Both the Post-Gazette and the Tribune-Review offer a little of the flavor of what the Port Authority is trying to accomplish with its Connect ‘09 service redesign process. The Port Authority’s consultant on Friday outlined some of the problems that contribute to the system’s relative inefficiency, including:
- Too many bus stops.
- Too many confusing routes.
- Too many routes that compete with one another.
- Too many routes that extend too far out from the core service area.
Fixing these problems will require transit riders to change some longtime habits. But not addressing the problems will only make things worse.
The Allegheny Institute deserves kudos for highlighting the inefficiencies of the Port Authority system, documenting problems through some useful research over the years. But, I think the Institute may be a little overly harsh in criticizing the consultant’s work as a “day late, dollar short.” Knowing there are inefficiencies is only the first step; redesigning the system to optimize resources is real work. And it’s probably not fair to blame the current Port Authority management team led by CEO Steve Bland for the problems that were allowed to accumulate over the past 20 years.
Yes, the consultant is receiving $800,000 to help with the redesign. And if the resulting plan improves the Port Authority’s efficiency by even 10% (or $35 million per year, or an additional 7 million riders per year) that will be money well spent.
Posted by: Ken Zapinski
6 comments
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September 22, 2008 at 3:27 pm
drew lessard
saying that it is a “day late, dollar short” sounds like the kind of rhetoric that leads to no action and no change.
I hope that I am wrong that they may be trying to find excuses for avoiding the difficult work of reforming the system.
September 22, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Ken Zapinski
Sorry, I forgot to include the link to the Allegheny Institute blog so readers could see first hand what the complaint was. It should be fixed now.
September 22, 2008 at 4:34 pm
MH
I didn’t see it in the reports, but has anybody mentioned having all riders pay on the way in and having the rear door for exit (plus the front door for exit when the aisle is too packed).
September 22, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Ken Zapinski
Yes, it is being looked at. But I’m not sure how much an improvement you would see if the hordes of Downtown rush hour commuters could only enter through the front door, rather than through both doors.
The reason for the confusing pay process is the free fare zone Downtown. (For those of you who don’t know, you can ride the bus (or T) within the Golden Triangle for free.) The reason outbound riders don’t pay upon entering is so passengers who are riding for free within the Golden Triangle aren’t charged. So, nobody is charged a fare unless and until they leave Downtown.
I don’t know how many people actually use the free fare zone Downtown. I don’t suspect it’s a large number. But it has a tremendous impact on how the rest of the system operates.
September 22, 2008 at 9:46 pm
jet
>Too many bus stops.
No joke. I ride the 67F and there are several bus stops that are downright dangerous to wait at or get off at and that are also located within a hundred feet or so from a perfectly safe bus stop. Same goes for bus stops along Forbes near CMU — do we really need stops at Beeler, Devon, Morewood and Craig St? Wouldn’t Beeler and Craig St suffice?
The pay on/off confusion is a really horrible experience for visitors, tourists, and people who have recently moved to the area. I got into a yelling match with a PAT driver my first week here because I showed my pass when I got on and not when I got off. Nobody told me I needed to show my pass when I get off in the evenings, and the driver just assumed I was trying to rip off PAT. (Given the number of times I’ve seen drivers let their friends ride for free, I’m not sure why they would care. But that’s a different problem, isn’t it?)
Enter front/exit rear also makes it much easier to get people on/off the bus at stops. I’ve had drivers refuse to open the rear door and instead make everyone wait while I work my way through a crowded bus to the front door.
September 22, 2008 at 9:56 pm
MH
I’m not downtown that much and never use transit when I am. But, when I worked in downtown Columbus, OH, I commuted by bus. They managed to load the buses just fine using only the front door. On the other hand, Columbus had many fewer buses and much wider streets.