Examples:
- They operate larger buses instead of smaller buses because the union drivers are paid more money to drive the larger buses
- They threaten to shut down profitable and highly used routes such as the Braves shuttle to "reduce" costs
- They install flat screen tv's on the trains - only to run 2 week old weather reports on them
- They install GPS on buses - but then don't use the technology effectively. (e.g. such as display bus real time location to the web)
- Buses often run off schedule - sometimes running three buses one behind the other - on the same route! They have no simple recovery plan in place. (i.e. turn one of the empty buses around!)
- Trains (finite distance) consistently don't operate on schedule
- Trains run with the WRONG sign posted on display. (e.g. northbound train with AIRPORT sign displayed - confusing out of town passengers)
- Trains don't run frequently and are short of capacity during predictable ridership increases (e.g. after sporting events conclude) - thereby giving a bad experience to new customers
- Trains stop just short of the station platform for several minutes as you watch your bus pull away from the station below. (with no train ahead of them at the station)
- escalator maintenance constantly botched
Posts
Just came across your blog after excerpts from it (MARTA's mismanagement/inefficiency) was posted to a patch website. In total agreement with you. Found the MARTA BusTracker app, of course "MARTA is currently not providing live data to the site. MARTA is in the process of developing a permanent tool to offer to riders." How old is that message??? Signed up for MARTA's WebWatch Notification service, but haven't really tested it catching a bus to see how accurate it is.
ReplyDeleteLet me know if I can do anything to help you/partner up in getting MARTA to operate more efficiently and therefore make it more attractive, lucrative, and expansive!
I've attended multiple meetings with MARTA officials. They promoted these meetings to fulfill their obligation for public input to their proposed changes to routes, etc...
DeleteBut MARTA prevented any real exchange of ideas. Instead, the meetings were orchestrated and limited to simply announcing proposed route changes and allow some feedback from riders of those routes.
After one of these meetings ended in Chamblee, across the street from the Chamblee MARTA station, the MARTA management in attendance then departed in their cars instead of using the train back to Lindbergh headquarters.