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| Re: WhineMATA (951697) | |||
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Re: WhineMATA |
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Posted by Dupont Circle Station on Fri Jul 2 11:16:34 2010, in response to Re: WhineMATA, posted by WMATAGMOAGH on Fri Jul 2 01:17:41 2010. I have been told by several sources that Richard White is the reason WMATA isn't "in" on the streetcar project. Supposedly, he felt it would be too costly for WMATA to maintain the fleet and plant; they would be largely duplicative of existing bus service; and since they can't be rerouted are completely at the mercy of road or traffic conditions, they would be viewed as being as unreliable as buses by the public. As a native San Franciscan, I can certainly attest to that last point...road conditions here are considerably more variable than in SF.The way WMATA is structured and funded has always bothered me. The board should consist of individuals who are elected by the constituents of a served jurisdiction, reside in said jurisdiction, and who regularly use bus and rail (as in at least several times a week going about their regular routine, not some token gesture once or twice a month to satisfy the requirement). Naturally, some professional qualifications would need to be applied. MD, VA & DC and the Feds each would have one voting member who is appointed by the corresponding transportation administration. The Rider Advisory Council would consist of volunteers from the general public that uses WMATA service at least 4 times a week. It would have no decision-making authority however, the board would be required to address concerns or issues brought by it in a timely manner. Other regional transportation providers would be encouraged to appoint non-voting representatives who may participate in discussion of matters relevant to them so they are "in the loop." Funding should be a fixed amount split 4-ways, plus an assessment of $x per resident and business with more than 25 employees (maybe $x+ or $x* for the businesses) in served areas. (For the Feds it could be something like 25-30% of the number of workers in the region to account for those who also reside here.) How the jurisdictions fund the "per person" amount is up to them. One of my biggest peeves is how the rail and bus operations act like feuding neighbors. Most of the animosity seems to stem from Bus, which feels because its roots go back much further than Rail it is somehow superior and entitled to "stick to tradition" and do things however they feel, regardless of how inefficient or wasteful it is in today's environment. For one thing, schedules need to be fully coordinated at major transfer points so passengers have time to make connections. Another is the stupidity that swirls around abandoned intervals and "bunched" buses. If there is a gap in service then do something right away to address it. At the very least, make damn sure that the folks at customer service are promptly notified so people calling asking where the bus is aren't put on hold for 10 minutes and either disconnected or told there are no delays. |
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