I have riden it.  

Suggestions:

1.  For now, use smaller buses of the hybrid type.  A full sized MCI is overkill.

2.  Make announcement on buses and trains near the MAD Terminal that they are near it.

3.  MAD:  IAH/DTC/Hobby.

4.  MAD:  IAH/DTC/Greenway Plaza Airport Terminal/Galleria.

Dominic,

       Your #3 is the EXACT SAME idea I have for METRO.  Have southbound buses run from IAH to the DTC and on to Hobby.  Reverse that for buses running northbound.

In regards to you riding it, test ride or have you actually needed to use the service?

I used the service and it was fantastic: easy to get to by DTC, fast, and comfortable. I hope it catches on because I was one of two riders on this trip in early October. My return flight got in at 9:30 so I had to take the 102. Later service would have been nice, but it could be there isn't demand for that.

2 riders on a 55 passenger luxury liner?

Got to be some kind of new record on the wasting money scale by Metro.

Oh wait, paying Russo $1.1 mil. is still the top one

john

Cedric:

Rode it so:

1.  Rode it so if I HAD to use it, I would now how.  BTW, you can use Q to pay!

2.  Rode it so I could tell out of towners how to use it, so I cound intercept them at the MAD terminal, which is closer to my house.

3.  Have NOT been to IAH in years, so if I HAD to go there, I got a layout of the place.

4.  Also to try out a 5000.

All:

IAH is not the place I new when it opened in the 1960's!

Cedric:

Short answer:  Test ride!

At least the 5000's have great seats.  Now the seats in the new New Flyers and Orions are unconstitutional because sitting in them is torture!

Ummmm---unconstitutional?  There's always a thing called---"bring a pillow"---or you could stand while you ride but that would be out of the question so the pillow thing is the only option that I can think of at this time.

Speaking of test ride, I already did my test ride so check your e-mail.  That goes double for you Mary.

You guys made a mistake, GIVE UP!!!!!!!  Two riders on a 55 passenger bus is a HUGE waste of money and then you have the nerve to whine to us about your rising fuel costs?  Go sit on an egg. Not to mention the Hybrids you're using on the line won't provide much of a cost savings anyways as Hybrids generally perform better in stop and go traffic, not point to point freeway running.  But 'ol Frank and Co. just can't resist a good gimmick.  I'm sure the same fate will befall the TMC-Palm Center QL; more empty buses wasting gas while we're subjected to self congratulatory postings on the blog.

Your Q card is a much delayed joke.

Your QL service is a much delayed joke.

Your Hybrids are a waste of money!

Stick to what you know; diesel, local bus routes, and day passes.

I know your hearts are heavy every time you guys observe an empty MCI Hybrid pull off from your little station.  Pull the plug already.  You've axed local bus service for less than this.  Though, I'll bet Frank will say he rode it though, just to show up people like me, and claim that he DOES use Metro service, wasteful as it may be.

Cedric:

I don't know what San Antonio VIA now uses, but they had metal seats on their RTS' units, and they fit the human bod, especially the caboose region, a lot better!

2 riders is more then I witnessed in a 3 hour observation last week.

I watched the busses come and go (on time I might add) out of the terminal downtown with 0(ZERO) passengers. Im guessing there are 2 busses on the route which is a waste if no one rides. I say put those busses on another route (cough!102 cough!).

When people are coming from the airport they usually have transportation arrangements in place. Or plan to use a taxi.

***off topic complaint***

I went to the 1900 Main St. Ride Store to add $1.25 to my Q card. Well the woman tells me theres a $2 min... Ummm... my question to her was, how can METRO set a $2 minimum if the fare is $1.25?

That needs to change METRO, and quick. I talked to the supervisor and the woman points to a little red sign and she told me thats "her policy" and I need to walk 5 blocks to a grocery store if I dont have the $2 minimum. The I asked why would they accept my $1.25 but the main METRO store has a $2 minimum. So if this can get to someone over her blown up head I (and others)would appreciate it.

But prior to the increase I was able to load money at the back of the bus. Well now that the fare is $1.25 and the machine does not accept coins I have to use the Ride Store when im downtown.

So here are my problems...

A.) Load at the back of the bus... I cant do that because the loader doesnt accept coins.

or

B.) Goto the METRO Ride Store... I cant do that because theres a $2 minimum. (My suggestion is to totally get rid of the minimum).

SO Pleassssseeeee change the minimum I can load I that Ride Store

or

Modify the loaders on the bus so I can use coins.

And a special thanks to who ever because the SB 6a Greenspoint TC bus now has a "newer" non-mildew smelling bus. Plus it has more seats on the bus. There is also a hybrid MCI on the route. THANK YOU METRO!!!!!

BUT there still needs to be an earlier SB trip so I can be downtown before 6a without having to ride 56 or 86 and transfer at Kuykendahl.

C,

I've seen the new 5000's on multiple P&R routes, mainly the 200's and 250's. I've occasionally seen one on the 102 during midday, so even if they're being wasted on the Airport Direct service(which might do better if expanded to Hobby for airport-to-airport transfers), they do get put to use on the other P&R routes.

As for the $2 loading minimum, I actually think it's perfectly fair. It drives me nuts when I'm on a bus, and someone has to run to the back of the bus to put a single dollar in and run back up to the front to pay. I may be poor, but I can at least put $20 on the Q card a week!

I get your point but it I had actually forgotten my wallet with my discounted Qcard and money and wanted to load $1.25 on my spare for one trip and still have my transfer so I could ride the rail. the driver was nice enough to allow me to ride downtown this morning and I "borrowed" a ride on the rail.

***and I just happend to be on the rail the smacked the blue 4-Runner (trying to make a left turn on a one-way) by the Bell Station after I had the run-in at the RideStore this morning, just my day with METRO lol.

But I see where its a problem for you guys on the bus but the store downtown should accept money in any amount. I dont think the bus loader should have been installed in the first place.

But that was my 1st time going to a store to load my card, I usually load what I need for the month at the thing-a-ma-jig on the rail platform.

Is this what our extra .25 cents will be paying for....

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR MANUFACTURE AND DELIVERY OF LOW FLOOR, DIESEL-ELECTRIC DOUBLE DECKER BUSES:

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) of Harris County, Texas Requests Expressions of Interest (RFI) for manufacture and delivery of thirty to forty Low Floor, Diesel-Electric (Hybrid), Double Decker buses for possible delivery not earlier than late calendar year 2009.

These double decker buses will need to comply with Federal Transit Administration requirements including necessary testing since it is expected this acquisition will be utilizing Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding. This acquisition is expected to require the ability to comply with the Buy America Act.

Submissions will be accepted until close of business (5:00 p.m.) Tuesday, December 2, 2008. Electronic submissions are preferred. If submitted in a paper format, the original and five (5) copies shall be submitted to:

Mr. John Mallinson

Metropolitan Transit Authority

1900 Main Steet

P O Box 61429

Houston, Texas 77208-1429

Email address: jm46@ridemetro.org

The full RFI including an attachment highlighting the key attributes expected for this double decker bus will be issued on or about November 03, 2008. The full RFI will be available on the Metro website at

http://www.ridemetro.org/Opportunities/Procurement/solicitations.aspx

Yeah, I'm sure people such as Cedric who are entertained by whatever shiny toy Metro is rolling out will love this, to me, it seems like another waste of money. Why, in a time of declining bus ridership do we need expensive double decker buses?  I wonder what gimmick these buses will be used for?

Double Deckers?  Replacement for the artics??????

A nice chat I just had with an utterly useless "customer service rep."

Rep - Typical Metro introduction.

Me - Good morning, I'm traveling from Briarpark and Richmond.  The bus I normally take on Sundays, the eastbound 2 - Bellaire from Westchase schedualed to depart at 9:07am is normally late by varying amounts from 10 to 25 minutes.  Before I go out and wait in the cold for a bus that might show up extremely late and cause me to miss my connection, I'd like to know if this particular bus is already behind schedule so that if it is, I may make other travel arrangements such as catching the 82 - Westheimer.

Rep - Well, we can't call on a bus to see if it's late.

Me - Oh, okay. So, you have the technology to do this, but basically you want me to go outside and wait in the cold to see if it's late and then call back and report that you you all so you can confirm it?

Rep - Yes, and we'll confirm it with dispatch.

Me- Hmmm, makes sense, inconvenience the customer.  Thank you.

*Click*

Metro, you all are brainless, spineless idiots.

J. Liggins,

          Funny.  WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK IS A WASTE OF MONEY?!  Wait---let me answer that for ya---EVERYTHING!  Am I right?

Folks,

     If mass transit just isn't doing it for ya (for whatever BS reason you come up with---even if they look like legitimate ones), THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL USING IT?!  I would like to tell ya to take the taxi but they're no better than mass transit anyways so.....

METRO should look at SA VIA.  Just call a number, click in the stop number, and they call tell you when the next bus is coming.

On city in a Nordic country has this for their bus system.  They would laugh at our cold spells.

The buses have GPS as part of that computer system behind the driver.  I can't see why if you call METRO, that info will show up on the computer screen.

One option to increase visibility might be to add this Airport Direct service as an option when purchasing tickets directly from www.continental.com ??

I'm a weekly business traveler myself and really appreciate not having to drive to the airport anymore and pay for 5 days worth of parking.

Since Terminal B is entirely Continental, maybe some advertisement in terminal B might direct potential business travelers to hop over to terminal C to pick up this Airport Express service ?  I do this every week ... it's very simple.

The problem with the Airport Direct service is that it is a child of the ill conceived notion to "run Metro like a business," something that Shirley DeLibero ushered in upon her arrival.  The flaw in that line of thinking is that public transportation CAN'T be run like a business as it is by nature a money losing operation.  

Metro is trying to run the Airport Direct service in a manner as to turn a profit.  Even though they screwed up the whole operation from the onset, that is their line of thinking, "We want this route to be as close to profitable as possible."  Why do you think they charge a $15 one way fare?

They're not going to make any money off the line as it is already a miserable failure in that department and in the ridership category as well.  What Metro needs to do is realize they are a public transit agency and not a conglomerate that dabbles in bus, rail, and real estate.  Metro has to understand that you lose money on operating a public service such as mass transit.  With that in mind, they need to revamp the whole Airport Direct operation.

The fare needs to be dropped from $15 to $3.  That right there will get the Airport employees on board.  Increase the frequency from 30 minutes to 15 minutes, that makes the service look urgent.  Add select trips to Hobby Airport, Greenway Plaza, and the Galleria/Uptown area.  People want to go to those places too.Give people other options besides Downtown.  Now, will this lose a ton of money, YES!!!!! But, the route is already a money loser and the buses are running empty.  At least lose money on full buses and a practical service that people will enjoy using.

Well, well well!  The J. Liggins episode continues.  I knew I would get something out of this chump.

Look here---IGNORANT WHINER!  You don't know a *** thing about me so you may want to rethink what you're saying because it may or may not haunt you.  Your sick jokes are severely less than amusing so PLEASE check yourself.  Your complaints to and/or about METRO are also severely less than amusing and yet---YOU STILL SOMEHOW USE THE FRIGGIN' SERVICE!

Since you're worried about Mr. Royko so much, why don't you two meet up or something, huh?  That should be interesting.

You wouldn't know how to run any transit agency in this country (not just METRO) if your life depended on it.

I read your little "episode" about your unfortunate chat with a customer service rep.  Nice!  Maybe they should remember your voice and next time, HANG UP!

Good day, chump!

The Airport Direct service if fine as is (pricewise)!  Expand it and not just rely on the downtown to IAH thing and it'll work out better.

Mary, why delete my comments and not delete Cedrics?  I know he's your little pet, but let's be fair here.

LOL, keep trying Mary, you're almost there.

>>>METRO should look at SA VIA.  Just call a number, click in the stop number, and they call tell you when the next bus is coming.

On city in a Nordic country has this for their bus system.  They would laugh at our cold spells.

The buses have GPS as part of that computer system behind the driver.  I can't see why if you call METRO, that info will show up on the computer screen.<<<

Another thing SA VIA has is covered waiting areas with air, heat and restrooms at certain transit centers.  I know these low tech solutions may be distasteful to certain people at Metro, but just something to look into.

Metro buses are crammed full of gadgets that serve no practical purpose.  Metro has had GPS in their buses for nearly two years and I still have to call Metro and the rep has to call dispatch and the dispatch has to call the bus driver to find out where a bus is.  Oh, and that's if the bus is 10 minutes late or more.  But, maybe not as a bus is allowed to be late 10 minutes according to some reps, or is it 3?  Who knows, they'll tell you what they want.  Of course, if a bus is running 3 minutes early, the IVOMS system sends the operator a message to get back on schedule.  If that goes unheeded then dispatch is automatically notified and they'll call the operator.  I guess that's the GPS in action.  Of course nothing of the sort happens if the bus is late and that's where the problem lies.

And the on board Q-Loaders are out of service too much.  Don't put them on there if we can't use them or vacuum them at the end of the day.