1 week until Metro changes: RapidRide, route restructuring

LP September 22, 2012 (4:49 pm)

I’m willing to give it a chance (not that I have a choice) but so far I’m not impressed with the RapidRide changes. The lane reductions to accommodate the new stops are baffling to me. And I just used Metro’s online Trip Planner to compare routes and travel time for the 5 most common trips my family makes to/from our home near Lincoln Park – comparing itineraries for Monday 9/24 (pre-RapidRide) to Monday 10/1 (post-RapidRide). Of the 5…
– 2 had no change in duration under RR
– 1 saved us 1min under RR
– 1 added 2min and an extra transfer under RR
– 1 added 5min under RR
.
I’m sure there are many riders who will benefit from these changes. Personally, I view them as a step backward.

Kathy September 22, 2012 (4:55 pm)

I had email traffic with Metro about the faulty map associated with the new Route 50 schedule. Here is the response I received:

“Apologies for the confusion, we were referencing a different route map and it appears the Timetable map has an error.

The Eastbound route 50 will travel NE on Avalon to Genesse then go East on Genesse to Delridge then North to the W Seattle Bridge.

A report has been generated regarding the information that you provided to us. The report will be forwarded to the appropriate Metro Transit department for review”.

Kathy September 22, 2012 (5:46 pm)

It’s too bad that Alki will be losing about an hour of late night service when the local 56 goes away. The last 50 bus leaves Alaska Junction at 11:48 pm. But I understand that low ridership late at night doesn’t really justify that level of service.

JayDee September 22, 2012 (7:21 pm)

I hate to pile on but the southbound only symbol downtown on the map is the inverse of what is shown on the legend, and so is the northbound. I wish someone looked at this stuff before publishing it. But aside from that it will be an interesting experiment.

Paul September 22, 2012 (8:08 pm)

JayDee, the symbols on the map look right to me. They aren’t supposed to show the direction, which is a bit confusing, but looking at the legend they show NB and SB stops in the right places.

Faith4 September 22, 2012 (8:21 pm)

We were wondering about the lane reductions for stops also. It backs up traffic down at California and Fauntleroy on both California Ave and Fauntleroy when a bus is at a stop. Someone almost had a head on trying to pass in the turn lane going north on California Ave at that stop. Why did they build the bus stop out in the lane like that???

JayDee September 22, 2012 (8:39 pm)

Paul: what I saw was north/south bound downtown was the inverse of what I expected, Station vs. stop being an abstraction as both are stops. Calling them stations seems odd. Just looking for consistency as both would be the same for a user unless the red-white station is demonstrably different from a stop. But if it is I apologize. I hope Rapid Ride is faster.

Bubba September 22, 2012 (9:00 pm)

What makes this 10 million dollar bus route better then the regular route?

Mike September 22, 2012 (9:40 pm)

Map shows the lack of service to the Delridge Valley and Admiral areas. But a big kowtow to the Vashon commuters. So far, all we have experienced is the confusion with lane changes across SW Alaska St.

why_cause September 22, 2012 (10:14 pm)

I also used the trip planner to compare the time between the old 54 and the RR for my afternoon commute between downtown and Fauntleroy YMCA. It gets me there 3 minutes faster. Not much of a rapid ride.

Caprial September 23, 2012 (5:27 am)

It is the dumbest thing. Sticking the stops out into a lane of traffic? That’s all kinds of wrong. Not only does it totally stop the cars behind it, it could have really bad affects on the bikers (for sure they wont’ stop), and I can just see someone not realizing the curb juts outs…oh my. Dumb idea.

Al September 23, 2012 (8:05 am)

The curb cuts were installed to ensure that the bus could get into the flow of traffic…the who regularly ride the bus knows that, especially during rush hour, drivers who legally yield to buses pulling out from the stop is rare. Combine this with every stop and it can create bus delays. Hold onto your hats people, roads are built not just for single occupancy vehicles! Have some patience to wait a minute. If you are running late it is not someone else’s fault. Leave a minute earlier.

Laurie September 23, 2012 (8:32 am)

My son and approx. a dozen more W. Seattle High School students catch the #56 (westbound) on Spokane St. every school day. If the route is being eliminated they’ll probably have to take the new #50 – IF it will stop on/near Delridge. Sure would be nice to see an accurate map as soon as possible!

Caprial September 23, 2012 (9:01 am)

Of course the curbs were created to enable the buses to get into the flow of traffic….by stopping traffic. That is not “getting into”, that is stopping. Why couldn’t they use the regular stops? It would have cost less.

The reality is that “Rapid Ride” and designated bike lanes (for those who don’t pay license fees or taxes for their use) take away from those of us who do (which in turn means that we’re not getting what we pay for). Just sayin’.

WSB September 23, 2012 (11:14 am)

The “bicyclists don’t pay their fair share for the roads” is a myth. Other links, probably better, have been published in comment discussions in the past. Here’s a thorough one. Bottom line, for anyone who doesn’t want /have the time to read it, is that (a) multi-thousand-pound vehicles take more of a toll on the roads than their owners’ taxes pay for, and (b) most bicyclists (whose “vehicles” take almost no toll on the roads) also own vehicles on which they pay the same registration fees despite the fact they may well use those vehicles less than non-bicycle-owning car owners.
.
TR

Heather September 23, 2012 (11:01 am)

I’m really angry by a lack of appropriate public transit for WS and I feel that Rapid Ride was money ill spent. I fail to comprehend why it takes 2-3 bus transfers and 1 hour 20-30 min to get from Westwood Village to UW by 8:30am Mon., 10/1/12 (12 miles, I believe) at a cash cost of $6 – $8.50 per direction. My office is near the UW and I am not a student. The same trip by car takes 25-45 min depending on traffic. The city has done a huge disservice to WS. I feel that the city “bowed” to Ballard in transit options and is annexing WS as part of the “urban core”. I would happily dump my vehicle for public transit but adding almost 3 hours to my day for a round trip 24 mile commute is unacceptable.

DaPuffin September 23, 2012 (11:29 am)

What I don’t understand is why the new bus schedules aren’t coming out until the day before the changes.

Dan September 23, 2012 (2:37 pm)

Once again, I stress on everyone considering living here. WSea is turning into the next Capital Hill for traffic, congestion and parking issues. Sunday afternoon here and I just got back from traveling northbound on California Avenue at Fauntleroy/Morgan. Yet another major traffic congestion. A bus stopped at the RAPIDRIDE station on California, just north of the Fauntleroy Intersection by Zeek’s Pizza to load/unload passengers. The freaking bus was stopped there, blocking all traffic northbound, into the intersection and beyond. It was stopped for 4 minutes, two complete cycles of the light. What an absolute stupid design to move these bus stops out into the roadway where the bus (which already had the right of way to pull out into traffic) has to stop in the road and block all the traffic. Who’s the MORON (I mean ass@*&%) who came up with the assassin design? He should not just be fired, but lynched.

flynlo September 23, 2012 (2:59 pm)

re: “…is that (a) multi-thousand-pound vehicles take more of a toll on the roads than their owners’ taxes pay for…” Yes and multi-ten thousand-pound vehicles i.e. buses & trucks exert even more of a toll on the roads. A study done in 1993 (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/341.1.pdf) claims among other things that: “Therefore a fully loaded metro Breda bus (which exceeds legal axle loads) would induce nearly 4 times as much damage as a similar bus meeting legal axle loads.” The recommendation in the abstract: “Recommendations are made to mitigate the impact of the higher loads from the bus fleet. These recommendations include route modifications to avoid streets with thinner underdesigned pavements, increasing pavement thickness for rebuilt or overlaid streets and the purchase of vehicles which meet legal axle loads.”
My question is: What does Metro contribute to SDOT to account for the increased damage the bus’ do to the road. The same question of course could also be asked of the Port of Seattle. I think we know the answer!!

WSB September 23, 2012 (3:08 pm)

I’m sure you can do that research too. That wasn’t the point I was addressing. My micro-interest here is to provide factual information that might ease the divisive and useless animosity between (some) motorized-vehicle drivers and (some) bicyclists. (That has included also addressing generalizations and allegations that bicycle riders aim at car drivers, along with vice versa.) The “bicyclists don’t pay their fair share” fallacy comes up all the time, and this is why I provided the link. I haven’t seen quite the same level of life-threatening grumpiness between bus riders and car (etc.) drivers. – TR

flynlo September 23, 2012 (4:11 pm)

TR, my apology, the question was meant to be rhetorical. The general tenor of the comments seems to be that we may not be “getting our money’s worth with “rapid ride””. I agree with that. As an example, Metro spent somewhere between 10 & 20 Million to put electronic signs at rapid ride stations which will tell you when the next bus will be coming. Yet the first statement on the rapid ride web page is: “RapidRide buses come so often, you don’t need a timetable. Just show up to your closest RapidRide stop and a bus will arrive shortly to take you on your way. You don’t need to rely on a schedule or worry about catching a particular trip.” Was that expense for the electronic signs the most effective use of the money? (Again question is rhetorical!) I happen to think not! I would like to know how Metro decided which stops deserve blocking auto traffic when loading while other don’t. The whole expense of tearing out bus stops and replacing them is another example.
There are many others. To me, having Metro (& the Port of Seattle) contributing to the road infrastructure would be a more effective utilization of money.

Caprial September 23, 2012 (4:16 pm)

Can someone please explain to me the thinking (or non-thinking as it were) behind the lanes heading east on Alaska, through Fauntleroy and on toward 35th? OMG, it is confusing and dangerous! I don’t understand it, can’t quite get it right, fear I’ll get ticketed, and wonder about those who haven’t lived here long (unlike me) who don’t have an inkling of where it’s going. At least I have an inkling. Geez, I hope nobody gets hurt.

Caprial September 23, 2012 (4:19 pm)

The bicyclist “rights” bother me mostly because they don’t abide by all they’ve been given. Yay, they have their own lane, but do they use them? Nope, they wind through traffic and onto sidewalks and beyond. But what really really bothers me is that when (not if) they break a rule, sideswipe someone, cut people off illegally, etc… there are no license plates on them to identify them! They use the streets, license them like everyone else.

anonyme September 23, 2012 (4:28 pm)

Much of what Metro has posted on their website is incorrect. The Trip Planner is worthless. How ridiculous that one week before a radical change (especially for those of us in Arbor Heights) there is little to no accurate information about what to expect – except CHAOS.

Heather September 23, 2012 (5:47 pm)

I’d like to add that as a current driver and former cyclist (when I lived in Cap Hill) biking is a great alternative transit option. I don’t mind cyclists on the road. They as a whole do the best they can with parked cars, weird turning lanes and street drains…I kinda wish there was an easier route for them…like a designated separate sidewalk…with cool public art and other awesomeness…

JN September 23, 2012 (5:51 pm)

Caprial, just wondering here, but have you ever attempted to bicycle around town using every single bike lane and obeying every single law to the letter? In most cases the bike lanes have parked cars in them, drivers using them as extra lanes, or they are so close to parked cars that one inattentive driver opening their door will kill or seriously injure you. I hope you pass all cyclists with 3 feet to spare, and I bet you come to a complete stop at every stop sign, yield to pedestrians crossing the street, never EVER go even one mph above the posted speed limit, and of course yield right of way to a bus departing its stop. Oh yeah, and never jaywalk. My point is that not one single person is perfect when using our public roadways, so throwing out generalizations about one group is inadvisable to put it mildly. Remember, when you point a finger at someone you’ve got three more pointing right back at you.

Caprial September 23, 2012 (6:19 pm)

JN, I hear what you’re saying. And, yes, I obey the rules of the road…as should bikes. Nobody is perfect, for sure. The bikes wouldn’t need their own space if they obeyed the rules of the road like everyone else (including buses). I still say they should have license numbers though, whether they have their own space or not.

I think Rapid Ride is unsafe for bicycalists too, which is how this stream started. Taking away lanes is not going to help the congestion situation at all, it just makes it worse.

Caprial September 23, 2012 (6:21 pm)

Noted, we could chat all day but at the end of the day… what’s been done has been done. Whether we agree with it or not. (Which could take me to another tangent on voting…but I’m tired.)

JN September 23, 2012 (8:12 pm)

Just one thing to note: bicyclists need separate, protected space because it is a mode of transportation different than that of cars or walking. Bicyclists need protection from faster, heavier cars but also need to be separated from slower, even more vulnerable pedestrians (and in some cases protected from said pedestrians). Our streets have to be restructured to accommodate ALL users, not just those who choose to drive personal automobiles. This isn’t 1965, and we cannot cater to only protecting and accepting those who drive. The RapidRide is a start to improving our transit system, and while it may turn out to be flawed at first, it is an important start to alleviating our transportation issues.

ad September 23, 2012 (8:54 pm)

I’m concerned about the poor planning too… Aye yi yi…

California and Fauntleroy will be a disaster.

What a bummer.

Kathy September 23, 2012 (10:57 pm)

RAPID RIDE RAP
Meditations on Seattle’s Rapid Ride C&D line rollout, 29 September 2012

They’re gonna pimp my ride
Give it a new hue
Now red and orange will be what I do.

Goin’ downtown
Is gonna get fastah
Don’t think the rollout
Will be a disastah.

Naysayers may say
“What they doin’ with my taxes?”
But there’ll always be
Those who grind axes.

I had long bus waits
But now I can see
The light in the tunnel:
“Fre-quen-cy”

Lookin’ forward to
More riders, new friends,
West Seattle and Ballard
Attached at both ends.

Way to go to save gas
Re-think my trip
Won’t let my dollahs
Out the nozzle drip.

Leave the car at home
Come over to my side
Flash your Orca Card
Join my Rapid Ride.

Cause they’re gonna pimp my ride
Give it a new hue
Now red and orange will be what I do.

ad September 23, 2012 (11:53 pm)

kathy, nice!

Kelly September 24, 2012 (6:38 am)

Can we wait to see how well it works before we declare it chaos? It’s going to take time to get riders used to the Sept 29 changes, so I’m sure it won’t be a perfect transition, but no need to decide now whether it was failed effort. I’m pretty skeptical it will benefit me personally, but I don’t doubt it will help others. The book titled “everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten” comes to mind. SHARE the road.

VBD September 24, 2012 (8:25 am)

Kelly, that is the crux of what people are complaining about. Had the new bus system chose to “SHARE” the road, it might not have caused so much disdain. What Rapidride designers chose to do is purposefully NOT share. Dedicated lanes and protruding bus stops are a way to take over the road, not share it.

I feel the same way about bike lanes. They are not a good solution to most problems with bike commuting (I am a bicyclist, and in no way anti-bike).

Sharing the road is the best solution. No dedicated lanes, no traffic stopping stations, no double lane blocking turnarounds.

The fact is that the only way to make transit faster than driving is to slow down the cars. If drivers are offered a way to get around the buses, they will take it. So if you can block the cars, the buses have a chance to keep pace.

East Coast Cynic September 24, 2012 (8:45 am)

If there is an accident or a car breakdown on the WS Bridge or around the entrance lane to 99, will the Rapid Ride buses sprout wings and fly over the traffice pileup:)?

Marlena September 24, 2012 (9:45 am)

Am I reading the map correctly that there’s only a Northbound stop at Seneca? Does that mean that going southbound downtown, your only options are Pike or Columbia? That’s a HUGE gap in between!! The stop in between now at Seneca is used by a ton of people- eliminating that is big problem, especially for the mobility impaired who will have a problem loading on the big hill at Columbia. Somebody please correct me if I’m wrong.

buddsmom September 24, 2012 (11:22 am)

Kathy, at least you will have some sort of service at night. There will be NO transit of ANY type into Arbor Heights after 7PM!! Work late hours? Get ready to walk home from Westwood! DaPuffin, REALLY? no schedules until the day before? Guess Metro doesn’t want to get slammed with complaints all week. Just wait, this is the calm before the storm. People inn Arbor Heights, many of whom depend on the bus as their only means of transportation are NOT happy campers….

concerned September 24, 2012 (12:20 pm)

I am very concerned about these changes. Metro is the only way I have of getting around and a bus coming once an hour on Sunday (or not at all) will be a hardship.

I dont know whose brilliant idea this was but it is a train wreck waiting to happen. Once again Metro takes things into their own incapable hands and screws things up for everyone.

Why is this stuff ALLOWED to happen??? It is our tax dollars…..

Mickymse September 24, 2012 (2:37 pm)

If more people were riding the bus in Arbor Heights, then the buses wouldn’t get cut. Routes getting cut in this service change are some of the least-performing in the city.
.
And the reason for bus bulbs is precisely because drivers DON’T share the road with transit. By law, drivers are required to stop to allow buses to merge back into traffic.
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That so many drivers ignore this law is not much of a surprise, though, since so many seem to forget that every intersection is a legal crosswalk and pedestrians have the right-of-way there. It’s unfortunate that streets have to be engineered now to accommodate the most inconsiderate drivers, but that’s where we are now.

Mark September 24, 2012 (3:47 pm)

Anybody else having trouble finding out the schedule for the 5 morning and 5 evening route 55 buses that will travel all the way from the Junction to Admiral?

Mike Lindblom September 24, 2012 (4:26 pm)

Here’s something to file in your subconscious for Summer 2013: RapidRide, unlike the 54, will go up Avalon (instead of Fauntleroy uphill) when returning to West Seattle. So for a few hot days next summer, the bus will be contending with cruiser car traffic at the Harbor/Avalon exit. The other 355 days or so, it should work okay. Cheers —

cascadianone September 24, 2012 (6:26 pm)

My understanding is that METRO used the Rapid-Ride label to get Federal government funds. They had to brand the buses differently and make a show of it, but it was really just a cash-grab scam. Thus, the unchanged performance. :::: Seattle Subway has a plan that will get us moving- without making traffic worse. The density is coming, let’s plan smart and get a subway line built! When was the last time you heard somebody complaining about a subway line making traffic and/or life worse in their neighborhood?

LHen September 25, 2012 (6:51 am)

Mark– the new blue timetables were on the 55 bus this morning. Unfortunately, the new service schedule is pretty limited.

WSB September 25, 2012 (7:45 am)

Anybody else still checking this thread – I’m about to put up a separate item, but we will be taking questions (not “who came up with this idea” type questions but “can you explain why the Route X looks like it …” type questions) for three hours today, with Metro committing to answering them, and we’ll publish the results. Look for the announcement shortly. We’ll have a special forum topic going up around 10 am for question-posting. – TR

Patricia September 25, 2012 (7:57 am)

I haven’t had time to read all of the comments, but my commute from Fauntleroy to the UWMC where I work will go from 45 minutes each way (on the 133 route which is being eliminated)to three buses and at least 75 minutes IF I make all connections seamlessly – not likely! I prefer taking the bus to work but if you check the schedules, you can get to Tacoma in 45 minutes from the UWMC which will be by far quicker than West Seattle – as a lifetime West Seattleite this doesn’t seem right – where is the Rapid in Rapid Ride?

Moose2 September 25, 2012 (9:09 am)

Questions for metro:

1. Why no new timetables online so we can plan ahead?

2. Why is the RR C map confusing (it has arrows pointing the wrong way in the DT area)?

3. Why is the route 50 map wrong and incomplete (no Sodo station marked; includes deleted route 51; marked as “56”; doesn’t show connections to R or 128, …)?

4. Why no orca reader or display signs at downtown RR stops (the most used stops on the route…!)?

5. Why can’t Orca users with valid transfer board through rear doors (while paper transfer users can)?

6. Why no on-board orca readers by the rear doors for people without transfers to speed up boarding via all doors?

7. Why does the trip planner seem to be wrong (e.g. Alaska jct to Admiral jct doesn’t include any rt 50 trips, and shows rt 128 at hourly intervals when it should be 30min)

8. Why not use same stop at Alaska Jct for 128 and 50 so we can wait in one location for the next bus to Admiral?

9. For those of use who use rt 55 outside peak hours, why is the connection at alaska jct so bad (according to trip planner, connection from C to 128 involves a 15 or 30 minute wait). That make a current 30 min journey into an hour!

WSB September 25, 2012 (9:12 am)

Hi – if you are interested in participating in the Metro Q/A, please post your questions to the Forum topic that will be open 10 am-1 pm – we have to collect them in just one place and that’ll be the place. The link won’t be live till 10 – I’ll post it here then. Thanks. – Tracy

sagafoo September 25, 2012 (12:34 pm)

the argument that if more people would ride the bus then there would be more routes is backward. the routes have to be well planned if they want people to ride. Admiral district is getiing royally screwed. my poor wife is having to add 30 minutes to a commute thats already long. this is really horrible. one bus an hour to Alki beach? on the weekend?? what is this archaic thing about sundays?? nobody stays home on sundays except in small towns, with a city of a million people its insanity to limit service on sundays? so now I cant just catch one bus downtown from admiral?? why?? why?? why?? sound transit is likely behind this. its all a money grab with no consideration for riders. we should have monorails zipping all over town now, but because of greedy rich people and sound transit we haVE more hardship.

listen to the radio all day September 25, 2012 (1:21 pm)

not that it is any consolation, but Dow C was on KUOW the other day during ‘Weekday’. he mentioned that his mom’s bus service was changing for the worse in the Admiral District. so he at least knows that the changes in that area suck.

Seattle Raen September 25, 2012 (3:53 pm)

WTF Metro???? Really, no bus from the Admiral District to downtown? It’s bad enough having to take two busses to get to work, now I have to take 3! Not to mention the fact that the whole bus system changes in 4 days and there are NO NEW BLUE SCHEDULES to be found anywhere? I keep hearing “ride the bus” but now it’s so inconvienient that no one will want to. Way to go metro, if you wanted to go out of buisness, I think you may have found the way to do it! FU metro!

Lisa September 25, 2012 (7:51 pm)

What about a bus boycott?

bolo September 25, 2012 (11:06 pm)

Wasn’t Metro partially defunded by the passing of a Tim Eyeman initiative? Is that one of the reasons for service cuts?

seattlecris September 26, 2012 (12:46 pm)

I think there should be some increased parking requirements for each of these stops. Most riders will now have to drive to a bus stop.. or beg a ride. Who will start an ‘around west seattle’ bus service? Could be lucrative and cute!

emcat8 September 26, 2012 (11:52 pm)

I’ve been a bus rider whenever I can for as long as I’ve lived here. I’ve always been a big believer in the bus. Not anymore. No stops between Findlay and the Junction is pretty onerous for people who aren’t in fabulous shape and can walk quite a few blocks more. Taking away so many bus stops is a HUGE disservice to people. As it is, for me, aging and facing more and more physical problems that aren’t severe enough to qualify for disability assistance but are enough to make it harder to walk longer distances, knowing that I have to add three more blocks to get to the bus stop that’s already too far away is a deal killer. I’ll be driving everywhere. Much as I don’t want to, I’ll drive. Thanks, Metro, you’ve put a lot of cars back on the road with this Rapid Ride boondoggle. My contempt for you and this program is staggering.

Amy B September 27, 2012 (7:44 pm)

I’m only an occasional Metro rider; I don’t depend on it for every day use. But I’ve seen some of these changes coming up and am not a happy camper. I use the 125 to go into downtown: it’s a 5 minute (at most) walk from my house to get to the local stop. Now it’s going away on Sundays. Yes, I can walk down to Delridge and catch the 120, but then I have to catch a different bus back, because I am NOT climbing the Holden steps! And that other bus is changing, so I will have to figure out where I need to catch it downtown to come back.

The other things is the insanity between Alaska at 35th and the Junction! Slightest bit of traffic going west on Alaska and it can take 3 to 4 traffic light cycles at Fauntleroy to get through that intersection! Not to mention the lane switching. Yes, I understand that it’s to make the bus routes more efficient, but did anyone REALLY seriously look at the lane shifting we have to do? It’s dangerous and confusing. I’ve seen people going east on Alaska ending up driving in the bus lane because they don’t realize it’s a bus lane, and they aren’t sure of their turn. And it used to be at 42nd and Alaska, you could make a left turn (facing S on 42nd) at the same time a car was making a right (facing N on 42nd) because there were two lanes. Now that poor car turning right has to jump over into the left lane because that right lane is a bus lane! So to be careful not to run into each other, making the left requires waiting longer. Which of course backs up traffic more.

And of course you can no longer turn right onto Fauntleroy from Alaska westbound. What?!?

I have to wonder who looked at the traffic patterns and decided that weaving back and forth between lanes to avoid being in a bus lane, but also to make your right turns was a really good idea.

Doug A September 27, 2012 (10:28 pm)

I live in the Admiral district and have always had two nonstop bus routes (56 and 55) to downtown during the day (between rush hours).

As of Saturday, I will have 0.

What was the thinking? That the RapidRide will be so wonderful that it’s worth making EVERYONE in the Admiral District transfer to it?

Nancy F. September 28, 2012 (11:00 am)

I just don’t know why things have to change. There was so much less congestion and pollution and inconvenience back in 1840.

Oh, wait.

anonyme September 28, 2012 (4:58 pm)

Mickeymse, there’s a reason why ridership was low in Arbor Heights. CRAPPY, UNRELIABLE SERVICE. So, Metro’s solution, rather than actually looking into possible reasons for the low numbers (God forbid!) decides to cut service entirely! Or, that was their original plan. And now with the service WORSE than EVER, ridership will undoubtedly fall even more. Then they’ll cut service again, citing low ridership. It’s a vicious, ignorant, shortsighted cycle that unfairly targets Arbor Heights residents, many of whom have no other means of transportation.

anonyme September 28, 2012 (5:02 pm)

Just looked at the C line schedule at the stop across from Roxbury Safeway. The first stop is at 4:02 am, ending at 5:30 am, resuming at 10:30pm. I’m SO,SO glad they added these essential high ridership runs while slashing Arbor Heights service to the bone…

DaPuffin September 28, 2012 (6:23 pm)

Anonyme, I agree with you. Crappy service led to low ridership, so what do they do? Make it crappier, which will justify them cutting it out entirely at some point. Not everybody can bike or walk to distant stops. It’s clear from reading comments here and other threads that a big result of the RR and bus cuts will be more people driving cars to work. Nice environmental solution, eh? I hope we can all find ways to make the system work for us. I know that I personally need to get my stress level down regarding this issue.

Mike September 29, 2012 (5:28 am)

This is my innugurial trip.Use to ride the 56 at 6:17 in the morning where it got me to 3rd and pike around 6:45.We’ll see how Rapid it really is.

anonyme September 29, 2012 (7:33 am)

No blue #22 schedules available, but at least it’s available online now. Not sure why Metro claims that this route will serve Arbor Heights, as it goes no further west than 35th, and north from 106th to Roxbury and beyond. I don’t think Metro even knows – much less cares – what or where Arbor Heights is.

Anyone have a cheap, reliable car for sale?