http://rantingsofatrimetbusdriver.blogspot.com/2011/09/neils-more-and-better-plan-has-some.html
That name has some problems with it. 'More and Better'? Come on. You really couldn't do better than that?
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Governance Reform at TriMet: A Path to Democracy and Accountability
The one issue with TriMet that I find both shocking and indefensible is that its Board of Directors is an unelected body appointed by the Governor of Oregon. It is obviously undemocratic, as the Board has no accountability whatsoever to the people living in the TriMet district. This leads to a huge amount of distrust and animosity towards TriMet, since residents and communities have no clear way to lobby for policy changes. If the Board was appointed by a local elected official or elected body, then at least there would be someone who can be held accountable. Instead, the Governor of Oregon has direct control over who runs our local transit agency and has little incentive to consider local concerns.
Read the rest at Portland Transport. (the full thing is interesting, so read it!)
More on the soon-to-be crown jewel of TriMet (if it isn't already):
MILWAUKIE LIGHT RAIL! and how it will affect SE 17th:
Light rail on 17th Ave means widening the street, to function a lot like Interstate Avenue. Tracks and platforms will be in the center, flanked by traffic lanes, bike lanes and sidewalks.
There will be no crossing or left turns except at signalized intersections. New traffic signals will be added at Rhine Street, Center Street, Boise Street (aligning with a new gate to the yard) and Schiller Street. The existing traffic signal at Holgate Boulevard will expand to allow left turns in all directions.
Where the street will widen
Continuing to provide adequate employee parking is a top priority.
Between Powell Boulevard and Rhone Street, the project is purchasing property on the east side of 17th Ave. Between Rhone Street and McLoughlin Boulevard, the right-of-way expands to the west. This alignment "threads the needle" to minimize impacts to the most high-cost buildings. However, it does impact portions of the TriMet employee parking lots. Both parking lots on the west side of 17th will continue to exist, but each will lose about three rows of parking. Continuing to provide adequate employee parking is a top priority, and interdepartmental teams are actively developing strategies to address this need.
Rail and bus together
17th Ave will feature two MAX stations: Rhine (between Rhine Street and Haig Street) and Holgate (between Holgate Boulevard and Mall Street). Lines 17 and 70 will continue to serve 17th Ave, including stops in pullouts at Center Street. Buses returning to the yard will benefit from a traffic signal at Center Street and a relocated fare box drop to minimize delay on 17th Ave.
The region selected the alignment for PMLR following a public process and environmental impact statement led by Metro. 17th Ave. was selected to serve its diverse mix of neighborhood residents and employers, and to create opportunities to enliven this important corridor.
Document Actions
There goes that nice little community over there...
There will be no crossing or left turns except at signalized intersections. New traffic signals will be added at Rhine Street, Center Street, Boise Street (aligning with a new gate to the yard) and Schiller Street. The existing traffic signal at Holgate Boulevard will expand to allow left turns in all directions.
Where the street will widen
Continuing to provide adequate employee parking is a top priority.
Between Powell Boulevard and Rhone Street, the project is purchasing property on the east side of 17th Ave. Between Rhone Street and McLoughlin Boulevard, the right-of-way expands to the west. This alignment "threads the needle" to minimize impacts to the most high-cost buildings. However, it does impact portions of the TriMet employee parking lots. Both parking lots on the west side of 17th will continue to exist, but each will lose about three rows of parking. Continuing to provide adequate employee parking is a top priority, and interdepartmental teams are actively developing strategies to address this need.
Rail and bus together
17th Ave will feature two MAX stations: Rhine (between Rhine Street and Haig Street) and Holgate (between Holgate Boulevard and Mall Street). Lines 17 and 70 will continue to serve 17th Ave, including stops in pullouts at Center Street. Buses returning to the yard will benefit from a traffic signal at Center Street and a relocated fare box drop to minimize delay on 17th Ave.
The region selected the alignment for PMLR following a public process and environmental impact statement led by Metro. 17th Ave. was selected to serve its diverse mix of neighborhood residents and employers, and to create opportunities to enliven this important corridor.
Document Actions
There goes that nice little community over there...
Meet the public relations staff for PMLR
Diane Goodwin, Capital Projects; Jennifer Koozer, Capital Projects; Jessica Bucciarelli, Organization Development;Carol McCormick, Facilities Development;Tony Fuentes, Operations Support; Judy Munro, Facilities Development; Tom MIlls, Service Planning & Scheduling
What? I'm joking? No way! You better believe it! This aint no joke. I mean...don't they look so much like a public relations staff? I know, they don't look anything like one. This is where we end up with TriMet, as usual.
This is kind of interesting...
...If you're a transit geek who is curious about everything...
James Strathman report on absences at TRIMET
For you bus riders, it sort of explains why the bus was a no show and then TriMet tells you that the operator was a no show and that was why the bus wasn't there...possibly....maybe...sort of....
The summary of it is below because those pdf. things are annoying to read:
Transit providers maintain a reserve pool of operators, known as extraboards, to fill work
assignments when regular-duty operators are absent. The extraboard planning process (or
“sizing the extraboard”) must anticipate the amount of open work that will need to be
filled. Sizing the extraboard is thus an exercise in predicting absences among regularduty
operators. Important consequences follow when the size of the extraboard does not
match the amount of work that needs to be filled. Missed pull-outs occur when the open
work exceeds the available extraboard. Alternatively, when the available extraboard
exceeds the amount of open work, surplus operators must be paid for services that
customers never see. In either case, a cost is imposed, borne either by customers or the
service provider.
Short-duration absences, extending from one to three days, account for most of the dayto-
day variation in the amount of open work that must be filled by extraboard operators.
Both the general incidence and the variability of short-duration operator absences have
increased since the implementation of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of
1993. The U.S. Department of Labor has identified the transit industry as being among
the most affected by FMLA regulations on unscheduled intermittent leaves associated
with serious medical conditions. FMLA regulations currently allow workers to notify
their employer of such leaves up to two days after their occurrence.
Given the increasing frequency and daily volatility of short-duration absences, there is a
need to gain a better understanding of their systematic occurrence in order to support
extraboard planning efforts. Apart from facilitating the planning process, improving our
understanding of factors that contribute to short-duration absences may also help in
identifying changes in policies or practices that would reduce their incidence. Beyond
our direct interest in extraboard planning, research indicates that short-term absences
represent an early indicator of more serious subsequent conditions, such as medical
disabilities, and can also lead to premature resignations.
This report examines patterns of short-duration absences at TriMet, the transit provider
for the Portland, OR, metropolitan area. It is distinguished from previous absence studies
in the transit industry by its use of operator-specific information recovered from ITS
technologies that have become widely deployed in the transit industry. The analysis
integrates ITS data with information from TriMet’s human resource, scheduling, incident,
and customer relations databases.
A statistical model is estimated, relating daily attendance or absence to operators’
personal characteristics, employment status, characteristics of assigned work, indicators
associated with the delivery of service, and customer comments related to operators and
service delivery. The sample analyzed covers 1,362 bus and 175 light-rail regular-duty
operators and their daily work in 2006 and 2007.
Findings from the statistical analysis show the influence of a variety of factors
contributing to absence patterns among operators. Regarding personal characteristics,
absence likelihoods are highest among Caucasian operators and decline progressively for
African-Americans, Asians, and Hispanics. Absence likelihoods are estimated to be
higher for women than for men. Regarding employment status, full-time operators are
estimated to have a higher absence likelihood than part-time and probationary operators.
Absence likelihoods are estimated to increase with seniority, but this is more than offset
by estimated declines with respect to operator age.
Among the assigned work characteristics, operators on regular-relief and straight-run
assignments are estimated to have the lowest absence likelihood, while the absence
likelihoods of those with split shifts (both full- and part-time) are the highest. Assigned
runs that conclude before 5 p.m. have lower estimated absence likelihoods than runs that
conclude in the evening or nighttime hours. Estimated absence likelihoods vary by day
of the week, with Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays being the highest. Absence
likelihoods also are estimated to jump on the day before an operator’s regular day off.
Seasonality is apparent, with absence likelihoods estimated to reach a peak in December,
January, and February, and a trough in the April-to-September period.
Among the service delivery variables, on-time performance is found to be an important
absence indicator. Operators who are consistently late in departures from time points
compared to their peers are estimated to have a higher absence likelihood. Other factors
contributing positively to absence likelihoods are speeding and higher volumes of
passenger movements and lift operations. The recent occurrence of selected events was
also found to have positive effects on absence likelihoods. Such events included security
response requests, having to take evasive action, vehicle malfunctions, and lost service.
In the area of customer relations, a pattern of recent complaints related to the safe
operation of a vehicle, the timeliness or availability of service, or customers’ treatment by
the operator each were estimated to have a positive effect on absence likelihoods. A
recent incident involving a question of an operator’s fitness for duty, whether initiated
from a customer contact or other source, also was estimated to positively affect the
estimated absence likelihood.
The statistical model provides a basis for estimating short-duration absences in support of
the extraboard planning process. Findings from the analysis also indicate the possible
attendance benefits that would follow from several policy changes. First, allowing
operators to switch from full-time to part-time status without losing their seniority rights
would be beneficial to several operator groups. These groups include senior operators,
who might be induced to return to service on a part-time basis after retirement, and women operators, who may find the option of part-time service to be a better fit in
balancing their work and non-work responsibilities.
James Strathman report on absences at TRIMET
For you bus riders, it sort of explains why the bus was a no show and then TriMet tells you that the operator was a no show and that was why the bus wasn't there...possibly....maybe...sort of....
The summary of it is below because those pdf. things are annoying to read:
assignments when regular-duty operators are absent. The extraboard planning process (or
“sizing the extraboard”) must anticipate the amount of open work that will need to be
filled. Sizing the extraboard is thus an exercise in predicting absences among regularduty
operators. Important consequences follow when the size of the extraboard does not
match the amount of work that needs to be filled. Missed pull-outs occur when the open
work exceeds the available extraboard. Alternatively, when the available extraboard
exceeds the amount of open work, surplus operators must be paid for services that
customers never see. In either case, a cost is imposed, borne either by customers or the
service provider.
Short-duration absences, extending from one to three days, account for most of the dayto-
day variation in the amount of open work that must be filled by extraboard operators.
Both the general incidence and the variability of short-duration operator absences have
increased since the implementation of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of
1993. The U.S. Department of Labor has identified the transit industry as being among
the most affected by FMLA regulations on unscheduled intermittent leaves associated
with serious medical conditions. FMLA regulations currently allow workers to notify
their employer of such leaves up to two days after their occurrence.
Given the increasing frequency and daily volatility of short-duration absences, there is a
need to gain a better understanding of their systematic occurrence in order to support
extraboard planning efforts. Apart from facilitating the planning process, improving our
understanding of factors that contribute to short-duration absences may also help in
identifying changes in policies or practices that would reduce their incidence. Beyond
our direct interest in extraboard planning, research indicates that short-term absences
represent an early indicator of more serious subsequent conditions, such as medical
disabilities, and can also lead to premature resignations.
This report examines patterns of short-duration absences at TriMet, the transit provider
for the Portland, OR, metropolitan area. It is distinguished from previous absence studies
in the transit industry by its use of operator-specific information recovered from ITS
technologies that have become widely deployed in the transit industry. The analysis
integrates ITS data with information from TriMet’s human resource, scheduling, incident,
and customer relations databases.
A statistical model is estimated, relating daily attendance or absence to operators’
personal characteristics, employment status, characteristics of assigned work, indicators
associated with the delivery of service, and customer comments related to operators and
service delivery. The sample analyzed covers 1,362 bus and 175 light-rail regular-duty
operators and their daily work in 2006 and 2007.
Findings from the statistical analysis show the influence of a variety of factors
contributing to absence patterns among operators. Regarding personal characteristics,
absence likelihoods are highest among Caucasian operators and decline progressively for
African-Americans, Asians, and Hispanics. Absence likelihoods are estimated to be
higher for women than for men. Regarding employment status, full-time operators are
estimated to have a higher absence likelihood than part-time and probationary operators.
Absence likelihoods are estimated to increase with seniority, but this is more than offset
by estimated declines with respect to operator age.
Among the assigned work characteristics, operators on regular-relief and straight-run
assignments are estimated to have the lowest absence likelihood, while the absence
likelihoods of those with split shifts (both full- and part-time) are the highest. Assigned
runs that conclude before 5 p.m. have lower estimated absence likelihoods than runs that
conclude in the evening or nighttime hours. Estimated absence likelihoods vary by day
of the week, with Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays being the highest. Absence
likelihoods also are estimated to jump on the day before an operator’s regular day off.
Seasonality is apparent, with absence likelihoods estimated to reach a peak in December,
January, and February, and a trough in the April-to-September period.
Among the service delivery variables, on-time performance is found to be an important
absence indicator. Operators who are consistently late in departures from time points
compared to their peers are estimated to have a higher absence likelihood. Other factors
contributing positively to absence likelihoods are speeding and higher volumes of
passenger movements and lift operations. The recent occurrence of selected events was
also found to have positive effects on absence likelihoods. Such events included security
response requests, having to take evasive action, vehicle malfunctions, and lost service.
In the area of customer relations, a pattern of recent complaints related to the safe
operation of a vehicle, the timeliness or availability of service, or customers’ treatment by
the operator each were estimated to have a positive effect on absence likelihoods. A
recent incident involving a question of an operator’s fitness for duty, whether initiated
from a customer contact or other source, also was estimated to positively affect the
estimated absence likelihood.
The statistical model provides a basis for estimating short-duration absences in support of
the extraboard planning process. Findings from the analysis also indicate the possible
attendance benefits that would follow from several policy changes. First, allowing
operators to switch from full-time to part-time status without losing their seniority rights
would be beneficial to several operator groups. These groups include senior operators,
who might be induced to return to service on a part-time basis after retirement, and women operators, who may find the option of part-time service to be a better fit in
balancing their work and non-work responsibilities.
I'll give you one guess about what will happen to Milwaukie's GREAT bus service after MLR is built...
The exact same thing as what happened here--the rail gets introduced and the buses get cut. Simple as that.
Milwaukie has the 31,32,33, 99 running from downtown to Milwaukie TC and farther. All of them, save for maybe the 33 which has frequent service out to Milwaukie will no longer serve downtown because TriMet will saw the routes down and tell those loyal riders to suck it up and ride the MAX out to Milwaukie TC instead and connect to their bus down there.
Milwaukie has the 31,32,33, 99 running from downtown to Milwaukie TC and farther. All of them, save for maybe the 33 which has frequent service out to Milwaukie will no longer serve downtown because TriMet will saw the routes down and tell those loyal riders to suck it up and ride the MAX out to Milwaukie TC instead and connect to their bus down there.
You think you've heard the most insane bus driver rules? Wait till you read about this one.
District policy prohibits drivers from drinking water unless they lock the bus and leave the driver's compartment.
Bus drivers seek clearance to drink water as they drive | TBO.com
Bus drivers seek clearance to drink water as they drive | TBO.com
Sounds like something TriMet would try to make a rule.
Well these are kinda cool....
These are the pictures from the TriMet "how we roll" thing back on August 11th.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)