Premier Service
Posted by Fred Jandt
Mass Transit magazine editor
Have you ever flown first class? I have once or twice and it’s pretty nice. Is it worth the price? Not really, but if you can swing it at a discount it really is worth it. What about in transit? Is a “premier service†worth it?
Now before everyone goes all anti-elitist on me, I’m not advocating a confusing mix of tiered pricing or anything on that level. What I’m wondering is in this time of a shortage of operating capital with an overabundance of ridership whether offering a few perks would be worth it.
Take the new Dubai rail line for example. Rides start at 50 cents, but for $3.55 riders can sit in the “gold class†section in the front which features leather seats. This isn’t unheard of. Amtrak and its equivalent in other countries already offer premium sections for riders willing to pay a little extra.
How about the rest of transit? Offer a “quiet car†on your rail or light rail line only for those willing to pay more? What about charging a little more for those vehicles right near the front of the train?
Airlines also have special boarding procedures. Now typically, I hate these. The guy with the 12-year-old kid who tries to play it off so they can get on first is a particular trick I’ve seen pulled. What about a transit system having premium boarding at the back of buses or trains? Only those with monthly passes can board in the rear? It wouldn’t cost more, but it would encourage monthly passes.
Sure, it seems at times the airlines are trying to nickel and dime us to death with charges on everything that used to be free, but perhaps transit agencies can learn a thing or two from them and other agencies already using these “premium services.†I for one would consider paying a little on an overcrowded train if I had a long trip and it meant I could get a seat.
Of course, you can’t go hog wild with this sort of thing or it begins to be more of a detriment than a benefit. It’s a delicate balance between offering a premium and trying to get whatever you can from your riders.
Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,
Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com
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September 11th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Premier service for transit is an idea whose time has definitely come and it should be implemented ASAP.
People who prefer to drive have said they would be willing to pay a higher fare to ride mass tranist -but only if mass transit were a lot better than it is now. Accordingly, premier service is a way to deal with that conundrum. Premier service would be limited stop or express and the higher fares would discourage problematic people from using it.
Here’s the problem: If the government starts providing better transit for those who are willing to pay a higher fare, the social scientists who believe everyone should be treated equally regardless of income level (and also think the middle and upper class should be subjected to a daily taste of poverty) will cry that the government is being “elitist”.
When CalTrans implmented “toll for use” express lanes on a freeway in Southern California, some people referred to them as “Lexus Lanes”.
However, the hard reality is that higher fares would in fact discourage the “problematic” elements of society from using mass transit and ruining it for everyone else. Five Star (and the better hotels) don’t offer low room rates to cater to skid row clientele and transit shouldn’t be doing so either.
Mass transit is an expensive government service, but it is also a potentially valuable resource that could thrive -if it were given the opportunity. I’ve often touted the idea that transit could fulfill its obejctive of attracting people from their cars, but only if it adopted the business model of “Build up to quality instead of down to a low fare”.
September 11th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Fred,
I think this is more common than not. For instance, agencies often operate a limited stop peak hour route for which customers pay a higher fare for faster service. Here in Everett, WA we are partnering with Community Transit (the county provider) to build a BRT line that will operate parallel to existing local service. Within the city a customer can choose to pay twice as much to ride on the newer, premium and faster (because of limited stops)bus. We are also looking at a premium fare that will be higher than our local trip but the same or equal to a connecting agencies fare for trips with limited stops that complete the “last mile” of a commuter trip to major employers. Transit should be about choice and anything that improves the options for current or potential customers should be explored. Thanks for the encouragement.
September 13th, 2009 at 6:29 am
Bill Lind, associate publisher of The New Electric Railway Journal, once opined that rail transit should charge higher fares for the privilege of food and beverage consumption on board light and heavy rail. To do this and/or to allow bistro services, transit authorities will need enabling legislation from state and local officials.
Remember the cause celebre of Fawn Hall? Oliver North’s assistant ran afoul of a silly ordinance that prohibited food consumption on Washington’s Metro. Her offense? Eating a a banana. Sheesh! What small mindedness.
September 13th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Premiere service? Like, in 1975, when they talked about a monorail/MagLev at Lake Tahoe, elevated and with stations in hotels and casinos enroute, to discourage the “Joe Bluecollar” element”? Like the Concorde, premiere air service with deluxe pricing? Come on, Fred, let’s get off the rabbit trails, and get to work on this Peaking Oil problem.
Bad behavior means you get arrested. Pay a fine, serve time, cleaning the restrooms, etc. Why should pupil transport politics have a place in grown-up public transportation? Loud music, loose the instrument.
The world of transit policy discussion goes on, usually a cordial discourse that is reasonable and worthwhile. Outside this bubble, one gets hold of a Sept/Oct 2009 edition of “FOREIGN POLICY magazine, and the glaring reality hits like a pair of torpedoes on the next track over.
Thru the next decade, the world must find some 50 million new barrels of oil/day just to maintain current flow/consumption. Does that register with the US transportation planning fraternity? Railway freight operators? State Highway Departments, ATA, APTA, ASLRRA, AAR, AREMA, the whole alphabet soup of organizations that will very soon be confronted with figuring how to maintain mobility in a gasoline/diesel fuel rationing scenario. Societal and Commercial Cohesion, ladies & gentlemen…
Fred Jandt has his job to do, but I fear many of these editorials seem to be small talk in the shadow of an extraordinary set of circumstances we are completely unprepared for. And time is not on our side.
Benjamin Netanyahu is back from a trip to Russia, agenda undisclosed. Iran action? Is that what sets off the Gas rationing mandate? That is going to impact American mobility and gasoline price & supply. But forget that… In best case, we must double the oil flow over the next few decades, or double the capacity of rail freight and passenger lines, bus feedars, etc. Here is a call for all hands to get Peaking Oil savvy ASAP.
September 14th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Mature systems such as San Francisco’s BART cannot offer amenities. Their schedule of forcing trains through the Transbay Tube at rush hour is at maximum and they can only add space by adding cars to a handful of shorter trains. A seat is out of the question unless the trip is started at the beginning of the run. Food service would take up valuable space and require staff/stocking and generate more cleaning costs.
A “quiet car?” Due to lack of rail grinding and tight gauge, BART routinely screams through the tube peaking at around 94 dBs (I put a meter on it). BART is studying removing seats, replacing them with what can only be called “Butt Rests” and adding more doors to reduce dwell time. BART and perhaps some other mature systems are removing amenities to create space for more riders. I suppose that’s a success story of its own.
September 15th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Hey Fred! Definitely food for thought.
I was really intersted to hear about Dubai’s new Metro. Dubai has a unique problem where there in the Arab Emerates, you have a major population that can easily afford automobiles, but they don’t nesessarily master the art of driving them well. Offering a transit alternative with a premium upgrade certainly will help lure some of the populace out of their cars, and off the roads.
So, the question is, will people here give something like that a shot? Maybe.
In February 1970, CTA in Chicago extended the Milwaukee Av. branch (n.k.a. The Blue Line) to Jefferson Park. Commuters in that area had a choice:
a.) Take the rapid transit and deal with the huddled masses, or…
b.) Take The Chicago/Northwestern commuter train for a more comfortable and slightly faster commute.
Obviously, some chose (and still do) the commuter rail. Premium pricing, better/faster service to the same destination.
I think if you can find a way to offer a premium or ‘Gold Class’ option, some percentage of consumers will opt for bigger/better. With buses, premium expressess and BRT have been a sucessful experiment. On the rail side (subway/metro/light rail), that might be more difficult. You’d need to offer a secure option to keep the “scuzz factor” out of the upgrade section (sounds cruel, but that’s a fact of urban life and transit).
September 16th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
A good example of premium service in a very transit intensive environment are route taxis in St. Petersburg Russia. Route taxis run on bus routes and provide superior service. For twice the fare of a transit bus, a passenger gets a seat, and once full, the taxi stops only when someone gets off. Therefore, the service is faster than the transit bus and more comfortable. Route taxis operate are identified with an R before a bus route number. I rode on route taxis using vehicle types ranging from a Ford Transit (van) to a full size bus. It is a fast way to travel the city and is cheaper than a private taxi. Route taxi routes are leased to private operators by the City.