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But that is not really public transit. Its just a publicly funded / subsidized taxi service. Which IMHO is the worst thing RTD has done. It does nothing to improve Denver's air quality or to reduce congestion.
I'm not following you. There is a group of kids who ride the Call and Ride to/from from Louisville Middle School every day. Groups of kids take the Call and Ride to Flatiron Crossing Mall. That's much more "green" than a parent taking each kid separately in their car. It makes an hourly run to the Superior Park and Ride, enabling people to take the regular bus to Denver or to DIA. I've also seen it over at Monarch High, picking up student(s). Since the RTD discontinued its service to Avista Hospital, it is a good thing the Call and Ride is available for people who have dr's apts over there.
I'm not following you. There is a group of kids who ride the Call and Ride to/from from Louisville Middle School every day. Groups of kids take the Call and Ride to Flatiron Crossing Mall. That's much more "green" than a parent taking each kid separately in their car. It makes an hourly run to the Superior Park and Ride, enabling people to take the regular bus to Denver or to DIA. I've also seen it over at Monarch High, picking up student(s). Since the RTD discontinued its service to Avista Hospital, it is a good thing the Call and Ride is available for people who have dr's apts over there.
One more reason RTD sucks. Their web site sucks. Most of the links on it are broken. But I did find this for the Arvada Call and Ride. Which I guess is the same as for Louisville.
call-n-Ride Connects
You to Your Community
The RTD call-n-Ride is a curb-to- curb transportation service that takes you anywhere you want to go within a designated service area.
Making it Easy
Service is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Drivers may combine individual trip requests to create shared rides. Drivers will provide passengers with an estimated time of arrival.
That sounds like taxi service to me. Basically subsidized taxi service to take the kids to school. Who would probably walk otherwise. I supposes sharing a ride could have limited benefits for the envioument. But depending on where the call and ride van comes from, that could be offset by the driver deadheading the empty van to Louisville.
I understand that it provides a needed service to those kids to get a cheep safe ride to school. But I very seriously doubt that this service is very green.
One more reason RTD sucks. Their web site sucks. Most of the links on it are broken. But I did find this for the Arvada Call and Ride. Which I guess is the same as for Louisville.
call-n-Ride Connects
You to Your Community
The RTD call-n-Ride is a curb-to- curb transportation service that takes you anywhere you want to go within a designated service area.
Making it Easy
Service is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Drivers may combine individual trip requests to create shared rides. Drivers will provide passengers with an estimated time of arrival.
That sounds like taxi service to me. Basically subsidized taxi service to take the kids to school. Who would probably walk otherwise. I supposes sharing a ride could have limited benefits for the envioument. But depending on where the call and ride van comes from, that could be offset by the driver deadheading the empty van to Louisville.
I understand that it provides a needed service to those kids to get a cheep safe ride to school. But I very seriously doubt that this service is very green.
Are you kidding that these kids would otherwise walk to school? They would otherwise be driven by parents. I know. Both of my kids went to LMS and we lived too close for a school bus, 1.5 mi. The limit is two miles. But it was downhill one mile in the morning and uphill one mile in the afternoon. They use the small buses and they are full coming/going to the middle school. The service area is Louisville. The bus isn't coming from very far.
As for going to the hospital, maybe it is sort of like subsidized taxi service, but since RTD has no service to the hospital, it's a good thing they have this instead.
Are you kidding that these kids would otherwise walk to school? They would otherwise be driven by parents. I know. Both of my kids went to LMS and we lived too close for a school bus, 1.5 mi.
During high school, especially in the last couple years, I often walked 1.5 miles to school. Was just as fast as the school bus. Ended up getting ride offers frequently.
Making it Easy
Service is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Drivers may combine individual trip requests to create shared rides. Drivers will provide passengers with an estimated time of arrival.
Basically subsidized taxi service to take the kids to school. Who would probably walk otherwise.
? Ever see one of those big yellow things? Those are subsidized transport as well. The kids who use this service probably live in a location to where routing a 60 passenger bus is less efficient than routing a small van.
During high school, especially in the last couple years, I often walked 1.5 miles to school. Was just as fast as the school bus. Ended up getting ride offers frequently.
Colorado is stingier with its school buses; two miles for middle school students, ages 11-14. Girls are less likely to walk to begin with (my daughter had a cello to drag back and forth); and less likely to accept rides. My brother did the walk/hitch thing in high school.
Actually here is California they contract with taxicab companies to provide ADA Paratransit Service. Some of them are marked transit vans/cars. While others are just regular taxicabs with signs in the windows. So I would say that, its all about the something. Just public subsidized taxi service.
? Ever see one of those big yellow things? Those are subsidized transport as well. The kids who use this service probably live in a location to where routing a 60 passenger bus is less efficient than routing a small van.
Yep, I rode them to school. I think every kid should be provided school bus service by law. I think transporting 60 kids on a school bus along a fixed route is more efficient and probably more cost effective then giving them publicly subsidized taxi rides home.
I think it remains to be seen, weather any type of demand response transit service is viable. Seems to me to be very expensive, and gives limited benefit (such as cleaner air or less congestion) to the tax payers.
Yep, I rode them to school. I think every kid should be provided school bus service by law. I think transporting 60 kids on a school bus along a fixed route is more efficient and probably more cost effective then giving them publicly subsidized taxi rides home.
I think it remains to be seen, weather any type of demand response transit service is viable. Seems to me to be very expensive, and gives limited benefit (such as cleaner air or less congestion) to the tax payers.
How do you know it's expensive, relatively speaking? For school kids, you can certainly make a case for relieving congestion. Trust me. One of my kids went to LMS before Call and Ride, and it was awful at dismissal.
Colorado is stingier with its school buses; two miles for middle school students, ages 11-14. Girls are less likely to walk to begin with (my daughter had a cello to drag back and forth); and less likely to accept rides. My brother did the walk/hitch thing in high school.
When I was in school, it was like 0.5 mile for elementary, 0.75 mile for jr./middle and one mile for high school. Due to budget cuts they were trying to cut it back, but there was pretty strong opposition.
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It seems it costs RTD $43.63 per passenger ride. That seems pretty expensive to me. I bet a school bus ride would be cheaper.
