OK about the gas prices.  Anything else new that we should know about---or at least something we already know about via the news?

Just a thought.

OK, the 53 and 82 need more buses.  ANY SIZE!

Are these new trips being run by METRO and FT ops and equipment?  Or are they chartered?

DominicMazoch said:  

"OK, the 53 and 82 need more buses.  ANY SIZE!"

------------------

Yes, yes, YES!  I second that motion wholeheartedly.

This is nothing new, Metro has been adding to commuter service while taking away from local service for several years now.  Wilson believes he's running a Rail and Luxury Bus Empire and us local riders are a troublesome burden saddled upon his operation.  Metro hasn't invested much in local bus service since the DeLibero days, so, I can't put all the blame on Frank.

J. Liggins,

STATISTICAL DATA FOR METRO FY2004-FY2007

The number of buses, full-time operators, hours, vehicle revenue miles, and passenger miles for the local fixed bus routes continues to decline.

FTA Form B-10 Number of Vehicles

     FY2004 FY2005 FY2006 FY2007

Bus / DO       1,027 967 910 837

Bus / PT         205 194 196     183

Demand Response / PT 431 450 411     398

Light Rail / OO  17  17  17      17

Vanpool / PT 253 313 568     545

*****************************************************

The amounts spent by METRO over the past four fiscal years, since tram start-up:

Includes all categories (Guideway, Passenger Stations, Administrative Buildings, Revenue Vehicles, Service Vehicles, Fare Revenue Collection Equipment, Communications/IS, Other)

FTA Form F-20

Rehabilitation / Reconstruction / Replacement / Improvement for Existing service

FY2004   FY2005       FY2006   FY2007  

$70,779,021   $ 5,218,346  $ 6,095,404 $ 1,112,187

Expansion of service

FY2004   FY2005       FY2006   FY2007

$10,965,471   $24,834,500   $ 6,229,035 $128,087,819

TOTALS

FY2004   FY2005       FY2006   FY2007    

$81,744,492   $30,052,846   $12,324,439 $129,200,006

Grand Total: $253,321,783

Here we go with this BS stuff that Royko is talking about.  Do you realize that only your supporters will want to read that mess?  My question to you is---WHO CARES?!  What METRO does is their business!

DominicMazoch said:  

OK, the 53 and 82 need more buses.  ANY SIZE!

----------------

AGREED!

I was on the 82 West Oaks yesterday during midday, outbound from 11:45-ish to 1pm, inbound from 1:45ish to 3pm. Standing room only in BOTH DIRECTIONS! I got on in Downtown, and the bus was already full by the time you get to Elgin.

Then it was standing room only by the time we got to Shepherd, and it stayed that way until we got to the Galleria. And when I say full, I mean that every seat was filled with a human body.

Once we got to the Galleria, no one was standing, but it was filled up again once we got to Hillcroft. This time it was so bad that people were standing IN THE BACK of the bus until we got to Wal-Mart. Just when we got rid of all the standing people, it fills back up again at Gessner where people on the 53 got off.

Then it just gets worse and worse from there. A few people get off at Wilcrest to catch the 19 or the 2, but not enough to make room. When I got off at Gray Falls, it was still packed.

Coming back, the same thing. It was almost full when I got on at Gray Falls, and there was a person in a wheelchair at my stop. Instantly, it was packed and it stayed that way until we got to Hillcroft. No reprieve at Wilcrest, and a small one at Gessner and at Wal-Mart. After that, it was full all the way to Montrose where I got off. And less than 5 minutes later, 2 more 82's came behind it.

A lot of people ride in from the West Oaks route to go to Sharpstown because they don't know they could just ride to Wilcrest and catch the ALL-ARTIC 2-Bellaire/Westchase. On any given trip, 5-10 people are getting off at Hillcroft to catch the 82 Sharpstown.

I have never understood why a super-busy street like Westheimer is so poorly served by Metro.  Bissonnet gets better service with the 65 running every 6 minutes during peak times, whereas the 82 is every 10 minutes.  I live right by a stop for the 82 but choose to drive 4 miles to a P&R lot and take a local bus from there because I don't wait as long in the hot sun plus I get a seat.

SECONDED !

"I have never understood why a super-busy street like Westheimer is so poorly served by Metro."

I wanted why the 2 is getting Signature service first.  WESTHEIMER NEEDS IT FIRST!  NOW!

NO.1 also needs more frequent service. There used to be 3 buses from s. Main to downtown now there's only #1.

"I wanted why the 2 is getting Signature service first.  WESTHEIMER NEEDS IT FIRST!  NOW!"

The plain and simple reason has to do with status. The 2 services the medical center and has a more affluent ridership. The 82 is more pedestrian and services downtown. The 82 will eventually get Signature service just not at the start.

Royko's numbers mean more than Cedric collins realize. Metro has reduced the number of buses by 20% since FY 2004. Simmple math shows one cannot provide the similar service with a 20% reduction no matter how many routes were affected by the red rail line.  

coug6666,

My very point; METREAUX continues to reduce bus service in favor of boondoggle urban rail.

Now that there is a tremendous spike in commuter bus and local riders, METREAUX will likely abuse them to the point they would rather pay $100/gallon for fuel as long as they don't have to be herded like "sheeple," and delayed having to wait on the tram (tethered to a sparking wire).

I just hope citizens realize this sooner than later, so they can oppose the METRO urban rail robber barons playing Monopoly with our precious sales tax dollars.

I am trying to start riding the bus.  However the info on the website is incorrect. Several bus routes that were part of the June 1st service updates do not have updated schedules online a few examples

Route 33 Post Oak Crosstown

Effective date May 27,2007 Posted April 1,2008;

Route 49 Chimney Rock Crosstown

Effective January 1, 2006 Posted April 1, 2008;

Route 2 Bellaire

Effective May 27, 2007 Posted April 1, 2008).  

How can I plan to ride the bus if the info provided by Metro is not accurate.  I have called customer service and they say the supervisors will follow up. But 13 days after service updates the website still has wrong schedules posted. Were is quality control?  

Since 2000, when Metro was operating nearly 1400 buses, it has purchased nearly seven hundred.  It amazes me then that Metro now operates a fleet of just above 800 buses.  A decrese in fleet size of over 500 buses when 690 were added to the fleet?  Ridiculous.

The 58 Hammerly needs more than twice-an-hour service during weekdays and NO SERVICE on Sundays - It's the only link that end of Spring Branch has between the Northwest Transit Center and the way-overcrowded 46 Gessner.

Unfortunately I do not see any new service on the 246 line that will reduce overcrowding between 4:30PM and 5:30PM.  My commute home via Metrorail and 246 is now taking about 90 minutes mostly due to the time I spend standing around waiting on a bus.  That's too much.   Are there any plans to fix this?

coug6666,

        Why in GOD'S NAME should I cry about some dang numbers for?  They (and Royko)---mean---NOTHING!!!  I rest my case!

When will METRO include a Park & Ride along the 288 corridor, near Hwy. 6 and/or Pearland (518)?  The Missouri City Park & Ride is the closest; however, it is still far enough away that it is of no benefit to me or the other hundreds of people who travel from Hwy. 6 or further south along the 288 corridor to Downtown.  We need a Park & Ride along the 288 corridor to Downtown as soon as you can get one going, like yesterday!!!

Ms. Sit,

I cited the numbers from the METRO report to the NTD for FY2007.  If you include the Demand Response in the 1200 total, then the Current level in FY2008 is -15.37% below FY2007, and a whopping -27.84% below the FY2004 level (when the tram began service).

I appears METREAUX seemingly has slashed bus rolling stock throughout the service area, likely due to the ill-devised urban rail.

*************

FTA Form B-10 Number of Vehicles

    FY2004 FY2005 FY2006 FY2007

Bus / DO       1,027 967 910 837

Bus / PT         205 194 196     183

Demand Response / PT 431 450 411     398

Alright, that sounds much better Mary.  

And Metro was planning a Pearland P&R route, the 293 Pearland.  They even had a schedule up at the TMC Transit Center but it looks like they jumped the gun as the deal fell thorugh.

I should have figured Pearland would weasel out of it. It'd almost be easier just to start a Quickline 14-Hiram Clarke to the Medical Center and make them drive there instead.

Random idea that won't work:

An off-peak bus that covers all of the TMC P&R routes. Call it the 299-TMC, and give the Woodlands Express a 300-level number since they're not in our system.

Anyway, it'd be really long, but it would be really helpful for Park-and Riders who need midday(9am-3pm) and late evening (after 7pm) service from the Med Center. It would have to cover the 292, 297, 298, and maybe the 293 and 170. If you wanted to shorten it, the 298 portion can simply go to Northwest TC, and people can transfer to the 229.

It would run in this order: 298, Medical Center, 292, 170, 293, 297. Ideally, it should only run every 45-60 minutes due to the length of the route.  

Thank you, Mary, for getting a response.

I can't believe that having 25% of your riders standing is considered acceptable, though. And there are days where it's WAY more than that. It's not like the driver is keeping track of how many people are standing up anyway.

And wouldn't the fact that this is "the route with the highest daily average in the system" be an obvious indicator that more trips are needed? Or that there needs to be a frequency adjustment?

Yes, the cutback trips from Gessner to West Oaks are helpful, but a complete overhaul of the route schedule would be better.

Ideally, the 82 would run every 10 minutes all day. It can drop to 15 after 8 or 9pm, I guess, but I'm never out that late. Or, the branch rotation needs to change. Instead of two Sharpstown trips and one West Oaks, it needs to be a normal 1:1 alternation.

But that's just my opinion.

ChloeMireille said:

It's not like the driver is keeping track of how many people are standing up anyway.

I believe metro has an automated counting system on all its buses and rail cars. Every door has lasers that is extremely accurate. They know when and where one crosses the laser and the location via their gps units. no need for the driver to be involved.

ChloeMireille said: "I can't believe that having 25% of your riders standing is considered acceptable, though. And there are days where it's WAY more than that. It's not like the driver is keeping track of how many people are standing up anyway."

Frankly, we in Houston are a little spoiled. If you take a subway or a bus during rush hour in New York City, you'll find that there are more passengers standing than sitting.

The Sharpstown to West Oaks ratio on the 82 can be as high as 3:1 at times.  Take last night for example.  Three half full Sharpstown, one overflowing West Oaks bus stopping at EVERY STOP between Sage and Dunvale.  This at 8:45 at night.

As a rider, I don't mind standing, but when you start packing people in so tight you have to fight to get off, then that's too many.  It also slows things down considerably, since loading and getting off take longer.  My biggest pet peeve with the rail has always been the overcrowding during peak times - not the frequency of the trains, or even the bums.  I just hate having to push and shove to get off or get on.  I'm only 5 feet tall, and pushing a 6-foot, 200-pound man (who can't hear me say "excuse me" because he's listening to his iPod or whatever) is not a barrel of laughs.

On another note, the frequency of the 82 West Oaks is abysmal, and there's no way I would ever rely on it to get anywhere on time, especially work.  I tried it for a week, and it was just awful.

can the lowly peasants at least "borrow" the high-capacity MCI buses on the weekend when the P&R's are not in use... *cough* route 102

Rising gas prices have been hurting public transportation for quite some time now forcing transit authorities to look elsewhere for funding.

Metro areas all across the country have advertising on the sides of their buses to bring in much needed revenue.  

Why in the world would METRO not do the same?  Other cities of the same size are making tens of millions of dollars per year by featuring ads on the sides of their buses.

More revenue would equal lower fares for riders as well as better routes and quality of service.

It seems ludacris that METRO doesn't have ads on the buses.

Anyone else have an opinion on this?