How's your bus commute going?
Monday, October 15, 2012
By Diane Hettrick
The general manager of Metro took the rather unusual step of writing a letter to Metro riders, promising that things would smooth out from all the route changes. It is published below.
How is your commute going? I have heard nothing but complaints - a one bus ride now requires a transfer and the second bus doesn't always show up - commute time has been doubled - a lot of concerns about the back-up where Metro busses are no longer allowed in the "bus tunnel".
Will this all just smooth out or is it bad enough to put you back in your car?
Here's the letter:
Dear Metro customer,It’s been two weeks of commutes since we made major changes to Metro Transit service, and while things are going more smoothly for many, we still are working on several problems identified by our customers.
We’ve taken steps to address crowding on some routes, and are monitoring reports of missed stops on other routes. We also are working with bus drivers to make things go more smoothly on every trip – including directing riders to consistently exit at the back of the bus when able and encouraging riders to move to the back so passengers aren’t left at the curb.
We’re taking these steps in part because you reported them. While we may not be able to address every concern, we do consider all feedback and potential solutions as we work to serve as many riders as we can with the best system we can. Your feedback is appreciated and valued.
Thanks for riding Metro Transit and for your patience during this unusual period of transition for so many.
Kevin Desmond, Metro Transit General Manager
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2 comments:
I've had no trouble with the busses. I commute daily to the UW from Shoreline. I had been parking at MLT P&R but am now enrolled in a class at Shoreline CC so I carpool there and leave via bus for the UW.
I had only one hiccup since the change over. But that was because I couldn't find where they moved the bus stop to for the reroute of the 48 around 85th street do to the road closure. Fortunately the bus driver saw me franticly trying to find the stop and picked me up anyway.
I still mourn the old route 373 that took the freeway to Shoreline from the UW. And I mourn the CT 870 that took the freeway to 205th. But there's still the CT 871 that I can take from MLT P&R if I can borrow a car to leave at the P&R. So for bussing - change is the norm. And we may get over it eventually. Although my step-dad still mourns the direct busses from Richmond Beach to Shoreline CC & Seattle (And that was in the '70s). So we might just have to remember pre Oct 2012 as 'the good old days'. But you'll still find me on a bus.
I ride the 301 everyday, as I have been for over a decade. the 301 runs from downtown Seattle to Shoreline P/R. I have found the new commute troublesome on several levels. Overall the changes will result in lower rider usage.
1. I miss the warm, dry bus tunnel, especially this time of year. The surface bus stops are not big enough to cover everyone waiting at the stop in the rain.
2. I miss the speed of the bus tunnel. The surface streets, at rush hour, are adding an additional 10-12 minutes to the commute.
3. I miss the newer buses that the bus tunnel gave us. Since the surface street route doesn't need electric motors, the route now has older buses.
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