Lunchtime Web Chat This Friday

re: Lunchtime Web Chat This Friday

don — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:59:49 GMT

May we bring up an issue that was brought up last time that hasn't been resolved?

re: Lunchtime Web Chat This Friday

Mary Sit — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:52:09 GMT

Don,

What was that issue? Can you please repost here on this blog, and I'll try to get an answer for you. On Friday's chat, we will focus on METRO Solutions and answer only questions pertaining to that topic.

Thanks.

re: Lunchtime Web Chat This Friday

don — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:29:12 GMT

Mary, I had complained about the noise level at the rail stations. Mr. Wilson had said he would do something about it but so far it's still the same.

re: Lunchtime Web Chat This Friday

Realistic — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:08:42 GMT

Mary,

Can you please identify what "Metro Solutions" actually refers to?

Question: What is being done to help with the traffic flow of Park and Ride locations? Getting out of the Addicks P&R is a major disaster. I'm sure that I am not the only rider with issues getting in or out of a Park and Ride location. Thanks.

re: Lunchtime Web Chat This Friday

Mary Sit — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:52:39 GMT

P&R Rider,

The Q Card is not part of METRO Solutions. There are no plans now to raise the limit on the Q Card to $1,000. If you do have $1,000 to transfer onto a Q Card, you will need to put $500 on one Q Card, and $500 on another one.

re: Lunchtime Web Chat This Friday

Peter Wang — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:28:17 GMT

I have a proposal for an Energy Corridor suburban bus route, "The Cypress Energy Flyer".

I announced this concept during a talk I gave at Lone Star College Cy-Fair. A Signature Bus or BRT service from Cypress to the Energy Corridor would actually be quite rich in destinations. It has the potential to move a great many people who work in the Energy Corridor and live in Cy-Fair. Also, it could move many students to Lone Star College Cy-Fair, which has completely filled parking lots now, and is building temporary buildings, and it would move people to either of two Park & Rides.

Here is the map:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=116482526730556070192.000444f42d3b8356eb077&z=12

It would be a "string of pearls". Here are the pearls: The Bridgelands (gigantic new subdivsion which will be building-out for the next 20 years), Cypress P&R, Riata Ranch, Cy-Fair College, Copperfield / Copperlakes, FM529 & SH6, Bear Creek, Pioneers Park & Harris County Community Center, Addicks P&R, and multiple Energy Corridor stops.

Key points:

- Signature Bus or BRT, not local jitney

- Speed is important. Infrequent stops on high-speed roads

- Motorcoach, not jitney equipment. Brand it for middle-class office workers

- This is still a drive or bicycle to the bus paradigm. Walking probably not feasible for many. Parking in shopping malls, with merchant approval (they would likely welcome the traffic)

Regards,

Peter Wang

re: Lunchtime Web Chat This Friday

Peter Wang — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:58:42 GMT

Dominic, that's a good idea to extend it down to Westheimer

re: Lunchtime Web Chat This Friday

Royko — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:10:44 GMT

Mr. Wilson,

Regarding the expansion of the two urban rail lines scheduled to begin in March, using sales tax revenue:

METRO is optimistic there will not be any recession, and that sales tax revenue will continue to increase at an annual rate of about 6%. As you may recall, this was not the case just a few years back.

As reported to the NTD, over the past three fiscal years, the total Federal Funds from all sources has trended downward. The total in FY 2005 was $145,303,616, then declined to $120, 549,635 in FY 2006, and further declined to $97,536,365 for FY 2007. Given the mood in Congress to reduce earmarks, and the observation that Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee will likely never be able to secure the levels Congressman Tom Delay generated.

METRO has abandoned the effort to achieve a 50% fare box recovery, and has allowed the percentage to fall below 15%. Assuming the Q-Card does not significantly improve the fare box revenue, since the on-time ratio dropped into the 50's for November 2007, as more citizens will seek other rubber-tired modes to get to where they need to be, when they need to be there.

Bus boardings have trended DOWN since METRO began construction of urban rail in 2001. There was a spike in FY 2006, attributable to the influx of Hurricane Katrina refugees.

Will not this scenario create a severe operating cash crunch?

Further, how will METRO honor the seemingly hollow promise to increase bus service 50% above the level in 2003? This increase is absolutely necessary if nothing more that to bring riders to the Utopian trams.

The number of buses, full-time operators, hours, vehicle revenue miles, and passenger miles for the local fixed bus routes all continue 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

re: Lunchtime Web Chat This Friday

Eduardo — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:56:48 GMT

Will METRO be able to control the traffic signals along the new rail lines - so the trains can run faster than the rest of the traffic?

re: Lunchtime Web Chat This Friday

J. Liggins — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:00:31 GMT

I've hand delivered literally hundreds of route suggestions to Metro over the past 12 years and have learned in that time that there are so many constraints and restrictions regarding the implementation of these routes that I've kind of given up. I sent in a similar route to what Peter is proposing called the 75 - Eldridge Crosstown. It ran from Willowbrook to Alief along Highway 6 mostly and skimmed by the Energy corridor along the way.

re: Lunchtime Web Chat This Friday

Mary Sit — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:43:18 GMT

Eduardo,

Here's a reply from Navin Sager, METRO's senior director of planning, engineering and construction: "Most likely METRO will not be able to control traffic signals along the new rail lines. The city will have control over the traffic signals. Facility Provider, METRO’s Contractor for the new corridors, is required to coordinate train movements at permissible speed with the traffic signals. Safety is given the prime consideration in the designing of new corridors.”