyways because of higher population and employment density near Westpark and Newcastle.

    METRORail University Line

    in Traffic and Transportation

    Posted · Edited by Transit Nut

    Please make sure you read METRO's presentation and press release first before anything else:

    http://metrosolutions.org/go/doc/1068/140142/ (presentation)

    http://metrosolutions.org/go/doc/1068/140149/ (release)

    http://metrosolutions.org/go/doc/1068/140146/ (News Flash with links to both)

    I was fortunate to be able to attend the board meeting today (along with about 100 other members of the public), and you really don't get the full story just by reading the presentation; you miss the comments that the presenter and board members make.

    For example, Frank Wilson pointed out that most likely part of the Uptown Corridor will be a branch of the University Corridor (he's said this before too). That is, westbound trains from Wheeler could alternate between terminating at Hillcroft and terminating somewhere at Uptown. A transfer may not be necessary to go from Wheeler Station to Westheimer Station. a good example of a similar setup is the Red Line in L.A. There is one trunk from Union Station, then a branch to North Hollywood and a branch to Wilshire/Western.

    There will probably still be BRT between the NW TC and S. Rice TC, but both BRT and LRT could share the "lane" in the Uptown area. Just because the Uptown and University Corridors are planned separately (with different names) doesn't mean they can't share/connect.

    Chairman Wolff pointed out that the Richmond to Montrose to 59 to Kirby to Westpark (the 3rd west alternative) was included for Culberson's sake.

    All alternatives (except maybe the 3rd west one, the "Culberson" one), are reasonable and logical, at least based on what has been presented so far.

    METRORail University Line

    in Traffic and Transportation

    Posted

    I also sent Mr. Childers an e-mail.

    Anyways, Mr. Spieler has a new post on his blog comparing some possible University Corridor alignments between Shepherd and Main at http://www.ctchouston.org/intermodality/index.php.

    For those that haven't been to the METRO website lately, Mr. Wilson's State of METRO presentation at the Greater Houston Partnership luncheon is available at http://www.ridemetro.org/media/GHP/fvsf.asp. It's quite interesting (including pictures of the Intermodal Terminal).

    METRORail University Line

    in Traffic and Transportation

    Posted

    I recieved yet another email today from gaylahamilton@sbcglobal.net-I'm assumiong with the Mobility Coalition. In it she asks everyone to contact Daphne Scarbrough at 713-523-8413 if they would like to be listed on the schedule to speak against rail on Richmond tomorrow.

    I called the city secretary and asked if scheduling needed to be done through their office or could a group bring a list of people to be scheduled. He said they could indeed bring a list but none of those would be allowed to speak-unless they had signed up with the city secretary. Hmmmm....

    I then called Daphne Scarbrough, informed her of her mistake and was immediatly called: trouble maker [MOI???], negative[little ol'me? :wub: ] and LIBERAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Here's the entire email text should anyone wish to respond to gaylahamilton@sbcglobal.net

    Wow, nmainguy, you actually talked to the Brass Maiden lady! Have you notified the RichmondRail.org people to gather a pro-rail on Richmond group to speak at the meeting?

    Also, can we keep this thread on topic (that is, light rail on Richmond)?

    METRORail University Line

    in Traffic and Transportation

    Posted

    It's too late to register, but Mr. Frank Wilson will be speaking at the Greater Houston Partnership luncheon at the Hilton Americas today (see the METRO Solutions NewsFlash, linked below). Hopefully, the presentation visuals will be up on the METRO Solutions website shortly afterwards. If any of you are already registered to go, please let us know what he says. Apparently, they are "very excited" and "very proud" about the presentation, so it must be really good.

    http://metrosolutions.org/go/doc/1068/136137/

    (Issue 26, but also mentioned in Issues 24 and 25)

    METRO's fares rising

    in Traffic and Transportation

    Posted

    For the lady in the example, if it takes her less than 90 minutes to get on the 3rd bus after the time she got on the 1st bus, she would still pay $1 each way (assuming she gets a smart card, which she should if she rides two days every week).

    For example,

    Trip to Clinic

    9:00 Departs house, Boards Bus A, pays $1 with smart card

    9:30 Transfers to Bus B, swipes smart card but not charged (transferred with smart card)

    10:15 Transfers to Bus C, swipes smart card but not charged (transferred with smart card)

    Total: $1

    Trip Home

    1:00 Departs clinic, Boards Bus C, pays $1 with smart card

    1:30 Transfers to Bus B, swipes smart card but not charged (transferred with smart card)

    2:00 Transfers to Bus A, swipes smart card but not charged (transferred with smart card)

    Total: $1

    Trip to Grocery Store

    1:00 Departs house, Boards Bus D, pays $1 with smart card

    1:30 Transfers to Bus E, swipes smart card but not charged (transferred with smart card)

    Total: $1

    Trip Home

    2:45 Departs store, Boards Bus E, pays $1 with smart card

    3:15 Transfers to Bus D, swipes smart card but not charged (transferred with smart card)

    Total: $1

    Grand Total per week: $4

    If she qualifies for senior fare (which she would at age 62), then it costs $0.50 per trip, or a grand total of $2 per week. Also, if she does take 4 trips per week, she would receive 5 free trips after 12.5 weeks (50 paid trips).

    Regarding taxes, most, if not all, of METRO's tax revenue comes from sales tax. 1% out of the 8.25% sales tax you pay on things purchased in Houston or other METRO member cities goes to METRO. The other 1% goes to the city and 6.25% goes to the state. In METRO non-member cities (like Sugar Land), 2% goes to the city and 6.25% goes to the state.

    Even if tax revenue grows at the rate of inflation, not everything else does. I don't think cost of fuel has, and probably neither has cost of labor.

    From FY 1997 to FY 2004 (METRO's fiscal years go from October to September):

    -Service hours increased 25.2%

    -Boardings increased 9.2%

    -Fare revenue increased 3.1%

    -Operating expenses increased 19.9%

    Since FY 1995 (which began Oct. 94), when the last fare increase happened, the operating ratio (fare ratio divided by various operating costs) has gone from 24.2% to 15.6%. In other words, fare revenue is contributing less to operating expenses than it did 12 years ago.

    For more info, see METRO's FY 2006 budget, pdf pages 9-10, at http://www.ridemetro.org/News/publications.asp.

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