1999: The year in transit
Herc Wad
-MTA will slowly start taking back lines from the contractors from ATE and
Charterwaidlaw. The first
will be lines 125 and 130. They will be operated out of Division 8.
-Metrolink will guarantee that they will run their engineers through the wash
racks at least once a week.
-OCTA will improve bus frequencies on all lines. Bus lines that ran every 30
minutes will now run every
29 minutes.
-Transportation contractors ATE/Ryder and ATC/Vancom will announce a merger.
The name of the new
company will be "I Can't Believe It's Not Laidlaw!"
-Foothill Transit will no longer allow bus drivers to put their gang nicknames
up in the "Hello Your
Operator Is:" nameplate.
-After passengers complained about the routing of line 362, the MTA will
quickly act. Next June, all
limited stops will be eliminated and the line becomes a complete local line 62.
-The BRU will complain even more about unmet transit needs, citing a need to
create local service on
Wilshire Bl. They claim that if there was bus service along Wilshire Bl., it
might do well.
-Line 550 ridership will double from 1 to 2 passengers per day.
-MTA will no longer print schedules, replace bus stop signs, or keep headsigns
in working order. They
cite passenger illiteracy as the main factor for this decision.
-Foothill Transit will guarantee that buses will not run more than 30 minutes
late.
-Gillig announces the expansion of their available buses. Aside from the Spirit
midibus and Phantom bus,
the low floor model will now be named the Ghost and the new articulated model
will be called the Goblin.
Plans for a Cutaway model called the Troll have been shelved for now.
-Julian Burke will resign as MTA's CEO so he could be the full time body double
for Patrick Stewart.
-The MTA will repackage buses by calling them "lighter rail".
-SCAG will mandate that all taxis in Los Angeles County be renamed Smart
Shuttles.
-Dissatisfied with the reliability of CNG, the MTA will once again be looking
into alternative fuels. The
clean fuel of choice this time will be hamsters running around in a wheel.
-Eric Mann will be riding the buses a lot more, after his BMW fails a smog
test.
-Consent Decree overcrowding figures will be thrown out, after finding that New
Math was used for the
calculations, with an average of eleventeen standees per bus.
-St. Ides will be the Official Malt Liquor and Patron Saint of Division 5
buses.
-Commerce's local bus system will take a lot of heat from the community after
they decide to stop letting
children from the local elementary school draw the route maps for them.
-John Walsh will finally collect urine samples from all MTA Board members. The
urine tests positive for
a $2 billion overrun of the Red Line.
-While public comment is still limited to one minute per person at MTA Board
meetings, the rules will be
eased up a bit. Public comment will be three minutes per person if they use
semaphores or charades to
communicate.
Happy New Year!
"They're not so bad. They named a street after me in San Francisco."-Fidel
Castro (talking about Americans), "The Simpsons"
SoCalTIP-http://socaltip.lerctr.org
Southern California Transit Advocates-http://socata.lerctr.org
Kymberleigh Richards
I know you were joking around, Chris, but one of these might actually
happen late in the year, although with different lines:
>Here are some events that might happen with transit in 1999.
>
>-MTA will slowly start taking back lines from the contractors from ATE and
>Charterwaidlaw. The first
>will be lines 125 and 130. They will be operated out of Division 8.
The 96 and 167. Operated out of D8 and D15.
Also the 177 (scheduled for restructuring/elimination).
BTW ...
>-Line 550 ridership will double from 1 to 2 passengers per day.
I've been riding the 550 to/from the training for my new position with
Pacific Bell every morning. There are always at least a dozen
passengers on the express segment when I ride.
>-MTA will no longer print schedules, replace bus stop signs, or keep headsigns
>in working order. They
>cite passenger illiteracy as the main factor for this decision.
ROTFL ...
The only one who will notice would be me, but since I carry route
summaries instead of timetables on the D8 lines, it might take me a
while to notice.
>-SCAG will mandate that all taxis in Los Angeles County be renamed Smart
>Shuttles.
They'll have to do something after I tear them apart in my next guest
editorial for the Times, tentatively scheduled for the end of January.
>Happy New Year!
And to you too, my friend.
Kymberleigh Richards
Member, Southern California Transit Advocates <http://socata.lerctr.org>
Member, MTA Passenger Advisory Committee, Metro Bus West Valley
========================================================================
Visit my Valley Transit Web Page at <http://members.tripod.com/~Kymmer>
========================================================================
Fred B. Young Jr.
>
> Here are some events that might happen with transit in 1999.
>
> -MTA will slowly start taking back lines from the contractors from ATE and
> Charterwaidlaw. The first
> will be lines 125 and 130. They will be operated out of Division 8.
Wouldn't surprise me. :)
Since these were the first 2 lines contracted out, they should be the
first two to come back.
>
> -Metrolink will guarantee that they will run their engineers through the wash
> racks at least once a week.
I've seen some of those engineers, and they could use a good scrubbing!
:D
> -Transportation contractors ATE/Ryder and ATC/Vancom will announce a merger.
> The name of the new
> company will be "I Can't Believe It's Not Laidlaw!"
As long as that cute girl who used to drive the 799 still works for
them :)
> -After passengers complained about the routing of line 362, the MTA will
> quickly act. Next June, all
> limited stops will be eliminated and the line becomes a complete local line 62.
>
But D3 and D9 will still use 1100s :)
> -Line 550 ridership will double from 1 to 2 passengers per day.
Impossible. A few times, *I* was the one, and I'm no longer in L. A.
:D
>
> -MTA will no longer print schedules, replace bus stop signs, or keep headsigns
> in working order. They
> cite passenger illiteracy as the main factor for this decision.
This is already been going on :P
>
> -Foothill Transit will guarantee that buses will not run more than 30 minutes
> late.
Might be hard--ATE and Liadlaw you know :D
>
> -Gillig announces the expansion of their available buses. Aside from the Spirit
> midibus and Phantom bus,
> the low floor model will now be named the Ghost and the new articulated model
> will be called the Goblin.
> Plans for a Cutaway model called the Troll have been shelved for now.
Yeah, we got enough trolls around here. :)
>
> -Julian Burke will resign as MTA's CEO so he could be the full time body double
> for Patrick Stewart.
No! No! He'll play the live version of Mr. Monopoly :D
> -Dissatisfied with the reliability of CNG, the MTA will once again be looking
> into alternative fuels. The
> clean fuel of choice this time will be hamsters running around in a wheel.
Definitely more reliable than CNG or Crapanol :)
> Happy New Year!
Likewise (though you guys out there still have about 1 1/2 hours to go)
Great stuff, Chris :D
--
Fred B. Young Jr.
trans...@earthlink.net
Now coming to you live from Pembroke Pines, Florida!
Colin R. Leech
Herc Wad (her...@aol.comNOSPAM) wrote:
>
> Here are some events that might happen with transit in 1999.
>
> -MTA will slowly start taking back lines from the contractors from ATE and
> Charterwaidlaw.
Charterwaidhound, remember?
--
#### |\^/| Colin R. Leech ag414 or crl...@freenet.carleton.ca
#### _|\| |/|_ Civil engineer by training, transport planner by choice.
#### > < Opinions are my own. You may consider them shareware.
#### >_./|\._< "If you can't return a favour, pass it on." - A.L. Brown
Herc Wad
>Charterwaidhound, remember?
I like to keep the companies Laidlaw gobbled up separate. They acquired a lot
over the years, so I just use the old company's name with Laidlaw. Like
Charterwaidlaw, DAVElaw, Roachlaw (actually Roesch Lines), and (a slightly
different play on the name) Laidhound. You could also include AMRlaw.
Armando Avalos
> I've been riding the 550 to/from the training for my new position with
> Pacific Bell every morning. There are always at least a dozen
> passengers on the express segment when I ride.
Maybe weekdays are good for the 550. Weekends, however... Well I see it this way:
What happens when the Harbor Transitway goes from 2 to 3 people per carpool? Add
to that, the driver and/or myself are the only ones on board along the Transitway
(which is usually the case).
>
> >-MTA will no longer print schedules, replace bus stop signs, or keep headsigns
> >in working order. They
> >cite passenger illiteracy as the main factor for this decision.
>
Armando Avalos
> But D3 and D9 will still use 1100s :)
Didn't Division 3 get rid of their 1100's?
> Impossible. A few times, *I* was the one, and I'm no longer in L. A.
> :D
And to fill that void, I became the one.
Armando Avalos
> -MTA will slowly start taking back lines from the contractors from ATE and
> Charterwaidlaw. The first
> will be lines 125 and 130. They will be operated out of Division 8.
Oh, boy, the deadhead back to the yard will definitely be fun!
> -Metrolink will guarantee that they will run their engineers through the wash
> racks at least once a week.
Along the same token, run the Commerce Municipal Bus drivers through the wash at
least once every day. (Which looks worse, a Commerce bus driver, or a Metrolink
engineer? -- I've never seen a Metrolink engineer -- I guess I'm one of the lucky
ones.)
> -OCTA will improve bus frequencies on all lines. Bus lines that ran every 30
> minutes will now run every
> 29 minutes.
I think MTA has caught that OCTA bug. Supposedly, the 180-181 on Saturdays has
gone from every 12 minutes to every 11 minutes.
> -The BRU will complain even more about unmet transit needs, citing a need to
> create local service on
> Wilshire Bl. They claim that if there was bus service along Wilshire Bl., it
> might do well.
The BRU will also create a line from LA to Disneyland, via the I-5, Downey,
Norwalk, Buena Park, Knott's Berry Farm, Fullerton, and Anaheim. They will call it
the Line 460, and will claim that the MTA owes them this line.
> -Line 550 ridership will double from 1 to 2 passengers per day.
Wow! I'll finally have a fellow passenger companion!
> -MTA will no longer print schedules, replace bus stop signs, or keep headsigns
> in working order. They
> cite passenger illiteracy as the main factor for this decision.
"But I thought this was the 207!" "No this is the 550."
> -Foothill Transit will guarantee that buses will not run more than 30 minutes
> late.
ATE will say that. Laidlaw will guarantee that their busses will not run more that
60 minutes late.
> -Gillig announces the expansion of their available buses. Aside from the Spirit
> midibus and Phantom bus,
> the low floor model will now be named the Ghost and the new articulated model
> will be called the Goblin.
> Plans for a Cutaway model called the Troll have been shelved for now.
Aw. crap! We could have used some of those on the Pico-Union DASH.
> -Julian Burke will resign as MTA's CEO so he could be the full time body double
> for Patrick Stewart.
And watch the Dominion win the war with the Federation.
> -Dissatisfied with the reliability of CNG, the MTA will once again be looking
> into alternative fuels. The
> clean fuel of choice this time will be hamsters running around in a wheel.
Or we could always take a Flintstone-ian view on this. Have the driver and the
passengers move the bus with their feet. (Of course, the Line 550 drivers will be
on their own in this case.)
> -Eric Mann will be riding the buses a lot more, after his BMW fails a smog
> test.
I thought he had a CNG-powered car! <g> And that it would blow up and take out
most of the Wiltern Theater (or wherever the BRU meets these days).
> -St. Ides will be the Official Malt Liquor and Patron Saint of Division 5
> buses.
I thought the passengers voted for Tecate or Corona beer.
> -Commerce's local bus system will take a lot of heat from the community after
> they decide to stop letting
> children from the local elementary school draw the route maps for them.
Commerce will also ask their drivers to bathe at least once every month, instead of
every year.
The BRU will demand that the MTA add more busses to the Harbor Transitway to
relieve overcrowding.
> Happy New Year!
Feliz año nuevo to you to.
Gsoma
In article <368DD96F...@ucla.edu>, Armando Avalos <aav...@ucla.edu>
writes:
>Maybe weekdays are good for the 550. Weekends, however... Well I see it this
>way:
>What happens when the Harbor Transitway goes from 2 to 3 people per >carpool?
Add to that, the driver and/or myself are the only ones on board along >the
Transitway (which is usually the case).
Nothing...the 550 will continue to use the Transitway b/c it's part of the
route much like the 480s and the busway.
---
Visit my Bus Page at....
Http://members.aol.com/gsoma/home.html
last updated 11.28.98
--
You know....I've seen that K-Dog video *so many times* ... I could puke!
Buff Bagwell talking to Lex Luger on a Monday Nitro
Henry Fung
> Nothing...the 550 will continue to use the Transitway b/c it's part of the
> route much like the 480s and the busway.
>
And, the law that allows empty transit buses to use carpool lanes passed
last year.
(Hence, lots of Busway buses avoiding reverse-direction slowing on I-10 and
taking the separate El Monte Busway instead)
**
Hank Fung "Commentary for the way we live (tm)"
hf...@csupomona.edu
m greene
>Herc Wad wrote:
>>
>> Here are some events that might happen with transit in 1999.
>>
>> -Transportation contractors ATE/Ryder and ATC/Vancom will announce a merger.
>> The name of the new
>> company will be "I Can't Believe It's Not Laidlaw!"
>As long as that cute girl who used to drive the 799 still works for
>them :)
If she has any sisters, can you send them East to drive for SEPTA?
>Now coming to you live from Pembroke Pines, Florida!
With temperatures in the 70's as I write...unfortunately, I'm writing
this in South Philadelphia, where an ice storm is
starting...AARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Later
Michael T. Greene(who hopes the Southern Califorrnia folks don't mind
someone from Back East joining in once in a while)
Fred B. Young Jr.
>
> "Fred B. Young Jr." wrote:
>
> > But D3 and D9 will still use 1100s :)
>
> Didn't Division 3 get rid of their 1100's?
Did they? Charles P., is this true?
--
Fred B. Young Jr.
trans...@earthlink.net
Now coming to you live from Pembroke Pines, Florida!
Colin R. Leech
Henry Fung (hf...@csupomona.edu) wrote:
> On 2 Jan 1999, Gsoma wrote:
>>
>> Nothing...the 550 will continue to use the Transitway b/c it's part of the
>> route much like the 480s and the busway.
>
> And, the law that allows empty transit buses to use carpool lanes passed
> last year.
> (Hence, lots of Busway buses avoiding reverse-direction slowing on I-10 and
> taking the separate El Monte Busway instead)
Nice to see that silliness finally out of the way.
tra...@my-dejanews.com
make room for the buses being sent to us from other divisons for the shake up.
--
Charles P
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
tra...@my-dejanews.com
trans...@earthlink.net wrote:
> Armando Avalos wrote:
> >
> > "Fred B. Young Jr." wrote:
> >
> > > But D3 and D9 will still use 1100s :)
> >
> > Didn't Division 3 get rid of their 1100's?
>
> Did they? Charles P., is this true?
>
> --
> Fred B. Young Jr.
> trans...@earthlink.net
>
> Now coming to you live from Pembroke Pines, Florida!
>
> As true as apple pie. We got rid of our 5 1100's a month ago to D1. So we can
make room for the buses being sent to us from other divisons for the shake up.
If you wanted to know the numbers they are 1133,1153,1154,1156, and 1157.
They were once D1 buses. I had to say my co-workers were glad they left as
they were tough to service since it did not have a rear door you can go into
blow the bus out. -- Charles P
Fred B. Young Jr.
>
> In article <368F05...@earthlink.net>,
> trans...@earthlink.net wrote:
> > Armando Avalos wrote:
> > >
> > > "Fred B. Young Jr." wrote:
> > >
> > > > But D3 and D9 will still use 1100s :)
> > >
> > > Didn't Division 3 get rid of their 1100's?
> >
> > Did they? Charles P., is this true?
> >
> > --
> > Fred B. Young Jr.
> > trans...@earthlink.net
> >
> > Now coming to you live from Pembroke Pines, Florida!
> >
> > As true as apple pie. We got rid of our 5 1100's a month ago to D1. So we can
> make room for the buses being sent to us from other divisons for the shake up.
Oh boy--now D1 can assign them to the 30 and the 66 :P
Does D3 still operate the 362? I guess since it's not an express route
anymore,
might as well use regular buses.
Herc Wad
>Herc Wad wrote:
>> -MTA will slowly start taking back lines from the contractors from ATE and
>> Charterwaidlaw. The first
>> will be lines 125 and 130. They will be operated out of Division 8.
>Oh, boy, the deadhead back to the yard will definitely be fun!
It could happen. Who did MTA get to do the division assignments? Laidlaw? (FYI:
Laidlaw has some of the strangest yard assignments for their school buses. They
had intra-Valley service operated out of the St. Andrews yard at Slauson &
Western. They had a West L.A. to Hollywood route out of the Mark IV yard in
Gardena!)
>> -Metrolink will guarantee that they will run their engineers through the
wash
>> racks at least once a week.
>Along the same token, run the Commerce Municipal Bus drivers through the wash
at
>least once every day. (Which looks worse, a Commerce bus driver, or a
Metrolink
>engineer? -- I've never seen a Metrolink engineer -- I guess I'm one of the
lucky
>ones.)
The Metrolink engineers. Commerce drivers are OK, but that one guy...the buses
need to be cleaned. I once got on one of their Gilligs which had flies (or
mosquitoes).
You probably have seen a Metrolink engineer. Since they have a lot of time off
between rush hours, they're probably operating carnival rides.
>> -OCTA will improve bus frequencies on all lines. Bus lines that ran every 30
>> minutes will now run every
>> 29 minutes.
>I think MTA has caught that OCTA bug. Supposedly, the 180-181 on Saturdays
has
>gone from every 12 minutes to every 11 minutes.
Remember, this came from OCTA coming out with an announcement that line 43
service was increased from every 14 minutes to 13.
[...]
>> -St. Ides will be the Official Malt Liquor and Patron Saint of Division 5
>> buses.
>I thought the passengers voted for Tecate or Corona beer.
That would probably be for Division 10. :>
>The BRU will demand that the MTA add more busses to the Harbor Transitway to
>relieve overcrowding.
Good one.