The MT Position

Posted by Fred Jandt
Editor, Mass Transit

This last Tuesday was Earth Day. The MT staff did our part and all worked from home on Earth Day. I know it’s a small effort, but if everyone just turned off their cars for one day, think of the effect that would have.

In that vein, gas prices rose again like a creeping shadow following along behind you. We all know that gas prices are predicted to hit $4 a gallon this summer (well, that is everyone but the president, who seems curiously oblivious to it). Unfortunately summer may just come a lot sooner than we expected. Gas prices are already topping more than $4 a gallon in California with some nearing or topping $4.50. The national average is hovering around $3.50, but that’s little comfort.

I was talking to a coworker yesterday who said that he had heard gas prices could hit $7 a gallon by 2010. Doubling in a year in a half? I once would have said that’s not likely or even impossible, but with the recent dramatic rise in gas prices over the last few years, I no longer rule anything out.

So what is there to do about it? Well, the obvious choice is to take transit. It’s simple math: transit = less car use = less $$$ spent on gas.

Of course, for a large part of the United States this isn’t an option. Transit just isn’t an option for some people. So what do they do? Telecommuting has become popular. And it is going to become even more popular.

Spend some time perusing the tech news. Google is offering a host of services for businesses to allow you to access all of your files anywhere. It has its own suite of office programs, and now you can access them offline as well as online. Adobe is putting up a streamlined version of Photoshop online. The next generation of software looks to all be Web-based.

With this trend you’d think people would travel more. They can stay connected anywhere. Unfortunately, people are using this to stay at home. And it’s that creeping shadow that is to blame. As gas prices grow we become more and more isolated as a culture. As gas prices grow, the price of everything else grows as well. If you haven’t noticed, the price of food is creeping up. Just a little here and there, but it’s going up.

As everything gets more expensive, transit becomes more and more appealing. A couple years ago when gas prices shot up, transit ridership soared. This year with that creeping shadow getting longer, keep an eye on ridership levels, I bet they are going to go up as well.

Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com

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,

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com

Posted by Fred Jandt
Editor, Mass Transit

A report came out this week from the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General (available here) entitled Amtrak’s Future Outlook and Budgetary Needs. The report is in part, to be honest, what we’ve come to expect from the current administration, a transit agency requesting funds and having the actual appropriation falling short of the request.

That said, the budget numbers aren’t the interesting part of the report. The interesting discussion is when the report discusses Amtrak’s on-time performance (OTP), or lack thereof.

“Amtrak’s OTP had been declining steadily since FY 2002, from 77 percent to 68 percent in FY 2006. However, the OTP increased in FY 2007 to 69 percent and to 72.7 percent through January 2008.”

Now, an OTP hovering around 70 is far from desirable, but it isn’t unheard of in transit agencies across the country.

“In FY 2006, average OTP across Amtrak’s long-distance routes was only 30 percent.”

What?! Now that is a shocking number. A 30 percent on-time performance explains a lot about lack of consumer faith in Amtrak. Wow.

So who is to blame for this poor performance? Pick a group and see who they are pointing fingers at.

“…there is little agreement between Amtrak and the host railroads on whose track Amtrak operates regarding the cause of this poor OTP…”

Yep, everybody is blaming everybody else. In defense of the freight railroads whose tracks Amtrak largely operates on, they barely have enough room for their own trains, let alone Amtrak’s, as the report states.

“The capacity of the freight rail network is insufficient to handle the mix of fast (passenger and inter-modal freight) and slow (bulk commodity freight) trains operating according to different business models, i.e., scheduled versus unscheduled or loosely scheduled service.”

The report points out that most of the tracks outside the Northeast Corridor are single tracks with bi-directional traffic, necessitating the use of sidings. It also states that increasing OTP outside the Northeast Corridor to 85 percent would generate a net gain of $136.6 million.

Taking a look at this report, is there any clearer indication that there needs to be a concerted effort put into designing and building a high-speed rail network in the United States. The freight rail network is strained to the point of bursting for its own trains. Amtrak’s OTP for long-distance trains is 30 percent. And neither group is willing to give an inch to help the other out, as the report found, “certain practices intentionally delay Amtrak trains.”

We have an infrastructure crisis on our hands. We need to expand not only the freight rail network, but also implement a better plan for Amtrak other than just shoe-horning it onto existing tracks. And until we do that, Amtrak will continue to operate at losses with poor OTP.

On a personal note, we’ve redesigned the e-mail blast sending out the MT Position. If you haven’t seen it recently or signed up for it, take a look. It now includes Daily News and the top five viewed and emailed stories on the Mass Transit Web site from the past week.

Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com

Posted by Fred Jandt
Editor, Mass Transit

Statistics Canada released 2006 census data this week. Not surprisingly more Canadians are using alternate means of getting to work than just taking their cars. Calgary boasted the largest increase in public transit use (three percent), but Toronto weighed in with a more than 30 percent increase in the number of bike riders.

Now how do we compare to that in the United States? We take money from public transit to increase roads while at the same time increasing gas prices seemingly exponentially.

Something just doesn’t seem to mesh here…

The problem here is the lack of investment by the U.S. government when it comes to public transit. The Canadian government is spending billions of dollars to improve its transit system and in this country transit has to fight for every penny it gets.

Now, I understand that this has been the case for some time now. But it’s amazing how we just accept this lack of forethought on the part of our government.

I was watching the Daily Show last night and they showed footage of the representatives from leading U.S. oil companies being called before Congress because of the soaring gas prices while their companies set record profit numbers.

The interesting bit was seeing the same footage from a year ago. And two years ago. And three years ago.

Two years ago gas prices surged. People were outraged. Public transit ridership swelled and discussion of more investment in public transit grew.

Last year gas prices surged. People shrugged and tightened their belts. What could they do? Interest in public transit flattened.

This year we are looking at gas prices at near $4 a gallon or greater. Again people are outraged. And yet, we don’t see the government looking toward public transit as a solution.

They look around trying to lay blame on somebody while people struggle to get by. Will next summer be another year of shrugged shoulders and belt tightening? Is this a vicious circle we’re in?

We don’t need more money for transit agencies. We don’t. We need a massive investment in public transportation. We need to make public transit the first choice for commuters and travelers instead of the second or third.

And we need the government to stop for a second and realize that the problem it is desperately trying to solve is a fire it keeps feeding with its current policies.

Let’s hope it doesn’t get beyond its control.

For the latest industry news, check out MassTransitMag.com’s Daily News section.

Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com

Posted by Fred Jandt
Editor, Mass Transit

It’s interesting the power of words, especially in this digital age we’ve moved into as a culture. As I tell my kids, sometimes it’s not the words, but how you say them. Of course, with an e-mail, or even a blog, you can’t hear the inflection or tone the writer intended as he or she wrote them. Right now, can you tell if I am writing this slowly and meditatively or quickly and flared with emotion?

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes we need to remember that each one of those words can evocate an image in the mind of the reader — and often times, not the ones we intended.

Take for example the LIRR derailment that happened Thursday morning. Just pulling up the story on our newsfeed service I came up with three headlines for the same story:

• 2 LIRR Trains Bump in Queens; Eastbound Service Delayed
• 2 LIRR Trains Collide in Queens; Eastbound Service Delayed
• 2 LIRR Trains Collide in Queens; Eastbound Service Suspended

While all three of these headlines look the same, they couldn’t be more different. The first headline says the trains bumped into each other. The second and third headlines say the trains collided. That is a significant difference in most people’s minds. If you have ever backed into something with your car, you know what I am talking about.

A bump is when you can get out, look at what you hit, shrug your shoulders at the negligible mark (if any) and go about your business. A collision is when you put your head down on the steering wheel, cringing, while you psyche yourself up to get out and look at what happened.

Also take a look at the last word in those headlines. The first two say service is delayed, while the last one says suspended. OK, I don’t know about you, but delayed is vastly different in my mind than suspended. Delayed means I have to wait a little longer for my train. Suspended means I better find a different way home.

Comments with one of the stories I found online were already calling LIRR to task for describing a derailment and collision as two trains that had bumped into each other. Now, mind you, I don’t know if it was LIRR who actually used the term “bump,” but respondents were all over them about it.

This all comes back to the words we choose to use. While every picture evokes a litany of words, every word in turn evokes a myriad of images. We need to be aware of this and wary of how we describe anything that happens in the transit industry.

For the latest industry news, check out MassTransitMag.com’s Daily News section.

Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com

Posted by Fred Jandt
Editor, Mass Transit

I read a couple good stories on privatization this week. The first was by the Washington Post on the privatization of our highways and the other was about Disney and how its transit system was a model for public agencies.

I don’t know how I feel about privatization when it comes to roads and transit. On one hand, I can definitely see the benefits. Our infrastructure is crumbling and this may be the best option to forestall an almost inevitable crisis. And with public transit agencies across the country struggling for funding just to operate, any expansion may be more likely if it was done with help from the private industry.

But at what cost? The Disney piece mentions how the average transit system only covers 40 percent of costs from the farebox and holds that up as a reason for privatization — to get these agencies back on budget. But what other public agency is being held to private industry standards? If your local parks department was to cover 40 percent of its costs through sales of ticketed parking lots, would people be calling for the parks to be privatized? To get the parks back on budget?

The problem going forward as I see it with privatization of any kind is a public view that America is being sold off piece by piece. Instead of I-80, you can drive down the [Insert Big Company Name Here] Tollway. We already have this with most of the major ballparks and stadiums in the country and there is grumbling about that. How about a bus system owned by large company?

The problem with any widespread ideal of privatization is the temptation for misuse. Hey, if the system isn’t hitting the bottom line things have to be cut, or changing routes to serve the needs of a company’s employees. Already major companies like Microsoft and Google are running their own public transit for their employees. I am not sure I want them in charge of all the buses, though.

The overall situation is that money for roads and transit is going away — fast. So is it a matter of adding more or taking better care of what we already have? When I spoke with Fred Gilliam (who has worked for both public and private transit providers) at Capital Metro in Austin recently, he said you need a balance between hitting the bottom line and providing a quality service. It’s that balance that will be the key to the future.

In the end, there are plenty of companies with the funds, knowledge and experience to help the country’s infrastructure come back to where it should have been all along. We just need to make sure that we don’t lose our path along the way and wind up in a bigger mess than we started with.

For the latest industry news, check out MassTransitMag.com’s Daily News section.

Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com

Posted by Fred Jandt
Editor, Mass Transit

Traveling around as I do, you get to experience a lot of transit agencies. Most of the time it’s a guided tour, so it’s not exactly a full immersion, but you do get to see what the agency’s local riders see. I’ve been warned off by transit police for taking photos. I’ve had another rider help me figure out a ticket machine as I fumbled with my change. I’ve talked to riders on buses and trains and stops and platforms. And the thing you remember most is good customer service from agency staff.

As Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) general manager, John Catoe, recently said to me, “It’s every employee’s responsibility to provide customer service. And if I can do it as general manager, it’s my expectation that every other executive and every other manager in this agency doesn’t just go out there and look. It’s not always that terrible, but take an action, everyday take some small action to improve the service to our customers.”

My publisher and I were at the APTA Legislative Conference earlier this week in Washington, D.C. The conference was great as always and, as always, a lot was packed into a little amount of time. So I was dragging a little bit as we walked the few blocks to the closest Metro station.

Getting our tickets, we headed down to the platform and then stood dumbly looking at the signs as we discussed the different ticket stalls above. It was just then that we were approached by a WMATA employee who had obviously seen our suitcases and stares at the system map and (correctly) figured we needed some help.

Now I’ve ridden Metro several times before this and so has my publisher. We would eventually have gotten our bearings and got on the right train, but it was so nice to have someone come up and offer help without asking and without figuring you were stupid for not knowing the local system (I’ve had that happen, too).

The WMATA employee, told us what train we needed to take, where it would be coming from and, taking his lunchbox in hand, headed up and out of the station. He wasn’t a station manager, either. No, just a passing employee who thought he’d follow Catoe’s advice — even if he didn’t know it — and take a small action to help someone on the system.

Sure, we could have made it on our own, but it was just that little bit of customer service that made a big impact. I remembered it the whole way home and I won’t forget it the next time I ride the Washington system.

I know agencies all over are looking for ways to increase revenue and ridership, but in the end it’s good to remember that it’s the little things that sometimes count the most.

For the latest industry news, check out MassTransitMag.com’s Daily News section.

Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com

Posted by Fred Jandt
Editor, Mass Transit

You know, there are weeks where transit just can’t win.

Last week wasn’t one of those weeks. Facing the brewing infrastructure crisis head on, the Minnesota Legislature voted to override a veto leveled by Governor Pawlenty against a bill raising state gas and sales taxes and increasing registration fees on new vehicles. This bill will now fund $6.6 billion in infrastructure improvements for the next 10 years.

Unfortunately, this was one of those weeks.

This week’s theme seems to be how can we spend our transit funds in the worst way. Take the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority for example. It now has to begin refunding $12 million it collected in taxes and fees since January. Why? Because the Virginia Supreme Court recently ruled that the authority’s taxing ability was unconstitutional.

Now let that sink in for a minute. The state supreme court ruled that the authority’s taxing powers were unconstitutional. Meanwhile, they kept collecting taxes. Now understand the process and how long court proceedings can take, but didn’t anyone stop to think about whether this was possibly against the law before they began to collect the taxes? And now we’re not just talking about giving back $12 million in taxes, we’re talking about money spent on employee salaries to make sure those collected taxes are returned to the correct people.

Unfortunately, Virginia doesn’t hold a candle to Milwaukee. If you didn’t know, Milwaukee received a $289 million appropriation from the federal government to build a bus-only highway along I-94. You might not know because this happened 17 years ago.

This $289 million should be held up as a lesson to all transit authorities in how not to watch your funds get frittered away. After the bus-only highway project was shutdown, the federal government took $48 million back, and another $149.5 million was spent on other road, bridge and pedestrian projects.

The remaining $91.5 million has been sitting there since before the turn of the century, unable to be spent because the powers that be can’t decide how best to spend it. You would think they could get an agreement after nearly a decade of sitting on the money. This week the latest indignation came when a local study committee looking to find the best way to spend the money found its funds running short due to some FTA snafu, leaving the committee without any money to continue its study.

So yet again Milwaukee sits with $91.5 million for transit sitting in a bank waiting to be spent, this time locked behind a wall of red tape. How long it will sit there this time is anybody’s guess.

As those of you heading to Capitol Hill next week during APTA’s Legislative Conference seek funds for your systems, keep this lesson in mind. It’s not just about securing that funding, it’s about making sure you can really spend it.

For the latest industry news, check out MassTransitMag.com’s Daily News section.

Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com

Posted by Fred Jandt
Editor, Mass Transit

While I was away for business last week my wife thought she heard a noise downstairs. Since the kids were already in bed with her, she understandably got nervous. So she slept with a flashlight and the phone next to her until I got home.

Now the flashlight and phone really didn’t provide her much extra security, but the thought of having them there made her feel better. This week King County Metro fired eight security guards who had past criminal records. The off-duty police officers who normally provide security for the service were up in arms. How could this happen?! The riders — not so much. One rider even said the security guards seemed approachable and that he didn’t feel frightened. I guess for transit it’s more about having security than being secure.

This got me to thinking about my last business trip. Going through an airport is such a chore these days. You practically have to strip down to get through security. You have take off your watch, coat, belt, shoes and pretty much everything else. The last time I went on a train, I stood on the platform reading my newspaper until the train arrived and then walked on board with my coffee in my hand.

Now here’s the interesting thing for me. Transit agencies have been fighting for riders for … well, ever. And to be honest, they’re winning that fight. 11 billion trips a year is pretty impressive. But it is interesting to note that a recent Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) report stated that transit agencies fight increasing security versus increasing hassling riders and/or delaying buses and trains.

When was the last time the airline industry worried about balancing ridership hassles against security? Every security measure in an airport, at least from what I have seen, is stated as being a necessary measure based on past events. We take off our shoes because someone put a bomb in theirs. We have to bag our liquids and not take anything liquid through security because of a plot to mix chemicals on a plane.

The thing here is that is this level of security making us safe? Sure, but more importantly it is making us feel safe. As the MTI report states, security for the transportation industry all changed on 9/11. With the level of that attack on airlines it’s no wonder the government threw a ton of money for increased security.

But there’s the thing, transit handles more people every morning than airports due in several days for a minute fraction of the funding they have on security. And transit does it with an open system. You can’t protect all of those bus stops and rail lines all of the time.

And yet, a massive amount of money goes to airports to make people safe — or is it feel safe. The thing about handing someone a security blanket is that you have to be careful not to throw it over his or her head in the process.

For the latest industry news, check out MassTransitMag.com’s Daily News section.

Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com

Posted by Fred Jandt
Editor, Mass Transit

How connected are you? I don’t mean the Tony Soprano kind of connected, or even the head of a major corporation kind of connected. I mean technologically connected. How in touch are you with what’s going on in technology? And by relation, how connected is your transit system?

Most transit systems have some sort of trip-planning set-up on its Web site. Many even have automated alerts sent via text message or e-mail to riders who sign up for the service. But is this the level of your system’s connectivity?

In California a group of tech-savvy riders have banded together to come up with new ways to track their local system. They have even staged a two-day “camp” to pool their creative resources and come up with better solutions. This isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened, though, having already taken place several times in Canada.

California seems to be the nexus for this type of activity in the United States. Of the 20 or so agencies listed on Google Transit, nearly half are from California. Not surprising, but with only 12 states listed on Google Transit, the question is why more agencies don’t use the resource.

Take Vancouver’s TransLink for example. They have launched a massive Internet undertaking called iMove (www.i-move.ca) that incorporates the various modes of transit with alerts on construction and traffic delays. This invaluable resource has uses by more than just transit riders and I think could well be the first of a series of similar Web sites.

This whole edition of the MT Position sprung from a couple of things. The first was spending the long weekend trying to see if it was feasible to drop our home landline and just go with cell phones and cell-based Internet service. It also came from the recent announcement that Verizon and AT&T just launched unlimited service plans (the first of many I am sure) for a flat fee. Sprint has had a similar service, including unlimited phone, text and Web usage, but only in select locations so far.

So the question arose, how connected are you and your transit agency? Because if you aren’t you had better catch up because your riders already are.

For the latest industry news, check out MassTransitMag.com’s Daily News section.

Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,

Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com