Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Line 58 gets a nice bus for once
A few days ago (I think this was monday) I was biking around and one of the 58 lines passed me with a 2900. That was a surprise, but granted, it had a dead headlight on the right side, and the back area of the bus where the engine sat, had something that rattled so badly and loudly that you could hear it even outside the shiny TriMet bus.
Quite surprising that a line 58 ended up with a 2900, but of course this bus had to have been a trade after the old 40 footer flexible bus that the line train had used earlier in the day broke down somewhere. There's no other explanation for it when the 58 actually gets a nice bus (not to mention a 2900 low floor) since that line usually runs with the dinosaurs.
Quite surprising that a line 58 ended up with a 2900, but of course this bus had to have been a trade after the old 40 footer flexible bus that the line train had used earlier in the day broke down somewhere. There's no other explanation for it when the 58 actually gets a nice bus (not to mention a 2900 low floor) since that line usually runs with the dinosaurs.
Huh?
Anyways, MAX riders don't really have to worry about missing their MAX. If they do, they can just catch the next one that often ends up coming not that long after the last one. This needs to have the word MAX replaced with Bus. When you miss your bus, that's when you need to worry.
Design on the dotted line
Another thing Portland government spends way too much money on is design. We appreciate the need for sound design and planning, but our bureaucrats take these matters to ridiculous lengths. For example, the public has spent $130 million so far designing and planning the new I-5 bridge to Vancouver, and so far we have neither a design nor a plan for the thing.
http://bojack.org/2011/08/design_on_the_dotted_line.htmlAnother thing we don't have for that bridge? Money to pay for it!
Thank you, Jason.
'Time lapse' video fail
http://rantingsofatrimetbusdriver.blogspot.com/2011/08/downtown-building-gets-demolished-time.html
Generally i would think time lapse videos would be somewhere around 10 minutes, not over 45.
Generally i would think time lapse videos would be somewhere around 10 minutes, not over 45.
Trimet bus repairs
Part 1--Thank god for duct tape
Part 2--A paper towel can do the job (A classic TriMet 'repair' on too many buses)
Part 3--How to hold the pedals on? Let's use wire
Part 4--Praise be the duct tape! (this one is another classic TriMet fix. You see it on so many of their old buses.)
The next best one with the duct tape 'fix' is the one where they duct tape the air vents shut so they don't have to fix them. Anybody got a picture of that (I never seem to have my camera phone around when i see that one)?
Part 2--A paper towel can do the job (A classic TriMet 'repair' on too many buses)
Part 3--How to hold the pedals on? Let's use wire
Part 4--Praise be the duct tape! (this one is another classic TriMet fix. You see it on so many of their old buses.)
The next best one with the duct tape 'fix' is the one where they duct tape the air vents shut so they don't have to fix them. Anybody got a picture of that (I never seem to have my camera phone around when i see that one)?
Something that i like to call the best kinds of idiots
Don't remember when i wrote this, maybe sometime last summer? But I found it again and figured that I might as well post it. From my little notes on the original thing, apparently I wrote this while commuting by TriMet somewhere.
Enjoy (not that it is any good anyways).
Biking Columbia st. isn't the safest thing to do, but regardless, I did it. The reason it wasn't safe? TriMet has a billion and one buses running on it that don't need to be there, there is virtually no shoulder to the road, it takes you close to the heart of the downtown transit mall, and going along with the fact that there is no shoulder, you've got swarms of motorists in the two lanes that think they own the road.
Biking down columbia st. is sure an adventure, and it especially was today.
Today was nothing special; it was a usual day, however, while en route down Columbia to my 58 bus stop, this one motorist sped on by me, too close for comfort. Now, this happens a lot, but this one was particularly bad.
What exactly did they do? Hold your breath for one second and I'll tell you.
This woman, driving an old, beater white Volvo, zoomed on past me as fast and as close as they could (even though there was no car in the lane next to it, amusingly), and then, no less than 100ft later proceeded to jam on the brakes like a maniac fir no apparent reason and not budge. I wasn't going very fast since there was nobody behind me that I had to worry about running me over and easily came to a stop behind the ignorant driver.
I patiently wait like any other road user should do, but as it becomes apparent that this driver wasn't going to be moving any time soon, I slipped around the car and continued down the road.
Then, (oh yes, it does get better), this driver, with an open road in front of us, sped past me for a second time as I crossed over into the left lane.
Don't you just love the bastards who think they own the road?
Enjoy (not that it is any good anyways).
Biking Columbia st. isn't the safest thing to do, but regardless, I did it. The reason it wasn't safe? TriMet has a billion and one buses running on it that don't need to be there, there is virtually no shoulder to the road, it takes you close to the heart of the downtown transit mall, and going along with the fact that there is no shoulder, you've got swarms of motorists in the two lanes that think they own the road.
Biking down columbia st. is sure an adventure, and it especially was today.
Today was nothing special; it was a usual day, however, while en route down Columbia to my 58 bus stop, this one motorist sped on by me, too close for comfort. Now, this happens a lot, but this one was particularly bad.
What exactly did they do? Hold your breath for one second and I'll tell you.
This woman, driving an old, beater white Volvo, zoomed on past me as fast and as close as they could (even though there was no car in the lane next to it, amusingly), and then, no less than 100ft later proceeded to jam on the brakes like a maniac fir no apparent reason and not budge. I wasn't going very fast since there was nobody behind me that I had to worry about running me over and easily came to a stop behind the ignorant driver.
I patiently wait like any other road user should do, but as it becomes apparent that this driver wasn't going to be moving any time soon, I slipped around the car and continued down the road.
Then, (oh yes, it does get better), this driver, with an open road in front of us, sped past me for a second time as I crossed over into the left lane.
Don't you just love the bastards who think they own the road?
TRUE OR FALSE?
http://rantingsofatrimetbusdriver.blogspot.com/2011/08/true-or-false.html
by simply reading the first sentence of this post, I would quickly say false.
by simply reading the first sentence of this post, I would quickly say false.
What's wrong with this?
Bus Driver Gets Fired After Rescuing 3 Cops
That is so f*cked up! That driver deserves his job back. He should've gotten praised for doing that, not fired!
That is so f*cked up! That driver deserves his job back. He should've gotten praised for doing that, not fired!
Crash
I now have heard that supposedly around 6:00pm tonight there was a crash on Jenkins with a bus (would've been the 62 or 67 depending on which part of Jenkins that it was on) and two cars.
I sure hope I hear more about this because I'm curious to know what happened.
I sure hope I hear more about this because I'm curious to know what happened.
A Message to the TriMet Board Members
To truly understand the significance of the Milwaukie project, you need to go out to the neighborhoods and see how construction will actually affect them. It is not enough for you to stay above the fray. Light rail is not an abstraction, or just a series of drawings on a board. Light rail affects real people. You need to be aware of that before you pull the trigger and wreck their street.
But sadly, TriMet couldn't care less about the people that they will affect by the building of this rotten orange line; they only care about building another shiny rail line to 'increase ridership' while slashing bus service to Milwaukie once again.
And the fun begins
Today Cascade Policy Institute sent a letter to Rep. John Mica, Chairman of the Congressional House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, requesting that he delete all $750 million in federal funding being requested by TriMet for the Milwaukie light rail project.
Noting that the recently-signed Budget Control Act of 2011 requires Congress to reduce federal spending by $917 billion over the next 10 years and that Rep. Mica has released a draft six-year transportation spending bill forecasting a 35% cut in federal highway/transit spending, Cascade President John A. Charles, Jr. stated that the price tag of $205 million per mile for Milwaukie light rail was “indefensible” and should be terminated.
Cascade sent a second letter to Gov. John Kitzhaber, informing him of the letter to Rep. Mica and asking that he intervene to terminate the Milwaukie project, but implement a low-cost alternative concept with the following elements:
- Finish the new bridge over the Willamette River
- Cancel the light rail portion
- Connect the streetcar loop
- Offer more “express” bus service to Milwaukie
Charles stated, “The Milwaukie project offers no new transit service, forces the relocation of 68 businesses and 20 residences, and degrades current bus service to Milwaukie. We can improve service while saving about $1.3 billion, and that plan would free up about $600 million in local dollars for other civic improvement projects.”
For the letter to Rep. Mica click here.
For the letter to Gov. Kitzhaber click here.
For a summary of the low-cost alternative plan for Milwaukie light rail click here.
For the letter to Gov. Kitzhaber click here.
For a summary of the low-cost alternative plan for Milwaukie light rail click here.
Support the Verizon strike against corporate greed
Wednesday August 10th
noon to 1:30 pm --Mall 205 Store, SE 99th and Washington
And
Thursday August 11, 1:30 to 3:30 pm--Portland downtown store, 616 SW Broadway
Would YOU ride Milwaukie MAX to go see this?
http://rantingsofatrimetbusdriver.blogspot.com/2011/08/soon-we-will-all-be-riding-milwaukie.html
I would think not. That thing is terrifying. I hope to god that TriMet doesn't let it go through to be built.
I would think not. That thing is terrifying. I hope to god that TriMet doesn't let it go through to be built.
JOHN LUSK RETIRES FROM TRIMET
http://rantingsofatrimetbusdriver.blogspot.com/2011/08/john-lusk-retires-take-care-john.html
Seems like a lot of people are retiring from TriMet lately, huh?
Seems like a lot of people are retiring from TriMet lately, huh?
Jack Bogdanski reports
New chief lawyer for Tri-Met
It's Jana Toran, 50-ish, a hard-charging litigator with a reputation among some opposing lawyers of playing rough. That may be a good trait in courtroom battle, but now she'll be running the entire legal department of a transit agency, which requires a different set of skills. What's more, Tri-Met's a scary client to have these days, as it teeters toward bankruptcy with the tea party turning off the D.C. money spigot. We wish Toran luck as she takes on her new role. She's going to need it.
At last report, Toran's old salary was north of $162,000. The guy she's replacing, Brian Playfair, was getting paid more than $192,000. Go by streetcar, people.
John Charles want an apology from two Metro councilors
Whether or not the output of CPI constitutes "misinformation" or not I'll let others decide--but the fact of the matter is that CPI is, essentially, a lobbying organization. Fanning the flames is its raison d'etre; it's what it does. It's what it is paid to do, ignoring the question of who happens to providing it funding. People and organizations give Cascade Policy Institute money in order to aid and support its agenda. CPI receives money precisely because its funding sources hope that CPI will have an influence on public policy, and CPI attempts to do so on several fronts, including both public testimony and published articles. And given that CPI has been in operation for a while now, and continues to receive funding, one might suspect that its donors believe that it is successful in these endeavors.
Portland Transport
Portland Transport
Is Harold Hut any relation to Harrison Hut?
http://rantingsofatrimetbusdriver.blogspot.com/2011/08/is-harold-hut-any-relation-to-harrison.html
(Harrison Hut is also the guy who posts on that HR202 blog).
(Harrison Hut is also the guy who posts on that HR202 blog).
Portland Cop Tasered A Disabled Man on TriMet
According to Welch's written report, Green had his hands tucked into the sleeves of his bulky jacket and refused orders to take them out. Green said "I just want to go home" and "I'm not doing anything wrong," according to Welch's report.
http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-27482-juicy_suits_portland_cop_tasered_a_disabled_man_on.html
That's just sick.
http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-27482-juicy_suits_portland_cop_tasered_a_disabled_man_on.html
That's just sick.
Could TriMet be spying?
Well it looks like it is possible. Somebody found an infared camera with sound installed at Beaverton TC.
Suspicious, TriMet...
Suspicious, TriMet...
Remember that story about that Wednesday night 35 horror story?
Well now Mary Fetsch has responded to Joe Rose's Oregon Live post about it, but it backfires as she gets some not so pleased responses from the public.
Some are below along with Mary Fetsch's response:
Some are below along with Mary Fetsch's response:
Mary Fetsch TriMet August 05, 2011 at 3:56PM
Follow
Joe: I sent an update to you and Brent. Wanted to share with your readers more details about what happened.
The operator was driving regular route on line 35 when a construction worker stopped her and told her she could not proceed due to a concrete spill. The construction worker suggested a reroute to get around it. The operator followed the suggestion but got turned around and lost her direction. She then parked her bus and contacted Dispatch. Dispatch attempted to guide her to get back on route. She then arrived at an intersection that she believed she couldn’t safely negotiate and called for further assistance. She parked her bus again until a supervisor arrived, stopped traffic so the bus could safely pass through the intersection, and then he guided her back to where she was able to get on route.
Lesson learned: call dispatch for reroute directions to ensure a 40’ bus can maneuver through the detour.
SP Red Electric August 08, 2011 at 8:50PM
"Lesson learned: call dispatch for reroute directions to ensure a 40’ bus can maneuver through the detour."
Mary, I've taken you to task before with your hostile comments about bus Operators and I'm going to do it again:
Why must you blame this Operator as well?
Every TriMet bus, as you should very well know, is equipped with a GPS receiver and a packet radio that transmits its location to Dispatch in real-time (How does Transit Tracker work?) When a bus goes off-route, a message is IMMEDIATELY sent by the onboard VCH (that's the little computer that the Operator uses to send and receive dispatch messages) to Dispatch informing the dispatcher the bus is off-route. Why did the Dispatcher not immediately respond? Why was a Supervisor not immediately called to the scene?
Why did TriMet Dispatch not receive prompt notification of an emergency street closure from Portland Bureau of Transportation or BOEC? That alone should have prompted an IMMEDIATE Supervisor response since now a bus route was closed and needed an emergency re-route.
Why did TriMet's own management fail to post updates in real-time on TriMet's variety of customer communications - www.trimet.org, TriMet's Twitter account and Facebook?
Just a few weeks ago I tried to take the bus from my work for lunch, and my bus stop was blocked off - and the buses weren't stopping. No Rider Alert or nothing...called 238-RIDE and "Customer Service" was just as helpful - no information. A few days later something finally got posted, "Stop Closed until further notice..." Gee, thanks for encouraging ridership.
Once again, TriMet's PR Spokesistas have no problem blaming the hapless Operator who got stuck in the mess without any support or help, and I bet that Operator feels real great knowing that she's getting blamed for something she had no control over.
Now, how about those OTHER questions? Why wasn't Dispatch aware of the situation up front? Why weren't Supervisors on scene ASAP? And...most importantly, what is TriMet going to do to ensure that emergency response to bus incidents is IDENTICAL to rail response? When MAX shuts down, multiple Supervisors are on scene with replacement buses (even if it means pulling buses off of their routes!)...but when a bus has a failure, it is effectively swept under the rug. We all pay the same fare, Mary Fetsch. Come ride with me. #94 bus leaving Pacific Highway & Walnut Street at 6:50 AM each morning. #94 bus leaving 5th and Hall at 4:50 PM each afternoon. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll show you what the bus system really looks like, not the P.R. spun version...
cwherewetku August 08, 2011 at 10:30PM
SHAME ON YOU MARY FETSCH!! That's the way to support these folks and show them you care...make' em feel as important as an expired transfer.
I agree with SP Red Electric. The Operator DID call for directions & assistance from dispatch and got directions. Only after the SECOND call did "help" arrive. You can't tell me they didn't know he/she was driving a 40' bus..the bus number comes up on their display! So you blame an Operator who was FOLLOWING PROCEDURE.
Far greater Lesson Learned: PLEASE STOP throwing Operators under the bus you likely can't drive yourself...(sad...sad...sad..at least politicians get voted out...)
TRANSIT MANAGERS ABUSING TRANSIT WORKERS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA
Since the managers couldn't care less about the actual workers.
Joe Ayala, a driver for 18 years — who said he has driven more than 1 million miles without an accident — provided an example of what he described as a disciplinary approach that has managers second-guessing what's happening on the street.
Ayala pulled his bus to the side of the road so a woman could, for safety reasons, get control of her child. The woman instead got off the bus and called in to complain.
"I was suspended for two days," Ayala said, adding, "I know what I'm doing out there."
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/aug/08/bus-routes-canceled-today-due-to-apparent/#ixzz1UYG8B9fb
Yet another Transit Agency winds up with Employees on strike
These workers are on strike because of 'forced overtime', as they call it.
And you think Portland's TriMet needs to worry about safety?
Philadelphia is the most dangerous city to be a transit worker. TriMet doesn't even come close to how bad Philadelphia's transit system's safety is.
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