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Old 12-11-2019, 07:03 PM
bu2 bu2 started this thread
 
24,094 posts, read 14,879,963 times
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https://blog.chron.com/opportunityur...transit-fares/

Not necessarily likely to happen, but they are talking about it.

"...The big item this week is my mention in this Chronicle article for getting Metro to reconsider spending $100 million on new fare-collection equipment while they’re still looking at going completely fareless:...


Affordable: Only 4.9% of Metro’s budget comes from the farebox ($67.5m from $1,363.8m revenue budget). That’s less than a couple years of normal sales tax growth....


From my understanding, it sounds like they could consider fareless off-peak right away, but would need a few years to add capacity to be able to handle the extra demand at peak hours. I’ve suggested a 5-year steady ratcheting down of fares (20% reduction per year) while adding incremental capacity where demand increases beyond existing capacity, which is especially likely on commuter routes. Going fareless off-peak in the near-term can also attract the discretionary rider to move their trip from peak to off-peak hours, freeing up additional peak capacity...."



Well Austin did it and kids would ride one block and the system bogged down.

But it might be worth considering off peak. After a certain time in the evening and on weekends.
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Old 12-11-2019, 10:14 PM
 
Location: ✶✶✶✶
15,216 posts, read 30,556,380 times
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On principle I say yes, if Kansas City can do it then so can Houston. But I'm not sure anymore that Houston would know what to do with a population that came to depend on public transportation if and when it had one.

The east/west rail line really needed to be there to make the system meaningful. It's not. Now there looks like there will be a HSR line to Dallas terminating where there doesn't seem to even be a plan to connect it with anything but METRO buses. People going to Dallas from Houston will be able to go right downtown, use DART and get places. People going from Dallas to Houston, as it seems, will be boarding a bus in a parking lot just like Aggies getting off at the intermediate stop in Navasota or wherever so they can get to campus. To get to, I'm guessing, the 82 Westheimer bus so they can get downtown and/or connect to the rail lines that did get built. At least Uber drivers will stay in demand.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bu2 View Post
https://blog.chron.com/opportunityur...transit-fares/

Well Austin did it and kids would ride one block and the system bogged down.
In theory, if everyone in a fare system had a prepaid pass, then everyone has the freedom to do the same thing as these kids. I do the monthly pass for CTA here in Chicago and, while I'm not going to wait and board a bus just to travel a few blocks, if I'm already walking down that street and the bus comes up and I have a few blocks to go, yeah, I might decide to get on. Chances are, there are people getting off at the same place anyway. Buses are not rapid transit. Ideally, they're for short hops locally and/or connecting to some form of rapid transit.
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Old 12-12-2019, 10:17 AM
 
Location: Houston
5,614 posts, read 4,939,687 times
Reputation: 4553
Quote:
Originally Posted by jfre81 View Post
On principle I say yes, if Kansas City can do it then so can Houston. But I'm not sure anymore that Houston would know what to do with a population that came to depend on public transportation if and when it had one.

The east/west rail line really needed to be there to make the system meaningful. It's not. Now there looks like there will be a HSR line to Dallas terminating where there doesn't seem to even be a plan to connect it with anything but METRO buses. People going to Dallas from Houston will be able to go right downtown, use DART and get places. People going from Dallas to Houston, as it seems, will be boarding a bus in a parking lot just like Aggies getting off at the intermediate stop in Navasota or wherever so they can get to campus. To get to, I'm guessing, the 82 Westheimer bus so they can get downtown and/or connect to the rail lines that did get built. At least Uber drivers will stay in demand.



In theory, if everyone in a fare system had a prepaid pass, then everyone has the freedom to do the same thing as these kids. I do the monthly pass for CTA here in Chicago and, while I'm not going to wait and board a bus just to travel a few blocks, if I'm already walking down that street and the bus comes up and I have a few blocks to go, yeah, I might decide to get on. Chances are, there are people getting off at the same place anyway. Buses are not rapid transit. Ideally, they're for short hops locally and/or connecting to some form of rapid transit.
A BRT route connecting Downtown and the Northwest Transit Center (just a short hop from the site of the proposed HSR station, which I'm still not convinced will actually happen) is actually one of METRO's highest priority capital projects right now. And of course the Uptown BRT line to the NWTC is already under construction. An extension to the HSR station (again, if it really happens) would be relatively straightforward.
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Old 12-12-2019, 11:32 AM
 
Location: ✶✶✶✶
15,216 posts, read 30,556,380 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LocalPlanner View Post
A BRT route connecting Downtown and the Northwest Transit Center (just a short hop from the site of the proposed HSR station, which I'm still not convinced will actually happen) is actually one of METRO's highest priority capital projects right now. And of course the Uptown BRT line to the NWTC is already under construction. An extension to the HSR station (again, if it really happens) would be relatively straightforward.
I've been skeptical since day one, but there seems to be nothing left in the way and a contract has just been award to a builder. Unless we get to mid-2021 with no ground broken, I've got no legit reason to doubt its operation by the back end of the 2020s.

Extending the BRT makes sense and it gets people quickly-ish to the Galleria, which is a step up I suppose, but unless I missed something they're still looking at the 82 bus or Uber to get downtown. That still sucks. This has the potential to be the most groundbreaking development in the history of transportation in Texas, if not well beyond, and Houston's not ready.

I know METRO knows they're not ready and they're scrambling now. Federal money probably isn't going to be easy to come across so METRO is going to have to fund it from within, which complicates the idea of going fareless.

CTA up here wouldn't do this either, for kinda the same reasons. It barely has the funds to both operate and do all the upgrades that are going on at the same time. Fares will probably get hiked in the next year or two.
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Old 12-13-2019, 08:01 PM
 
Location: Houston
5,614 posts, read 4,939,687 times
Reputation: 4553
Quote:
Originally Posted by jfre81 View Post
I've been skeptical since day one, but there seems to be nothing left in the way and a contract has just been award to a builder. Unless we get to mid-2021 with no ground broken, I've got no legit reason to doubt its operation by the back end of the 2020s.

Extending the BRT makes sense and it gets people quickly-ish to the Galleria, which is a step up I suppose, but unless I missed something they're still looking at the 82 bus or Uber to get downtown. That still sucks. This has the potential to be the most groundbreaking development in the history of transportation in Texas, if not well beyond, and Houston's not ready.

I know METRO knows they're not ready and they're scrambling now. Federal money probably isn't going to be easy to come across so METRO is going to have to fund it from within, which complicates the idea of going fareless.

CTA up here wouldn't do this either, for kinda the same reasons. It barely has the funds to both operate and do all the upgrades that are going on at the same time. Fares will probably get hiked in the next year or two.
You apparently missed my comment that METRO is planning a BRT from the NWTC to Downtown, so one would be able to BRT all the way from Uptown to Downtown. Admittedly, not through the density of the 59 corridor, and you'll have to go to the NWTC, but it's still a relatively high-speed connection to Downtown.

A BRT from the southern end of Uptown to Midtown (rough equivalent of the former University Line) is also planned but is not as far along in the process, I believe. You know there will be haters who will say that it "ruins the Westpark corridor" blah blah blah north-south traffic blah blah blah killing Westpark retail blah blah blah.
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Old 12-13-2019, 08:07 PM
 
2,068 posts, read 998,988 times
Reputation: 3641
Quote:
Originally Posted by bu2 View Post
https://blog.chron.com/opportunityur...transit-fares/

Not necessarily likely to happen, but they are talking about it.

"...The big item this week is my mention in this Chronicle article for getting Metro to reconsider spending $100 million on new fare-collection equipment while they’re still looking at going completely fareless:...


Affordable: Only 4.9% of Metro’s budget comes from the farebox ($67.5m from $1,363.8m revenue budget). That’s less than a couple years of normal sales tax growth....


From my understanding, it sounds like they could consider fareless off-peak right away, but would need a few years to add capacity to be able to handle the extra demand at peak hours. I’ve suggested a 5-year steady ratcheting down of fares (20% reduction per year) while adding incremental capacity where demand increases beyond existing capacity, which is especially likely on commuter routes. Going fareless off-peak in the near-term can also attract the discretionary rider to move their trip from peak to off-peak hours, freeing up additional peak capacity...."



Well Austin did it and kids would ride one block and the system bogged down.

But it might be worth considering off peak. After a certain time in the evening and on weekends.

The most amazing statement in this post is "Chronicle article".



Do people still read the Chronicle?
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