Posted by unregistered user at 1/24/08 9:56 a.m.

A 7% increase is great news for Metro and Seattle's traffic -- that's more fare money in Metro's pocket and maybe 20,000 less cars on the road per day. But the downside -- jammed buses -- is a big problem and I am not confident that Metro can handle it.

I am a regular rider on 306/312 on Lake City Way and I am tired of being packed like a sardine or sometimes not even being able to board. It makes driving look a lot more desirable, which is not what Metro or anybody wants bus riders to be thinking about doing.

When I have complained to Metro, Sound Transit, and county councilman Bob Ferguson, I have gotten some pretty strange responses. From Metro I got our "ability to get results has been greatly reduced by the shackles of Transit Now." From Sound Transit I got "areas south of NE 125th Street is a responsibility of our transit partner King County Metro," when I asked about whether the relatively empty ST 522 could stop south of 125th after the 306/312 expresses quit running. And from Bob Ferguson's office I got something about a King County vote in 2000 that future transit expansion be allocated 40% each to the eastside and south and only 20% to the north -- ignoring ridership.

Kevin Desmond's happy talk about reducing passenger loads in 2008 is nice, but don't count on Metro being able to actually do anything.

Posted by John N at 1/24/08 3:18 p.m.

Metro's General Manager Kevin Desmond is quoted saying, "Reducing passenger loads and improving schedule reliability is a big goal for us in 2008, and our customers should be seeing changes for the better throughout the year."

So what's the plan, especially if the Transit Now plan means "shackles?"

How about some emergency aid to Metro from Sound Transit? ST is collecting one million dollars per day in taxes now. Should a subway RR tube from Pine Street to Husky Stadium opening eight years from now be the region's biggest transit spending priority?

Where's the "Now" in "Transit Now?"

Posted by jazna1 at 1/25/08 4:44 p.m.

Oh boy, don't get me started on the 306/312 route. "Increased ridership" means standing up in an already packed bus IF you're lucky enough to get on at all. Often the bus does not stop at the last two stops on Lake City Way, both of which are popular stops (or were). I complained once to a Metro staffer and he told me that I should call Metro and request more buses because that is the only way Metro knows they need more buses on a particular line. So I called and got a response of "there are buses on that route every 10 minutes". Hmm. No, sorry, that's not true. That might be what the SCHEDULE SAYS but I can assure Metro that the schedule and reality are far apart. I've stood on Lake City Way at NE 92nd for 20 minutes wondering where the bus is. The bus arrives, the driver is perky and pleasant and will say they have no idea why the previous bus never showed. So the schedule is not true and the buses that do arrive are packed. You see a little problem there, Metro?

Posted by ttc at 1/25/08 10:06 p.m.

It would appear that 306/312 riders, particularly those getting on at the last stops, better get used to sardine-hood.

Check out the Transit Now service improvement map (aka the shackles) at www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/transitnow/.
Lake City way is neither defined as a Rapid Ride BRT or as a high rider-ship route. But it is designated as ST Express Bus. That's the empt-ish 522 bus that passes all of us by between 125th and 87th Street NE. So Metro's Transit Now and Sound Transit are both determined to do nothing for riders on that stretch.

Keep calling jazna1, maybe someone at Metro is listening. Hello Metro?

Posted by unregistered user at 1/28/08 12:24 p.m.

I moved to Seattle two and a half years ago and absolutely LOVE the mass transit! It's amazing! I own a reliable vehicle (2003 VW GTI) but still often taken the bus from my apartment near Lake City Way & 125th just because it's cheap and convenient. I spend less on bus fare to get downtown than I do on gas alone, much less parking!

I know there are issues that could use improvement, but there will always be room for improvement. Really, we have a lot to be really thankful for in our area. I love Seattle.