2008-04-27
The Vermont AV Station on the Green Line once had something planted here. Now the planter has become an “informal” litter container. The day on which your Mole planned this photo, a Metro “worker” was making a half-hearted attempted to pick up litter, well it seemed to me only litter of a square foot in size qualified. The photo above shows only approximately one fifth (1/5th) of the planter's actual size. People, and one can't necessarily blame the LACMTA for their actions, stuff their litter in the planter probably thinking that it is better than tossing it in the street. What is blamable on the LACMTA is their failure to: (1) seal up the planter once it was taken out of use; (2) provide adequate trash cans in a very busy area; and (3) performing much below standard clean up as evidence of effort expended by the “worker” described above.
This planter is nearby where Gardena Municipal Bus Lines stop signs could be seen, that is, if Gardena Municipal Bus Lines put up bus stop signs. Or perhaps, this is more of the work of the Stops and Signs Group not wanting to share their bus stop poles with Gardena.
The West L.A. Transportation Center is notorious for three reasons: (1) it is dirty, (2) it is dark and (3) it has the lowest ratio of seating to passengers of any place that I can name. Shown above is what happens when trash cans overflow and no one empties them. Above, for your viewing pleasure is an overflowing trash can. This might be another venue at which I can take a farewell photograph of Snoble. The occasion might be his leaving the LACMTA, meaning that Speaker Nuñez was successful (Vide infra).
Anyway, Thanks (I guess) should go out to the Stops & Signs Group. Which group must be the most experienced at the LACMTA, because they must do everything 5 or 6 times before they get it any where near right. I believe that there motto is, or should be, “We approach success asymptotically”. Definitely Thanks! to them for providing a rich source of material for the Mole to write about :-) .
What should they have done? First, identify each panel of both of the kiosks. West-1, West-2, West-3, East-1, East-2 and East-3. Then, at Bay 3, the Torrance Transit number 8 stop, affix a small permanent sign which says see schedule posted in the West-x kiosk. At Bay 3, the BCT number 8 stop, affix another small permanent sign which says see schedule posted in the East-x kiosk. And of course, add the notation “Board bus at Bay 6” to the BCT schedule. That was easy!
Ample proof that the LACMTA is a reactive organisation is shown above. A reactive organisation waits until something happens then reacts. A proactive organisation is continually in a self-monitoring mode and makes provision for feedback from its various processes. It takes action in advance where possible or in a timely manner otherwise.
How would a proactive organization deal with say, the planter cum trash bin situation detailed above. It would cover the planter with plywood, paint it a neutral colour and bolt the grille work to it. To see how the LACMTA, a worst-case reactive organisation handles things, review any of the photos in this post.
The Mole reads the papers (and other things) so you don't have to
In VIENNA, Austria(2) officials hope to limit cell phone use on public transit. Such programs are already in use in France, Germany, Denmark and Finland.
According to the Times(5) Snoble's performance has been placed directly in the spotlight by Assembly speaker I understand Nuñez. I understand that the main complaint is that Snoble was not able to obtain enough funding “... for projects aimed at improving the flow of goods through ports and along highways and rail lines.”
The way things are currently organized the competition for funds must be resolved by one man. Monies spent for freeway projects, my favorite is free towing for motorists –I wonder how many Metro passenger fares it take to provide a single tow? --are not available for mass transit. While monies wasted on foolish projects, think Expo line, are not available to add an off-ramp or three.
Say something, say anything. Zev Yaroslavsky, according to the Los Angeles Times(6), in discussing building more high rises, “says density is not the answer”. The father of the Orange
Ear to the Rail
He also talks about basis points –to understand a basis point , let's let $100 represent 100%, then $1 is equal to 1%. One dollar is 100 cents, each penny can be thought of as a basis point. Of course a basis point is NOT money, it is a fraction of one percent, specifically, one one hundredth of a percent. A basis point can be expressed in the form of a decimal fraction as .0001. One percent as a decimal fraction is .01, multiply .01 by .001 and the product is .0001. Ten basis point is one tenth of a percent (.001), twenty five basis point is one fourth of a percent (.0025) etc. Now when they say that the Fed (Federal Reserve Board) has reduced interest by fifty basis point we can know that they mean one half of one percent (.005). We only need the decimal fraction when a computation must be performed. As an example, if su Topo were to loan you $10 overnight (good luck on that) and charge you 75 basis points interest, he would be charging you 10 times .0075 or 7.5 cents (.075). See also, http://glossary.reuters.com/index.php/Basis_points
http://lowyinstitute.richmedia-server.com/sound/The_new_new_global_economy.mp3
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080417.html
When galaxies collide, see:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080420.html
You will have to copy the above link and paste it into your browser's URL space. The URL which I have posted but this appears to be another BlogSpot bug. There is no direct reporting to them and I don't have time to search for a fix. Better still view the ...ap080417... page then change the 17 to 20 and voila!
Our own Milky Way galaxy will one day, in several billion years, unite with Andromeda. Follow this link for more detail – http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/galaxy_collides_020507-1.html
Finally, bus number 7101 arrives and it is PACKED. SRO!! This validates my thinking that either some buses were skipped today or were never scheduled in the first place –there is no 704 schedule in the rack so I couldn't check. I smile thinking this is how they get around my “moving fewer people faster in mostly empty buses” comment about Rapid service, just run fewer buses.
Seated across from me, a guy peddles his hard luck story to a young woman who listens politely. He just told the driver that he only had a quarter and got a ride. Sad story –he just spent his last quarter. He traveled from Seattle to Mexico, then reached L.A. about the time his money ran out. The young lady resisted urge to hand over money through the ride. He got off at Santa Monica Bl and asked the driver for an inter-agency transfer so that he could ride to Santa Monica. I don’t think that he got one.
Driver number 73332 is a large woman. She, like other drivers whom your Mole has seen, believes that wearing her seat belt –making the assumption that she could wear it— is optional. She is using her hands free cell phone. This leaves her hands free to gesticulate, both of them at times leave the steering wheel for periods longer than I like. And she is a non-stop talker. “ ... Destiny was told not to wash the dishes ...”, “ ... Jay didn't cut the grass ... “ and on and on. When bus drivers carry on lengthy, obviously personal, high-volume cell phone conversations, as Jack McCoy would say, “... there is no expectation of privacy ...”.
Fare Box Score Box
Rides .......................................24*
Out of Order Fare Boxes .......0??
Ratio ...................................0:24
Your Mole thinks that they don't put buses with out of order fare boxes on lines that he rides?? Because, the problem has gone on for YEARS and it is impossible for them to fix it in a month, if ever.
*Includes several trips on the Big Blue Bus and Culver City MBL.
(1) MICKLEBURGH, ROD “Vancouver transit riders tasered for not paying fares” Globe and Mail (Toronto)16 Apr 2008:na
(2) KOLE, WILLIAM J. “Crackdown on cell phones on public transit ignites debate” Associated Press 17 Apr 2008:na
(3)Velasquez, Phil (AP photographer) “Late For Work” Los Angeles Times 16 Apr 2008:A10
(4) Photo-na, Caption-na “A Big Day” Los Angeles Times 14 Apr 2008:B3
(5) McGreevy, Patrick, Steve “Nuñez wants MTA chief ousted” Los Angeles Times 11 Apr 2008:B3
(6) Haefele, Mark B. “The underdeveloper” Los Angeles Times 6 Apr 2008:M1
(7) Walker, Gary “Advocates of light rail extension to LAX push to get Green Line back on track” Argonaut 10 Apr 2008:7
(8) na “Students and staff to ride free on Big Blue Bus “Any Line, Any Time” Argonaut 17 Apr. 2008:25
Mole’s Copyright Statement
All photographs and original written materials are copyrighted © 2008 by LAmetroMole. ♪Clicking a photo will often present you with an enlargement.
FAIR USE NOTICE
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, sustainable development, environmental, community and worker health, democracy, public disclosure, corporate accountability, and social justice issues, etc. We have included relatively brief quotes from articles and etc. rather than a simple link because we have found that links frequently go "bad" or change over time. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without fee or payment of any kind to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
## 30 ##
2008-03-29
Op Num: 1999
One of the items which the LACMTA proudly proclaims to have resulted in their being selected [ONE] of America's Best, was their seamless integration of technology. Yet, as the line above shows, it is really other organizations, in this case it is Culver City Municipal Bus Lines which are using technology to improve their riders' experience.
The Mole reads the papers (and other things) so you don't have to
While are friends at the LACMTA are thinking deep inside the box, probably curled up in the fetal position, In Europe, according to The Economist(1), Guillaume Pepy of France's SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français) rail system, is using to attract new customers, improve service and profitably while making train travel a pleasant experience. “A ticket from Paris to Marseilles now costs as little as €22 ($32)”.
However, unless a lot more of us surrender to the delights of public transportation, no mater where you are you will just spend time trapped in traffic in a bus breathing in these goodies, which are produced by combustion and plentiful on and near our roadways. Wearing a mask won't do any good because the filtering characteristics of easily available masks are course grained and will let these ultra fine particles pass through the filtering mechanism. After reading this article your Mole has more of a desire to move to Idaho than write about the noble work of LACMTA.
The Argonaut(4) ( http://www.argonautnewspaper.com/ ) shows that the Metro riding public will only stand for so much service reduction cutting, it appears that they are mad as hell and won't take it any more. The piece also documents complaints about the planned reductions of the 115 Line. But for your Mole, there was humor. In talking abut what you Mole has termed “Moving fewer people faster” in his criticism of the Rapid lines, a Metro official, said “We're implementing six new Rapid lines this year”. As if was in some way compensation for those who will be left without a bus line or at best, diminished availability.
Buried deep within the Los Angeles Times this blurb(5), in describing the installation of turnstiles in the subway and at some light rail stations, says “... could save the [LAC]MTA as much a $7 million a year.” What does that “save” really mean? Does it mean that they are spending more than $7 with the present
Unlike our gutless Times, The New York Daily News(6) doesn't hesitate to report on city managers. They report on their MTA manager's use of police officers as chauffeurs. “Elliot Sander - who pushed the subway and bus fare hikes that take effect Sunday - is chauffeured around the city by a police detective who made $70,000 in overtime last year, the Daily News has learned.”
Sounds like our own over-remunerated Snoble, doesn't it? But, does Mr. Sander also get a highly paid outside PR guy to prevent him putting his shoe in his mouth, which shoe hardly ever touches the floorboard of a bus or train, as I assume is the case with Snoble?
Ms Willow Duttge(7) does a nice job in presenting the interrelationship between corn, ethanol and food prices in the Condé Nast Portfolio (See: http://www.portfolio.com/ ). Your Mole has reported on this instance of unintended consequences before (2007-10-13). OEV (oil equivalent value), although not covered in this piece, is a term which can be used to describe pricing of alternative uses of the commodity corn. In short, the raw material will seek a use which offers the highest price and presently, for corn, that use is for ethanol. The article does a fantastic job of explaining why, e.g., chicken coat 6.5% more. The effect of articles like this is to pour freezing water on those who hope that ethanol will save us from a variety of transportation and energy related problems.
The Los Angeles Times echoes the ethanol/corn theme(8) and reports '... that a “corn shock” might not be far off –and it could lead to $5 gas and 43.50 eggs ...' The piece features some informative pie charts that show, e.g., the percentage of the corn crop devoted to ethanol jumped from 10.3% in 2002 to 24.7% last year.
Once again, the LACMTA's Marketing Department has again demonstrated, that when it comes to wasting money printing things, they are second to none. This time, again exposing the rail/bus dichotomy in it's thinking, they publish a “Metro Rail Pocket Guide” number 06-11821R. Although, there is lots of white space left in the publication, which a creative designer could have used to show bus lines which are available at a given subway/rail station. Instead they give us useless info such as, the number of miles of track (73) and direct us to their web site for bus information, which, is not so easy to find. You would first have to locate the “System Map” then enlarge it, then, you could find the rail/subway station and see bus lines serving a station on a station by station basis. Are we having fun yet? (see: http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/maps/system_map.pdf ).
Ear to the Rail
Regarding time and dates, please take a look at these sites.
For an interesting proposal regarding world time, GMT, UTC, Zulu and etc. See: http://www.internetnews.com/commentary/article.php/3734396/Is+it+Time+to+Globalize+Time.htm
For those who don’t have enough to worry about, the Australian magazine Cosmos http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/1878 provides a link to information about WR 104 which has the potential of ending life on earth, see also: http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~gekko/pinwheel.html
For an interesting view of a galaxy with a diameter that is about one half of our “Milky Way”. See: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080308.html
This was the month to assist ladies from Australia. First there was, shall I call her Dulcinea Dos?, a young lady in the medical profession who I assisted (I hope) in finding a bus to Venice Beach.
Later, I provided relatively minor assistance to two Australian ladies, one of whom was involved in finance , who were headed to Disneyland –they had quite good directions from their hotel. We had an interesting discussion regarding the founding of Australia in the 18th Century, say 1788. We also discussed the fact that the USA was the preferred destination of English prisoners until our Revolution put a crimp in those plans and Austrailia was substituted. The crimes which would make one a candidate for a free ocean voyage we often very petty. For a nice summary of a book which your Mole has read, see http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/jun1999/fat-j25.shtml .
I met a techie, like me, at a bus stop. He had a Blackberry so I asked him about downloading bus schedules from www.Metro.net->Riding Metro->Timetables ... He was kind enough to demonstrate how his Blackberry displayed the download and the output of trip planner. There seems to be no free Adobe PDF reader for the Blackberry, so the output wasn't that great. However I found a third party PDF reader for the Blackberry which sells (rents?) for just under $20/YEAR! Adobe, get busy! Later I found out about www.metro.net/mobile --perhaps it does a better job displaying the schedules.
Right there, I did a roadside systems design for people with Blackberry or similar devices or possibly some cell phones. When one established communication with the metro web page it would read the GPS coordinates from your device and locate the nearest bus stops on both sides of the street, then provide you with the next three approximate times when buses would pass the stops in either direction. Now that is integration of technology. Will the LACMTA ever take on such a task, :-), I doubt it. Of course, my rough design will require lots more work. What if there were several stops within the area?, etc., etc., ... Anyway, if the LACMTA decides to do so, remember, you read it here first and I expect them to name it “MoleRoute” or some such honorific.
The 780 bus which is my ride this afternoon is rattling like a submarine which has seen too many depth charge attacks. I pull the signal cord when the ASA (Automatic Stop Announcement) says “ Hollywood and La Brea” but, the bus speeds by the intersection.
I ask the driver why we didn't stop. He replies, “It's not a 780 stop”. I follow-up, “Why is it announcing the stop”? His answer? “Oh, they never update those things”. Getting there is 50 basis point, i.e, half of one percent, of the fun :-).
Your Mole was out of town much of this month, as a result he did not ride much. What does seem constant is the number of fare boxes out of service –at this point we again think seamless integration of technology and insert a laugh track— the overall ratio at this point seems to be 1:5, that is one out of five fare boxes is out of service. I will start formalizing my monthly report as “Fare Box Score Box” and print the raw values as well as a ration. It will appear at this point, below is a sample based on actual numbers from a single day during the month of March 2008.
*One was a Big Blue Bus
(3) Pesce, Nicole Lyn “Subway here races 1 train, saves life” New York Daily News 20 Mar. 2008:na
(4) Walker, Gary “Plan to eliminate Metro bus 108 through Marina area draws public criticism” The Argonaut 6 Mar. 2008:4
(5) Hymon, Steve “Train stations to get turnstiles” Los Angeles Times 29 Feb. 2008:B4
(6) Donohue, Pete “He drove fare hikes, but MTA boss is driven by cop on overtime” New York Daily News 2 Mar. 2008:na
(7) Duttge, Willow “The Ethanol-Industrial Complex” Condé Nast Portfolio Nov. 2007:56
(8) Hirsch, Jerry “Corn is king –and therefore a growing problem” Los Angeles Times 2 Mar 2008:A1
Mole’s Copyright Statement
All photographs and original written materials are copyrighted © 2007 by LAmetroMole. ♪Clicking a photo will often present you with an enlargement.
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, sustainable development, environmental, community and worker health, democracy, public disclosure, corporate accountability, and social justice issues, etc. We have included relatively brief quotes from articles and etc. rather than a simple link because we have found that links frequently go "bad" or change over time. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without fee or payment of any kind to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
2008-02-29
Now Hear this!, If you can
Today, for the first time, your Mole will make available to you links to audio files which reflect actual experiences.
It is fitting that the initial files reflect a situation which I have reported on (criticized) for a long time and now you can enjoy the same sounds, which range from unusable to poor, available daily to Red/Purple Line riders.
On 22 February I made two trips: from 7th/Metro Center to Union Station and back. I actually rode the same train both ways. I did change cars for the trip back.
The train operator on the trip out was a man. You can hear that recording, I caution you don't expect very much and you won't be disappointed. I rate his broadcast as poor. I made the recording which is only a portion of the trip while seated without caring about where the speaker was relative to my seat. Link
On the return trip we had a lady train operator. I rate her broadcast as unusable. At first, I made the recording while seated without caring about where the speaker was relative to my seat. Quickly I sensed that we would only capture background noise, so I stood up, moved to a location that had a speaker right above my seat and held the microphone about 12 inches away from the speaker. I didn't hear much and understood less, you will quickly hear that too. Listen for the “door closing” gongs, as you probably noted, you should hear operator announcements on either side of the gongs. Link
I don't necessarily blame the train operators. I believe that the poor quality of the announcements is most due to poor equipment. The LACMTA always tries to do everything on the cheap and on board announcements are no exception. A MUCH better job is done on the Blue, Green and Gold Lines although each system utilized, surprise!, is not directly comparable with others an all have quirks and inconsistencies. BUT, they all can be heard and understood. I probably will not record those systems since they are adequate.
What I ask you to do is imagine yourself on the return portion of my trip and then imagine an emergency situation which required the train operator to give critical instructions and information. It wouldn't be done and you would be on your own!
You have just listened to a glaring security flaw.
Your Mole obtained a copy of a letter which was sent to the LACMTA Customer Relations group. Here, without comment, it is.
Dear Customer Relations:
Regarding your plans fo June 2008 Service Changes, I have included a number of my comments and suggestions which are in bold typeface, below:
First of all, your usual notices of meetings are ineffectual. Meeting times and locations are fixed so as to preclude many of your ridership from attending.
Onboard buses, TransitTV advertisments only direct viewers to www.metro.net. Print advertisments, for example, the one appearing in the Santa Monica Mirror (January 31 – February 6, 2008 issue), include only one meeting time and venue and waste space promoting the Firecracker Run/Walk.
Meeting times and venues should be chosen to maximize the attendance of the general ridership.
All media used should include a listing of all meetings.
When it is absolute necessary to provide an Internet link, the full link, e.g., www.metro.net/MeetingsReJune2008Schedule/ vs. forcing people to begin a search at www.metro.net , which itself is an incredibly poorly designed and disorganized site.
I find that each cycle of changes devalues monthly passes. The most recent loss was the elimination of Metro pass usage for travel aboard Dash and LDOT buses. Instituting schedule and route changes such as eliminating line 4 buses West of Sepulveda during the day and replacing them with line 704 buses results in transporting fewer people faster. I submit that there are NO HARD FACTUAL STATISTICS supporting such changes. Neither are there facts supporting changes proposed for June 2008.
Yet, when reduced to writing, the substitution of Rapid buses appear to be an “improvement”. Placing stops as much as one mile distant from each other means that bus stops which were no more than several blocks apart now require lengthy walks in order for the prospective rider to reach a bus stop. This becomes part of the LACMTA's plan to eliminate service by improving it. Longer walks mean that the ridership will opt for other means of transportation and further the LACMTA's plan to eliminate service because ridership on the improved routes drops in a vicious cycle.
Please, stop making these cosmetic changes and study the needs of the ridership rather than ignoring these needs and responding by fiat. On a case-by-case basis Express buses may be required during the rush hour. But even then, bus stops should be serviced on a logical basis rather than by some arbitrary distance between stops.
In short, STOP charging us more and giving us less!
Bus accidents seem all to frequent, the Los Angeles Times has reported a bus crashing into a building (28 Jan. 2008, page B3) a bus striking and killing a pedestrian who was crossing a street (7 Feb. 2008, page B5). These facts coupled with my own many observations of bus drivers involved in lengthy personal cell phone conversations make me think that at least some of the accidents were caused by inattention to driving while chatting. It is so flagrant that in some cases I have the feeling that cell phone talkers also paid to drive.
I know that your agency prides itself on using technology, although often I feel that it selects technology which is too expensive and then poorly implements it, it is past time to find some method to completely eliminate cell phone conversations while a bus is in motion.
As riders, we are well aware of the LACMTA's understanding of two critical points: (1) Many, if not most, of the ridership is either unaware of public hearings or unable to attend them because of constraints imposed either/both time and venue
of the hearings and (2) That the LACMTA's funding originates from sources other than fares in a ratio of approximately 9:1, i.e., only ten percent of the LACMTA's funds comes from fares while ninety percent comes form other sources. So, the LACMTA's constituency is NOT its' ridership by others, usually as part of some structure that can be satisfied by political action, all the while considering those of us dependant on the LACMTA's services as mere pawns.
Please, effect a paradigm shift in the way you view your relationship with the people who depend on the LACMTA for daily transportation, whether that be by bus, light-rail or subway.
What follows are my comments regarding plans of June 2008 changes. Although they are directed to proposals for June 2008 in the “Metro South Bay Service Sector”, my general ideas can be easily extrapolated to other service sectors.
Line 108 cancelation east of Fox Hills Transit Center is part of the LACMTA's plan to strip Marina del Rey of bus service. the 220 bus line was drastically truncated
several cycles ago, in effect, eliminating service to LAX West, Playa del Rey and Marina del Rey. Culver City is NOT an alternative because it only offers weekday service on their line 7. The non-Metro alternatives proposed for line 108 are part of the charging us more and giving us less scheme.
Cancel Line 315 replacing it with line 715 is a another example of attempting to create a self-fulfilling prophecy as per line 704 above. Reduce service frequency on Line 115. Line 115 to Playa del Rey is only hourly now, scheduling less frequent service than that will result in long waits. I have watched time after time as full buses passed me by at Lincoln and Manchester often forcing me to pay for a Big Blue Bus ride. Again, LACMTA you are charging us more and giving us less.
Frequency realignments on routes, based upon an empirical determination of the number of potential riders during a given time-of-day period, rather than frequency reductions should be considered for Line 115.
Cancel Lines 124 and 126. In a single stroke you are eliminating some of the poor service now available to El Segundo and all of the LACMTA service to Manhattan Beach AND linkage to the Green Line.
Try walking from Sepulveda BL to El Segundo and from Sepulveda BL to Manhattan Beach. Try it in the rain! Try finding an easy way to get to the Green line from Manhattan Beach or to the Green line from points along El Segundo BL.
Promote Lines 124 and 126 –really promote them for a year with maps and posters in the local libraries, super markets, schools and etc. Use the same Marketing Department which shameless self-promoted the now historical event of being “named America's Best”. Try to actually live up to the aforementioned shameless self-promotion.
Cancel midday and weekend service on Line 439. Here is another line where service has been slowly whittled away until riders give up on it. Line 439 is the ONLY way, using the LACMTA, of connecting with buses at the Fox Hill Transit Center and provides a means of connecting with the Red Line at the Hollywood/Highland Station. Further, it provides (sometimes) a direct connection with the Green Line Aviation Station. The alternatives offered do not provide this service or provide it in an inconvenient manner at addition out-of-pocket costs.
With a mind set as demonstrated above, it takes an extremely insensitive organization to allow “America's Best” decals to be affixed to each mode of transportation offered by the LACMTA.
The LACMTA needs to drop yesterday's thinking, i.e., “we are a bus organisation” and adopt “systems thinking”, along the lines of “we are a TRANSPORTATION ORGANISATION”. The LACMTA, were it educable, could learn much from the way in which UPS has adopted systems thinking and industrial engineering methodologies in order to make its' operations streamlined and cost effective. IF such a learning task is possible then agency “planners” will start to search for ways to connect the presently disjointed parts of the whole. The agency also needs to begin “Thinking Linkage”, so that Blue Line, etc. trains arrive AFTER Green Line trains allowing for a leisurely walk from the Green Line to the Blue Line. The same is true for linking major bus lines so that transfer time is minimized.
I suggest that as Step 1, you tape over the “America's Best” decals until such time as such an appellation is earned. Then later, when you truly have earned the title, superimpose the true time frame involved, i.e., 2006-2007.
Some additional steps along the way should be:
Mutual pass acceptance between all transportation agencies operating in the Los Angeles basin;
Free distribution of “Muni Transfers” to passengers bypassed due to crowded buses;
Free distribution of “Muni Transfers” to passengers when fare boxes are out of service, as they are so frequently;
A freeze on ALL changes until they can be supported by facts, not forced on the public.
I hope that you will act favorably on my suggestions,
Best regards,
The Mole reads the papers (and other things) so you don't have to
Taken together three articles show that, at very best, the efforts of the LACMTA to build Souther California transit, are disjointed and piecemeal lacking in any logical underpinnings. The Daily Breeze(1) covers the Crenshaw light-rail “plan”. The piece has a nice map which clearly shows that the line might be routed the cheapest way, not so as to facilitate transportation.
The Los Angeles Times(2), has a tougher headline in its' coverage of the latest LACMTA pipe dream. Praying that, I\With an if we build it where it is least expensive, maybe the PR group can sell it attitude, the LACMTA again shows that it is congenitally incapable of formulating a plan for public transportation. But they can come up with something and that is what the Crenshaw proposal amounts to –something. Then the LACMTA have the total nerve to plan public hearings so that they have “coverage” (“Well, you approved it!”) when people treat their spew as an actual well thought out plan.
A Times(3) article, include a map which I feel was made by throwing Post-It page markers at the existing Downtown transportation map and then trying to explain what the result means. I read the article completely, yet with statements like “... the MTA is to unveil potential routes that would fill in the 1.6 mile gap between Union Station and the 7th Street/Metro Center Station.” I was made slightly nauseous. I don't want to rain on their jolly parade but, Ihave some seriously bad news for the LACMTA. The 1.6 mile gap is already closed –with lots of buses: Metro, Big Blue; Torrance Transit; Montebello and DASH (free access to which is now denied to Metro passholders), LDOT Commuter Buses (free access to which is now denied to Metro passholders) and the Red/(and if you must Purple) Lines! I hope that since they took public input in the past, that it is not too late for me to say: STOP! The article also goes on: “The MTA's plan [my italics] is being greeted with praise by commuters who are tired of transferring to two or three train systems daily. Now what? The LACMTA is going to add several other transfer points? All these plans and yet there are no statistics available about potential riders. No diagrams of the points of origin of potential riders, no corresponding count of passengers headed for given destinations, by day of week, time of day NOTHING. Nothing except feelings which the politically motivated LACMTA pulls out of its' collective, er, ahh, gut. Of course the pool from which the LACMTA can draw new riders is primarily from the universe of the car-less in Los Angeles. In some ways this is like the Green Line and the maybe Crenshaw line, either or both which might be termed an asymptote to LAX. Or a band Aid on a Samurai sword cut.
Ear to the Rail
If you like classical music as I do you have a rare opportunity to download, without charge, the British classical violinist's latest CD. Ms Tasmin Little uses a Stradivarius and a Guadanini violins –both constructed in the 1700s.
NPR's Terry Gross “Fresh Air” broadcast of 20 February 2008 presents global warming in an easy to understand manner by the author of a New Yorker article .
Cosmology Corner
It turns out that our galaxy is twice as thick as they they thought,
12,000LY (Light Years) vs 6,000LY. So, Please, plan for a longer trip ;-).
The Mole Rides Again, so that you don't have wonder what happened to the Torrance Transit number 8 bus.
This picture♪ shows two things: (1) That someone at the LACMTA is reading your Mole (Hi, Guys!, Did you listen to the Red Line recordings above?) and (2) If the problem is presented well and is simple enough they can understand it and fix it. Now Bay 3 is labeled Bay 3! I have described the problem of having two (2) Bay 12s and NO Bay 3 at the LAXCBC (LAX City Bus Center) several times. [See post of 2007-11-10]
.
There still remains the problem of Torrance Transits five (5) year old and significantly out of date schedule which is posted in two (2) places at the LAXCBC. I have covered that here in my posting, the last time being [%date] and by direct contact with Torrance Transit. Both agencies fail to understand that by having obsolete schedules posted forces people to use other means of transportation with an attendant loss of revenue. Torrance Transit number 8 is a great bus. Tourists, who have long delays between flights and others, could take the number 8 to the large Del Amo shopping center. Perhaps dealing with two problems at a time is too much for the overworked staff of both organizations. I imagine that the voice mail for both groups answer with “NO!”.
Lake Gold Line Station in Pasadena: There are two largish display devices installed and weathered, but inoperative, on either end of the platform. They are weathered. Most likely an artifact of yet another half-baked idea for which the funds have been expended with, surprise, no return on investment. These are not unlike the displays which are sprouting up on the Red/”Purple” Line platforms. Although the unused displays may be better since they don't waste electricity uselessly informing us, e.g., “... don't sit on the edge of the platform ...” . Words of wisdom from an agency who sees no need to tell people that that passive looking third rail found in each station on both sides of the platform is charged with 750 Volts at high current! And they wonder why I make fun of them for overusing 'America's Best” :-). Although it appears, that the LACMTA is trying to force fit some additional information into the UDDs (my term, Useless Display Devices). If they spend another ten (10) years they might develop something half as good as what is presently in use on the Bay Area's BART. They could have obtained an exact copy of the Bart system for much less cost, but they wanted to show the the LACMTA is different and needed something special. They are “different” and “special alright“.
Aboard a Line 232 bus: I listen to a First Transit dispatcher with the next to impossible task of attempting to explain detour instructions to drivers. With all the bragging about “seamlees integration of technology” one would think that they could display the information on the otherwise useless TransiTV. Oh, that's right –First Transit Buses don't have TransiTV. Meaning that we are deprived of hearing the same Channel 4 three minute headline summary 20 times per hour –or does it just seem so?
(1) Maddaus, Gene “Crenshaw light-rail route picked” daily Breeze 22 Feb. 2008:A3
(2) Kim, Victoria “Crenshaw: Rail line to nowhere” Los Angeles Times 23 Feb. 2008:B1
(3) DiMassa, Cara Mia “Downtown rail battle a street fight” Los Angeles Times 25 Feb. 2008:B1
All photographs and original written materials are copyrighted © 2007 by LAmetroMole. ♪Clicking a photo will often present you with an enlargement.
FAIR USE NOTICE
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, sustainable development, environmental, community and worker health, democracy, public disclosure, corporate accountability, and social justice issues, etc. We have included relatively brief quotes from articles and etc. rather than a simple link because we have found that links frequently go "bad" or change over time. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without fee or payment of any kind to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
2008-01-26
This picture♪ shows the ticket sales area at the 7th/Metro Station. Note that minimal information is available to the potential passenger. Well, there is a nice big map, but, in order to make sense out of it one would have to have excellent eyesight (I believe that the type size just below the one used is Braille) and a very good idea of how the LACMTA “system” is laid out. Or, someone there to explain how to use the “system”. If you are a visitor –forget it! There is no usable map or fare explanation. Here it is better to show an example of effective communication in transportation and as usual with your Mole, he will use Japan as an example.
Here is a nice picture of the typical situation found in a Japanese subway or rail station.
http://thegreatgeekmanual.com/images/japan/vending-machine-service.jpg
First, read this description then open the picture. Then note the level of the lighting, i.e., bright, not the gloomy situation depicted in Los Angeles, above. Also, although the schematic map above the ticket machines is not in English, you can still understand that one can plan a route using the map, including the use of transfer points to different lines. On the schematic map, each station has the fare inscribed above the station name, the amount that is required to travel from “this station” (read point of origin). On the map, you can see “this station” denoted by the red arrow indicating “you are here”, in this case “Yokohama”. Oh, and the head which is protruding from the panel is simply a support person who will respond to a bell if a coin jams, etc.
This is what we should have here, but because the LACMTA has a build then design philosophy and since the builders were ignorant of best practices, this ignorance then became their legacy to the “maintainers”.
Last month I discussed the poor communications job which the LACMTA does informing their ridership about subway/rail ticket limitation. Here I take another look at the red/purple line interface between Union Station and Wilshire/Vermont. If you should change trains to one with a different destination you would be in violation of the one ticket one train policy. This is technically s loophole in the LACMTA's plan and one which they have not yet addressed. You're surprised??
The LACMTA's web site offers PDF (Adobe's portable data format) schedules for the various routes. Exemplifying the agency's inability to think outside the box, these schedules are basically the same as the printed schedules. There is no reason to be limited to that format, by being so limited, they miss the opportunity to extend the information to passengers and prospective passengers. I suggest the the PDF files include a complete list of all stops on the route along with a list of the ASA (Automatic Stop Announcement) text if such announcements are made on the subject line. N.B. These two items are frequently not identical. Further, the print schedules should include a symbol or the letters ASA if ASA is available on board.
In the same area, I believe that every bus should have a large poster of the same information the I suggest for the PDA files: map; list of all stops; ASA and etc. That way, and this is the case two weeks after the 2007-12-16 scramble of routes, few printed schedules are available on board buses, passengers could better plot their trip.
My criticism has often extended to the Los Angeles Times for what I consider weak coverage which is totally lacking an analysis of the $3 billion per annum mess called the LACMTA. But, after reading an excellent piece(1) in the New Yorker, the Times, at least the Times employees have my sympathy. The article paints a not very flattering portrait of Sam Zell, the $6 billion real estate dealer from Chicago, who now owns the Tribune Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, the Los Angeles Times. Do check out this eminently readable, lengthy article as it has a wealth of well researched detail. I will simply say two things: (A.) Zell specializes in paying the absolute minimum corporate income taxes –which is not a crime, usually and (B.) the Tribune Company purchased the Times in 2000 for about $8 billion in stock, which is about the same amount, if not mode of payment, as Zell will pay for the Tribune Company. Which purchase involves the Tribune Company becoming a sub-chapter S corporation (fewer interventions by our pesky government, no doubt) and taking on lots of new debt –$13 billion. The employees, in an interesting application of an ESOP (Employee Stockholder Ownership Plan) become the owners of the corporation, this may not be as nice for the employees as it sounds. Rupert Murdock is another tough businessman who owns newspapers. The difference between he and Zell is that Murdock has long experience with newspapers and is essentially a newspaperman, Zell does not –is not.
The Los Angeles Times(2), opinion page features a piece critical of the LACMTA for building light rail. I found it interesting in that one reading, since the writing was BUS centric and the writers seemed to think of a transportation SYSTEM in which BOTH BUSES and LIGHT RAIL play a role, is that this is a proposal for a proposal. One of the authors is identified as a 'Transportation Consultant”. They could work for either side, the BRU (Bus Riders Union) in support of their ridiculous buses only, ignore all other options approach OR be co-opted by the LACMTA, for perhaps an even higher fee, to remove them as a possible thorn in the LACMTA's side. Supporting your Mole's thinking is a large (taking more space than the text) picture which makes it a full page article, of a BRU fare protest. The protesters are identified NOT as BRU members or those organized by the BRU but, simply as “A crowd of bus riders”. Please read the opinion and draw your own conclusion. As for your Mole, he remains skeptical.
In contrast to the professional article above, a Times(3) columnist, features the ideas of amateurs on how to fix L.A. Public transportation. This is a lot less costly than actually performing a study of the situation and formulating a solution. Although I believe in generating ideas by brain storming, Nothing I read in this piece can be considered better than replacing the present LACMTA and replacing it with a professional organization. I will mention just one of the ideas contributed to this piece. It was the suggestion to use flood channels as the route for transportation. This is not necessarily a bad idea, it is just that it is extremely unlikely that the flood channel routes are a corridor that provides a sources of traffic –or destinations for that matter.
In another opinion piece(4) the Times prints various ideas for transportation. Again, I don't want to identify any of the ideas as bad, per se, but none of them seem to originate with true transportation professionals. The lead opinion writer is a writer for the Simpsons! An “organizer” for the BRU (Bus Riders Union), you remember them all buses and only buses seems to be their motto, asks for “reliable 24/7 service and a bus every five minutes”. He demonstrates a misunderstanding of basic economics and apparently feels that there are to few mostly empty buses now.
The three articles cited above clearly demonstrate what is wrong with the Los Angeles Times coverage of the LACMTA. They count these columns and opinions as if it were coverage. I will give them this, it does yield the most words for the lowest cost. In reality, what the Times gives us is NOT coverage. Nothing can replace a knowledgeable beat reporter!
The Los Angeles Times(5) shows that the LACMTA is equally inept in public transportation and its' administration of freeways, or should I say its' attempt to convert freeways to tollways.
We can read about the complaints(6) of those whose businesses are adversely affected by the Gold Line extension construction. Not one word appeared challenging whether the Gold Line extension is the best use of transportation funds, i.e., will there really be an adequate return on the capital investment? It East L.A. Really a source and destination of passengers in numbers not found in other areas. Because of the lack of transparency tremendous secrecy surrounding LACMTA and the details of how they spend their current $3 BILLION budget, we will never know. The Los Angeles Times weak coverage certainly isn't any help either.
Featured in the Daily News(7) is the “good news” that legislation holding promise for funding for the subway to the sea, vis., the Red Line extension to Santa Monica. The bad news is twofold: I. Iraq funding is also include in the bill, for which no Senate number was provided and II. With the current economic conditions which prevail in our country, I wonder if L.A.'s transportation desires will rate very high. We have the sub-prime mortgage problems along with the attendant SIV (structured Investment Vehicle) problems –SIVs were supposed to be a method by which the risk was spread but, now seems to be failing, along with organizations like MGIC (Mortgage Guarantee Insurance Corporation) and others who don't have the funds to pay off on the “guarantee”. Not to mention the fears of a general recession. In other words don't hold your breath.
On the afternoon of Christmas day I viewed a CNBC special(8), part of which was devoted to UPS. UPS is an organization that truly can be considered on of America's Best. The organization uses scientific methods, and a large compliment of Industrial Engineers,in its management. Just a few examples: drivers are taught to fasten their seat belts while starting their trucks; left turns are eliminated wherever possible.
Those of you who have an interest in improving your understanding aspects of ... iTunes©, <http://www.itunes.com/> allows the free downloading of some education related podcasts of university lectures and etc. You will need to download the iTunes software, but the files will play on most regular MP3 players, i.e., an iPod is not required.
Here is a link to the CSPAN podcast area, which I found very informing. If it is available listen to the presentation by Amy Chua, a Law professor at Yale, who has written several books. In this broadcast she discusses her latest, “Day of Empire” http://www.c-span.org/podcast/ .
Cosmology Corner
WBAI ,
The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) has a series called “Quirks & Quarks” <http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/>. Click on the link and use the site search function to find things which interest you.
The Mole Rides Again, so that you don't have to decrypt recorded announcements.
I watch a crowded articulated (double) 115 line bus head east on Manchester. Did the LACMTA read the Mole's posting of 2007-12-15 ? No, more likely the bus driver misread his bus number and drove this bus out of the lot.
A driver has an additional patch below his operator number on his right sleeve. It is bright and says “Named America's Best” --they are still trying to get mileage out of the 2006~2007 event. I want them to add another patch below the “named”one. It will say: “But not by its' riders!”.
Foothill Transit is another company who identifies its' drivers by operator number on the scrolling light panel on board this 787 line bus. I am reminded of this fact when riding on a Culver City bus, line 6, number 7060, which for some reason has an inoperative scrolling display.
I ride a 790 line bus up Wilshire. A elderly woman has mistaken this bus for a 720. The 790 is an express from Santa Monica to Westwood. The driver refuses to drop the woman at 14th Street –-she is apparently head for a hospital near there and is forced to ride all the way to Westwood. This is yet another example of drivers on a “power trip”. This is in spite of the fact that traffic is terrible and we crawl up Wilshire with lots of forced stops.
On another line, another driver complains that the passenger had signaled too vigorously from the bus stop. He answers “I had too, the bus ahead of you passed me by and I'm late for work”. The driver: “You don't have to do nothin'”. No extra charge for the [bad] attitude OR for the lack of supervision of the drivers.
The photo above underscores a philosophical difference between other transportation organizations and the LACMTA. It is a matter of “Mission Statement”. I don't know if organizations like Culver City Bus and Big Blue Bus have formal written mission statements or not but I can tell that both define themselves as being in the transportation business, while the LACMTA, if they have given any thought to the matter at all, they would be inclined to identifying themselves a being in the bus/rail business. How can a photo tell me that? Without context it can't so here is the context. All lines were forced to give up the bus stop on Sepulveda BL just south of Manchester, then the one on Sepulveda BL just south of La Tijera BL due to the widening of Sepulveda BL in the area. Another reason to admire Culver City Bus is that they
Big Blue Bus was able to keep their stop on Manchester, just west of Sepulveda so there was no big problem for them at first. Culver City of their own volition, knowing that many people transfer at Manchester and wanting to continue to provide service to their riders, established the stop pictured above. Doing so prevents the three long, perhaps four regular balk walk, including at least two busy street crossings back to Manchester, which the LACMTA inflicts on its' passengers.
The ASA (Automated Stop Announcement) system aboard metro buses, manifesting true LACMTA inflexibility, continue to announce stops at Sepulveda & Manchester BL and Sepulveda & La Tijera BL, leaving riders pulling the stop cord and wondering what is wrong.
In closing we can't forget that Torrance Transit now holds the record for for the most useless information available because of its' two 2003 schedules, now long out of date, posted in
the LAXCBC (LAX City Bus Center) one of which is shown above. Torrance Transit also holds the record for lack of observational skills, in that their stop is numbered “12”, actually one of two number 12s, when it should logically be number “3”. Then again, they may have simply given up fighting that black hole of inactivity, the LACMTA's “Stops and Signs” group.
Also, we must not forget to recognize the LACMTA for their New Year's “More for Less” gift. They informed us that our monthly passes would no longer be accepted on LDOT Dash in downtown L. A. nor would they be good on LDOT Computer Express Lines. Oh, there is no reason to say “thank you” to them, however I would recommend saluting them, a single finger will suffice. Perhaps you will choose your index finger for the salute, you know, conveying the idea that they are number one. Or, since it is your choice, you might use another digit :-).
(1) Bruck, Connie “Rough Rider” The New Yorker 12 Nov. 2007:p52
(2) Moore, James and Rubin, Tom “Train wreck” Los Angeles Times 13 Jan. 2008:M5
(3) Lazarus, David, “Southland transit in need of big ideas” Los Angeles Times 9 Dec. 2007:C1
(4) Selman, Matt, et. al. “How to get from here to there” Los Angeles Times 27 Dec. 2007:A19
(5) Lin II, Rong-Gong and Harmon, Steve “Carpoolers'free ride may be over” Los Angeles Times 14 Dec. 2007:B1
(6) Renaud, Jean-Paul “Gold Line construction isn't golden for some merchants in East L.A.” Los Angeles Times 27 Dec. 2007:B1
(7) Friedman, Lisa “Millions for Southland projects” Daily News 19 Dec. 2007:A1
(8) Use search feature at http://www.cnbc.co/
Mole’s Copyright Statement
All photographs and original written materials are copyrighted © 2007 by LAmetroMole. ♪Clicking a photo will often present you with an enlargement.
FAIR USE NOTICE
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, sustainable development, environmental, community and worker health, democracy, public disclosure, corporate accountability, and social justice issues, etc. We have included relatively brief quotes from articles and etc. rather than a simple link because we have found that links frequently go "bad" or change over time. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without fee or payment of any kind to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
2007-12-15
One can just imagine a meeting of the “Stops and Signs” group at the Taj Mahal (LACMTA HQ). Their combined brain power focused on exactly what to do. Unencumbered by an understanding of maps, the exact bus routes affected, empathy for their ridership or even a scintilla of drive to provide customer service, they press on.
I have it on good authority that one regional bus company, who wanted to post their schedule in one of the kiosks at the LAXCBC, that the kiosks “were inappropriate places to post schedules”. Also that leaving years old schedules posted in the kiosks, discouraged graffiti.
The “Stops and Signs” group's main claim to fame seems to be, being able to say “NO!” in 27 languages.
Not to say that the LACMTA is alone on using “wild” (generally taken to mean unprofessional) signage. Pictured♪ below is BCT's (Beach City Transit) take, at the LAXCBC, on informing the public.
With these guys it's either signs which are not so good, or none at all. That is the case of the photo♪ below where there are lots of signs, in fact, all buses which stop here have signs –except BCT.
The Mole reads the papers (and other things) so you don't have to
The Los Angeles Times again, reports(1) on the possibility of installing access control on “the first step toward installing 275 gates on the Red and Green lines and at strategic light rail stations.”. Once again we can see the brilliance of the minds at the LACMTA. They have had decades of experience with this problem and, at last, have come up with the solution that should have been implemented from day one. Most engineers, architects and other professionals will agree that it is usually much easier to design and build what is required from the start rather than retrofit later. Perhaps, the LACMTA genii laughed at the other cities and their controlled access systems and thought “we're different, we can save money”. As I discussed last month, the LACMTA can not learn from their own experience --how can we expect them to internalize the lessons which other could teach them? In a, to me, very weak attempt to rationalize the lack of due diligence in the past, the article quotes politicians as saying “While it was conceivable that an 'honor system' was effective ... 20 years ago, ... such a system is simply inapplicable in Los Angeles County today.”. The Times piece estimates that $6.77 million dollars of presently avoided fares could be collected. Using that as a basis and the estimate to install the system, “up to $30 million” means that the losses over 10 years could have paid for the controlled access gates twice over. Also noted is an annual maintenance cost of $1 million per year, which is about $10 per day based only on 275 gates –-this must be based upon fixing vandalism because smart card technology shouldn't require much maintenance. Unless, of course, it is left out in the weather or produced by the same people who make the everlastingly out of service bus fare boxes. Important to note that not all stations or perhaps not even all entrances of a given station will controlled access. What the article lacked was a simple map showing the lines and stations along with a notation as to the percentage (0~100%) of a given station's possible points of entry would have controlled access.
An accompanying photograph, by Brian Vander Brug, on page B6 gives another look into the minds of the LACMTA “Stops and Signs” group. Imagine yourself to be a foreign visitor trying to decode the signage, “Wil/Wstrn”and “Nor Hllywd”, shown in the picture.
Featured in the Times(2) is a large display advertisment, about a half-page in size, funded by LAWA, which touts their Flyaway bus service. Several points were interesting to me. First of all that the fare, $4 for adults and $2 for children, is the same from Union Station, Westwood or Van Nuys --this given that Westwood is less than half the distance to LAX than is Union Station. Earlier I noted that a year after beginning operations they were still using WY license plates on some of their buses but, of course, using California streets and freeways. Remember too, NO CREDIT CARDS and NO DISCOUNTS for round-trip purchases both of which are firm LAWA policies.
Then too, one can obtain a boarding pass from Flyaway for $5 and then obtain preferential treatment, i..e., being allowed to go directly to security screening, bypassing something. Is this how LAWA is supposed to provide public service? By allowing their bus passengers to avoid some hassle while the rest of us must slog through the usual airport process. These guys must have taken their training from the LACMTA.
The Times stretches in attempting to justify the LACMTA's plan to partially control access to the rail system by a weak, disjointed and to my way of thinking, irrational piece(3) in, of all places, the Calendar Section. The LACMTA says they need more money AND that people are avoiding paying for their transportation AND the majority of the world's truly great public transportation systems have controlled access is the way to make people pay. But not Mr. Hawthorne --he feels that that proposal for controlled access, in his own words, “... promises to have a substantial architectural and urban-design effect.”. Wow, that certainly is a good reason to allow some people to ride free. I submit that this requirement presents an architectural challenge and Mr. Louis Sullivan ‘s quote “… form follows function …” was never more applicable then in this case. Further the article's jump-head, '“A wrong-headed transit “solution”' applies equally to Mr. Hawthorne's thinking. He takes the MTA's Ms Matsumoto's use of the phrase “architectural constraints”, then by his clairvoyance, asserts that “... the very use of the phrase [“architectural constraints” --your Mole's insertion] suggests that the culture of the MTA sees these issues less clearly than it should.”. Later, Mr. Hawthorne continues, “There is something dismaying about this plan in purely symbolic terms”. Frankly, I would not want to be this guy when Zell gets his hands completely on the Los Angeles Times. I suggest that while he remains in Los Angeles, Mr. Hawthorne visit the Gold Line Lake Street Station and enjoy a site where the LACMTA's badly needs a “betrayal of their design. But first, he should ensure that his health plan covers hearing loss. To cheer him up after he can read the hilarious noise abatement plan, posted on 2007-09-15, “designed” for stations like Lake Street. After that he can visit any number of Red/Purple Line stations which hang things, read art, from their ceilings yet make no provisions for cleaning them. This leaves patrons to inhale fine dust particles and view the litter that others toss onto any flat surface, high and low, in the stations.
In reality, there is no real design to betray just seat-of-the- pants by our below average management, past and present, and the politicians who place them in positions where they can do the most BAD.
I once heard a comedian, talking about the slogan of a business, say that their slogan was, “We cheat the other guy and pass the savings on to you!”. Could that apply here? You can decide for yourself.
When one reviews the LACMTA's “financial statement”(4) --or at least the only thing available to me-- it is no wonder that they ignore their ridership.
On page 5 of the document they present revenues. I've added the “percent of Total” column. By the way, there is no "Tab" in HTML and although at first, I didn't feel inclined to format the below as a table, I ended up doing it. I used an irreducible minimum of the HTML table features in creating the table, although it looked OK in Compose mode, it created lots of extra space above the table in the post. So please bear with me. Other features, things like embedded LINKS fail if there are several links too close together (words or sentences between them) . I just got tired of all the hand work necessary to make links work and BlogSpot has no "easy" way of providing feedback. Entering long discussions with other users is NOT my idea of fun and something for which I just have no time. Sorry! In my real life, I prefer to use LaTeX, which is a great way to produce documentation. or any textual matter. LaTex is available for Windoze as Mktex (http://miktex.org/) which is good, but, be warned it is NOT for the faint hearted.
Anyway, I did find time to search the internet and found the solution to eliminating all the extra "whitespace". Many thanks to:
http://mlawire.blogspot.com/2007/01/table-formatting-in-blogger.html
| Resources | $ in Millions | [Percent of Total] |
|---|---|---|
| Fare revenue | 279 | 9.2 |
| Prop A cent sales tax | 675 | 22.4 |
| Prop C= cent sales tax | 760 | 25.2 |
| Federal grants | 404 | 13.4 |
| State Grants | 183 | 6.0 |
| Interest income, bonds | 196 | 6.5 |
| Other local revenue | 515 | 17.0 |
| Totals | 3,012 | 99.7 |
Fares, at the rates then in effect, accounted for less than 10 percent. So, the LACMTA could completely withdraw from transportation and still provide a nice living for its' top level staff. The bus operations and capital accounts taken together account for over 35% (one billion, eighty three million dollars) of expenses. Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Canceling lines, running short lines and reducing the frequency of service, all serve to reduce those bus related expenses. The price is paid by the user, no buses, infrequent buses or buses that don't stop where stops are needed, are all part of the price paid by those who really don't have a voice (see my comments under “Mole Rides”, below, about the 704 line as an example of “gonzo” bus service). What little voice they might have is muffled by the LACMTA habit of scheduling “public meetings” at times when their ridership is working.
Then the LACMTA smiles and winks and says “we solicited public feedback”, stifles a laugh and goes to happy hour. The job of the LACMTA as they see it, is satisfying those who supply the majority of their funding, viz., the state and federal political structure NOT those who are dependent upon them for transportation. Yet this will not stop the “management” (see my comments under “Mole Rides”, below, vis-à-vis out of service fare boxes below) of the LACMTA from raising fares and providing less service.
Ear to the Rail
I have been watching http://www.france24.com/ to see how the transport strike is progressing. The grève (strike) is causing lots of problems because although Paris, with a population of slightly over 2 million is smaller than LA, but its' mass transportation is used by many people –- I believe that are half a million passengers per day, in Paris. Seeing the capacity of of the trains that are running reminds me of Tokyo, but no pushers that I could see.
Ms Susan Valot, a reporter with KPCC 89.3FM, presented an excellent two-part series on transportation centered housing. I will quote only a single sentence: “Ted Balacker of the conservative Reason Foundation says the costs of transit-oriented development outweigh the benefits.” This is exactly how I feel and how I reviewed an earlier Times piece on transportation centered housing (see: 2007-07-14).
Listen to Part one at:
Part two at:
Cosmology Corner
More bad news: Honey, I’ve shortened the life of the universe!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/11/21/scicosmos121.xml&CMP=ILC-mostviewedbox
More on parallel universes (I don't think the ones in which the LACMTA does everything right are included, sorry)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml;jsessionid=R0CHXRKTXRVULQFIQMFSFGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/earth/2007/09/21/sciuni121.xml
The Mole Rides Again, so that you don't suffer the embarrassment of attempting to explain to visitors that although everything is plastered with “America'