Flying Cars
Posted by Fred Jandt
Editor, Mass Transit
In the wake of the news of Delta and Northwest’s planned merger this week, I have to say despite what others might believe, the airlines have it easy when compared to public transit. If for no other reason than they don’t have to deal with arguments about America’s love with the flying car.
I took a trip to San Francisco last week. Growing up in the Midwest with a lack of public transit, it makes it even sweeter when you are in a large urban area with a well-connected transit authority. There is just something to be said for being able to walk out on the street and know there will be a bus or train (or both) at a stop within a couple blocks in a few minutes.
In San Francisco on-time performance isn’t just key, it’s pretty much the whole show. The populace has already bought into transit and its importance to the region. It’s not a matter of whether or not they want transit, it’s when will it get here.
Now let’s take a look at San Francisco. Last year San Francisco’s Municipal Railway (Muni) had an on-time performance of 71.2 percent — and the public threw a fit. See, a ballot initiative passed in 1999 demanding an 85 percent on-time performance. So Muni is being called on the carpet about this and is taking steps to hit that magic number.
Now let’s compare that to airline on-time performance. In the last year (according to the DOT) all air carriers had an on-time performance of 73.02 percent. And what was said about that … anyone hear that cricket sound?
See, this is where I think transit doesn’t get a fair shake and airline companies better be thankful there aren’t flying cars.
As I flew home my flight was delayed. Why? Weather. (Which strangely enough, while it seems like a reason often used by airlines for delays it is actually one of the lesser reasons for delays.) So I just shrugged my shoulders and settled down to wait, as did everyone else on the flight. The flight itself was oversold. That meant every single seat was filled.
When I got to my connecting airport, I found my connecting flight was also delayed. Why? Because all of the flights coming into the airport were delayed. (Air carrier or aviation system delays are the two largest reasons for late flights.) After waiting for more than an extra hour for my flight, I was pressed again into an oversold plane and finally made it home.
As I made my way to baggage claim I was thankful I had made it home and that my luggage had made it with me. I noticed most of the other people on the plane had about the same sentiment.
Now look at this from a transit perspective. You go out to wait for your bus or train and it’s delayed … because of the weather. Many areas are now demanding to know exactly how much time before the next bus or train will arrive. The airlines simply shrug and give you a good guesstimate.
Now that the bus or train is here you get on and find you don’t have a seat because it is full to the brim with passengers. People demand more and more capacity for their transit authorities. The airlines actively oversell their flights in case someone doesn’t show up.
You go to make a transfer and find out that your connecting bus or train is more than an hour later than you thought it would be. Most people would be screaming bloody murder at a transit authority for having to wait that long.
The thing is airlines have us over a barrel. We don’t have an option and they know it. Transit has to deal with the ever-present option of people taking cars, bikes or even just walking.
So the next time you’re going to rail against transit for its ineffectiveness, think back to when you were sitting in that airport waiting for your delayed flight and how you just shrugged your shoulders and got out your book.
Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,
April 18th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Your point is well taken. This is why I no longer use air transportation if I have any other option. Between the inconvenience of the security checks, the frequent delays and flight cancellations, the crowded, uncomfortable planes, and the fact that “in flight service” is a thing of the past unless one chooses to pay the exhorbitant price of first class, I’ll drive to my destination, thank you (there is no public bus service where I live in a rural area in Central Illinois).
April 18th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Amen brother! Not even cattle are treated as poorly as airline passengers. What’s happened to the airlines since deregulation is a perfect example of why they need to be re-regulated, and severely! Since the people don’t have a real choice, as you mentioned, it’s up to our representatives in Washington to solve the mess. And to solve it before it gets so bad that ground options become highly competitive (for a lot of us, we’re there already).
All that the airlines now care about is profit; to hell with comfort and convenience (and the employees). And the nuisance add-ons that are starting ($25 for an extra bag, and US Airways (the worst in the air) is now planning to charge $5 and up to reserve an aisle or window seat starting in May) simply make it worse.
Study the history of mass transit and you’ll see that a similar complacency to the needs of customers (”It’s the straphangers that pay the dividends”, etc.) in the ‘teens and ‘twenties was the main driving factor for personal automobile purchases. When the overcrowing and antiquated equipment reached the point where people were willing to pay extra for a car, they bought them and never rode transit again. The PCC car should have been designed in the 1920s; by the 1930s it was too late.
We’ve learned from our mistakes, but the airlines are now playing a dangerous game. Make it so uncomfortable, unpredictable, and demeaning to fly, and low cost no longer becomes a factor - a comfortable, but longer, drive or train ride (or even a bus) starts to make a lot of sense. Not to mention the air fares are going to go up again anyway because of fuel prices, as they should be doing.
To get an idea of where to start to solve the mess, let’s take La Guardia in NYC as an example. Why the heck are there 1/2 hour flights between NYC and Boston / Washington (that are usually less than 60% full) when there’s ample extra capacity on the Northeast Corridor? Amtrak corridor ridership (especially Acela) is growing rapidly because it’s now much more convenient to go city-center to city-center and get there on-time - and likely before the air shuttle in even moderatly bad weather - than it is to go through the hassle of taking a taxi to the airport and wait out the security lines. Only government regulation can straighten this mess out. One only wonders why the presidential candidates aren’t even considering this issue!
April 18th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Peaking Oil will trim off the shorter airline flights, give it another year or two.
Transport elements less fuel-intensive will pick up from airlines, long-haul trucking, and cars too… The APTA is failing the member companies and general public on the issue of Peaking Oil. The Mexicans have announced they will be unable to meet US Oil deliveries soon, and the Russians have capped export at present output. Russia and Mexico, taken together, signal Peaking Oil is here & now, growth of world oil consumption is going to plateau by 2010. Consumption equals annual growth, added to existiong economic activity. Remove annual growth, and strange things happen.
APTA needs to diligently and comprehensively get on this, because this can get very uncomfortable very quickly as agricultural production and distribution is already showing signs of the energy component. APTA is a well-respected organization with research, outreach, and legislative connections. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md) is good legislative entre’ to Peaking Oil information.
Aviation is best utilized for long haul, with seats full. Trucking is best for connecting rail-served warehousing with customers. Companies like UPS, Wal-Mart and the Post Office will do the greatest favor in the world for America, using their corporate example bringing us back to renewable-linked, rail-oriented distribution. APTA must use their membership & affiliates as a channel to the over 3000 county planning bureaus: Peaking Oil is a danger more imminent and deadly than Climate Change. “The Book” on the subject is “ELECTRIC WATER”, Christopher C. Swan, New Society Press 2007.
Which candidate will bring comprehensive language on Peaking Oil & the role of Transit in the Oil Interregnum Solution Set to their platform committee? Stay tuned!
April 21st, 2008 at 10:31 am
Just as a point of information in addition to having an on time performance of only 71.2 %, the San Francisco MUNI transit system has an average speed of only 8-1/2 MPH. That means that some lines are faster and some are slower. In fact, you can drive over most of the MUNI routes in only 1/4Th the time it takes to actually ride one of their buses.
Furthermore, MUNI’s unusually slow average speed has been largely attributed to having too many bus stops and over 5 years ago, the agency was advised to remove at least 25% of the bus stops in order to speed things up. Still to this day, MUNI buses are inch worming their way down the street and stopping at every last block while people in their cars just go sailing on by.
People will not (and shouldn’t be expected) to use any form of mass transit that is that slow and uncomfortable. Until something is done about increasing the average speed of mass transit, people will continue to drive.
Nathan Haughton
San Francisco
April 28th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Well, maybe you’re flying the wrong airlines. I won’t specify the particular color of the airline I’ve used twice this year, but it doesn’t match my eyes. Both trips have been perfectly fine, left and arrived on time (or early) and since I was able to print boarding passes at home before leaving for the airport, there were no hassles getting into the airport. OK, sure, the TSA security thing isn’t fun, but again, not a big deal, and these flights were at peak times, too, but mostly walk in, do the security thing, walk to the gate, and get on. The only downside is the wasted time because of the “two-hours-before-the-flight” rule. But even then, I had breakfast, or dinner, past the security barriers, so that wasn’t so bad.
Not to say that I don’t agree with your point, though. When I have to wait for more than ten minutes for the streetcar/subway, I get pretty antsy and annoyed. And missing connections is a true PITA. In fact, I nearly missed one of those flights above because I used public transit to the airport, not a cab, and missed two connections in a row, adding about 20 minutes or more to the transit trip.
Really, fix the transit problems, dont whine about how the airlines have it easy.