Showing posts with label MAX Light Rail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MAX Light Rail. Show all posts
Monday, January 20, 2014
Trimet Parkrose/Sumner Transit Station - The good, bad and ugly
During my recent trip to the Portland International Airport for a trip to Los Angles, I took pictures of the three Red Line stations that only serve the Red Line to the airport. Unfortunately I was using a borrowed point and shoot which did not have the quality of my DSLR but the pictures will have to do. For these stations along with many others I plan to photograph soon, I will document what the existing conditions are, what the zoning is, what the plus and minuses of the station are, and what can be done from an urban design standpoint to make the station a better place now and in the future.
First up is the Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center which is the perfect example of why freeway based rail transit stations just don't work especially when all the conditions this one faces. That is not to say it is not a popular transit hub as it does serve several important bus lines but because of the freeway location will never be all it could be.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Six months riding Trimet and Counting...
It has been about six months since I moved to Portland, about 3 months since I updated you on my travels on the Trimet System. Last time my travel was pretty straight forward: Take the 54 and 57 to work, then ride MAX, WES and 78 to PCC Sylvania and back home on the 44 or I would ride MAX, the 6, and 44 to PCC. After Christmas, my life completely changed and I am always riding the 44 to PCC and back but my work schedule has me traveling a lot more which you can see from the number of buses I have rode down below.
Here is a rundown of the rail vehicles I have traveled on:
Manufacturer Information: # In Fleet #Ridden Most Ridden and Notes
1986 Bombardier 26 23 107 and 116 (7 Times Each)
*The three I have not ridden 106, 119, and 126 I have never seen them either so not sure if they are still in service, being repainted since many of these cars are getting new paint schemes or just missing them.
1997 Siemens SD660 52 50 245 (4 Times)
2003 Siemens SD660 27 All 27 303, 308, 309, 314, 325 (5 Times)
2009 Siemens S70 22 20 410 (3 Times)
Streetcars 10 All 10 7 (4 Times)
Colorado Railcar Power DMU 3 All 3 1001 (21 Times)
Colorado Railcar Trailer 1 1 Once
Ex-Alaska RDC's 2 2 Once Each
Now for the bus fleet:
Year: Manufacturer/Model # in Fleet #Ridden Most Ridden and other notes:
1990 Gillig Phantom 40' 63? 18 1420, 1422, 1430, 1458, 1459 (Twice)
*Not sure how many of these are actually still running.
1990 Gillig Phantom 30' 43 12 1609 Twice
1992 Flxible Metro 40' 107 47 1738 (4 Times)
1994 Flxible Metro 40' 26 17 1821 (4 Times)
1992 Flxible Metro 30' 10 9 Each one only once
1997 New Flyer D40LF 22 7 2016 Twice
1997 Gillig Phantom 40' 65 50 2139 (5 Times)
*These are buses normally assigned to the 44 Monday-Friday so its no surprise that I ridden them so many times.
1998 New Flyer D40LF 118 33 2202, 2206, 2210, 2246 (Twice)
2000 New Flyer D40LF 60 16 2518, 2526, 2560 (Twice)
2002 New Flyer H40LF 2 0
2002 New Flyer D40LF 55 38 2632 (Three Times)
2003 New Flyer D40LF 25 16 2715 and 2719 (Twice)
2005 New Flyer D40LF 39 16 2807, 2825, 2834 (Twice)
2009 New Flyer D40LFR 40 All 40 2908 (6 Times)
*Since these are the regular buses assigned to the 54 and 57 and sometimes the 78, its no wonder I was able to ride all them over a six month period.
Although I have a very love/hate relationship with low floor buses:: easier to get on and off, faster wheelchair loading, however they loose capacity, are not the comfortable to ride in, and are not that well put together, I will have to say that the D40LFR's from 2009 do seem to making some headway quality wise.
While Trimet may be a bus fans paradise with the large number of Flexible Metro's still around, Trimet does have an aging fleet and with Flxible having been out of business for almost 17 years now, I imagine that some parts are now becoming difficult to get. Trimet does have 55 diesel buses on order along with 4 hybrids which are coming from Gillig.
While Trimet has many haters out there including many of its own bus drivers, as a passenger I have to say for the most part Trimet has done an excellent job. Only once has there been a bus break down that affected me and that was when I was still riding the 54 westbound and one of them broke down leaving the garage. However, Trimet while the 54 is run out of the Merlo garage on the westside, they pulled a bus out of the Central Garage on the near east side and the bus was only running a few minutes late.
The only other incident actually worked to my benefit. One of the 1992 Flxible 30' Metros was overheating and it caused the bus to run about 10 minutes late which meant I did not have to way 20 minutes for the next bus to arrive.
Drivers on the other hand are a mix bag. Trimet does have some excellent drivers. I have sent in commendations to Trimet on two of its drivers. The first one was a driver on the 54 who is now working the 67. This person has a wonderful personality, knows how to treat customers, and was always a pleasure to ride with. Sadly the replacement on the 54 has not lived up to him.
The other driver I sent in a commendation for was on the 44. This person is extremely friendly with a wise cracking personality that works perfectly for the clientele on the 44. I rode with him a few times when I needed to make trips to downtown before heading to PCC from Beaverton.
There is only one driver I have come close to filing a complaint about. This person shows a lack of personality when you board the bus and this person gives you a look like the driver would rather cut your throat than have you on the bus. This person never says a word, just gives you the dirty look. If a customer asks this person a question the customer is luck if they get a grunt.
I always try to wish the driver a good day, afternoon, etc. when I get off the bus if the bus is not extremely crowded. One time when getting of the bus I gave this driver the standard good day and I actually got a response of the driver!! The driver say "whatever." I guess its better than a something else the person could have said.
I have ridden with this person on a couple of routes so the person must be extra board. Clearly this is someone who needs to find a job where they do not have to deal with the public.
On Tuesday, I had my first encounter of adverse weather conditions on Trimet. Once again Trimet did what it was supposed to do and provided the best possible service under less than ideal conditions. Below is a picture of my 44 to PCC Sylvania on that day.
In fact the bus had to get around several cars that got stuck along Capital Hwy. and SW 49th. The driver did a great job and we arrived at our destination in good time.
In interesting note is that this was my first time every riding a transit bus with chains. The Utah Transit Authority I believe uses chains on its ski buses when conditions are bad but since I am not a skier, I never rode the buses to the ski conditions.
Another interesting note is the bus pictured above is equipped with automatic chains that engage with the flip of a toggle switch. The driver said these buses are the only ones equipped with them. I wonder if these were an add on order from another transit agency (add on orders is when a transit agency adds a bus order to another agencies order to get a better price on buses).
After six months of regularly Trimet, I can say that Trimet does what it is supposed to. Provide the best possible service to the most riders possible with the budget given them. I encounter many people in my travels that want to whine about one thing or another when it comes to Trimet, but overall service does the job it is supposed to.
Is Trimet a perfect agency? Of course not, there is issues that need to be fixed but it does its job well.
Here is a rundown of the rail vehicles I have traveled on:
Manufacturer Information: # In Fleet #Ridden Most Ridden and Notes
1986 Bombardier 26 23 107 and 116 (7 Times Each)
*The three I have not ridden 106, 119, and 126 I have never seen them either so not sure if they are still in service, being repainted since many of these cars are getting new paint schemes or just missing them.
1997 Siemens SD660 52 50 245 (4 Times)
2003 Siemens SD660 27 All 27 303, 308, 309, 314, 325 (5 Times)
2009 Siemens S70 22 20 410 (3 Times)
Streetcars 10 All 10 7 (4 Times)
Colorado Railcar Power DMU 3 All 3 1001 (21 Times)
Colorado Railcar Trailer 1 1 Once
Ex-Alaska RDC's 2 2 Once Each
Now for the bus fleet:
Year: Manufacturer/Model # in Fleet #Ridden Most Ridden and other notes:
1990 Gillig Phantom 40' 63? 18 1420, 1422, 1430, 1458, 1459 (Twice)
*Not sure how many of these are actually still running.
1990 Gillig Phantom 30' 43 12 1609 Twice
1992 Flxible Metro 40' 107 47 1738 (4 Times)
1994 Flxible Metro 40' 26 17 1821 (4 Times)
1992 Flxible Metro 30' 10 9 Each one only once
1997 New Flyer D40LF 22 7 2016 Twice
1997 Gillig Phantom 40' 65 50 2139 (5 Times)
*These are buses normally assigned to the 44 Monday-Friday so its no surprise that I ridden them so many times.
1998 New Flyer D40LF 118 33 2202, 2206, 2210, 2246 (Twice)
2000 New Flyer D40LF 60 16 2518, 2526, 2560 (Twice)
2002 New Flyer H40LF 2 0
2002 New Flyer D40LF 55 38 2632 (Three Times)
2003 New Flyer D40LF 25 16 2715 and 2719 (Twice)
2005 New Flyer D40LF 39 16 2807, 2825, 2834 (Twice)
2009 New Flyer D40LFR 40 All 40 2908 (6 Times)
*Since these are the regular buses assigned to the 54 and 57 and sometimes the 78, its no wonder I was able to ride all them over a six month period.
Although I have a very love/hate relationship with low floor buses:: easier to get on and off, faster wheelchair loading, however they loose capacity, are not the comfortable to ride in, and are not that well put together, I will have to say that the D40LFR's from 2009 do seem to making some headway quality wise.
While Trimet may be a bus fans paradise with the large number of Flexible Metro's still around, Trimet does have an aging fleet and with Flxible having been out of business for almost 17 years now, I imagine that some parts are now becoming difficult to get. Trimet does have 55 diesel buses on order along with 4 hybrids which are coming from Gillig.
While Trimet has many haters out there including many of its own bus drivers, as a passenger I have to say for the most part Trimet has done an excellent job. Only once has there been a bus break down that affected me and that was when I was still riding the 54 westbound and one of them broke down leaving the garage. However, Trimet while the 54 is run out of the Merlo garage on the westside, they pulled a bus out of the Central Garage on the near east side and the bus was only running a few minutes late.
The only other incident actually worked to my benefit. One of the 1992 Flxible 30' Metros was overheating and it caused the bus to run about 10 minutes late which meant I did not have to way 20 minutes for the next bus to arrive.
Drivers on the other hand are a mix bag. Trimet does have some excellent drivers. I have sent in commendations to Trimet on two of its drivers. The first one was a driver on the 54 who is now working the 67. This person has a wonderful personality, knows how to treat customers, and was always a pleasure to ride with. Sadly the replacement on the 54 has not lived up to him.
The other driver I sent in a commendation for was on the 44. This person is extremely friendly with a wise cracking personality that works perfectly for the clientele on the 44. I rode with him a few times when I needed to make trips to downtown before heading to PCC from Beaverton.
There is only one driver I have come close to filing a complaint about. This person shows a lack of personality when you board the bus and this person gives you a look like the driver would rather cut your throat than have you on the bus. This person never says a word, just gives you the dirty look. If a customer asks this person a question the customer is luck if they get a grunt.
I always try to wish the driver a good day, afternoon, etc. when I get off the bus if the bus is not extremely crowded. One time when getting of the bus I gave this driver the standard good day and I actually got a response of the driver!! The driver say "whatever." I guess its better than a something else the person could have said.
I have ridden with this person on a couple of routes so the person must be extra board. Clearly this is someone who needs to find a job where they do not have to deal with the public.
On Tuesday, I had my first encounter of adverse weather conditions on Trimet. Once again Trimet did what it was supposed to do and provided the best possible service under less than ideal conditions. Below is a picture of my 44 to PCC Sylvania on that day.
In fact the bus had to get around several cars that got stuck along Capital Hwy. and SW 49th. The driver did a great job and we arrived at our destination in good time.
In interesting note is that this was my first time every riding a transit bus with chains. The Utah Transit Authority I believe uses chains on its ski buses when conditions are bad but since I am not a skier, I never rode the buses to the ski conditions.
Another interesting note is the bus pictured above is equipped with automatic chains that engage with the flip of a toggle switch. The driver said these buses are the only ones equipped with them. I wonder if these were an add on order from another transit agency (add on orders is when a transit agency adds a bus order to another agencies order to get a better price on buses).
After six months of regularly Trimet, I can say that Trimet does what it is supposed to. Provide the best possible service to the most riders possible with the budget given them. I encounter many people in my travels that want to whine about one thing or another when it comes to Trimet, but overall service does the job it is supposed to.
Is Trimet a perfect agency? Of course not, there is issues that need to be fixed but it does its job well.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Adventures riding TriMet
Image via WikipediaI just purchased my TriMet monthly pass for October, which is the third one I have purchased since moving to Portland in mid-July. It has been a few years since I have regularly commuted by transit since I could walk to my last job in Salt Lake so taking a transit trip was something special.
For the most part there is little to talk about on my commutes. My trips usually involve trips on bus and then connecting for a three station ride on MAX. I usually enjoy my first bus trip of the day because it is reverse commute to the Beaverton Transit Center and is not very busy. It is long enough that I can get some reading done before arriving at the transit center and connecting to MAX.
On my return trip I usually take MAX to the Goose Hollow station then ride the 6 down to Park in order to go pick up my mail.
For the most part, my commute is pretty routine which is a testament to how well TriMet does work despite the whining by some circles including some of its bus drivers. However every once in a while something will happen that will make the commute interesting and the last couple of days it has been on route 6 despite the fact I only ride it a few blocks.
Yesterday the incident was one that would get your blood pressure up and today's was one that makes you laugh. Yesterday the bus pulled up, and the doors opened. I always wait to see if anyone is getting off. There was one guy sitting near the front but he did not move so after a few seconds I started to board. The guy then starts yelling at me that he is getting off with a walker and why didn't I clear the way for him. I just moved around him and sat down. He then yelled at me some things that I will not repeat and got off the bus.
Then there was today. There was already a bus sitting in the bus stop area but he wasn't departing for 15 minutes. Another 6 came and pulled up behind him with the regular driver I usually have on this run. A Asian lady gets off the bus with when of those folding shopping carts. The problem is as you can see from the google view the bus cannot park perfect so there is always a gap between the bus door and the curb.
View Larger Map
As the lady gets off the bus she the small wheels on the back of her folding car come off. She starts yelling at one in particular in her native language, then walks to the wall on the other side of the sidewalk leaving her cart stuck between the bus door and curb.
The driver tries to shut the door to move the cart but it just fell back in. I guess he expected either me or the other passenger to move it but after a moment he put the parking brake on and moved the cart himself.
The bus pulled away with the lady just staring at her cart.
Starting Monday my journeys will become longer so I should have even more interesting encounter as a TriMet rider.
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