METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

Matt Impelluso — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:01:49 GMT

FINALLY! Listen, I'm from New York. The fare there is $2. Some cities have the same fare, some even more based on their system. Houston has by far the worst transit system in the United States. There is nothing good about the LRT, there is nothing good about the park and rides (I cannot believe Metro allows bus drivers who drive the coach buses from park and rides to stand in the aisle - that is so unbelievably dangerous and Jim Adler is going to be rich pretty soon). The comments in the Chronicle yesterday were informative - horrible buses, etc. These fares will help Houston buy more buses, make more routes, and encourage more rapid transit.

I know Houstonians love their cars. I know the bus system is horrible for shopping because of big box stores (even grocery stores). But, with proper transit oriented development, we can redevelop Houston to be an urban city that functions correctly. We have to stop this cul-da-sac environment and build grid-like streets like in downtown and the Heights. We have to stop these loops around Houston like the Grand Parkway.

I'm studying urban planning for a doctorate degree. I find it sick that Houston took out the trolley system in 1945 that was very successful in place for freeways. We need subways. We need them to follow the routes the Park and Ride buses follow. We need to follow New York as the second city in the world to have local and express service so that express trains can get people from Sugar Land, the Woodlands, Northshore-Baytown, Clear Lake - League City - Texas City - Galveston, Katy, etc.

People who disagree with me about this whole plan are ridiculous and need to read an urban planning book. 100 mph trains verse 30 mph highway speeds. You do the math.

The head of Metro used to be the head of the New Jersey Transit. WHY ISN'T HE DOING WHAT HE DID IN NEW JERSEY? THEY HAVE A GREAT TRANSIT SYSTEM! THEY'RE THE MOST URBAN SYSTEM IN AMERICA!!!!! FRANK WILSON WAKE UP!!!!!!!!

Anyway listen to my radio show - thewarzone.org

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

Matt Impelluso — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:06:07 GMT

oh and to keep on topic - sorry about writing twice - this fare would help everything i just spoke about. the fare increase should be a dollar more.

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

J. Liggins — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:12:59 GMT

How tactless, Metro shakes us down for an extra 25% after a year in which we saw.....

-54% on time performance

-Poorly maintained buses

-Yet another delay to the gimmicked QL service

-No mention of new local service

-The whole Ike HOV debacle

-Frank Wilson getting a 21% raise

-The Q Card

He should have shown a sense of civic duty and declined his raise in light of rising fuel costs and an economic crisis that would call for the use of those precious funds elsewhere, but why do that when you can shake down your battered riding public for extra millions. And Frank basically boasted in the paper that due to fuel costs he has a captive audience of riders. A real class act. Remove the cl.

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

Mary Sit — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:19:09 GMT

Frank Wilson served as commissioner of the Department of Transportation for the state of New Jersey. He was responsible for all transportation development, construction maintenance, operations and finance.

He also served on the board of directors of the New Jersey Transit Corp.; Port Authority of New York/New Jersey; and New Jersey State Toll Roads.

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

J. Liggins — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:04:12 GMT

Two CEOs from Jersey, eh? Whatever DeLibero did Metro must have loved it because Frank is doing it, to quote Kanye, "harder, better, faster, stronger."

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

DominicMazoch — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:14:01 GMT

Well, at least Miss liberty is actually in the Sate of.......NJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

Realistic — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:50:59 GMT

I love how Metro can quote that there are no price increases since 1994. What was the whole QCard unveiling?! Nothing but a huge price increase in disguise!

I find their whole premise deceiving. If you're charging citizens even more money as gas prices have now gone down significiantly, then you better get more buses. Buses that show up reasonably on time, aren't full by the 3rd stop, and that the riders don't fear for their safety on.

Great way to hurry up and pass all this in a day and start raking up the money in barely 2 weeks...

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

Cedric Collins — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:51:39 GMT

WOW! $1.25, huh? AND........?! AS LONG AS I CAN STILL RIDE THE BUS/TRAIN, I DON'T EVEN CARE IF THE FARE WAS $2 PER RIDE!

The only way that I'll agree with this fare increase is the fuel situation. I really don't care about anything else at this point.

METRO can keep raising fares all they want to; it's not going to change my view about this debacle not one bit! Why? I say again---AS LONG AS I CAN STILL BE ABLE TO RIDE THE BUS/TRAIN, THAT'S FINE BY ME!

Keep in mind that we're not the only TA in this country that has to go about a fare increase to solve whatever problems they run into.

http://contribute.chron.com/ver1.0/Direct/Process

That URL doesn't work, Mary.

~Cedric Collins~

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

John — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:36:07 GMT

Do tell us Royko

Inquiring minds NEED to know

john

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

J. Liggins — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:14:41 GMT

Interesting reading about Frank "Fat Contracts" Wilson......

http://www.themightywizard.com/weblog/archives/000259.html

Courtesy of BlogHouston.....

http://www.bloghouston.net/item/6744

Hey Metro, stop hiring your CEOs from "Jyoisee" because lies and scandals seem to follow them from "America's armpit." Isn't that the nickname for Jersey? Well, if it's not it should be because they've sent some foul things down our way.

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/1926

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

DominicMazoch — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:29:37 GMT

Is not NJ "The Garden State"?

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

DominicMazoch — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:39:22 GMT

Matt:

Houston Electric took out LRT operations BEFORE WWII. The interurban wich ran to Bayutown from the city limits of Houston to Baytown went to railbuses in the late 1940's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_(transit_bus)

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Classic_(transit_bus)&oldid=244145165

~Cedric Collins~

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

john — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:47:16 GMT

WOW!

I never saw that one coming!

After reading all the stuff here I am a bit hesitant to make my opinions known.

But,

It seems that there is some Jersey history that is repeating itself here in the Bayou City.

I wonder what the board will do when all these huge contracts are secured and Frank hauls butt to become "President and CEO of those companies?

Will the board see THEN that they have been had?

And what was the reasoning to hire this guy?

Were they taking Shirleys word?

Kinda makes you wonder if the "Gumps" on the board were under the influence of some mind/reasoning altering substance. Possibly mass hypnosis?

Dunno...

Shirley had things here so screwy during the MetroRail push that we weren't able to purchase NEEDED bus parts because of financial difficulties.

Now Frank comes in and starts the "rail centric"

stuff he did in Jersey hoping for different results?

Will it be huge cost overruns and then bailing out after it starts to stink?

Shame on you Frank Wilson!

Believe it or not..

We can read

wi11ie

re: METRO Board Passes Fare Increase

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:28:33 GMT

I do have rants but I am a bit tired.