The LaMetroMole with LACMTA Comments

A Los Angeles Daily News piece (1) discusses the current Orange Line “ridership” “… which now approaches the 21,000 mark,[daily? Weekdays?] not projected until 2020.” Where do these numbers come from? Neither the LACMTA nor the various newspapers will publish the estimating technique(s) that are used by the LACMTA. As I have repeatedly pointed out here, the Orange Line drivers do not maintain an exact count as do drivers on all other lines. To me Orange Line success would be signaled by an increase in fare collections system wide with a corresponding increase in fare collection for the Valley sector. I maintain that a certain percentage of Orange Line riders are those who rode the Ventura Bl Rapid Line, number 750, or other Valley lines which suffered cutbacks and now use the Orange Line.

There is the obligatory comment from Zev claiming at least partial fatherhood of the Orange Line. This time, however, Zev’s inspiration came from Brazil, not the Miami Busway as was reported in the Los Angeles Times months ago. Perhaps the Brazilian system was not plagued with early accidents as was the Miami system and our own Orange Line. Then again, he may be trying to rationalize his junket, er, I mean, fact finding trip to Brazil. Was it around Carnival time, I wonder?? This article is balanced by citing complaints, like a quote from a former RTD executive, Tom Rubin. He says, “This is not a good investment of public funds. “Rapid Buses would be faster, would have cost a small fraction – and for the same expenditure … could have been put all over the Valley.” Bravo, Mr. Rubin! There were also complaints from residents about noise.

I is hearting, but not too heartening, to hear that daily near-misses on the Orange Line are down from 200 during the first month of operation to only around two per day last month.

The Mole Rides Again - so that you won't have to listen to variations of pronunciation on the ASA

I am trying a new route home from LAX, so I am on the 111 from the LAX City Bus Center. The well graffitied LAX City Bus Center is a place that has not been cleaned since construction and has blobs of hardened gum all over. Also, you can be approached there by people in various stages of reality-contractedness asking for money or ranting.

The ASA (Automatic Stop Announcements) were created by someone, perhaps from Kansas, who is unfamiliar with local street names. He pronounces “Arbor Vatae” in at least three different ways and says Ahveeation for Aviation.

On this ride, a woman seated diagonally across from me bites her fingernails, seemingly without regard for what she has touched since she last washed her hands.

(1) Bartholomew, Dana, “Coach travel lures drivers” Daily News 27 Apr. 2006:1