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Trimess
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Maybe our beloved transit executives can upgrade our Merlo fleet to these modern buses
14 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I saw one of these on the #89 recently. Oh wait, no, these look newer than the one I saw!
Are those FRA certified for general public use on main line railroads? Are they ADA-compliant? Are they able to hold dozens or hundreds of riders? Are they available for sale? Are they compatible with the infrastructure (specifically, I think any MAX vehicle would have to be electric for use in the tunnel)?
Jason - do the pictured buses meet FHWA and FMVSS requirements? Are they fully enclosed for use at speeds up to 55 MPH? Do they meet current crash-testing standards? Are they able to hold dozens of riders? Do they meet all of the current lighting requirements? Is it ADA accessible?
Give me a freaking break. You NEVER question the sarcastic pictures of buses. You apparently don't understand what "sarcasm" is. Rather you have an insane sexual fascination with me and it isn't reciprocal. Give it a rest, dude. Go relieve yourself on your beloved WES train that you and almost nobody else rides. (Oh, wait, you don't ride it either. Must be nice to live in government subsidized housing without a job while those of us who work for a living prop you up, AND pay all of these wonderful TriMet taxes so you can get a cheap ride.)
I agree Al, JASON LOVES LIGHT RAIL and that's simply the impetus behind most of his comments and the manner in which he makes them. I'm with Erik 99% of the time, but in this case, he's the one overreacting and making it inappropriately personal.
You apparently don't understand what "sarcasm" is.
Given the history of your comments, it was not at all apparent that you were not being serious. Unlike the buses pictured, those appear to actually exist at present.
And maybe if you wouldn't argue for nonsensical things, such as completely eliminating 100% of TriMet Capital Projects, Marketing and IT funding or this, people would be willing to treat you better and even consider your suggestions.
And, for the record, I do ride WES when I go down to Salem, and find it works out much better than taking the 96 (and not because it's a train). And I see a fair amount of riders on it.
But, as someone who appears to be knowledgeable of railroad matters, do you think that the FRA is correct in requiring rail services like WES to have conductors and custom, tank-like vehicles (see http://reasonrail.blogspot.com/2011/11/value-of-crash-energy-management.html )? That's a serious question, because it seems that if it wasn't for that WES could be like a diesel MAX line and probably be half the cost to run. The vehicles could even be stored and serviced at Elmonica along with the other cars.
all of these wonderful TriMet taxes
What are those taxes, exactly? Isn't it true that TriMet is funded by employers and not, say, property or income taxes?
One other thing: The rent for my place is $625 a month, and that's without any lease discounts. What would you say a fair market price for a studio is?
And maybe if you wouldn't argue for nonsensical things, such as completely eliminating 100% of TriMet Capital Projects, Marketing and IT funding or this, people would be willing to treat you better and even consider your suggestions.
Why are eliminating those departments "nonsensical", especially since you argued of all things that I.T. runs payroll (which it doesn't)? You have failed to demonstrate how they are nonsensical or why those departments are vital to the day to day operations of TriMet. TriMet WILL continue to function as a transit provider without a single one of those employees. Yet you think it's nonsensical for TriMet not to be a transit agency - but to have an engineering staff larger than many engineering companies, to have a software staff larger than many software companies. THAT is nonsensical.
And, for the record, I do ride WES when I go down to Salem, and find it works out much better than taking the 96 (and not because it's a train). And I see a fair amount of riders on it.
Fine. What's a "fair number of riders"? Five? Six? Ten? What if I need to go to Salem on a weekend (which is when I go to Salem if I do at all, to visit family) - how well does WES work? Even Amtrak Cascades doesn't work unless I want to spend the night in Salem. This isn't 1848, I shouldn't have to have a campout every 12 miles to rest the horses.
do you think that the FRA is correct in requiring rail services like WES to have conductors and custom, tank-like vehicles (see http://reasonrail.blogspot.com/2011/11/value-of-crash-energy-management.html )? That's a serious question, because it seems that if it wasn't for that WES could be like a diesel MAX line and probably be half the cost to run. The vehicles could even be stored and serviced at Elmonica along with the other cars.
You tell me. Take a DMU and put it head to head with a SD40-2. Don't think it can't happen? I trust Metrolink a lot more than I do TriMet when it comes to operating a commuter rail agency. Or maybe you've forgotten about Chase. Naah, it's OK to kill innocent passengers because they're on a train - it's far too inconvenient to have survivable structures. It doesn't matter - the law is the law, and WES is inefficient. Stop spewing dumb excuses - a freaking TriMet 1400 is more efficient than WES and that's a pretty sad story. That 1400 running the 94 route carries more people, a further distance, using less fuel, and costs less.
What are those taxes, exactly? Isn't it true that TriMet is funded by employers and not, say, property or income taxes?
Thanks for admitting that you are failing to report self-employment income. And as a property owner there is most definitely a line on my property tax statement that is for TriMet.
The rent for my place is $625 a month, and that's without any lease discounts. What would you say a fair market price for a studio is?
Eliminate all the subsidies that you and your property manager and developer receive, require it to pay full property taxes (including property taxes to cover the full cost of the Portland Streetcar) and you tell me.
Why are eliminating those departments "nonsensical"
Think about all of the technology TriMet has, from desktops, to servers, to the network, to the phone system, to the bus dispatch system, to the rail control and signal system, etc. etc. If every single IT person and all funding was completely eliminated, who would maintain them?
TriMet WILL continue to function as a transit provider without a single one of those employees.
Lets say the bus dispatch system goes down or needs some maintenance. Or maybe the phone system. Or the computers the customer service and trip planning folks in the call center use. Without employees or funding to take care of those issues, what do you think would happen? Do you think TriMet could continue to function in an optimal condition if they weren't addressed?
What would you do without the phone and computer you use at work? (not trying to get personal here, but I think it illustrates the point)
Is it possible that TriMet has more IT people than needed? Yes. But you (or I or Al) don't know that. The bottom line is that probably every large organization has IT functions to take care of. Do they directly provide the actual product or service that is the purpose of the organization? Maybe not, but they definitely enable it to be provided.
And if Marketing was eliminated, there would be no ticket/pass sales, no one to produce schedules and no one to update the Web site.
As for service to Salem (and in general), do you think there would be enough riders to justify the service (whether it be Amtrak or the 1X bus)? How about having a marketplace where drivers have to pay for things like parking and oil defense so services like that are definitely feasible?
Take a DMU and put it head to head with a SD40-2. Don't think it can't happen?
Did you watch the video in the article I gave the address of? I'm not sure what type of passenger cars those were, but the engine appeared to be a full-size one. It seems that recognizing safety designs like that as well as prevention measures like automatic train stop would go a long way towards mitigating the risk.
including property taxes to cover the full cost of the Portland Streetcar
Why do you think my building should specifically pay for the cost of the streetcar when it's not at all adjacent to the alignment (it's 6-7 blocks away)? And I didn't mention it, but I paid substantially less where I used to live, and that wasn't income restricted or anything.
there is most definitely a line on my property tax statement that is for TriMet
I'm pretty sure that's for Westside MAX, and will be disappearing as the bonds or whatever are about paid off. It was enacted well before my building was built, and in any case, my building appears to continue to pay full taxes on the land, which is what existed before it was built.
Lastly, have you ever contributed anything like this or this for transit users?
14 comments:
I saw one of these on the #89 recently. Oh wait, no, these look newer than the one I saw!
Why can't MAX/WES use these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Goose_5_and_Goose_2.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Goose_7_and_Goose_6.JPG
I think it would bn to drive these.
Why can't MAX/WES use these:
Are those FRA certified for general public use on main line railroads? Are they ADA-compliant? Are they able to hold dozens or hundreds of riders? Are they available for sale? Are they compatible with the infrastructure (specifically, I think any MAX vehicle would have to be electric for use in the tunnel)?
Jason - do the pictured buses meet FHWA and FMVSS requirements? Are they fully enclosed for use at speeds up to 55 MPH? Do they meet current crash-testing standards? Are they able to hold dozens of riders? Do they meet all of the current lighting requirements? Is it ADA accessible?
Give me a freaking break. You NEVER question the sarcastic pictures of buses. You apparently don't understand what "sarcasm" is. Rather you have an insane sexual fascination with me and it isn't reciprocal. Give it a rest, dude. Go relieve yourself on your beloved WES train that you and almost nobody else rides. (Oh, wait, you don't ride it either. Must be nice to live in government subsidized housing without a job while those of us who work for a living prop you up, AND pay all of these wonderful TriMet taxes so you can get a cheap ride.)
It's just Jason being his annoying self....
He can't help it.
(love those train pics Erik!)
I agree Al, JASON LOVES LIGHT RAIL and that's simply the impetus behind most of his comments and the manner in which he makes them. I'm with Erik 99% of the time, but in this case, he's the one overreacting and making it inappropriately personal.
You apparently don't understand what "sarcasm" is.
Given the history of your comments, it was not at all apparent that you were not being serious. Unlike the buses pictured, those appear to actually exist at present.
And maybe if you wouldn't argue for nonsensical things, such as completely eliminating 100% of TriMet Capital Projects, Marketing and IT funding or this, people would be willing to treat you better and even consider your suggestions.
And, for the record, I do ride WES when I go down to Salem, and find it works out much better than taking the 96 (and not because it's a train). And I see a fair amount of riders on it.
But, as someone who appears to be knowledgeable of railroad matters, do you think that the FRA is correct in requiring rail services like WES to have conductors and custom, tank-like vehicles (see http://reasonrail.blogspot.com/2011/11/value-of-crash-energy-management.html )? That's a serious question, because it seems that if it wasn't for that WES could be like a diesel MAX line and probably be half the cost to run. The vehicles could even be stored and serviced at Elmonica along with the other cars.
all of these wonderful TriMet taxes
What are those taxes, exactly? Isn't it true that TriMet is funded by employers and not, say, property or income taxes?
One other thing: The rent for my place is $625 a month, and that's without any lease discounts. What would you say a fair market price for a studio is?
Who are you asking?
Me?
That's not a bad rent, but you are located in the middle of Portland's combat zone.
And maybe if you wouldn't argue for nonsensical things, such as completely eliminating 100% of TriMet Capital Projects, Marketing and IT funding or this, people would be willing to treat you better and even consider your suggestions.
Why are eliminating those departments "nonsensical", especially since you argued of all things that I.T. runs payroll (which it doesn't)? You have failed to demonstrate how they are nonsensical or why those departments are vital to the day to day operations of TriMet. TriMet WILL continue to function as a transit provider without a single one of those employees. Yet you think it's nonsensical for TriMet not to be a transit agency - but to have an engineering staff larger than many engineering companies, to have a software staff larger than many software companies. THAT is nonsensical.
And, for the record, I do ride WES when I go down to Salem, and find it works out much better than taking the 96 (and not because it's a train). And I see a fair amount of riders on it.
Fine. What's a "fair number of riders"? Five? Six? Ten? What if I need to go to Salem on a weekend (which is when I go to Salem if I do at all, to visit family) - how well does WES work? Even Amtrak Cascades doesn't work unless I want to spend the night in Salem. This isn't 1848, I shouldn't have to have a campout every 12 miles to rest the horses.
do you think that the FRA is correct in requiring rail services like WES to have conductors and custom, tank-like vehicles (see http://reasonrail.blogspot.com/2011/11/value-of-crash-energy-management.html )? That's a serious question, because it seems that if it wasn't for that WES could be like a diesel MAX line and probably be half the cost to run. The vehicles could even be stored and serviced at Elmonica along with the other cars.
You tell me. Take a DMU and put it head to head with a SD40-2. Don't think it can't happen? I trust Metrolink a lot more than I do TriMet when it comes to operating a commuter rail agency. Or maybe you've forgotten about Chase. Naah, it's OK to kill innocent passengers because they're on a train - it's far too inconvenient to have survivable structures. It doesn't matter - the law is the law, and WES is inefficient. Stop spewing dumb excuses - a freaking TriMet 1400 is more efficient than WES and that's a pretty sad story. That 1400 running the 94 route carries more people, a further distance, using less fuel, and costs less.
What are those taxes, exactly? Isn't it true that TriMet is funded by employers and not, say, property or income taxes?
Thanks for admitting that you are failing to report self-employment income. And as a property owner there is most definitely a line on my property tax statement that is for TriMet.
The rent for my place is $625 a month, and that's without any lease discounts. What would you say a fair market price for a studio is?
Eliminate all the subsidies that you and your property manager and developer receive, require it to pay full property taxes (including property taxes to cover the full cost of the Portland Streetcar) and you tell me.
This isn't 1848, I shouldn't have to have a campout every 12 miles to rest the horses.
... and yet you're suggesting running a company without the use of computers. Sounds like 1848 to me, Erik!
... and also suggesting operating a transit agency without radios. That also falls under TriMet's IT department.
Why are eliminating those departments "nonsensical"
Think about all of the technology TriMet has, from desktops, to servers, to the network, to the phone system, to the bus dispatch system, to the rail control and signal system, etc. etc. If every single IT person and all funding was completely eliminated, who would maintain them?
TriMet WILL continue to function as a transit provider without a single one of those employees.
Lets say the bus dispatch system goes down or needs some maintenance. Or maybe the phone system. Or the computers the customer service and trip planning folks in the call center use. Without employees or funding to take care of those issues, what do you think would happen? Do you think TriMet could continue to function in an optimal condition if they weren't addressed?
What would you do without the phone and computer you use at work? (not trying to get personal here, but I think it illustrates the point)
Is it possible that TriMet has more IT people than needed? Yes. But you (or I or Al) don't know that. The bottom line is that probably every large organization has IT functions to take care of. Do they directly provide the actual product or service that is the purpose of the organization? Maybe not, but they definitely enable it to be provided.
And if Marketing was eliminated, there would be no ticket/pass sales, no one to produce schedules and no one to update the Web site.
As for service to Salem (and in general), do you think there would be enough riders to justify the service (whether it be Amtrak or the 1X bus)? How about having a marketplace where drivers have to pay for things like parking and oil defense so services like that are definitely feasible?
Take a DMU and put it head to head with a SD40-2. Don't think it can't happen?
Did you watch the video in the article I gave the address of? I'm not sure what type of passenger cars those were, but the engine appeared to be a full-size one. It seems that recognizing safety designs like that as well as prevention measures like automatic train stop would go a long way towards mitigating the risk.
including property taxes to cover the full cost of the Portland Streetcar
Why do you think my building should specifically pay for the cost of the streetcar when it's not at all adjacent to the alignment (it's 6-7 blocks away)? And I didn't mention it, but I paid substantially less where I used to live, and that wasn't income restricted or anything.
there is most definitely a line on my property tax statement that is for TriMet
I'm pretty sure that's for Westside MAX, and will be disappearing as the bonds or whatever are about paid off. It was enacted well before my building was built, and in any case, my building appears to continue to pay full taxes on the land, which is what existed before it was built.
Lastly, have you ever contributed anything like this or this for transit users?
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