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Post by jejozwik on Aug 6, 2008 11:47:28 GMT -8
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Post by spokker on Aug 6, 2008 17:03:13 GMT -8
It's the same crowd that will buy SUVs now that gas prices are going down a little bit. Never mind that the days of cheap gas are over.
You won't get anywhere with them.
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Post by nickv on Aug 6, 2008 19:26:30 GMT -8
There's one thing in online newspaper "comments" (not to be confused with letters to the editor) I see that is common: A bunch of complaining, finger-pointing and criticizing...So you're not alone. Of course when something does go wrong, I think one of the best ways to deal with it is to do something about it for the good of others and the community..., even if its just writing a letter or talking with the manager of the shift.
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Post by jejozwik on Aug 7, 2008 13:09:27 GMT -8
ok, this one is just too amazing not to share with you guys
how do people like this exist?
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Post by James Fujita on Aug 7, 2008 14:16:13 GMT -8
I'm actually glad to see transit fans reading messages like these, because although they may be extremely misguided and misinformed if not entirely off-the-wall and "out of touch with reality", they do serve a useful purpose, which is: they shock us out of our complacency.
the transit coalition message board is a great place for like-minded transit lovers to discuss policy and plan strategies, as well as propose great new rail lines that desperately need to be built, but there is an insular "ivory tower" aspect to it.
the sad reality of it is that not everyone supports mass transit, some people are in denial of the $4.50 gas, some people are addicted to their cars and SUVs, some people are in denial of traffic and smog. and some people may be completely unaware of how uninformed they actually are.
then, there are the anti-tax folks, the people who look at the price tag first, the ones who "know the cost of everything but the value of nothing"
some folks are beyond our reach: they probably played with Matchbox cars as kids, had the hottest hot rod as teens and they've never been to San Francisco or Tokyo or even to San Diego and taken the subways and trolleys of the world. the bus is what their maid rides because "she has to", transit is something to be "forced" into.
there are still millions of others we can reach: the business traveler who took the train in London or Paris, the tired commuter who wants a solution — any solution, the environmentalist who hates smog, the senior who remembers the Red Cars. maybe they aren't on our side, but they can be reached.
but keep reading the caveman opinions. they remind us of how big of a hill we have to climb, and they provide us with plenty of myths and misconceptions to counteract.
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Post by erict on Aug 7, 2008 16:46:02 GMT -8
I don't see stupidity as a good thing at all. I think it is ignorance fueled by a society addicted to gasoline and cars. Just look how many car commercials are on a regular TV show. Have you ever see a mass transit commercial? Obviously everyone is not going to love mass transit, but I think most people see the need for a change.
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Post by jejozwik on Aug 7, 2008 16:57:03 GMT -8
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Post by nickv on Aug 7, 2008 18:48:53 GMT -8
I doubt the writer will see this response, but I don't think that his/her arguments are sound. If anybody's looking for answers, here's my view:
1. Try taking a drive from the South Coast Plaza area into Lake Elsinore during the Friday afternoon rush hour via SR-91. The SR-55, 91 and I-15 are at least 8 lanes wide each, yet even with the 91 Express Toll Lanes, a one way trip can last up to 2 to 2 1/2 hours. That's because the 91 is a parking lot through Santa Ana Canyon from 2PM to about 8PM on Fridays.
A 3-seat ride via mass transit is just less than 2 hours, end-to-end; that's with two transfers. Both RTA and Metrolink are reliable with OTP.
Ride via Mass Transit: OCTA 464: Leave South Coast Plaza at 3:37PM, arrive at Santa Ana Depot at 4:04PM (about 15 minutes before the train departs)
METROLINK IEOC: Leave at 4:22PM, arrive at North Main Corona at 5:00PM.
RTA 206: Leaves five minutes after train arrives (about 5:05PM). Arrives at Lake Elsinore Park & Ride at 5:35PM.
2. Watch this video. The high speed choo-choo can travel faster than 65 MPH:
3. Let's talk about costs and stress. Take for example a Christmas shopping trip to the LA area. Try to match a round trip $18.25 Metrolink Weekends ticket (from Oceanside TC to LAUS with the EZ-Pass) to a car trip from Oceanside to LA. The LA destinations are Broadway Ave, the food court near 7th st Metro Station, the gift shop at the LA Cathedral, the Kodak Theater Mall, and Little Tokyo. It can't be done; just parking at 3-4 spots alone would cost around $20.00.
On the way back, try taking a nap or reading a book while behind the wheel.
Ummm... a Metro Red/Purple Line alignment is about 1/2 the width of narrow 6 lane SR-110 through South Pasadena. A triple-track regional rail alignment is about 1/2 the width of an 8 lane freeway. Just look at a satellite map.
Well, one of the things the TTC would support are timed transfers. OCTA and Metrolink have good system where the shuttles wait for their connecting trains to show up. The same goes for Amtrak buses and would probably hold true for CA HSR.
I do understand that there are shopping centers out there that are so car-centric that a pedestrian would have to cross over gardens and parking lots to access the stores, making commercial shopping difficult for transit riders. However, that is something that can be fixed. Part of that is called transit-oriented development or smarth growth.
Take a ride on Line 720 (chances are the bus will be SRO) and observe both the pedestrian and car traffic...and the 720 is not a "little old" bus route that runs every hour. The 720 uses state of the art articulated buses that run so fequently that all one has to do is show up at a Line 720 bus stop and look at a real-time sign indicating when the next bus will show up.
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