Posts Tagged ‘John Charles Wilson’
Metro Transit: December Disaster!
By JOHN CHARLES WILSON The latest news out of Metro Transit isn’t good. Thanks to a shortage of drivers, one of the worst cutbacks in recent years is coming soon. Unlike past cutbacks, this isn’t due to lack of funding, lack of riders, or a pandemic. It is literally because they can’t hire enough drivers. As of 15 October 2022, Route 27 (26th/28th Streets between Hiawatha and I-35W) has been suspended. People are recommended to take Route 21 (Lake Street) instead. In addition, the following cutbacks in the Phillips community will start 3 December 2022:The Orange Line will be reduced from once every 15 minutes to once every half hour during the weekday midday period.Route 9 is being reduced from once every half hour to once an hour except during rush hours.Route 67 is being reduced from once every half hour to once an hour except during rush hours. Many other transit routes in various areas of the Twin Cities are also being cut. However, the 9 and the 67 are pretty [...]
Reliability vs. Scheduled Frequency
METRO TRANSIT Reliability vs. Scheduled Frequency by JOHN CHARLES WILSON The Metro Transit service change of 20 August 2022 can be seen in two ways: First, as a service reduction, or second, as a reduction in promises to what Metro Transit can reliably deliver at this time. The driver shortage is making it so buses and trains don’t always come when they’re supposed to. Reducing how often they’re supposed to come is a realistic solution for now. Anyway, here are the changes affecting the Phillips neighborhood. Light Rail service is being reduced from once every 12 minutes to once every 15 minutes.Route 2 is also being reduced from once every 12 minutes to once every 15 minutes.Route 9 afternoon rush hour service is being reduced from once every 20 minutes to once every half hour.The 7:35 AM Route 14 trip which leaves 38th Street Station going northbound will instead leave from 66th and Richfield Parkway to make transfers from Route 46 possible.The Route 21 eastbound [...]
METRO TRANSIT
Safer and Smaller Trains? By JOHN CHARLES WILSON Metro Transit is in the midst of an experiment with running two-car, instead of three-car, trains on both the Blue and Green Lines. This experiment continues through 20 August. The purpose of the test is to see if two-car trains reduce the amount of cleaning necessary and increase the amount of “interaction” between the Metro Transit police and train riders. Three-car trains will still run on busy days, such as Twins game days. Personally, though it may not do much for the cleaning issue, I believe the best way to make train travel safer is to order “open gangway” light rail vehicles, as are used in Toronto. Instead of separate cars with no inside connection between them, open gangway trains fit together with an open corridor between cars, creating an effect similar to articulated buses. This means people in back don’t have the full separation from the front which seems to embolden troublemakers, and it also means [...]
