The MT Position

Posted by Fred Jandt
Mass Transit magazine editor

I know as a parent that no matter what rules I set down, unless they are continually repeated, one of my kids will try and see if they can get away with something. Evidently running a transit agency is like managing a large family because you still have children trying to get away with something as often as they can.

Now, let me be clear up front that this is one of those “a couple bad apples ruining the rep of all the rest” stories. This week a story came out about two Metrolink engineers who tampered with the newly installed cab cameras. The first guy has been barred from operating trains on Metrolink tracks after an investigation revealed he tried to block the camera’s view, “by turning the device and later by putting a visor in front of the lens” on three separate occasions. The other guy under investigation “allegedly clipped paper to a visor to block the camera.”

The best part about this story is that in each of these incidents the engineer in question was caught in the act by the cameras they were trying to prevent from seeing them doing something wrong.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen argues that the new cameras (find a pic here) caused sun visors to be moved, decreasing visibility of drivers. Metrolink officials admit moving the sun visors, but “the agency does not believe the change created a problem.”

Metrolink is spending millions upgrading the safety of its vehicles after the tragic crash in 2008, which incidentally was caused by an engineer not doing his job. Part of this upgrading process is installing these new cameras to monitor engineers, which has caused all sorts of privacy outcries from the engineers and their union.

Now wait a minute. First — and I’ve said this before — this is a public transit vehicle. Where does it say that the cab or a train doesn’t count as part of that? And why are these engineers any different than all the bus operators across the country who operate fine under the watch of cameras. Most of them would probably tell you they welcome them for safety and security reasons.

The fact that the union is using the moved sun visors as an excuse isn’t weak, it’s stupid. The union should be the first group to step up and denounce these two morons. It is making it worse for every other hardworking engineer who has had to take flack since the crash in 2008. Instead of covering the backsides of the two or three rule breakers in it, the union should step up and call this crap like it is — rail stupid.

Thanks for reading the MT Position, updated every Friday. For those interested in instant updates, you can now get your latest Mass Transit fix via Twitter.

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com
Check out our LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter pages!

By Mark Foss

New Jersey Transit cut its commuter train service by 4 percent despite a recent 25 percent price hike. Four percent translates into a cut of 31 weekday trains. The agency has adjusted some schedules and taken cuts mostly out of off-peak service to lessen the impact. Although there may be crowding on some trains, the agency doesn’t expect riders to feel the cuts.

New York’s MTA made bus and train service cuts totaling $93M to help make up for an $800M budget gap. The cuts will affect subway commuters; long lines are expected. Another story recently reported that 51 MTA drivers took an average of two months off after a spitting assault. Meanwhile the Transit Workers’ Union (TWU) is taking the MTA to court to enforce an arbitration panel’s decision ordering a 3 percent raise next January.

Responses from the TWU regarding spitting incidents (“Saliva Assaults”) are that service cuts are to blame for an increase in assaults. I have my doubts about this. However, as tensions rise in the public, this could be the case. Nevertheless, it still begs the question: If the budget gap is $800 million, why would the TWU defend staying home two months for being spat on?

There has to be some common sense here. Don’t misunderstand me; I have driven transit routes at night. I have been spat on. I have been threatened, repeatedly poked in the nose, harassed and subjected to various other kinds of demeaning behavior by passengers. I have witnessed brutal fights on my bus. Fortunately, I have not been beat up, but I have coworkers who have. This behavior is reprehensible. It should not be tolerated. It should be prosecuted vigorously. Taking time off after being physically attacked is understandable. Spitting on someone is a disgusting assault. It should be treated as an assault for the sake of prosecution. But taking two months off after being spat on is nonsense.

The 51 workers who were spat on last year comprise a third of the total reported 153 assaults last year. No report was made about the kinds of assaults the others suffered. The TWU should have talked about more legitimate cases. When it comes to work-related stress, transit jobs rank very high on the list. People not directly involved in the stress often can’t comprehend the level of depression and anger it generates. After an assault it is very important that drivers decompress; safety depends on it. Good service depends on mentally healthy workers.

On the other hand, the MTA has a legitimate complaint. Interviews with the riding public appear to support the agency. Workers who abuse the sick leave system give their co-workers a bad name; and damage credibility. And it makes it harder for the union to argue for another 3 percent raise in the face of a huge budget gap and looming service cuts.

Against the backdrop of an $800M budget deficit, it is interesting that both security and employee misbehavior come to light. The commuting public in New York is angry. The TWU is frustrated. The MTA is frustrated. The budget problems seem to highlight pre-existing fissures. If the budget is to be fixed, there will have to be a great deal of work and understanding in all camps.

Mark Foss has more than 24 years experience working for King County Metro Transit. His experience includes work as a bus operator, special ridership coordinator in accessible services and 1st line transit supervisor. Currently, he works as a communications coordinator in the transit control center (TCC). Contact him via LinkedIn.

Posted by Fred Jandt
Mass Transit magazine editor

For as large as some agencies and suppliers are in this industry, it’s nice to see when they pull together to help each other out. Most of us have heard by now of the flooding in Tennessee that shutdown Nashville MTA. Thankfully, with a little help from their friends they are up and going again.

Everyone can remember where they were when a major disaster happens. When 9/11 happened I was anxiously instant messaging a good friend who was stuck in downtown New York and calling other friends in the city to make sure they were OK. When I found out about the flooding in Nashville, I was at this year’s APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference.

It was surreal to hear about the situation at Nashville MTA when I was standing outside in the sun during the bus exhibit, but the photos I saw (some included here thanks to the MTA) brought the reality of the situation home.

It was nice then to receive a press release from MTA this week that read in part:

“Our staff has been working to get all buses back in service as quickly as possible,” MTA/RTA Chief Executive Officer Paul J. Ballard said. “We truly appreciate how helpful the Metro Nashville Public Schools and other Metro agencies have been during this difficult time. In addition, our transit colleagues have been extremely supportive in loaning vehicles to us so that we can continue to provide services.”

In the coming days, customers will see different vehicles operating on the MTA routes since so many transit organizations are assisting MTA with loaned vehicles.

MTA has received or will receive the following loaner vehicles from transit agencies:

• 25 buses from the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority in Cincinnati, Ohio
• 12 high-top vans and two staff cars from Mid-Cumberland Human Resource Agency
• 10 vans from the Knoxville CAC
• Five buses from the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA)
• Three paratransit vans from Clarksville Transit System (CTS)
• Two staff cars and one pickup truck from the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA)
• One sedan from the Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency (SETHRA)

This is what transit is supposed to be about — making it possible for people to get where they need to go. And with the inclusive nature of this industry, it’s great to see so many agencies step up and help out one of their own in its time of need as the press release continues:

“In times of crisis, transit systems provide vital support to relief efforts,” said Marilyn Shazor, CEO of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority in Cincinnati, Ohio. “Metro is responding to Nashville’s pressing need for transit buses for their emergency relief efforts, as we would want other transit systems to help Cincinnati in a catastrophic situation like this.”

Nashville is getting back on its feet and it will be up and running again as good as it was when I toured it with Paul Ballard.

Thanks to everyone who helped them do the job we all value so highly.

Thanks for reading the MT Position, updated every Friday. For those interested in instant updates, you can now get your latest Mass Transit fix via Twitter.

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com
Check out our LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter pages!

By Mark Foss

Two weeks ago I wrote about the nation’s transit systems disarray due to budget issues and the need for flexibility in use of federal funding. This week I read an article about Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding for transit security. It seems that the same problems (or worse) plague federal funding for New York City’s transit security.

The Obama administration cut the city’s transit security funding by 27 percent and port security funding by 25 percent. Following the cuts, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano stated that New York had not used the available funding. New York Rep. Pete King defended New York stating that the federal funding had not been released by DHS. The chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Bernie G. Thompson, also stated that the DHS needed to improve its management of the Transit Security Grant Program. Issues related to federal funding of transit security have been going on for quite a while.

The latest political kerfuffle over funding cuts (and red tape) occurred in the wake of the Times Square bomb incident on May 1. The device was spotted and reported by a street vendor. It was the actions of a citizen and good police work to avert a tragic outcome. But how was DHS money involved in Time Square? It’s hard to say for sure. DHS provides training for law enforcement and first responders. The New York police and emergency responders, by all accounts, handled the incident well.

King County Washington (including Metro Transit) has received federal funding for security issues. King County has a federally trained bomb dog that is available to the transit system. King County Transit personnel have received training on emergency operations, terrorist events and related issues. In 2009 King County announced a three-year, $1.9M, federal Transit Security Grant Program to create a Joint Transit Anti-Terrorism Team (JTAT). Part the JTAT is to provide a “visible deterrence and plainclothes presence in the bus and rail system focused on identifying potential terrorist threats, countermeasures and programs.”

The tug of war regarding transit security funding reminds me of the calcified nature of transit funding in general. Red tape and inflexibility keeps funds from being applied pragmatically. As I mentioned two weeks ago, federal funds provided to cities with populations over 200,000 are mostly for capital projects — not operations. Likewise, DHS funds are for specific preparedness issues such as terrorism. From what I can tell, DHS funds can’t be used for general transit police work. However, general police work is exactly what puts trained responders on duty when something like the Times Square incident happens. I’m interested in the $1.9M federal grant King County announced last year for the Joint Transit Anti-Terrorism Team. I would like to see whether the “visible presence” is visible enough to deter garden variety crimes and disruptive behavior on transit vehicles. If so, that’s great. However, over the long term, $1.9M isn’t enough. The grant provides enough for three King County and two Sound Transit officers. Much of their work will involve interagency exercises and writing a Joint Anti-Terrorism Plan. How much “visible presence” there will be seems open to question.

Even if the grant were only for salaries, it still wouldn’t be enough. An entry-level King County Sheriff’s Deputy makes $54,660 to $76548. The grant is spread over three years. By my calculations, that would only fund between 8 and 11 deputies annually — if the grant were to cover only salaries, excluding taxes and benefits.

Homeland Security Funding, slow or not, is helpful. But I think there needs to be more money for regular police work on transit systems. Flexibility in how the money is spent could create a mutually beneficial effect between DHS programs and regular police work. It’s time to look for win-win cooperation between federal and local funding sources for transit security and transit operations in general.

Mark Foss has more than 24 years experience working for King County Metro Transit. His experience includes work as a bus operator, special ridership coordinator in accessible services and 1st line transit supervisor. Currently, he works as a communications coordinator in the transit control center (TCC). Contact him via LinkedIn.

By Daniel Neuburger

With so many transit operators across the country raising fares, American workers are increasingly facing the prospect of growing out-of-pocket expenses associated with getting to work.  Tax-free commuter benefit programs offer commuters a way to help ease this financial strain.

 

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) passed in February 2009, included a provision to raise the monthly limit a commuter can deduct from their paycheck on a pretax basis from $120 to $230 to pay for their commute and accrue savings. The increase of the monthly limit brought the total potential savings for commuters enrolled in a commuter benefits program to around $1,100 annually. However, the additional savings related to the cap increase will disappear if the law is allowed to sunset on December 31, 2010, as it is now written.

 

A Quick Overview of Commuter Benefits

A commuter benefit program offered by an employer allows employees to deduct pretax dollars from their paycheck to go toward their commuting costs. The monthly limit is set by the IRS and is currently $230. The employee saves money when joining the program by having less of his or her paycheck taxed. Pretax dollars are provided to the employee on a monthly basis and used for one of many commuter benefit products such as debit cards, pre-purchased transit passes, transit vouchers, etc.  These convenient options ensure that the funds are used strictly for transit commuting, meeting IRS compliance. And the employer saves money as well thanks to reduced overall payroll taxes.

 

Based on the 2009 Commuter Impact Survey (CIS) conducted by TransitCenter Inc., of human resource benefit decision makers in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, more than one-third (35 percent) of all companies and nearly 60 percent of larger companies are now offering tax-free commuter benefits. The survey also revealed that nearly half (46 percent) of employers located in central business districts offer tax-free commuter benefits to their employees.  The survey also showed that commuter benefits continue to rise in terms of adoption and have become one of the “core four” benefits offered along with health, retirement and disability. This is likely due to the recognition by HR professionals that commuter benefits save money for employees and employers alike.

 

The Impact of the $230 Transit Cap

The CIS asked respondents, if the increase of the maximum amount allowed by the IRS for the transit portion of tax-free commuter benefits had any impact on their company. More than one quarter of employers said that enrollment in the program increased while 39 percent said employees who were already participating increased their pretax deductions.  Enrollment increased, especially for larger companies (37 percent) and companies located in New York (33 percent).

 

It also became clear that smaller businesses were excited about the new cap. One third of employees among these companies increased their deduction over the previous cap of $120 after the new law took effect.

 

When Fares Increase Commuter Benefits Help Cushion the Blow

The current economy is forcing transit agencies across the country to lay off employees, increase fares and/or reduce service. New York metropolitan area commuters are being hit with a second major fare increase in the past two years; the first in New York in 2009 and now in New Jersey, where commuters are seeing up to a 25 percent increase in their cost to get to work.

 

 When transit fares go up, we see increases in the number of companies and employees turning to commuter benefits to avoid the full impact of additional costs. When the cost of a monthly pass goes over $120, it’s thanks to the $230 transit cap limit that many more employees can reduce their commuting costs.

 

If Congress fails to act to extend the current $230 cap limit or make the cap permanent, it will revert to pre-stimulus levels of $120 per month.  For many of us, this will create a “double-whammy” of rising fares and lower commuter benefit savings.

Daniel Neuburger is President and CEO of TransitCenter, Inc., a nonprofit organization supporting mass transit ridership and a leading provider of tax-free commuter benefit programs, nationwide.

Posted by Fred Jandt
Mass Transit editor

Coming off the APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference in Cleveland, you’d think everything was hunky-dory with the bus industry. But in the midst of the latest and greatest bus products I missed the part where the industry is making buses safer for operators.

I know I’m probably going to draw some flack on this one, but a driver was killed last Friday by a passenger stabbing him while on his route. Drivers have been attacked before and likely will be again, so what’s it going to take before the industry takes action on this.

And I don’t mean action by the bus drivers’ unions or the transit agencies. In reality they can only do so much. You can only provide so many protective measures. What I’m talking about are the bus manufacturers.

There needs to be some sort of protective barrier separating drivers from passengers. I know it will add cost to a bus. I know it will make it less personal riding a bus. I know it will likely cause a radical change in bus design.

But it has to happen. And it has to happen soon.

We as an industry have spent a vast amount of time and resources discussing standardization when it comes to bus design. What about spending some of that effort designing a safer bus for drivers?

It can happen. Let’s go back to Cleveland for a second. Nobody thought you could have a bus with doors on both sides until Joe Calabrese didn’t take no for an answer. Now the Health Line is running these buses up and down Euclid Avenue with no problems.

It is going to take someone saying enough and coming up with a design that works and making the choice to make this happen.

Drivers need to be protected by more than a camera playing back the attacks for a courtroom. Isn’t it about time that we put our amazing know-how as an industry toward solving this problem?

Thanks for reading the MT Position, updated every Friday. For those interested in instant updates, you can now get your latest Mass Transit fix via Twitter.

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com
Check out our LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter pages!

By Mark Foss

Most often people think of public transit as buses, trains, streetcars and trolleys. But that isn’t always the case. Ferry systems, public and private, exist in various regions of the country, ranging from New York to San Francisco. These systems provide, to various degrees, important connections between communities in regions divided by bodies of water.

Seattle ferry commuters come into the city from many locations. The Washington State Ferry system is part of Washington’s highway system. It is the largest ferry system in the United States and the third largest in the world, carrying nearly 23 million passengers per year. The ferry system links with buses, car pools, van pools and park-and-ride lots. Driving passengers, bicycles, pedestrians and freight also use the ferry system.

An example of an important link is the Seattle-Vashon ferry and bus service. King County Metro works hand-in-hand with the Washington State ferry system to serve Vashon Island. Daily commuter bus service travels by ferry to the island to pick up passengers for transport to downtown. Additionally, bus service on the mainland picks up walking and bicycle passengers from the ferry dock bound for various destinations. If there is a delay in the ferry schedule, commuter bus service may be adjusted to help meet the ferry passenger loads.

In addition to the Washington State Ferry system, the King County Ferry District runs a Water Taxi into downtown Seattle from West Seattle and from Vashon Island. The Water Taxi provides walk-on service between West Seattle and downtown from April to October. It also provides limited walk-on service between downtown and Vashon Island. The Water Taxi allows Seattle commuters to avoid traffic jams on the West Seattle freeway bridge — as well as an alternative for Vashon commuters.

In 2008 King County Ferry District operating (farebox) revenues were just about 15 percent of operating expenses. The rest of the water taxi’s revenues come from property taxes, investment interest and state forest timber sales. The Washington State ferries did much better with passenger and vehicle revenues covering at 76 percent of operating costs. The ferry system has the goal of 100 percent recovery of the operating budget by 2015. Another factor that makes the ferry system work well in Puget Sound is how it connects with the bus system.

Fares on the Washington State Ferry System, King County’s bus service, Sound Transit Express Service and LINK light rail can all be paid using the new ORCA smart card system. However, long before smart card was installed, commuter passes linked the ferry system with King County Metro’s bus system and other transit systems in the region.

Communities with ferry systems, private or public, should work to make those systems an integrated part of the transportation system. When bridges are congested, or nonexistent, ferries do well. It appears that under the right conditions, ferries can reach a higher farebox recovery rate than buses. For passengers, intermodal connections are very important — docks aren’t necessarily near places of business. The success of intermodal transportation rests on the usefulness connections, seamless payment and interagency cooperation.

Mark Foss has more than 24 years experience working for King County Metro Transit. His experience includes work as a bus operator, special ridership coordinator in accessible services and 1st line transit supervisor. Currently, he works as a communications coordinator in the transit control center (TCC). Contact him via LinkedIn.

On May 8, 2010 Amtrak will celebrate the third annual National Train Day with events across the country to celebrate America’s love for trains. National Train Day commemorates the 141st anniversary of the first transcontinental railroad’s inception by bringing to life the rich narrative of how trains transformed America.

Each year National Train Day aims to remind the public of the many benefits of rail travel.  Over the last 141 years, technology has changed transportation in the United States with automobiles and airplanes becoming major modes of travel.  However, rail travel has withstood the test of time and still provides many benefits that other modes of transportation cannot fulfill. In honor of National Train Day we are taking a look at some great reasons to ride the rails:

Save a buck (or more!) – Rail travel is more cost efficient than other modes of transportation.  According to Amtrak’s Critical Link 2007, the American Automobile Association estimated that the average cost of car travel is 62 cents per mile and, depending on the type of automobile, as high as 74 cents per mile.  In comparison, the average cost of an Amtrak trip is only 23 cents per mile.

Skip rush hour – According to Amtrak’s 2007 Highway and Airport Congestion Mitigation report, some American drivers lose more than 93 hours per year sitting in traffic. In 1955, there were 65 million vehicles on U.S. highways. Today there are 246 million and by 2055 this number is expected to reach 400 million.  Taking the train is a simple way to avoid this congestion and reach your final destination more quickly.

Save the planet – Taking the train is a greener way to travel.   Passenger rail travel is 20 percent more efficient than airline travel and 28 percent more efficient than automobile travel.  For those looking to reduce their environmental footprint, commuting to work is a great way to start.

Relax! – Many people find that rail travel is the most relaxing mode of transportation.  No need to worry about traffic congestion, security lines or luggage restrictions, people can kick up their feet and take some time for themselves.

Meet new friends – Train travel is the most interactive form of travel and many use it as an opportunity to meet new people, experience different cultures and make friends.  Long-distance trains generally have dining cars, where people can share tables and exchange stories, all while traveling to their destination.

Finally for many people alternate modes of transportation are simply not an option.  According to Amtrak’s Critical Link 2007, 16 percent of Amtrak passengers do not own a car.  Furthermore, one in five Americans age 65 and older does not drive, and the number of people aged 65 and older is expected to more than double between 2002 and 2030. For those who do not have other means to get around, rail travel is a way of life.

On May 8 Amtrak will host free events from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in four of its gateway stations across the United States: Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles, all designed to help people discover the rail way. These large-scale events will feature live entertainment, interactive and educational exhibits, kids’ entertainment, model train displays and tours of notable private railroad cars, Amtrak equipment, freight and commuter trains.

Additionally, Amtrak will be joined by this year’s national spokesman, actor and avid train fan Taye Diggs, star of Private Practice. Taye will start the weekend’s festivities with a ceremony at New York’s Penn Station on Friday, May 7, and will board Amtrak immediately following the event to travel to Washington, D.C. to host the National Train Day celebration at Union Station and enjoy the festivities with other train fans on Saturday, May 8.

In addition, local communities across the country have developed their own National Train Day celebrations. So far more than 150 local celebrations are planned at rail stations, museums and other locations around the country. To find an event near you, visit www.nationaltrainday.com, “like” us on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationaltrainday, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/natltrainday.

Posted by Fred Jandt
Mass Transit magazine editor

I spent the better part of this last week in Cleveland at the APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference, so you’d think this blog would revolve around my reflections on the show (which it will to some extent). But like a speeding streetcar, sometimes obstacles come up that take you off track.

I fully expected this week’s blog to cover the Cleveland conference, I really did. I even devoted some time on my plane ride home to typing up some initial thoughts on my iPad so I would remember them after they were no longer fresh in my head.

Then as I posted the news on Thursday morning, I came across this story about a pending vote for a new streetcar line in Milwaukee.

Usually stories like this — even ones for nearby Milwaukee — register and get noted as something to check back on after the vote, but nothing I would take immediate action on. Then I read the comments (I know, I know a bad idea.):

“Please! No streetcars! Why go back in time — this is another goofy liberal idea.”
“This is way too much money to spend on something that will be used very little — especially since city busses do the same thing.”
“I remember when they finally tore out all the wires and infrastructure in the late 60′s and early 70′s from the trolleys and electric buses. What’s next, stagecoaches, horse and buggies, rickshaws?”
“Buses can change routes, use different streets if necessary, trolleys are stuck where the lines are. Reminds me of a line from Forrest Gump — ‘Stupid is as Stupid does.’”

Not all the response were bad:

“Finally, Milwaukee wakes up to the reality that we need a true integrated and modern transportation system. Streetcars, buses, roads, river taxis — all are needed to get people around. Transportation isn’t political, people, it’s about quality of life.”
“First, streetcars are bigger than buses so quite simply they hold more people. Secondly, the boarding of passengers will be quicker because of modern streetcar designs (low floors, pre-paying, so on). Thirdly, the ride is significantly smoother, and quieter than a typical bus. Those are just a couple of items that make them different too start. And finally, the fixed aspect of a route plays a role that the bus just can never do, it plays a role in economic development, because it brings certainty.”

I am sure any thoughts I have on this matter will get dismissed out of hand because I am the editor of a trade magazine covering the public transit industry. Frankly, I’m not a cheerleader for transit. That’s not my job. But I do believe in it mainly because I’ve seen it in action and how well it works.

Case in point the recent Bus & Paratransit Conference in Cleveland. I was able to step off the plane on Sunday and not worry about needing a car for four days — when I returned to Milwaukee.

The streetcar is a good idea. Streetcars can’t do everything buses can do. That’s a fact. They can’t change routes. But I need to ask, why would they need to? Buses are scheduled on planned routes for a reason. They don’t take off on a different direction just because traffic is bad.

And while we’re on the topic, buses can’t do everything streetcars can. A bus’ greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. Yes, buses can change routes, but this also makes its impact ephemeral. Standing at bus stop with the small metal sign your only assurance of its impending arrival isn’t the most comforting proposition. Now compare this to a streetcar that you know will be by every 15 minutes because you can see the rails in the ground in front of you.

Transit isn’t buses. It’s intermodal. That includes rail, bus, bikes and walking. Yes, pedestrians are part of the transit picture. Milwaukee needs to embrace this idea or it will never live up to the potential it has as one of America’s great cities.

Oh, about the Bus & Paratransit conference? It was amazingly fast and frustratingly slow.  Coming in on Sunday, Tuesday afternoon at the Product Showcase came upon me faster than I had expected. The showcase itself was incredibly fast-paced — until lunch.

After lunch it died. Blame the weather, the lack of lunches or any number of other influences, but by two the aisles were empty and yet it still wasn’t enough time.

I am always asked what my opinion of a show is when I am there or shortly after. I don’t believe shows are good or bad. Most have their high and low points. The same was for this week’s one in Cleveland. The one thing I do believe is that all shows can be improved somewhat. APTA needs to (and I am sure they will) take the temperature of this show and make the tweaks needed to make the next one better than the last.

Thanks for reading the MT Position, updated every Friday. For those interested in instant updates, you can now get your latest Mass Transit fix via Twitter.

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com
Check out our LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter pages!

Mondays are busy. Rainy Mondays are very intense. This morning was busier than most Mondays. High winds and rain today combined with the usual Monday morning challenges. Downed trees and power lines, blocking accidents, road debris and mechanical breakdowns that always happen on rainy Mondays made transit operations a challenge. When clusters of problems like these happen, they overwhelm the capacity of normal operations to respond quickly. Scheduled service slows down. Coaches available for equipment changes become scarce. Available field supervisors are few. Road capacity fills up. The system bogs down. Thankfully this is only temporary. It lasts for a few hours — perhaps a day.

This week’s transit news reminded me of rainy Mondays — with a much longer horizon for fixing the problems. Transit budget woes in New York City underscore just how big the money problems are. NYC Metro plans to lay off about 500 bus workers and another 100 subway workers. Meanwhile, New York City’s Metro is looking for a new general manager to replace interim GM Richard Sarles who has only agreed to a one year contract. It is no wonder that transit workers have rallied recently in Washington, DC, to lobby for transit funding. The rally lobbied for a change in federal regulations to allow use of funds for operations — rather than just capital expenditures. A current House bill with 115 sponsors would end restrictions on use of federal funds on operations by cities with populations over 200,000.

Similar funding problems — although not as acute — exist around the country. In January, San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency proposed service cuts of 313,000 hours to close a budget gap. New Jersey Transit announced in March a spending freeze, workforce reductions of 200 people and other measures intended to cope with a budget shortfall. In April the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority painted a giant “X” on a third of its buses and trains to demonstrate to the public how much service would have to be cut due to revenue shortfalls. An American Public Transit Association (APTA) report published in March 2010 states that, “More than half of all transit agencies (53 percent) have eliminated positions and one in three (32 percent) have laid off employees (p. 2)”. Fares have been raised, service cut and workers laid off all over the country — yet the problems continue.

It is clear transit agencies need a massive infusion of cash soon — most probably federal funds. However, it begs the question: “What’s next?” How do we avoid getting in this kind of situation again?

Transit agency problems are multifaceted and vary from place to place. Of course, cash flow is a problem. Funding rules limiting the use of federal funds mostly to capital expenditures may be part of the problem. Loose accountability for expenditures at the local level might be part of the picture. I’ve seen some strange spending over the years. Personally, I believe that a change in how business is done should be part of the solution. Attention to measurable process improvement is needed. (For an interesting take on improving government, see “We Don’t Make Widgets” by Ken Miller.) Transit agencies need to spend public money wisely. Otherwise, we will be in the same situation in the next downturn.

From where I sit, the transit system currently looks a bit like a city during rush hour after a massive wind storm — floods, downed trees, downed power lines, power outages, accidents and traffic jams. Everyone wants to get somewhere and no one is able to move. Many things need to be addressed all at once. Things will improve but not quickly. Like clean-up after a storm, there is lot to do. It’s time to get to work.

Mark Foss has more than 24 years experience working for King County Metro Transit. His experience includes work as a bus operator, special ridership coordinator in accessible services and 1st line transit supervisor. Currently, he works as a communications coordinator in the transit control center (TCC). Contact him via LinkedIn.