129. Prop One, Again

You know Prop One: the narrowly defeated proposal to raise sales tax for local bus service, threatening evening and weekend service.  I initially blamed the loss on selfish voters, but I think it's more complicated.  The tri-county bus/light rail/rail system also depends on sales tax revenue but doesn't face a similar financial crisis.  Why?

Granted that the tri-county express routes are more efficient, but probably more telling is an observation from a couple of days ago:  Waiting at the bus stop I watched 4 local buses pass--it's evening rush hour, downtown, the buses heading out for separate residential destinations.  They should be crowded, right?  I counted the number of passengers in each: 4, 16, 7, 6.

Tri-county transit on the other hand, just announced quarterly ridership numbers: up again, around 12% increases in each of its lines, following similar increases the past few years. My morning against-rush hour express bus often is often more than 50% full.

So the problem may be that this county just doesn't get it--the public transit thing. As expressed by one of my co-workers, "only poor people ride the bus."

But they're stingy, too.

128. I believe

Interviewed at the first day demo rides for Utah's new commuter rail, one prospective user said after comparing cost of gas with cost of fare, he'd save only 80 cents, but "switching to the train will save both his car and his nerves more than enough wear and tear to make the difference."

While riding home last week a transit worker asked if I would respond to some questions about transit use including why I commute by light rail/bus/train/bike.  She suggested some possible answers: save money, good for environment, less stress, time alone, etc.  My response?  "I believe in public transit."

127. Final Tally

It's final: Prop One to support local public transit defeated by 700 votes out of 200,000 cast.  The county also voted against gay marriage and for legalization of marijuana.

And to no one' surprise, the proposition to change the county's motto won by a whopping 65-35 vote.  As of Jan 1st, the county's new rallying cry will be, "It's All About Me."

126. Prop One, Part Two

The governor-elect of my home state claims a greener outlook than his liberal but still road-loving predecessor, but he can't claim a mandate.

The public transit authority in the state's second largest county asked for a 0.3 cent increase in the local sales tax (that's 3 cents for every ten dollar purchase).  But out of 175,000 votes counted so far, the nay votes lead by about 900.

The local Chamber of Commerce opposed Prop One on the grounds that any increase in sales tax threatens business.

Transit officials predict that weekend and night service will disappear, a nasty blow to the poor, disabled, and those of us who ride public transit because we believe in it.  We'll find out for in a month or so if this was a real prediction or a campaign false alarm.

125. SRO

Well, not exactly Standing Room Only, but to have 26 riders on my bus this morning--6 am and against rush hour--that's not bad. Back in the day (we're talking last century) there were days when just 2 or three of us made the ride).

The local transit authority says that Sept 2012 ridership increased 13% over Sept 2011 on its bus/light rail/commuter rail system.

Maybe we are approaching a critical mass: more riders generating more routes, attracting even more riders, and on to a nuclear explosion of mass transit

[there there is a downside; I may have to start sharing a seat, common at the 5:30 pm homeward bound route]

124. Free Ride

Last week, public transit ended the Ride-Free Area (RFA) a one by one-half mile area downtown where all bus rides were free (though of course if one entered the bus in the RFA and continued as a passenger outside the zone, the full fare would be collected at exit).

It started in 1973 as a friendly nod to tourists and to encourage downtown shoppers, but many (most?) riders were the homeless and/or the disabled.  Advocates for the latter groups opposed its end, citing the need for free rides so that these citizens could get to clinics and grocery stores and shelters.  The city has been paying the transit $400,000 yearly for the service and last year decided could afford to do so no longer.

But the disabled have 75 cent fares already, and there are no hospitals/clinics within the RFA, no public housing, just one large shelter.  I don't think it served logistic goals, but simply provided a warm, dry place to sit for at least 15-20 minutes during the long days until shelters open or until darkness allows sleep in doorways or underpasses.

I doubt that transit will see much in the way of increased fares; shoppers and tourists will walk or change plans, and the homeless, well, the homeless will continue as before.  Transit says it will provide more free passes to aid agencies and a free circulating bus/van has started, though its continued funding remains uncertain.  I'm sorry to see the end of the RFA.

123. I Promise....

... to never, ever, never, never, never, leave my bike locked up outside overnight.

No lock is impenetrable, and strategies to prevent theft (e.g., two different locks that would require separate tools to break) have their own problems.  So just don't.

When I have an overnight shift; that's the day to run/bus instead of bike/bus.

122. Prop One

Local transit depends on sales tax revenue: 0.6% (out of the total 9.5%), which is 6 cents for every $10 retail purchase.  Prop One would increase it to 0.9%.  So almost a 10% sales tax; sounds hefty, but there is no state income tax and no sales tax on groceries.

Last year a similar request failed at the polls, requiring reduction of services to outlying areas of the county.  These areas opted out of the transit system, further reducing revenue. If Prop One fails, all weekend and evening (after 7pm) service would be eliminated, further reducing fares, and so on.  It's call a death spiral.

Opposing Prop One?  Just the local Chamber of Commerce.  The county Republican Party has yet to take a stand.

121: Long-Range Green Commuting

I recently had to spend a couple of weekends in a city about 200 miles a way.  Two of us traveled there by car; I figure per passenger $20 for gas and $17 for fixed and maintenance costs (not including depreciation and other "soft" costs).  So $37.  And five hours since we timed it to hit rush hours for three cities and a large military base.

Coming back, I took Amtrack for $46, 3.5 hours, on time beginning and end. Walked the 3.5 miles home in 75 minutes (mostly uphill with short stops along the way for a pizza by the slice joint and later for a milkshake at Dick's, thereby removing any health advantage I might have gained by walking).

Returning the next weekend, jogging (I thought I was late) to the 3.5 miles to the BOLT bus stop, with just a $26 fare, and a 3 hour travel time (though a 30 minute late start), and notably less comfortable than the train.

Next time?  Driving a car that gets 40 mpg hiway instead of 20 would bring the car cost to $27, comparable to the bus.  But when including environmental factors, Amtrak wins. The respective CO2 emissions (in kg per mile) for gas-driven car, bus, and rail are 0.44, 0.3, and 0.16.  Hybrids or all-electrics could change this but probably not by a factor of 3.

120: Proceed Until Apprehended

I cycle up to the transit center and see two other cyclists waiting.  Darnit. Unless the bus is one of those with a 3-bike rack, I'm going to be bumped for the second day this week.  Then along comes a 4th.  He assesses the situation and then immediately turns his bike upside down, removes the wheels, straps the wheels and frame together and stands in line.  Bus arrives, a two-bike rack with one already occupied, so I lock my bike up, planning to pick it up tomorrow.  But Mr. Proceed-Until-Apprehended stays in line and when his turn comes starts to climb up.  Whoa, buddy, bikes aren't allowed (especially on this intercity bus with narrow aisles and no place to put packages except on seats).  Argue back and forth.  Call your supervisor.  10 minute delay for the 20 or so of us wanting to go home.  Can I see your badge (how many people go around impersonating a transit supervisor?).  It's no bigger than luggage.  Luggage is not dirty and greasy.  Are you calling my bike dirty. No means no.  So the cyclist backs down and we're on our way.  And for those of you who commute in dry-clean only slacks, you have the transit system on your side.

119: Categorical Imperative

This commentary by NYTimes ethicist Randy Cohen pretty much sums it up.  If you don't want to follow the link, here is a very brief summary:

"The rule-breaking cyclist that people decry: that’s me. I routinely run red lights, and so do you [the driver or pedestrian]... My behavior vexes pedestrians, drivers and even some of my fellow cyclists...

But although it is illegal, I believe it is ethical...

I roll through a red light if and only if no pedestrian is in the crosswalk and no car is in the intersection — that is, if it will not endanger myself or anybody else... This moral reasoning [passes] the test of Kant’s categorical imperative: I think all cyclists could — and should — ride like me.

I am not anarchic; I heed most traffic laws. I do not ride on the sidewalk... I do not salmon, i.e. ride against traffic. In fact, even my “rolling stops” are legal in some places [Idaho!]...

Cars... harm us insidiously, in slow motion. Auto emissions exacerbate respiratory problems, erode the facades of buildings, abet global warming. To keep the oil flowing, we make dubious foreign policy decisions. Cars promote sprawl and discourage walking, contributing to obesity and other health problems. And then there’s the noise.

Much of this creeping devastation is legal; little of it is ethical..."

118. Slap

As of July 1st, drivers in the state of Washing face higher penalties (but no criminal charge) when committing a traffic infraction--such as texting or speeding--that results in the serious injury or death of a vulnerable roader user (cyclists, pedestrians, moped'ers, etc.).  The new law sets a fine of $5000 and 90-day suspension of driving privileges that may be waived for 100 hrs of community service, completion of a safety course and a $250 fine.

"Ghost bicycle" at site of fatal accident

$5000 fine for recklessly killing someone?  Well, consider the previous penalty:


Writing 100 times on a blackboard: "I will never again maim or kill a cyclist or pedestrian."


Sometimes progress is measured in very small steps

117. Déjà Vu

Arrive home (from an overnight shift) wet and cold.  Again (see post 113). Temp about 60 with hard rain and me in a t-shirt (at least long sleeves).  At the end of JULY !!!

116. 4.6%? I Don't Think So

Here's a great map courtesy Kym: hover over a state to see how its commuting breaks down.  Oregon commuting cyclers are #1 at almost five percent (compare 40-50% in Denmark and the Netherlands), followed by California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, then Washington coming in at 2%.

Portland Cyclers

But really?  For every 20 cars pouring into Portland, Bend, and Ontario, there's one bicycle?  Eugene, sure, but for the entire state?  Who comes up with these numbers?

During my admittedly early morning downtown cycling, I see maybe 10-20 other cyclists, then I get on the bus and see hundreds if not thousands of cars coming into the city from the south--according to the city's DOT, over 56,000 cars travel the northbound I-5 route over 24 hours.

115. Double Up

So if I can't convince the powers that be to take away a car parking space for another bike rack ("you're kidding, right?), do you think they'll go for a rack that I saw at this new LEED certified building in Chapel Hill?

114. Trendy

The bike stand at one of my work places was overflowing yesterday.  It's a crummy rack, picked up I guess, from a local bike-banning school.

When you consider that several hundred people work at this site, it's not so impressive.

But you gotta start somewhere.

113. Rain tomorrow? Nah.

Starting a 24 hr shift means having to figure out what I'll need for the ride home the next day. With full optimism derived from the recently arrived summer status and looking at a forecast of moderate temperatures and a partly cloudy sky, I rode in yesterday with just bike shorts and a long-sleeve T.

And got soaked coming home this morning. I did have a pair of gloves stuffed in a pocket, and an extra long T at work so I was layered, so to speak.  But as for the "summer" rain, I'm not sure that 55º qualifies.

112. Hi Tech Commuting

I don't always cycle; running takes longer (turning a 3 hr daily commute to almost 4) but a good change.  Problem with running is the back pack, with its keys and clothes and wallet and reading material for the bus.  It's not the weight of the pack, its the up and down jostling or to avoid the latter, the tight straps.

Enter the nano and the weekly free city newspapers.  When the latter arrive in the newsstands on Thursdays, they keep me occupied on the ride in;  phone apps on the ride home and the nano while cyclin. The weight of the phone is not negligible but so much less than the cassette and DVD players from the last century.

Running without a back pack.

Freedom.

111. Pick Your Battles

Circulating the green and cycling blogospheres is this question:

Who is better for the environment: the Pruis-driving vegan or the meat-eating bicyclist?

Not quite up to Is God Dead? but still worth some thought.

By one analysis the vegan wins, but some critics have objected that if one were in to include the environmental costs of car and fuel production/disposal, then the pendulum swings back to the cyclist, even more so if the latter avoids beef.

Meanwhile, back in Seattle, on July 1st, another environmental question will fade into history: Paper or plastic? to be replaced by, "Did you bring your own bag or do you want a paper bag for 5 cents?"

Conclusion: stash your purchases in your pannier, and ride your bike to church.  Works for me.

110. Bike to Work Month

Hurray, Bike to Work Month is over.

This idea of encouraging commuters to ride bikes is great...  if it weren't for the competition over the 2 or 3 spaces for bikes on busses.

I got bumped twice in May, first time this year.  Morning is no problem; I start at the run's first stop, and even if I rode up and found two bikers ahead of me, I can always take the train, which on its reverse commute run always has room.

But on the way home, there are distant stops before me and no train late enough.  So I either wait 30 min for the next bus or lock my bike for the night and get on the bus without it.

109. Smug

With a face as smug as any look Gingrich or Santorum could come up with, he paused as I passed, walking my new bike up a very steep hill a few blocks from home and said, "don't do hills, huh?"

You know, that guy walking a dog about the size of a loaf of bread, with his wife and daughter dutifully walking a few steps behind.

No, I replied, glancing at my back tire, I don't do flats.  Oh

My stolen bike from last year?--that was the one I had put all the work into with super tough inner tubes and liners.  So that process will start again; at least I have don't have to repeat all the work in finding out the best tube/tire.  I like the tire on my new bike, so just need the tube.  Don't care if it weighs more or costs more.  Flats are a bummer

108. Civic Pride

Seattle ended up as #10 in the top 50 cities for bicycles published by bicycle magazine.  Portland is #1 with Seattle outranked by the likes of NYC, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Boulder.

Hey, do any of those cities have 100% of their public busses with fold-down bicycle racks?

Must admit, though,  I am impressed by Portland's enthusiasm, Minneapolis' dedicated bikeways, Washington's rent-a-bike system (soon to be joined by NYC), and most of all, by NYC's bicycle traffic lights.

107. "We Have the Best *** in the World"

Go ahead, plug in "healthcare," or "education," or "military," or "political system" or whatever, and most Americans will say, yes we do.  Which means of course that we can't look overseas for suggestions about how to improve our whatever, because that would imply that we may not be the best after all.

But if it's public transportation that is the issue at hand, I think even the most fervent patriot would pause. Consider the world-wide "bus rapid transit" systems (BRT) throughout the world which include the following characteristics that I have seen in Guatemala City, Quito, Guayaquil, and Lima:

1. Designated (bus-only) lanes
2. Off-bus fare collection
3. Level boarding
4. Designated, bus-only lanes.
5. Express stops

A handful of U.S. cities are trying various parts of BRT, but not to the scale seen overseas. "Yes we can" ... learn from others.

106. Tuk-Tuk

Continuing the international theme of Guatemalan public transportation (American school busses, Japanese pick-ups), we turn to India, which produces these 3-wheeled diesel taxis, a combination of a motorcycle and a rickshaw (go ahead, wiki or google "motorized rickshaw," aka tuk-tuk).  Three adults can squeeze into the back, plus a few kids, without straining the engine.

At about a buck per person, more expensive than a chicken bus or Mayan taxi, but does take you exactly where you want to go.  It is a taxi, after all.

U.S. models now available, maybe around $1000.

105. Mayan Taxis

So, back to Guatemala.  A route that doesn't attract enough riders for a chicken bus, may instead have a Mayan taxi:  a Japanese (i.e., small) pick-up with a metal frame that standing passengers hang on to.  I think I counted 24 on one I was on.  Cheap, fun, but in a collision....

104. "It's nuts"

Innovation and inertia may not be opposites in a dictionary but they are in reality.  Consumers stay away from innovative products, preferring to stay where they are.  But this is not the only obstacle facing hybrid cars, especially GM's Volt, which Fox news commentators have used to criticize Obama.

As reported by Joe Nocera of the NYTImes: "It's nuts," said Bob Lutz, the politically conservative GM executive responsible for the Volt. "There are so many legitimate things to criticize Obama about. It it inexplicable that the right would feel the need to tell lies about the Volt to attack the president."  


The Volt has been named the Car of the Year in Europe.

103. Bikes and Busses

Ever wonder what happened to all those "Bluebell" snub-nose busses that took you to school every day?

Well, they were shipped to Latin America (or at least, to Guatemala), repainted (usually) and pressed into service as intracity busses.  Called "chicken busses" as a nod to the diversity of cargo, the fare is usually less than a buck, and it is not uncommon to see eight passengers in a row.

My commute depends on the bike racks that all of our busses have, but these front-loading racks are limited to two or three bikes.  Chicken busses would not appear to be so restricted.

[note the service quality:  that's the fare collector on the right, not the passenger, hoisting the bike to its resting place]

102. Two Glove Days

One pair of gloves from home to bus stop, then second pair of dry gloves for bus stop to work.  Hoping that they will be dry for the trip home.

Rain for this month will reach 7in, close to double normal.

101. Rough Road

It's been about 10 years since the freeway has been resurfaced, so with a rough ride this morning, I thought maybe I-5 was due for a makeover.  Then a thud and smooth sailing, leading me to conclude that the flopping flat tire had just self-ejected.  Sure enough the bus pulled over and the driver announced that we had a flat tire.

Soon another passing bus (different beginning route but with same destination) stopped in front, I thought wow, a quick transfer and we'll be on our way.  But nope, the apparently policy is that a new, empty bus has to be summoned, with the apparent thinking that just 20 minutes from their destination, riders would rather wait an extra 30 minutes for an empty bus to be summoned,  than stand for the remaining 20 minutes on an immediately available but almost full bus.

Not me. But with the bus having pulled over on the left, I had no options

100. Cleats

With a lot of slush and below freezing temperatures, I left the bike at home and walked to and from bus stops.  Maybe about 8 miles total.  Strap-on cleats I bought a few months ago helped since shoveling snow off sidewalks does not appear to be part of assumed neighborhood responsibilities.

I have a front-wheel drive car that has good traction and would have shaved the walking down to a few miles, but the brisk walk felt good.

99. More Winter Biking

Notes to self:

1.  The simple absence of rain or snow doesn't mean that waterproof shoe covers can be left behind.  Fifteen minutes cycling through yesterday's slush is time enough to leave shoes and socks wet and feet cold for the remaining 75 minutes of the commute.

2.  Just because I'm okay cycling in snow and slush doesn't mean my dentist is willing to leave home.  Call first!

98. Winter Biking

First, almost couldn't get the frozen bike rack down (when not in use it folds up).

Then my chain froze during the bus trip home --I know, a better lubricated chain....

Finally, though okay on level ground, with the slightest incline I had no traction, even with mountain bike tires.

Fortunately, just at that moment, bus #49 came along.  It goes up the hill and then to within 5 blocks from home.  This violates my rule of not taking more than one bus per trip, but hey, as an LA Times columnist pointed out, we're "clueless" when it comes to snow.

97. Social Engineering

The socialist department of transportation has devised an Orwellian system to force changes in the commuting habits of thousands. Or so some would have us think.

The glacier-formed ribbon lake separating the suburban east from the urban west (a fading distinction) is 22 miles long and a few miles wide.  Two floating bridge complexes (the lake bottom being too deep/muddy to allow pilings for suspension bridges) span the lake.  The deteriorating northern bridge needs a $5 billion replacement, one billion coming from tolls which were recently introduced on the current bridge.

High-tech cameras capture the license plate or an attached "good to go" pass (which acts like a debit card), eliminating the need for toll booths.

The staggered (and for some motorists staggering) toll rates have reduced volume by one-half: from 120,000 daily crossings to 60,000. Traffic zips along at 60 from the pre-toll 20.  The idea was to encourage the use of busses and carpools, but most toll-avoiders have just switched to the newer and wider free bridge to the south, slowing its traffic from 60 to 20, bringing more pollutants to the air and sending more dollars overseas as drivers add 10-15 miles with the extra loop.  So much for social engineering.

Why don't both bridges have a toll?

Mondays - Fridays	Good To Go! Pass	Pay By Mail
Midnight to 5 a.m.	0	0
5 a.m. to 6 a.m.	$1.60	$3.10
6 a.m. to 7 a.m.	$2.80	$4.30
7 a.m. to 9 a.m.	$3.50	$5.00
9 a.m. to 10 a.m.	$2.80	$4.30
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.	$2.25	$3.75
2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	$2.80	$4.30
3 p.m. to 6 p.m.	$3.50	$5.00
6 p.m. to 7 p.m.	$2.80	$4.30
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.	$2.25	$3.75
9 p.m. to 11 p.m.	$1.60	$3.10
11 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.	0	0

96. At the Bus Stop

Headed for the bus stop early Sunday morning after an all night shift.  A chilly but calm and foggy winter morning--actually not bad weather for a bike ride.  A young woman listens to a fiftyish man in a wool winter overcoat.  The kind of guy you would expect to be a salesman at Nordstrom or maybe a hospital administrator (I have a limited world view).  In a few minutes he comes over to me and asks if I would be interested in a copy of the "Watchtower."  I decline.  He then climbs into the passenger seat of a nearby Suburban-type SUV with a woman driver, and they leave. I wonder if at the next stop she'll be the one who gets out.