Generic ongoing KCATA thread

[brewcrew1000]

Apparently he is taking the 39 bus, waiting at 39th and broadway to go to Joey's Cuts at 3914 Indiana

I dunno if this is true or not but it's kind of awesome, why would he take a bus.  Doesn't make sense at all\

http://twitter.com/ochocinco

[KCMax]

KCATA Tweets in response to a few suggestions on how to improve service:

On off-board ticketing

We?ve researched vending. Cost (startup, maintenance) is too high based on expected use. We continue to look into it regularly.

Also:

We have "exit at rear" audio ads, and signs are in the works. We are selling ad space.

Why they don't got straight down main to Crown Center

For Crown Center stop, much more ridership potential between Crown Center and the hotels on Grand, and more room for amenities.

http://twitter.com/#!/KCATAMetro

[smh]

ATA has the "Exit at Rear" audio running at least once per trip. It is routinely ignored, drives me crazy. Unless you're disabled, elderly, or have a small child, get off at the back door. Nothing slows the bus more than everyone trying to get on and off through the front door.

Terrible habit.

[KCPowercat]

They were pretty good at responding to my recommendations. 

The MAX swinging around Crown Center also drives me crazy....I understand connections to be made and density there but we're talking about transit and speed....wouldn't zipping right down Main save 2 minutes through there?

The off board ticketing drives me mad as well....they would probably only need 5 different stops supplied with them...they could sell all day passes and 3 day passes (that they currently don't sell on the bus) and speed up boarding at busy stops quite a bit.

[smh]

They were pretty good at responding to my recommendations. 

The MAX swinging around Crown Center also drives me crazy....I understand connections to be made and density there but we're talking about transit and speed....wouldn't zipping right down Main save 2 minutes through there?

The off board ticketing drives me mad as well....they would probably only need 5 different stops supplied with them...they could sell all day passes and 3 day passes (that they currently don't sell on the bus) and speed up boarding at busy stops quite a bit.

The Crown Center swing doesn't bother me nearly as much as the Convention Center jog (sounds like we're talking about dance moves). No one EVER gets on at the Convention Center stops, whereas several people always get on and off at the Crown Center stop.

I wish we had off board fare collection. Someday. What if we get a streetcar? I don't know that I've ever been on a streetcar that had on-board fare collection...

[ignatius]

Good to see they are now doing 'exit from the rear' announcements.  If I see someone not doing it, I will have no problem yelling out 'exit from the rear' and chastise them.  I'll do that, every time (unless I'm getting off too).

My wish list priority for MAX (orange line) improvements is controlling the street lights to make it a true express bus and add more buses to provide more frequency. Sundays are getting to be standing room only given they don't run as often.  Weeknights don't run often enough either.

Grid wants to see articulated buses thinking it would attract riders but I don't.  More regular buses would mean more frequency and therefore less wait time  If the ATA heads down the larger double length bus thing, it will kill chances to add more frequency.  Less wait time is more important than image.

But both of those desires (more buses, controlling streetlights) have higher costs/maintenance.  Off board ticketing seems the next logical step to improve things until they can get the budget for the bigger tickets stuff.

[ignatius]

BTW, I don't mind the CC swing but the bus does need to go straight down Main through the Loop.  It takes too freakin long to get to River Market.

[GRID]

BTW, I don't mind the CC swing but the bus does need to go straight down Main through the Loop.  It takes too freakin long to get to River Market.

The Crown Center jog I can understand.  I think the little extra time is far outweighed by the benefit of directly serving CC.

I never understood the Convention District jog.  That ruins MAX downtown it really does.  Main is a 2 minute walk from the hotels and convention center west of Main.  They have made MAX so unfriendly to use to get to the Sprint Center and P&L District.  You have to be a transit nerd to figure out how to use MAX in that area.  The line is very confusing, the stations are very difficult to find and their more remote locations away from busier areas intimidating, especially at night.

Why not make people walk to or through the P&L district to get to MAX.  They will do it.  I see people walk from downtown hotels to Crown Center all the time.  They will walk to Grand or Main.

As far as the articulated buses.  I said the ATA should purchase a few of them to use during rush hours and larger events.  Those larger more "light rail" looking buses are much easier to spot, they are giant rolling billboards and very inviting and attractive to those not used to riding "buses".  The existing MAX buses don't look any different to the average person from any other city bus.  They just say MAX on them.  A tourist wouldn't see the difference.  I see the exact same bus that MAX uses on regular transit lines in cities all the time.

Frequency should be a high priority though.  I totally agree with that.  Have you ever seen a MAX bus hold a yellow light?  I haven't.  I just notice they stop twice a lot (once at the signal and then again at the stop on the other side of the signal once the light turns green).

And the ATA can't even put a few transit kiosk at just a few key locations?  Crown Center should have one at the very minimum.  I rode transit for 20 years in KC and I couldn't tell you how to get a day pass in advance of getting on a bus.  That's just stupid.

[ignatius]

Have you ever seen a MAX bus hold a yellow light?  I haven't.

No they don't, which is my point.  I think the original design called for it but they must've run out of money or found it too expensive to maintain.  There could be bureaucratic issues with ATA dealing with traffic dept.

To make this a true BRT system, they need to at least develop a plan to get there with realistic target dates.  Fixing the downtown zigzag should be higher priority.  It's absolutely ridiculous.

[DaveKCMO]

There could be bureaucratic issues with ATA dealing with traffic dept.

ding! ding! ding!

[KCMax]

I recall Mark Huffer telling me directly they were overruled by traffic engineers.

[ignatius]

It needs to be revived.  The ATA should get Sly on their side and then address it with the traffic dept. 

Would like to see KCK and KCMO get together and fund a MAX line down State Line.  They could use it as an R&D line to experiment with different things to do with MAX and then implement what works with the rest of the system.  They could work out kinks with traffic dept on a line that runs on a less busy street.

[enough]

tsp (traffic signal priority) was never intended to hold a yellow light.  it holds a green light, so you can't tell it's working unless you have a stopwatch and know how long the green is normally.

my impression is that max gets to hold a green light so seldom that it's hardly worth talking about. 

as for brt down state line, daily ridership would likely not exceed double digits.

kcata is supposed to post route-by-route analyses soon as part of their csa (comprehensive service analysis) study.  i've been told each route will have a several-page write-up and you'll be able to post your comments right on the spot.

[KCPowercat]

Many many people use max for sprint center events...especially for tournaments like big12.

[KCPowercat]

Why is the "3 day visitor pass" $10 but a one day pass is $3?

http://store.kcata.org/special.php

Do they really sell the 3 day pass given you have to order them online weeks before your trip?

[KCPowercat]

Another suggestion.....why not use letters to designate different routes....e.g. 51A, 51B, 51C....instead of using just 51 and then the ending destination?  ATA uses "x" with no problems, just seems it would be easier to designate the different routes of some buses like the 51.

[ignatius]

tsp (traffic signal priority) was never intended to hold a yellow light.  it holds a green light, so you can't tell it's working unless you have a stopwatch and know how long the green is normally.

I didn't realize signal control was actually working.  Is this true for every signal along the line?  If so you are right, can't tell at all.  If it had better control, they should be able to reduce the time it takes to get from one end of line to other.

I'd first rather see the zigzag in DT Loop straightened out, to just going down Main.  Takes way too long to get to RM and the e/w stops are  too confusing for those new to MAX.  The ATA could use the equipment from removed stops as maintenance parts.

BTW, here's a MAX city guide I put together..
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1238514/pics/bus/maxmwk.gif

[enough]

i think tsp is installed at about half of the intersections max uses.  downtown kcata didn't even ask for it.

whether tsp actually helps or not depends on the 'rules' under which it operates.  originally i think a max bus had to be two minutes late before it could (electronically) ask for tsp, and then it had a chance of getting it only if no other bus had gotten priority at that intersection within the previous seven minutes.  under those guidelines i understand they were getting priority about 75 percent of the time.

my understanding is that the rules have changed and now priority can be requested if the bus is more than one minute late and no other bus has gotten priority within 3.5 minutes.

[enough]

^^^^ a three-day visitor pass for more than the price of three one-day passes?  i guess you can say it's a little bit of a scam, but there is a slight convenience to the visitor since he/she has the pass in hand upon arrival.  i think the pass has a unique design, so there's a tiny bit of souvenir value in it, plus the processing cost involved is possibly not covered by the extra dollar.

the individual route profiles are still under review.  i've been told they will be posted soon.  then we can all tell kcata what we think.  i think they will listen to comments that are within the realm of reason.

[enough]

transit action network reports kcata is getting 26 new buses this year:  6 40-foot, 19 30-foot, and one additional hybrid for max service.

http://bit.ly/gJFDyY