It isn't just Tri-Met
Now the bus service up in the 'Couv is taking a big hit. As the lines are whittled down because of the recession, you wonder if they'll be built back up in any eventual recovery. Something tells me that our region may have hit "peak bus." The Vancouver version of the streetcar can't be far off.
| Posted at 4:37 PM | Permalink |
|
Comments (8)
This is round II of the dismemberment, actually. C-Tran got whacked really hard some time ago -- my memory is hazy, but they were basically going to be V-Tran with one route a day to some of the outlying hamlets.
Posted by George Anonymuncule Seldes | October 14, 2009 5:49 PM
Doesn’t hurt my feeling a bit. The C-Trans bus drivers are the most obnoxious drivers when they enter downtown. One bus in particular that comes down the I-84 and enters downtown over the Morrison Bridge is a real @55hole. These guys switch lanes to try to gain any advantage from the Morrison Bridge and cut people off just to make a turn onto the 5th Avenue Transit Mall. They must believe the yield for bus law applies to lane changes, IT DOES NOT. It only applies when they are merging in from a bus stop. One day someone is going to take one of them out.
Posted by John Benton | October 14, 2009 6:31 PM
Actually, as a nation we hit "peak bus" back in the late 1940s (over 10 billion annual trips). And, true to the Peak Bus Hypothesis, transit has only been getting more expensive since.
Posted by MJ | October 14, 2009 6:54 PM
In the late 40's, my family was riding real street cars (you know, the ones with a motorman and conductor) to visit my grandparents.
Posted by Lawrence | October 14, 2009 8:34 PM
Lawrence,
Go take a joy ride on a WES train.
They run back and forth between Beaverton and Wilsonville with most trips carrying only the "motorman and conductor".
Posted by Ben | October 14, 2009 8:47 PM
C-Tran spent $100,000.00 just a few months ago on contracts with outside consultants to "study" the light rail component in the Columbia River Crossing Project. (This on top of all the other CRC task forces studying the same issue.) Apparently the grant was earmarked for the study but it still looks bad in light of the progressive hatchet job they are doing to existing options.
Posted by S.A. | October 14, 2009 10:37 PM
I agree with the comments on C-tran drivers.
Just two weeks ago I took my first ride on C-tran, not fun at all the way they drove their buses.
But wait a minute, the dow is back at 10k!
The banks are making RECORD profits!
Something doesn't make sense here?
Unemployment continues to climb, tax revenues continue to dry up?
But the dow is at 10k? Life is wonderful again isnt it?
Posted by al m | October 15, 2009 10:36 AM
Bus transit does not result in sufficient political contributions to remain viable. Streetcars and light rail do.
The Dow is only up because the dollar is down. The real value based on the price of gold is perhaps 7500. Not so good really and likely dropping in real dollar terms.
Banks record profits are again in worthless dollars so...
Soon the Weimar Republic will look like a bastion of financial stability as we set our sights on Zimbabwe currently running an inflation rate of over 11,200,000 percent. Boggles the mind.
Welcome to the new third world, just like the old third world on here!!!
Mark Sherman
Posted by Maddog | October 15, 2009 1:44 PM