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They Love Us in Cypress! (so far)
Wednesday, January 24, 2007 12:38 PM

 

On its second day of operation, the new 217 HP/Cypress Park & Ride was a resounding hit with most of its riders.

It had 26 percent higher ridership- or boardings -  on opening day than the previous best Park & Ride – and 232 percent more ridership than the average Park & Ride during its first week of operation.

Jim Archer, manager of ridership analysis and service evaluation, stood in the parking lot for all 21 bus trips on Monday and watched passengers get on and off the buses. 

The comments he heard included: 

“I’m thrilled.”

“I’m ecstatic.” 

“Thanks for bringing it out here.”

“I only have a $5 bill, but I’ll give you a $1.50 ‘tip’ in your fare box.”

“This is great.” 

“I live two blocks from here. This is wonderful.”

“When can we add more service?” 

Archer said he heard more compliments than complaints. “They want more trips. They want earlier and later in the morning. So far, no one has asked for earlier or later in the afternoon,” he said.

Archer is our numbers guy, and here’s what he supplied to us for our opening day statistics:

· 249 customers boarded Route 217 HP/Cypress Park & Ride on Monday morning, 229 customers got off at the lot in the afternoon.

· Three trips – 6 a.m.; 4:25 p.m. and 5:10 p.m. – carried its maximum load of 46 passengers.

· The HP/Cypress Park & Ride achieved 95 percent of the estimated average weekday ridership for the first month of operation on launch day.

“It’s been going very well,” said Katrina Miesch, director of operations planning. “We’ve had incredible use already. The community in general has been very positive and excited about it. (We had) two days’ notice – once the word gets out, we’ll have a lot more use.”

Miesch said everyone thought this new Park & Ride lot would be successful but until a lease with Hewlett-Packard was signed last Thursday, METRO couldn’t tell anyone about it.

METRO’s original plan was to run buses every 15 minutes when launching this new Park & Ride lot, then increase the frequency to every 12 minutes at the end of the academic school year.

“Definitely, the ridership at this point suggests we may have to rethink that,” said Archer. “We had a 17 percent ridership growth from one day to the next.”

Miesch cautioned that METRO wants to carefully analyze ridership patterns before tinkering with the schedule.

“We need time to let the service settle in for a few weeks while we review the ridership to see if we should adjust the schedule using the same number of buses to better match passenger loads with demand,” said Miesch. “Right now, we do not have any definite plans to add anything.”

A few minor glitches occurred on opening day. A few customers went to the permanent site being constructed instead of the temporary HP/Cypress lot. Some passengers didn’t realize the buses only make four downtown stops.

Locks to the gates were adjusted to beef up security, but yesterday the wrong keys were given out, thus resulting in a long line of drivers waiting to park.

But overall, the first two days have been smooth. “I’m just pleased it’s going well,” said David Feeley, senior vice president of operations.

Julie Fernandez, manager of strategic analysis, is designing a customer satisfaction survey that will be distributed in the next few weeks to HP/Cypress Park and Ride passengers. We’ll post about that when we get the results.

Posted by Mary Sit
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    • Comments

    Matt Bramanti said:

    Mary, is the camera system in place and functioning at this Park and Ride?

    # January 24, 2007 1:04 PM

    moniques said:

    I would love to use the P&R in Cypress as well.  But, I had posed a few questions on the other blog without any response.

    Can vanpools use the temporary lot?

    Will the HOV be extended to accomodate the new P&R?

    Will there be a fee at the permanent location?

    Can vanpool vans have a designated parking spot in the new garage?

    # January 24, 2007 1:10 PM

    Mary Sit said:

    Moniques, I am trying to find the answers to your questions and will respond as soon as I have them. Thanks for your patience.

    # January 24, 2007 6:51 PM

    Mary Sit said:

    Matt, I don't know, but I have just made four phone calls and written an e-mail to people who do. Will keep you posted.

    # January 24, 2007 7:02 PM

    DominicMazoch said:

    Three comments:

    1.  Are the patrons "new", or are they former 214 riders?  This should give some help to the overcrouding at the 214 lots.

    2.  The new 219 off peak service should go to the 217 lot.

    3.  Is METRO considering adding more spaces to the 214 lots?  Parking Garage?

    # January 24, 2007 8:40 PM

    Mary Sit said:

    Matt, regarding your question on security cameras:

    "They are being installed this week at the temporary lot, and there will also be cameras at the permanent lot scheduled for opening around May.  There is also a guard at the property 5:00 am - 9:00 p.m.," said MPD's Captain Michael Raney.

    # January 25, 2007 9:08 AM

    Laurence Simon said:

    Please refer to use "brad" at the bloghouston.com forums (http://www.bloghouston.net/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=19273#p19273).

    I'm sure they really need to sign up for these forums here and reply directly, but I guess I'll do you a favor and copy their thoughts here:

    "It  Is  Nice   To  Have  The  Cypress  Park  &   Ride,    But  I   Rode  It  2   Times   This  Week   And   Was  Late   For   Work  Both   Times."

    How have the buses serving this new Park And Ride been performing schedule-wise?

    # January 25, 2007 11:37 AM

    somerbreezz said:

    I have a question, I have rode the 217 bus (7:00 a.m.) twice this week, Monday and Thursday.  Both times, the driver (same driver) gets off the bus at the NW Transit center and heads somewhere (I could not see where she was going) and I could tell other people on the bus were trying to see where she was going too.  She returns talking on her cell phone (or it could be a company phone).  Both times we are clearly not early and actually running late and we sit and watch as other buses arrive & drop off/pick up passengers and immediately take off.  It would be different if we arrived way ahead of schedule at the NW Center but both times the bus actually was running late.

    Can you tell us why the bus is sitting at the NW Transit Center?  Thanks so much!

    # January 25, 2007 12:02 PM

    Mary Sit said:

    Moniques, here are the answers to  your questions:

    Yes, vanpools can use the temporary lot.

    No, the HOV will not be extended to accommodate the new P&R.

    No, there will not be a fee at the permanent location.

    Still checking on the last question.

    # January 25, 2007 2:06 PM

    L Magyar said:

    I rode the 217 on Wednesday for the first time at 6:45 am and I'm afraid I was neither thrilled nor ecstatic, just very disappointed. Because the HOV lane does not go as far as Skinner Road, the trip downtown ended up being well over an hour (compared to about 1/2 hr on the 214). It took 45 minutes just to get to West Road where the 214 normally gets on the HOV. Please, please, Metro needs to extend the HOV lane, otherwise the 217 is just not practical and I'll go back to the 214. Also, when will the ramp from the Northwest Transit Center to I10 finally be ready? Buses also spend a great deal of time waiting in traffic on Washington.

    # January 25, 2007 3:17 PM

    Mary Sit said:

    RE: Van pools at the temporary lot.

    While it's OK to use this lot for vanpooling, there's no overnight parking allowed. The van cannot be left overnight in this temporary Park & Ride lot.  

    # January 25, 2007 4:39 PM

    mbravo01 said:

    Hello! I work with Continental Airlines in downtown. I moved to this beautiful city 6 years ago from the Big Apple (NYC) and immediately began utilizing the METRO system. I have been riding the 214 line for about 5 years now and when I read about the expansion of the park and ride system to Cypress I can’t begin to tell you how excited I was about living so close to a bus route. Finally an end to an 8 mile drive to a park & ride; no more quirks that the Northwest Park & Ride is infamous for; especially the heavy traffic on 290 nearing HWY 6. However now that the schedule has been published for the 217, I was puzzled and felt let down about the start time for the 217. I figured that it would almost mirror the 214’s schedule or at the least match the start times to get the early risers to the city on time. What would it take to get a 5 AM start for the 217? Do you need signatures from riders or more requests in order to implement such a thing? I know there would be interest in an earlier start time, just look at the ridership on the 214 5:00 AM bus. I would be more than interested in starting a campaign to implement such a change. Is there a possibility that midday service will begin any time soon? I used to take my son on a bus ride to the train and then to the Children’s Museum. He loved it! Then it became difficult to locate a parking spot around 10 AM at the NW Station. I remember seeing college students riding the bus to downtown; so why not implement midday service?

    # January 25, 2007 10:50 PM

    mbravo01 said:

    To correct my previous posting: with regard to the start time, maybe 4:45 AM would be more ideal so that passengers arrive at the same time as the 214. That would minimize the possibility of work schedule conflicts. Until then I'm going to continue to ride the 214 since I can't get to work by 5:35 AM using the 217.

    # January 25, 2007 11:18 PM

    moniques said:

    Mary,

      Just to confirm...we will be unable to leave the van at the temporary lot.  I guess that is because the lot does not actually belong to Metro, correct?

      What about the permanent lot?  Will we be able to leave the van there overnight?

    Monique

    # January 26, 2007 7:44 AM

    David said:

    Ms. Sit:

    If I ride the 217 (or any other P&R bus) in the opposite direction of the rush-hour flow -- i.e., if I ride outbound in the morning or inbound in the afternoon -- do I still pay the full fare? Some time back, riders used to have to pay only the $1 local fare when they rode a P&R bus against the rush hour flow. Has this changed?

    Thanks... David

    # January 26, 2007 12:24 PM

    Stonegaterider said:

    At the outset, I would like to thank all the folks involved at Metro to start the 217 service using the temporary park & ride facility. I think starting the service prior to the construction of the permanent facility required some out of the box thinking and to that end kudos to all involved.

    Without an HOV lane, there are definite disadvantages to riding the 217 as opposed to the 214. However, I have committed myself to trying the 217 service for a couple of weeks before deciding if I should revert back to driving to the 214 Park & Ride facility. The major consideration being the commute time on the 217 service from the park & ride facility to the HOV entrance (which has been between 30 minutes to 45 minutes) vs. the commute time to the 214 facility and catching the 214 bus.

    For those of you wondering if the HOV lane will be extended, the response I got from TxDOT is as follows:

    “We are not aware of any plans currently to extend the HOV from its current entrance/exit just east of

    SH 6. It is our understanding that METRO operations will utilize existing US 290 between the Skinner Road facility and the existing HOV terminus near SH 6.” Based on the response I got from TxDOT, it does appear that any future expansions on 290 and the HOV will not happen prior to 2010/2011 when some of the major expansion work on 290 is estimated to start. For those of you that are interested, please visit this website www.my290.com for further details.

    Ms. Mary Sit – The only question I have for now is in regards to the HOV lane in the evenings. The HOV lane on most evenings between 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm or is as slow as the main lanes if not slower. I would like to know if there are any plans to restrict access to the HOV lane during the peak hours in the evenings to vehicles with 3+ passengers just like the mornings between 6:45 am – 8:00 am.

    Thanks.

    # January 26, 2007 2:07 PM

    yamadude said:

    It’s not a surprise that new NW area service would be a hit. The population growth in the NW area is growing faster then anyone ever expected. (Esp in the award winning cypress fairbanks school district.) Any new service to the area will be a success. It’s needed.  

    # January 28, 2007 10:41 AM

    Anonymous said:

    I was just wondering though, if a direct NW to Med. Center Route has ever been studied for feasibility?  With the lines at the NWTC it seems there would be enough ridership for it.

    DominicMazoch, I agree with your comment of extending the 219 to Cypress P&R.

    # January 28, 2007 10:43 PM

    Matt Bramanti said:

    Mary, any luck finding out whether the cameras are working?

    # January 29, 2007 2:12 PM

    Matt Bramanti said:

    Sorry for asking the question again. I missed your answer. Thanks!

    My understanding is that the permanent lot will be a multi-story garage. Will the cameras be able to cover the entire interior of the garage, will they be placed only at entrances and exits, or will some other configuration be used?

    # January 29, 2007 4:51 PM

    BuffaloBill said:

    First let me say I was very excited about the Cypress Park & Ride project and I was very pleased that METRO opened up the temporary lot ahead of the schedule...  However I believe if the logistic behind the 217 schedule stay the same, this service is doomed!

    I recognize there are always startup problems but who thinks that people will:

    Increase thier daily commute by 20-30mins per day?  As the "scheduled" times are not as frequent as the 214 bus it is meant to replace... suggest bus departures not later than every 15 minutes.

    Wait in traffic as there is no HOV and 290 backs up terribly in the morning... Suggest you work with TXDOT to add a "Diamond" lane.. at least southbound in the AM, the afternoon its not as big an issue..

    Walk farther to work than the old 214 bus schedule?  This bus only makes limited stops downtown.... suggest you mimic 214 stops that the bus is trying to assist.

    Taking into account that this bus also winds up costing another $20 a month...

    To recap who do you think is willing to pay more to wait longer at the bus stop, sit longer in traffic while commuting, and walk farther in the great elements..liquid sunshine (rain) and hot humid summer weather this area is known for... to get to work late?

    Sorry for the sarcasm... I really want his bus to work but most people I talk to are willing to give this only a limited chance before reverting to the 214 or other modes of transport...  I look forward to your response

    # January 30, 2007 10:00 AM

    BuffaloBill said:

    Sorry typo.. shuld say "Increase thier daily commute by 20-30mins each way... 40-60 mins/day

    # January 30, 2007 10:06 AM

    Stonegaterider said:

    Mary,

    The 290 HOV lane on most evenings between 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm is as slow as the main lanes if not slower.

    I would like to know if there are any plans to restrict access to the 290 HOV lane during the peak hours in the evenings to vehicles with 3+ passengers just like the mornings between 6:45 am – 8:00 am.

    I think this measure would ease the congestion on the 290 HOV lane during peak evening hours.

    Would it be possible for you to find an answer out for this question.

    Thanks

    # January 30, 2007 3:26 PM

    jyc9999 said:

    I agree with BuffaloBill. bus departures every 15 minutes is not going to work for people who wants to get on the 217 bus.

    I want to get on the 5:45am bus and usually get on the bus by 5:42am. But in the past two days, it was full even before 5:40. This morning, there was a line already waiting to get on the 6:00am bus while the 5:45am bus was still there. People could not get on because it was completely packed up already! I was able to get on the 6:00am bus luckily, but by 5:55am, there were people standing on the bus already, and a line were there to wait for 6:15 bus. We can tell how bad it will be for people who wants to get on the 6:15 bus.

    So, I think everyone who rides on 217 would love to see more buses, and shorten the bus interval to around 10 minutes.

    Thank you

    # January 31, 2007 7:59 AM

    Mary Sit said:

    Matt, the new permanent Cypress Park & Ride garage will be a four-floor facility with cameras at entrances, exits and on all four floors.

    "Our intent is to monitor all parking areas – and both ingress and egress so it’s an integrated system," said Chief Tom Lambert.

    # January 31, 2007 12:52 PM

    Stonegaterider said:

    For all it's worth, there is an online petition underway to extend HOV lane on 290.

    Here is the link:

    http://www.PetitionOnline.com/290Diamd/

    Mary,

    Any updates on the HOV lane question.  

    Thanks,

    # January 31, 2007 2:08 PM

    Mary Sit said:

    Here are some answers from Katrina Miesch, director of operations planning: Q:Will you be able to leave vans overnight in the permanent Cypress Park & Ride garage? A: Yes. Q: Will you still have to pay the full fare if you ride the 217 (or any other P&R bus) in the opposite direction of the rush-hour flow? A: Yes. Q: Will the fare change for riders who used to pay only the $1 local fare when they rode a P&R bus against the rush hour flow? A: No, but it is proposed to change with the fare restructuring. The date is still undetermined. Q: Has a direct NW route to Medical Center route ever been studied for feasibility? A: Yes, and demand from Katy and 290 combined supports service via the 298 service. Individually, 290 and Katy do not support enough demand. Q: Who thinks people will increase their daily commute by 20 to 30 minutes each way...40 to 60 minutes/day? As the "scheduled" times are not as frequent as the 214 bus it is meant to replace. A: This service is not a replacement for the 214, but rather a supplement. This lot is seven miles further northwest from the Northwest Station Park & Ride. Q: Who thinks people will walk farther to work than the old 214 bus schedule? This bus only makes limited stops downtown. A: Limited downtown stops improve the overall travel throughout downtown. Q: Who do you think is willing to pay more to wait longer at the bus stop, sit longer in traffic while commuting, and walk farther in the great elements...to get to work late? A: 300 people are using this service daily after less than seven days of operation. Q: Bus departures every 15 minutes is not going to work for people who want to get on the 217. A: We are monitoring the demand and use of the service to determine if we need to adjust the trips. Q: I want to get on the 5:45 a.m. bus and usually get on the bus by 5:42 a.m. But in the past two days, it was full even before 5:40. A: No trip has had 100 percent of the seats full to date. The supervisors have submitted records of boarding activity. The first trips have the highest percentage of occupants.
    # February 1, 2007 4:38 PM

    DMG said:

    I think the petition will help.  We can also contact the elected officials whose district the Cypress Park & Ride is located.  We need to let them know that 2011 is to long to wait for HOV lanes.

    Go to: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/

    Put in your home address.  This will provides tel#, mailing address and email for elected officials.

    # February 1, 2007 4:57 PM

    galahad said:

    Mary,

    You might want to let Katrina Miesch know that she is wrong about "No trip has had 100 percent of the seats full to date" I would like her to tell that to the people that have been standing on some of the morning rides. I doubt they just stood just because they felt like it. Either the supervisors can not count to 46 or 100 percent capacity means people hanging on to the sides of the bus either way something needs to be done and acting like there is no problem just makes everyone at Metro look worse than the already do.

    # February 2, 2007 9:39 AM

    Bus Rider said:

    There is currently an online petition to TXDOT to extend a Diamond Lane or a Bus Lane from the end of the HOV at FM 1960 out to Cypress.  According to the comment on the petition of those who signed it is desparately needed.   I moved to out to Barker Cypress 5 years ago this year and I have watched traffic dramatically increase every year.  Now traffic starts to back up around Barker Cypress very early in the morning.

    Please sign the petition and forward the following weblink to your friends and family whether you live on 290 or elsewhere.

    The petition link is http://www.petitiononline.com/290Diamd/petition.html

    # February 2, 2007 10:50 AM

    gco said:

    I take issue with the statement by Ms. Meisch that "Limited stops improve the overall travel through downtown."  That may be true if the goal is to get the bus through and out of downtown as quickly as possible.  However, if the goal is to get the riders, Metro's customers, to their destinations as quickly and conveniently as possible, it is most certainly not true.  For example, if I save a couple of minutes (maybe) by having one less stop before I get off the bus at Dallas instead of McKinney, I lose the two minutes or more by having to walk an extra two blocks.  So, Metro's customer ends up walking farther and getting there later.  The bus driver and his bus get out of downtown a little faster though, if that's the goal.

    One other point, just for giggles.  Even though this service is "a supplement to", not a replacement for 214, I suspect that the vast majority of the riders are former 214 riders.  A few years ago, a survey was conducted by Metro that resulted in the A&B routes.  One of the things in the survey was that McKinney was the most popular dropping off point for the riders.  If Metro insists on stopping at only 4 points downtown, shouldn't one of them at least be the one the most riders want to stop?

    # February 2, 2007 1:29 PM

    Anonymous said:

    What was the deal yesterday afternoon that our driver got off of the bus to go talk to the other driver who was blocking the driveway and we had to unboard way over on the side street?  That circle does not seem like the best place for buses to load and unload anyway.  If a bus broke down there the other buses couldn't get through. Also, I haven't seen a reason as to why the 219 doesn't come all of the way out to cypress.  I work in the med center and often end up having to work late often.  It's not (or wasn't) unusual for me to catch the 214 around 7 or 8p, and I am worried of getting stuck if I have work late.
    # February 3, 2007 1:23 PM

    Anonymous said:

    Oh BTW, I agree with galahad, The bus has been full. I wasn't allowed to board on morning because the bus was full. So I would like to know what gives on Ms. Meisch's answers. Is her personnel lieing to her or is Metro lieing to us because there is a problem.
    # February 3, 2007 1:28 PM

    jyc9999 said:

    Hey malewine, galahad,

    Thanks for verifying the buses were full before the departure time. I was completely lost when I saw Mary Sit's answer saying no bus has been 100% capacity yet. I was all confused, why would I be asked to wait for the next bus and watch the bus left if the bus is not full?? Honest, I don't even mind standing because I don't want to be at work early. But I was just not allowed to get on the bus.

    Anyway, I still feel thankful that metro opened up the Cypress Park and Ride route. It is new, so, we just have to to be patient and let them know the problems and I am sure they will help us solve them.

    # February 5, 2007 7:07 AM

    Anonymous said:

    Just FYI...for Ms. Meisch, If your people still can't count, the 217 5:45 bus was full again this morning with standing room only and people were standing, so I am curious at to what constitutes a full bus.

    # February 5, 2007 7:12 AM

    Rider Wanabee said:

    I have waited 12+ years for the Cypress Park & Ride, and now that it is finally open, am so disappointed with the schedule because I am still having to drive 20 miles east in the a.m. and 20 miles west in the p.m. to ride the 214. I know others have written about the scheduling, but I want to add my 2 cents worth. Please, please consider adding at least an 8 a.m. and an 8:15 a.m. departure in the morning and having the evening combo buses continue out to 217.
    # February 6, 2007 1:09 PM

    moniques said:

    Mary, You mentioned that vehicles cannot be left at the temporary lot overnight. However, I am seeing vanpools there overnight and the gates are not locked. Is it possible for vanpools to leave the van in the lot overnight? Some folks cannot take the vans home and would need a place to park it.
    # February 7, 2007 7:29 AM

    BuffaloBill said:

    Mary,

    Thanks for taking the time to respond but I dont think you guys are approching this thing right.  Let me try to explain...

    I have added some comments to your reply..

    Here are some answers from Katrina Miesch, director of operations planning:

    Q: Who thinks people will increase their daily commute by 20 to 30 minutes each way...40 to 60 minutes/day? As the "scheduled" times are not as frequent as the 214 bus it is meant to replace.

    A: This service is not a replacement for the 214, but rather a supplement. This lot is seven miles further northwest from the Northwest Station Park & Ride.

    My Rebuttal: I live north of 217… It is closer to my home, yet it will takes less time for me  to get to 214…. It seems others have posted the same….So long run if you intend to supplement 214 you are missing the boat.  People are willing to work the bugs out… If you don’t correct the issues people are letting you know about, you will be missing a golden opportunity to increase your base ridership.  Its been said for every person who complains about a service there are 10-15 who don’t and simple stop using the product or go elsewhere…  look hard at what people are telling you… everyone wants this to succeed.

    Q: Who thinks people will walk farther to work than the old 214 bus schedule? This bus only makes limited stops downtown.

    A: Limited downtown stops improve the overall travel throughout downtown.

    My Rebuttal:  Is the goal to see how quickly we can get buses back and forth? Or is it to to be customer focused and increase long term ridership?  I would be interested to know how much time one or two additional stops would take and its impact..  Doesn’t seem to bother the 214 bus….  

    Q: Who do you think is willing to pay more to wait longer at the bus stop, sit longer in traffic while commuting, and walk farther in the great elements...to get to work late?

    A: 300 people are using this service daily after less than seven days of operation.

    My Rebuttal: That tells you people are starved for this service… It sounds fairly arrogant to suggest this answers the concern I have highlighted.  Your goal should be to optimize… sounds like you are pretty pleased with the numbers…. Maybe you haven’t properly reviewed what it should be….  May the goals set are to low and METRO is underachieving?  

    Isn't METRO trying to supply a cost effective, customer focused, efficient option for Mass Transit?  I would have expected an answer along the lines of…

    We are constantly evaluating our routes and looking for ways to reduce commute time and improve reliable service so we can increase ridership and make this a service a valued alternative to private transportation.  By doing this we will be reducing congestion on our highways, improving air quality by reducing greenhouse gases, and doing our part to improve the quality of life for our city and neighbors….  You comment will be reviewed to determine optimal sites for stops…..  

    All humor aside, let us help you help us… we all want this to work, hence the passion behind my note.

    # February 7, 2007 8:49 AM

    BuffaloBill said:

    Correction instead of sayin...I live north of 217… It is closer to my home, yet it will takes less time for me  to get to 214…

    I should have said, it takes less time to commute to work if i drive farther to the 214... might take longer to get to the 214... but with the number of buses and not waiting in 290 traffic... going to the 214 gets me to work quicker and is more economical.

    # February 8, 2007 9:12 AM

    Cypressboy said:

    Can you please explain to me why the 217 only stops at four places downtown?  And especially, why there a gap of six blocks between Dallas and Jefferson?  If the intent of Metro is to provide commuters with rides to work, why do we pass right by existing bust stops?  This doesn't make sense that I need to walk three extra blocks in the rain just to ride the 217.  I know you say to get off and transfer to the 214 0r 216 to stop at the old stops, but that doesn't make any sense.  I've already increased my commute time sitting in traffic on 290 and Barker Cypress, and to suggest that I increase that by getting off to change busses is just crazy.

    # February 9, 2007 9:50 AM

    Mary Sit said:

    BuffaloBill, here are some answers to your rebuttal. This is from Katrina Miesch, director of operations planning.

    1.  The “217 serving as a supplement to the 214 service” may not have been the proper description.  METRO is acutely aware of the demand from the 290 corridor.  We have made significant efforts to be able to provide some relief in this corridor for some time.  

    It is only as a result of some recent creative negotiations with the HP group that we were able to begin this service when we did.  The reason we weren’t able to “get the word out” earlier than we did was because we did not have a lease agreement in hand until late the Thursday before we implemented service on Monday, January 22.  

    METRO faces the need to provide additional service while under extremely tight equipment inventories. We have had to retire some equipment before its scheduled life expectancy, and only recently been able to procure new vehicles.  The procurement process requires time to actually build vehicles though, so we’re stretching the fleet we have on hand to the maximum.

    Part of being able to do that has been achievable as a result of reducing underutilized routes and/or trips throughout the METRO system.  We have areas, such as the 290 corridor we know are critical for us to provide more service.  The message here is that we are trying to get the best we can on the street as quickly as we can.

    This also means we are only assigning new service where we have a high confidence level of having as many full buses as possible.  The 290 corridor has been a known candidate for service.  We simply have limited resources that we are taking great caution to allocate fairly and equitably.  

    The ridership information is reviewed daily for this service.  We know we have adjustments that will be needed for this service, and intend to continue to make them as they are warranted.  The go-ahead to add an earlier trip came in the late afternoon Tuesday February 6th, and rather than waiting to get “word out” through traditional Marketing communiqué could be distributed, METRO committed to getting the much needed service on the street.

    We know the travel time from this lot to the HOV lane is compromised by traveling in the main-lane traffic.  Examinations were made to use different approaches, including Hempstead Highway, and these have not proven to be time savers.  Our most promising hope is a coordinated effort with TxDOT to accommodate an HOV extension in the near future, but for now this is a pre-mature hope.

    Fewer stops in the downtown area does, in fact, mean a quicker cycle time for highly valuable equipment.  If we can move more people back and forth from Cypress, at a cost of some of those customers needing to walk a couple more blocks, more people benefit overall.  It may seem insignificant, but it adds up in annualized dollars very quickly.  We made a careful selection of the more highly used bus stops for the 217 based on 214 stop use.  We will continue to consider making changes that will benefit the largest number of customers.

    And yes……”We are constantly evaluating our routes and looking for ways to reduce commute time and improve reliable service so we can increase ridership and make this a service a valued alternative to private transportation.  By doing this we will be reducing congestion on our highways, improving air quality by reducing greenhouse gases, and doing our part to improve the quality of life for our city and neighbors…”  

    We do all of this, too.

    2. A reader wrote the following: "I'm glad to see that Metro pays attention to the needs of most of its patrons. Unfortunately, the 265 and 262 riders have been pleading with Metro to add an all day combined route. This would help Metro's 265 and 262 patrons immensely. I personally have sent in a comment about this to Metro more than once and have yet to hear back from Metro. I have two complaints sitting on my desk waiting for someone from Metro to call me. I probably could complain everyday and not hear from Metro at all. Of course, I'm getting off the subject since I'm not supposed to use this blog forum to complain. I certainly hope I haven't misspelled any words. Anyway, bottom line, the patrons of 262 and 265 would like to hear some feedback about adding much needed all day service. Thanks."

    METRO's response: We realize midday service is a key to customers’ confidence in the bus system.  The ability to get home in the middle of the day for a doctor's appointment or get a sick child from school is important to everyone.  We are hopeful we can, at a minimum, close the gap in the span of service in the middle of the day.  We will look seriously at our ability to try this in the coming fall.

    # February 12, 2007 5:06 PM
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