"Voices of Transit" ring loud and clear with authority
I've been remiss (for a year now) in not sharing with you a fascinating report by the Illinois Public Research Interest Group Education Fund called Voices of Transit. It was one of those things that I squirreled away to post later, but never got to it. No matter. It's still pertinent.
The report was issued last April not long after legislators had raised a couple of taxes to "solve" the transit funding crisis. It reminds us that "the most compelling reason to value transit has all too often been overlooked – the expertise from riders and residents themselves who rely on transit. Voices of Transit is a compilation of interviews from those that depend on Northeastern Illinois transit. The stories compiled document perspectives from riders in their own words; perspectives that statistics can’t provide.
Here are some of the common themes from the report:
-
Frustration with the cost of owning a car.
- Frustration with the transit agencies.
- Recognition that transit determines access to jobs.
- Agreement that both politicians and riders are responsible for improving transit.
Read the interviews here.
The conclusion PIRG suggests should be obvious, and it is one that CTA Tattler strives to do with every post: increase community participation:
Steps should be taken at all levels to better elicit feedback and ideas from transit users. ‘The customer is always right’ is a motto that should apply to transit service as well.
Planners, politicians, and decision makers should never forget for whose ultimate use and benefit public transport is developed. Every effort should be made to involve the voices, ideas, and concerns of citizen users of transit. Residents of local communities have the most to gain or lose from transit planning and funding decisions. It is incumbent on our leaders to always keep this in mind and to go to them when questions arise. As a result of community participation and involvement we can expect better decisions that reflect the needs and values of the community.
The link isn't working.
Posted by: Cheryl | April 13, 2009 at 10:12 AM
So much to digest in Illinois PIRG's report, but I found an interesting statistic that needs to be highlighted to convice the transit-resistant that they benefit from transit even if they don't choose to use it.
"In 2005, transit prevented 540.8 million
hours of traffic delay, according
to the Texas Transportation Institute,
equivalent to more than 61,700 people
sitting in traffic for an entire year. The
monetary value of those savings was
$10.2 billion."
I also liked the mention of GM's Futurama exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair. I'm sure GM's vision of the future didn't involve effectively being forced into bankruptcy by the federal government 80 years later.
Posted by: Martha | April 13, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Can somebody explain the fact that slow zone work was already completed in the Blue Line subway from Division to Clark/Lake but there is over 5,000 ft of slow zone per the 4-8-09 slow zone map?
This is a qoute from the CTA's own slow zone section.
During 2007 and 2008, CTA undertook extensive track renewal on the Blue Line, replacing rails, ties, and other track infrastructure on the O'Hare branch, between O'Hare and Addison, and in the Dearborn Subway, between Division and Clark/Lake.
Primary work on the O'Hare branch of the Blue Line was completed in early December 2008.
Posted by: JC | April 13, 2009 at 05:51 PM
But note that it gives a completion date for the O'Hare branch work but not for the Dearborn Subway work.
My understanding is that the work done in 2007-08 in the Dearborn Subway was stabilization work, basically to get the tracks in good order. But it wasn't a complete overhaul, like the O'Hare branch work was. I think they have to go back in to replace the rest of the ties in the subway they didn't touch in 2007-08 to complete the overhaul.
The slow zone page specifically refers to the 2007-08 work as "the first phase" ("The first phase of work on the downtown subway portion of the Blue Line was completed in September 2007...") It later says, "Additional construction to replace the remaining wooden ties in the Dearborn Subway with concrete ties... will be performed at a later date." That later date would seem to be now, using Stimulus funds, according to the second-to-last paragraph in this press release:
http://www.transitchicago.com/news/default.aspx?Month=&Year=&Category=2&ArticleId=2318
Posted by: Billy Saver | April 13, 2009 at 06:17 PM
I have no desire to read anything that uses silly slogans like "the customer is always right". That turned me off and caused there to be no chance that I will look at that report. Whenever anybody uses that phrase it indicates they are advocating an extreamly naive philosophy that is completely detached from reality. Anybody who tells employees of any company or organization that "the customer is always right" will immedietely cause anything else they have to say to fall on deaf ears. People will know not to take anyone who says that seriously.
The point people like that attempt to make is usually worthwhile. But it only works to get this point across by stating something accurate. They could say "the customer is usually right" or "you should always assume the customer is right until the evidence is clear that he or she is not". But it is extreamly counterproductive to state something that everyone knows is not correct.
Posted by: MK | April 14, 2009 at 03:55 AM
That makes sense Billy, thanks for the info.
Posted by: JC | April 14, 2009 at 06:47 AM
I actually agree with MK here. Useless platitude.
Posted by: strannix | April 14, 2009 at 09:02 AM