Hmmmm----if METRO can provide more and more marketing for the MAD (and a possible fare decrease) to something more reasonable, then more people will ride it.

Also, some local routes cver some P&R's, which run later:

Seton Lake:  44

N. Shepherd:  66 and 79

Spring and K'dahl:  86

West Loop:  4 via P&R lot.

Fannin South:  18 and 73

West Belfort: 65

NW Transit Center:  MANY!

How about an ad saying you want to stay late for a play, opera, or ball game in the CBD?

"Most of those seats were empty because few riders knew about this service."

I'm sure EVERYONE who uses and doesn't use METRO knows about MAD. That statement is a bit ironic.

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Most people who use the P&R routes are 8 to 5ers. I don't understand why METRO is complaining about low numbers? The peak times on the routes are 6a-8a and 4p-6p... No problem filling seats when people are going to and getting off of work. How many people will need to jump on the bus in the middle of the day? If someone has an emergency or gets off early, the the service is there. And if little Johnny is in danger they'll find a cab.

But METRO needs to continue the current mid-day routes because they do come in handy when I need to get to a transit center quickly, beats using a local route for the entire trip.

METRO should advertise the mid-day trips as a time saver. I use the 219 when I have to go to the Northwest mall area. Then I just transfer to a local route from NWTC.

So-called mid-day and late-night service should be part of rapid bus transit system operating all day.  I envision it as a system with 5 - 10 routes connecting  the major points of our city.  Each route should be 20 - 30 miles long with 8 - 10 stops only and the buses should travel mostly on the freeways.  In addition, it should be a preference for local buses to begin and end their routes at the points serviced by rapid buses for easy connection.

Visitor from the UK here - was happy with your transportation service but very unhappy with your online customer service. Have made three complaints online since 20th March, have phoned and left my number once on someone's answerphone but never had a response yet! Not impressed.

Everyone knows about fixed routes and the glorious Utopian tram, yet boardings have DECLINED each of the past SEVEN months for the tram, and Six consecutive months for fixed routes.

Late Night Schedule? Actually Metro cut back on the time to 11:40pm for the last light rail. Now I usually just drive home wasted after "burning the midnight oil". Also there is not a light rail schedule other than a little thing about the frequency of times. Note to Metro some buses come at the same frequency, every twenty minutes, and for some reason they have schedules. The light rail has a schedule I catch it at 6:14 every morning, but due to security purposes Metro cannot put out a schedule!! Okay I made up that last part about security. It is the most probable bureaucratic response from the famous Metreaux.

Dave Shephard... Driver pay is higher on the list of "we care about" then customer service at METRO.

C, I don't think driver pay OR customer service is on any list of things Frank Wilson and Co. care about.

I met Mr. Archer a few years ago when I was an aspiring route and service developer (ah, the follies and dreams of youth) and he and his group are quite the talented bunch.  There's a lot of experience there if Metro would ever use it.  They had ALOT of things planned that never saw the light of day due to gimmicks like MAD, grid routing (the city and Metro don't have the infrastructure for such a system), QLs to nowhere (TMC PALM), and Frank's toy train fetish that took priority.  

Those guys should look at ressurecting the old TC Flyer and throwing the marketing budget of the MAD behind it. Buses running around 610 loop, Beltway 8, and Highway 6 would work well too.  I'm sure they have my 75 - Eldridge proposal in there, amongst hundreds of others over the past decade.

Thanks Very much "C" for putting "US" as a top priority but I must go along with Liggins!!!  

and I am an OPERATOR!

DominicMazoch; I believe you are wrong on the West Belfort P&R info.  The 019 and 008 go through the W. Belfort lot.  Now you might be able to take a 65 and transfer to the 019 somewhere, but the Metro trip planner does not list the 65 for mid day service.  Mary Sit, the metro trip planner does not include the train in it's options.

I guess I am spoiled by my 25 minute trip in and home in the morning and afternoon, because the trip planner lists up to 108 minute trip during the day taking the local 008 bus.  A mid-day combo route with the 262 and 265 would probably take about 35 minutes since it stops at both the 262 and 265.  Some people work 1/2 day on Friday and riding the 008 for 108 minutes is not a very decent option so they take their cars that day.

P&R:

Got distracted by a particular bird...

Seriously, I was refering to WESTWOOD.  My error.  Guess i have to eat, er crow!

Acrually, a new LQ426/7 would cover about the same aread as the QL Palm?

VIA has a QL around Loop 410, called the 550/551 Looper Skip.  Hits the major Transit Centers and routes on Loop 410.

DominicMazoch; No problem.  I looked on the Metro system map and you are correct that the 65 goes to Westwood which seems to also have local coverage that takes much longer than an express P&R route.  I have ridden the 008 from W.Belfort to a spot where I switched to the train and I think my tooth fillings are still a little loose ;) from the bone jarring ride.  The commute on the 008/Train takes about 3 times as long as the 265 which ends service at 8:30am which is my gripe.

P&R:

Have you considered the P&R lots near Westpark and BW 8?  After hours you can use the 132, unless that shuts down early.

P&R Rider, I don't understand why there isn't a 269 during Midday, either. I know for a fact that it runs during Late Evening.

Having to take the train down to the 8-South Main is a nightmare if it's taking you over 1 1/2 hours. The worst part is that there's really no way around it for you. No solution I've come up with seems any shorter because the 19-Wilcrest runs once every 384 years or so.

For once, I have a gripe (don't get used to that small statement) about this matter.  The route I want to talk about is the 219 Late Evening run.  Midday---I have no problem with that so I won't worry about it.

Why (starting at 7:35pm) does passengers have to wait for a full hour before the next one comes?

Speaking of late evening routes how come the

40-Telephone/Pecore dosent run past 1040pm weekdays and like 930pm on sundays many routes in the area run till at least 1140pm like the 66 or the 23 or so whats up with the 40?

DominicMazoch, The Westwood, Mo City (170) are the closest to my regular Belfort lot.  If I were to plan ahead to leave mid-day, I would probably drive to Hilcroft TC and take a 163 during the day.  If I have an emergency and have to get home quickly, my company has some vehicles I can borrow to take home or a cow-orker can take me to Belfort.

I'm sure Metro has an idea of the ridership on a 269 for mid-day and it is probably not cost effective to run a P&R bus with 5 riders on it.  If Mary Sit is still reading these rants, I'll suggest that Metro consider a 269 mid-day on Fridays which I think is the day people might take off at noon for an early weekend, or as I postulated earlier the people that work 1/2 day every Friday might use.

Take a survey of downtown companies and see how many have flex work schedules that offer 1/2 day Fridays and how many Metro riders they have.

P&R:

That is way METRO needs smaller buses and/or vans with P&R seats in them.  The xx9 and 500 could use them, leaving the larger units for rush hour.  If I was a P&R user, I would not mind a 35 or 3600 with nice seats in them.  The only real difference between a 4400 and 4500 A bus is that the 44's have P&R seats in them.

ALL:

The early 21X's on the 290 Corridor get swamped EARLY on Fridays.  How about some Friday only runs there.

P&R:

Also, the 132 comes through Hillcroft, but you have to connect at Wheeler to the 700.

Dominic;

The seats are no big deal to me, as long as the bus runs about every 30 minutes from Noon to 3:30.  Of course our regular Jacuzzi hot tub and wine coolers served by Hooter's girls at the rear of the 265 buses would be missed.  You local riders have just learned about the perks on the P&R buses that was supposed to be kept secret otherwise we might get too crowded in the hot tub on the ride home.  The morning back rub and warm towels really get you ready to face the day too. ;)

Dominic...they did try those mini's with the plush seats called the ferroni's 3800 saeries.  the only thing about the minis is , when the 45footers  are down,  they serve no purpose.   same reason for getting rid if the  4200 & 4300 series now

also those minis were brought in as metros way to bull dogging us out of retirement years.  in which they did.  

now that we are all "bus operators"  makes no-sense for them to have minis!!

YOU DIG?

But a 29.99999... foot bus IS overkill on the MAD, the 39 Parker Circ., and the 64 L. City Circ.  A van would make more sense!