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Post by metrocenter on Nov 7, 2011 15:49:36 GMT -8
(Source: blogdowntown.com) Metro Launches 'More Trains More Often' with Shorter Waits, Shorter TrainsBy Eric Richardson Published: Monday, November 07, 2011, at 11:13AM DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Trains on Metro's three highest-ridership rail lines will run every 10 minutes from 6pm to midnight under the transit agency's "More Trains More Often" pilot project, officially unveiled this morning. Just what it will take for the program to be measured a success and continue past June of 2012 remains to be seen. The Red, Purple and Blue lines currently run every 20 minutes later in the evening. The new program will use shorter trains and run them more often to reduce wait times while not significantly raising service costs. The increased service will run seven nights per week, starting on Sunday, November 13. Running the stepped-up timetable for a full year would cost $1.3 million, said Metro spokesman Marc Littman. Much of that cost would come from needing to hire 15 new operators to run the split-up trains. The effort uses funds found in Metro's current budget, and not the private money that was required for a 2008 late night holiday pilot. That effort was the brainchild of 213 Ventures' Cedd Moses, who contributed some of the $54,000 raised to extend Red Line service to 3am on Friday and Saturday nights. Bringing Back Broadway coordinated fundraising for the pilot, which attracted approximately 1000 riders per night. Success of the current effort will depend on both ridership numbers and feedback from businesses along the route, Littman said. The Red and Purple lines currently carry just under 19,000 passengers nightly between 7pm and midnight, while the Blue line carries approximately 9,400. The transit agency does not have a set number that ridership must hit for the effort to be deemed a success. The new service won't do much for riders who would like to use Metro to get back from a night on the town. The last trains on the three lines currently leave between midnight and 1am. An expansion of those service hours is something that Metro will consider as part of budgeting process for its next fiscal year, which starts in July of 2012. Metro's board will consider whether to extend the current service expansion in March. |
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Post by metrocenter on Nov 7, 2011 15:58:52 GMT -8
(Source: thesource.metro.net) Metro announces more frequent subway trains and Blue Line service at nightBy Steve Hymon Published: Monday, November 07, 2011 Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board Chair Antonio Villaraigosa just finished announcing the news at a news event at the Music Center: Beginning this Sunday, Nov. 13, Metro will run trains every 10 minutes between 6 p.m. and midnight on the Red and Purple line subway, as well as the Blue Line between downtown L.A. and Long Beach. It’s a demonstration project that aims to boost ridership and better serve entertainment, cultural and sporting venues in addition to restaurants, hotels and stores. The service will also be accompanied by more discounts available to those who use Metro to get where they’re going. “L.A. doesn’t roll up its sidewalks at sundown,” said Mayor Villaraigosa, who also noted that this is part of a bigger program to expand transit throughout the region — whether it’s building new lines or taking better advantage of existing transit. “Our downtown is booming — it’s no longer a nine-to-five downtown,” said Carol Schatz, President and CEO of the Central City Assn., which represents downtown businesses. “Metro’s slogan is ‘more trains, more often.’ Our slogan is ‘party hardy and take the train.’” The project is starting with Metro’s busiest rail lines at night. The subway currently carries an estimated 18,568 boardings between 7 p.m. and midnight with the Blue Line carrying 9,379 between those times. The agency will see how the new service performs and may make similar changes to other lines next spring. Among the representatives of the night-life scene on hand for the announcement Monday were cheerleaders for the L.A. Kings and L.A. Clippers — both teams play a short walk from the Blue Line — as well as officials from the L.A. Opera, Hollywood and the Long Beach Aquarium. I know some Source readers will ask: why not post-midnight service? The answer from Metro officials: they wanted to first determine if there are ridership gains to be had from more frequent service during the regular night hours. If the program goes well, late night service may still be added. In the meantime, patrons on the Gold, Green and Orange Line busway should see quicker trips if they’re transferring to the subway or Blue Line at night. The extra service should also benefit workers who won’t have to wait as long for trains and will likely see more people on those trains, leading to a safer atmosphere. |
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Post by bluelineshawn on Nov 7, 2011 20:21:00 GMT -8
Fantastic! I admit to being pleasantly surprised that they chose the blue line over the gold line for the expanded service. It is the better choice, but goes against the grain of previous decisions.
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Post by Philip on Nov 8, 2011 1:11:59 GMT -8
I posted this on the actual Source comment thread, but I'll cross-post my thoughts here as well:
While the news of expanded service is welcome, it’s disappointing that the subway still won’t have any late night service.
It would only take running a few more trains (that Metro already plans to be running with the expanded service) to make riding the subway a viable alternative to driving late at night. Service doesn’t even need to be 24 hours. End it at 2:15 so people can at least make it in either direction from whatever place they may be leaving for the night.
I understand cost and maintenance are usually the de facto reasons for no owl service, but with this new announcement of expanded service and maintenance being done during operating hours so often, what reason is there to not run trains? There is safety to consider of course, but all it requires is posting someone at the stations. This is done in cities all over the world.
I have talked to countless people that refuse to ride because of this and it’s unfortunate.
And temporary late service (like Metro tried to provide back during the holidays in either ’08 or ’09) for a few months is in no way a gauge of what ridership could be like (another reason Metro has used to explain no late night service – that the ridership is not there and was not there during this temporary service increase). There are people who live in L.A. who still don’t even know that the subway EXISTS. It could take a year or more for the ridership patterns to change.
I’m happy to have more subway service, but I hope Metro reconsiders it’s position on late night service so people can get the most use out of it possible.
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Post by bluelineshawn on Nov 11, 2011 16:42:00 GMT -8
Even though this isn't yet confirmed as permanent, they have the new schedules on the Metro website detailing the 10 minute service all night, 7 days per week effective November 13. The daytime service is sadly still only every 12 minutes. I say "sadly" because most NB blue line trains are standing room only on Saturdays from 11-3 and many NB and SB trains are standing room only from 2-7. I've said for a few years that the blue line needs to be 10 minutes on Saturday from 10-7.
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Post by jamesinclair on Dec 17, 2011 22:20:26 GMT -8
I have a theory:
The report said
"The increased service will run seven nights per week, starting on Sunday, November 13.
The effort uses funds found in Metro's current budget,"
Sunday, November 13th just happens to coincide with what Metro once thought the Expo line would begin running (according to their financials).
This service is using existing funds...
So can it be that money which was set aside for Expo is partially being used to fund this service?
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Post by bluelineshawn on Dec 18, 2011 10:46:25 GMT -8
I've thought that from the start. I also think that it has to do with bus operators having already been promoted to train operators for Expo and replacement bus operators having already been hired. And since blue line operators have to also be Expo certified, they have a chance to use the extra personnel for the late night service and still have enough personnel to test Expo. So my guess is that the program would end when Expo starts the official prerevenue testing sometime next year.
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Post by Transit Coalition on Jul 11, 2012 13:46:48 GMT -8
Expanded night service is coming Friday, July 27.
The expanded service will run Friday and Saturday nights for now,
with the other five days to be added some time in the unknown future.
I had breakfast with Frank Alejandro. He told me that on
Friday, July 27, 2012 Metro will be implementing increased late night rail and orange line service consisting of:
· Expand all rail lines (Blue/Expo, Red/Purple, Green, Gold) to 2:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday only
· 20 minute headway on all rail lines between midnight and 2:00 a.m.
· Expand Orange Line to 2:40 a.m. on Friday and Saturday only to meet last Red Line NoHo train
· 20 minute headway on Orange Line between midnight and 2:40 a.m.
So, prepare to enjoy. Frank knows that a lot of people want to enjoy a late night on the weekends,
so as previously announced, this is step one of the rail service increase plan.
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Post by macross287 on Jul 11, 2012 16:59:10 GMT -8
This is GREAT NEWS.
I just have one thing to nitpick though. Why is service ending for the Green Line at 2:00 a.m. and not 2:40 a.m., like the Orange Line, so it can meet with the last Blue Line Train.
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Post by bluelineshawn on Jul 11, 2012 18:39:52 GMT -8
Great news!! Thanks for the update Bart!
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Post by Transit Coalition on Jul 12, 2012 9:15:28 GMT -8
This is GREAT NEWS. I just have one thing to nitpick though. Why is service ending for the Green Line at 2:00 a.m. and not 2:40 a.m., like the Orange Line, so it can meet with the last Blue Line Train. I passed your concern on to the right folks at Metro and got some great news: From: Cheung, Conan Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 9:32 AM To: Alejandro, Frank Subject: Late Night Rail Service There’s a 2:20am green line departure that connects with a 2:10am blue line arrival. |
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Post by macross287 on Jul 12, 2012 17:44:36 GMT -8
Thanks Bart
Im really looking forward to this and eagerly waiting for the new train schedules to be posted.
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Post by tonyw79sfv on Jul 22, 2012 23:30:57 GMT -8
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Post by ieko on Jul 23, 2012 0:53:42 GMT -8
Looks like the Orange Line is now 24/7 Friday Morning to Sunday night. I suspect the Blue Line will end up like this too because of the long run & deadhead times. By the way, the Red & Purple Line schedules have been updated as well. |
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Post by tonyw79sfv on Jul 23, 2012 16:45:52 GMT -8
Looks like the Orange Line is now 24/7 Friday Morning to Sunday night. I suspect the Blue Line will end up like this too because of the long run & deadhead times. By the way, the Red & Purple Line schedules have been updated as well. Schedules for the Blue, Red/Purple, Green, Gold, Expo, and Orange Lines now includes late night trips! Only the Orange Line has service that overlaps to the next day by 3 minutes, while the Blue Line is quiet (revenue-wise) for 26 minutes. |
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Post by macross287 on Jul 29, 2012 21:24:08 GMT -8
Rode the extended service on Saturday. Trains were cleans, uneventful (in a good way), and had decent ridership for for the first weekend.
One thing that bothered me a little bit was the lack of real time arrival information for the rail lines. The Red Line was undergoing maintenance on Saturday in the downtown segment and the schedule arrival times were not listed on the TPIS Screens, which made the wait for trains rather unpleasant. I know the agency is trying to implement real time info as quickly possible but that information would be really helpful for new users trying late night service for the first time especially when headway's are longer than 10 minutes.
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Post by calwatch on Aug 15, 2012 22:40:27 GMT -8
Good news for Blue Line riders - the 2:07 am trip from Long Beach now continues all the way to Metro Center. Unfortunately, they have done a terrible job of publicizing this, with a service change message stuffed on the trains.  |
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Post by gatewaygent on Aug 16, 2012 15:40:41 GMT -8
It's really a shame that the Long Beach City Council of the early 90's couldn't get on board with the Disney Sea project. This late night service would have been a home run. Oh well, there's always the fabulous Pine Avenue and Shore Line Village...NOT!!!
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Post by macross287 on Aug 16, 2012 17:28:43 GMT -8
Good news for Blue Line riders - the 2:07 am trip from Long Beach now continues all the way to Metro Center. Unfortunately, they have done a terrible job of publicizing this, with a service change message stuffed on the trains. I agree that they have not done a good job publicizing this. They have not even updated their schedules online to reflect the slightly more extended hours for the Blue, Expo, and Silver Lines, though the Silver Line did get a Source post. |
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Post by rubbertoe on Aug 16, 2012 17:50:17 GMT -8
Fear not, the Googleplex is onto the new schedules...  |
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Post by calwatch on Aug 16, 2012 20:46:26 GMT -8
The Gold Line also has the last train on each branch leaving just after 2 am (ending at Union Station), and the last train of the Green Line got pushed back 6 minutes to make better connections to the Blue.
Incidentally this is the first time that I have seen trains deadhead back to the yard from Metro Center out of service. Normally they make great pains to avoid that.
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