|
Post by nickv on May 22, 2007 22:03:42 GMT -8
The North County Transit District (NCTD) has posted the proposed schedule for its brand new SPRINTER Light Rail service. Service is due to start this December, thus completing its 20-year journey of planning & development which began with the SANDAG Highway 78 Corridor Study back in 1987. The rail system is much different than a traditional light rail system. Although there will be at-grade street crossings, the entire system will operate along a separate rail right-a-way separate from surface streets; thus allowing trains to travel up to 55 MPH in some areas. Per the SANDAG Transit Corridor Evaluation in 1992, the agency determined that Diesel Multiple Units, a modern form of rail car, will be most cost-efficient for the SPRINTER, instead of an overhead electrified system. As posted on the NCTD Web site, a full train set can carry up to 452 riders. Riders will board at one of 15 stations spaced every 1-2 miles along the 22 mile line. Service will operate on all days of the week: On weekdays, westbound service from Escondido is proposed to start at 4:03 a.m. in the morning and continue through the evening with the last train departing at 7:33 p.m. Eastbound service from Oceanside is proposed to start at 5:03 a.m. in the morning and continue through the evening with the last train departing at 8:33 p.m. On weekends and holidays, westbound service from Escondido is proposed to start at 4:33 a.m. in the morning and continue through the evening with the last train departing at 7:33 p.m. Eastbound service from Oceanside is proposed to start at 5:33 a.m. in the morning and continue through the evening with the last train departing at 8:33 p.m. The interval between trains is proposed to be 30 minutes at all times on weekdays, and 60 minutes at all times on weekends. Source: NCTDThose wishing to comment to NCTD should e-mail or participate at one of the public hearing meetings in the area.
|
|
|
Post by nickv on Nov 13, 2007 21:17:31 GMT -8
-NCTD Sprinter Update- In December 2007 North County will have a new east-west mobility link between Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido: the SPRINTER rail line. The SPRINTER will run 22 miles along the Highway 78 corridor effortlessly transporting passengers to work, school, shopping centers and other activities. Riders will have the freedom to read, work or relax as these state-of-the-art rail vehicles sprint to the 15 stations on the line. The SPRINTER light rail line brings community benefits...making North County a nicer place to be. With significant population growth coming, we're all worried about congestion and the resulting pollution. The SPRINTER will reduce traffic by eliminating hundreds of cars and by giving people an alternative mode of transportation. The predictable, reliable service will be easy to use, practical and consumer friendly. The SPRINTER will also encourage transit-oriented development in the cities along the route, a prospect that supports the principles of Smart Growth. Construction on the SPRINTER line is scheduled for completion in December 2007. For information about upcoming construction, see the Construction Updates page, or call the SPRINTER construction project line at (760) 599-8332. SPRINTER service is proposed to begin in December 2007. NCTD will change BREEZE and FAST bus routes, effective January 13, 2008. Feedback on this proposed service plan was received from the public at the NCTD Board Meeting held on June 21, 2007. The links below are designed to help you understand the tentative BREEZE service plan. Some of these routes and timetables may change before implementation. Look at the Sprinter Network Map to see which BREEZE and FAST bus routes connect at SPRINTER stations or view the Quick Reference Guide to see how your existing BREEZE route is changing and the Major Destination List to find out which BREEZE routes serve major destinations. Sprinter Network MapReference Guide to Breeze Bus Route ChangesSource: NCTD................................... This project has also led to an increase of TOD developers coming into the centers of Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido per the press.
|
|
Mac
Full Member
Posts: 192
|
Post by Mac on Nov 14, 2007 18:13:45 GMT -8
Looks pretty cool, at least they are getting the job done right down there.
|
|
|
Post by Elson on Nov 14, 2007 19:50:13 GMT -8
Those overhead racks got me thinking...
...IS THIS JUST THE THING WE NEED FOR THE LAX EXPRESS/HARBOR SUBDIVISION?
|
|
|
Post by tonyw79sfv on Nov 15, 2007 0:55:44 GMT -8
It's nice that a small community gets a rail system there. However, I looked at the schedule. Trains come every 30 minutes weekdays/1 hour weekends/holidays and it takes 53 minutes to do the 22 mile trek; the end to end average speed is the same as our Metro Blue Line: 24MPH. DMUs like the Sprinter would be nice for LA, but isn't Metro barred from purchasing new diesel vehicles? How about Metrolink starts using DMUs, it'll look like we have a large light rail system with those.
|
|
|
Post by erict on Nov 15, 2007 3:53:11 GMT -8
from yesterdays metro meeting: 12. AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer to: A. award and execute a firm fixed price Contract No. PS 4370-2064 to LTK Engineering Services to provide professional services in the amount of $484,682 to conduct a feasibility analysis of Diesel Multiple Unit (a self-propelled rail car) operations on Metro-owned rail rights of way; B. execute contract modifications up to $48,470 to cover the cost of any potentially unforeseen issues that may arise during the above study; and C. amend the FY 2008 Budget by adding $296,200 using Propositions A and
Metro is looking into using DMUs
|
|
|
Post by kenalpern on Nov 15, 2007 5:20:38 GMT -8
Erict is absolutely correct, since Metro is very interested in utilizing DMU on the Harbor Subdivision ROW.
|
|
|
Post by Tony Fernandez on Nov 15, 2007 8:23:26 GMT -8
Why does it have to be diesel? I know it's cheaper, but can't we built it as EMU?
|
|
|
Post by nickv on Nov 24, 2007 17:05:03 GMT -8
GRAND OPENING AMBASSADORS In late 2007, NCTD will introduce the SPRINTER to the cities of Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido through a variety of community-oriented events. We're currently looking for volunteers to serve as SPRINTER ambassadors to help with these grand opening events and the start of service. Do you have a passion for trains and want to be a part of history? If you wish to volunteer as a SPRINTER ambassador, read on! The SPRINTER Ambassadors program aims to help North County's new light rail line become an instant part of our community! The SPRINTER's 15 stations will be opening in late December, 2007. We need volunteers to staff special events and these stations when service begins and into January 2008. We're looking for public transit advocates, community service groups, Spanish-speakers and rail enthusiasts who have a desire to educate riders so they have a positive experience on the SPRINTER trains. How to ApplyDownload the overview sheet and application below. Ambassador Program Overview (PDF)Ambassador Application Form (PDF) Return the application through one of the following methods: Fax: 760-967-1398 EmailMail: NCTD SPRINTER Ambassador, 810 Mission Ave., Oceanside CA 92054 An ambassador program coordinator will contact applicants concerning stations, dates and times of availability. Source: NCTD............................ “It may become an ongoing program,” said Steve Gallacher, the district's customer service assistant. “We just won't use as many of them.” About 80 people have filled out applications to be ambassadors, Gallacher said. The district is seeking about 20 more ambassadors willing to be assigned to stations where the need is greatest. Each volunteer who trained last week at the NCTD office in Oceanside received a royal blue fleece vest, a badge and a cowboy hat rimmed with a blue “Sprinter” band, as well as a free pass to ride the Sprinter or the district's Breeze buses for a month. Ambassadors who work 12 hours or more during the first month of operation will receive a pass for an additional calendar month of Sprinter rides. Sprinter admission is free forever for volunteers willing to wear their uniforms on the Sprinter and field questions about the $477 million project. (Edit 3/30/2008 - NCTD staff informed me during my Ambassador shift that Sprinter admission is free through March for volunteers willing to wear their uniforms, not forever. Volunteers who work 12 hours or more per month would be given a monthly transit pass good for the next month).
|
|
|
Post by nickv on Nov 29, 2007 22:03:33 GMT -8
NCTD to Host SPRINTER Train Sneak-Peak at Vista Transit Center on December 1A new train will be parked at station for free tours during the Vista Christmas Parade North County Transit District (NCTD) is offering free tours of a new SPRINTER light rail train at the Vista Transit Center station this Saturday, December 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Vista Chamber of Commerce and the City of Vista are celebrating the arrival of the SPRINTER during the annual Christmas Parade, which is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on the same day. The theme of the parade is “All Aboard the Vista Express” and features train-themed floats. Click to visit the Vista Chamber of Commerce site for more information about the parade. A brand-new SPRINTER train will be parked at the station located at N. Santa Fe Ave. & Vista Village Drive. NCTD representatives will be on hand to answer questions about the SPRINTER, North County’s new transportation option. The public and other parade-goers are invited to stop by the station to board the train for this special sneak-peak. Service does not begin on the 22-mile light rail line until late December. NCTD moves more than 12 million passengers annually by providing public transportation for North San Diego County. The family of transit services includes the BREEZE bus system, the COASTER commuter rail service, FAST curb-to-curb transportation, LIFT paratransit and the SPRINTER light rail, scheduled to begin operations in December, 2007. It is NCTD’s mission to deliver safe, convenient, reliable and user-friendly public transportation services.
|
|
|
Post by wad on Dec 2, 2007 23:05:48 GMT -8
I received a message from NCTD that Sprinter revenue service begins January 13, 2008.
The opening of the stations in December probably means that they'll be ready for buses to use, but no train service operating until January.
|
|
|
Post by Transit Coalition on Dec 29, 2007 17:39:40 GMT -8
The Sprinter leaves Escondido on its way to Oceanside. The 22-mile trip will take 53 minutes. A one-way ticket will be $2, the same prices as a bus ride. North County Transit District's Sprinter ......The Sprinter crossed the bridge over train broke through a banner across ..........state Route 78 at Woodland Parkway the tracks at the Escondido Transit ..........in San Marcos last week. Center less than an hour after leaving ........--DON KOHLBAUER / Union-Tribune the Oceanside Transit Center station. -- CHARLIE NEUMAN / Union-Tribune At the Sprinter dispatch center in .............The Sprinter seats twice as Escondido, systems engineer Ken ...............many passengers as the Seymour with B&C Transit ........................trolley. Consultants worked on monitors .................--SEAN DuFRENE / Union-Tribune that showed video from the stations. SCOTT LINNETT / Union-Tribune The Spinter light rail train pulls into the Escondido Sprinter Station after it came from Oceanside as part of the dedication ceremony on Friday. --DON BOOMER North County Times Staff Photographer At left, Miss Teen Vista Princess Helen Rigby, 13, and Miss Vista Princess Lisa Hendrix, 18, mingle with those who have come to get a look at the Sprinter, the light-rail service for northern San Diego County. Service to the public will open Jan. 13. (Sean Masterson / For The LA Times) Los Angeles Times: Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007 ArticleNorth County Times: Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007 Article and VideoNorth County Times: Friday, Dec. 28, 2007 EditorialSan Diego Union Tribune: Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007 Article and VideoSan Diego Union Tribune: Monday, Dec. 24, 2007 ArticleSan Diego Union Tribune: Monday, Nov. 26, 2007 OpEd
|
|
|
Post by bluelineshawn on Dec 29, 2007 18:03:43 GMT -8
Thanks for the reminder. I'm gonna try and make the opening.
|
|
|
Post by nickv on Dec 29, 2007 21:12:02 GMT -8
I will actually be there as a grand opening ambassador. NCTD appears to be still recruiting if anybody else can help. On the way to ambassador training, I'll hop aboard NCTD Route 320 Express and check out the Sprinter Route as the route runs next to the Sprinter Corridor near the Palomar College TC. Route 320 will retire on Sprinter's opening day. I've ridden the Route 320 Express quite a few times between Escondido and Oceanside. The Sprinter will shave about 10-17 minutes from the 22 mile journey from about 70 minutes to about 53 minutes.
|
|
|
Post by kenalpern on Dec 29, 2007 22:55:01 GMT -8
Too bad it's as high as 53 minutes, but it still sounds like an improvement. It has its detractors, but it could enjoy excellent ridership and I hope you ambassadors have positive things to report back to the rest of us.
|
|
|
Post by LAofAnaheim on Dec 30, 2007 0:27:47 GMT -8
Just to double-check....does the Oceanside station have both Sprinter & Metrolink service?
|
|
|
Post by wad on Dec 30, 2007 0:52:26 GMT -8
Too bad it's as high as 53 minutes, but it still sounds like an improvement. It has its detractors, but it could enjoy excellent ridership and I hope you ambassadors have positive things to report back to the rest of us. The 70 minutes sounds slow for a bus, but keep in mind that the travel times are very fast. The problem, I have noticed, is that NCTD has static schedules and bases the entire day's schedule around the rush hours, when the trip is slower. The freeway is mostly free-flowing, but the buses lose their speed advantage because they run hot. The buses wait about 5-10 minutes at each stop to catch up to the schedule.
|
|
|
Post by nickv on Dec 30, 2007 1:36:41 GMT -8
Yes. The Oceanside station is a full-fledge transit center. The station serves Metrolink, Coaster, Amtrak, and Sprinter trains. Several NCTD buses and RTA Bus Route 202 serve the station. The transit center also serves Amtrak buses and Greyhound buses. The station also has a small gift store, restrooms, and a Burger King restaurant (some food items are marked up a little bit).
|
|
|
Post by nickv on Dec 30, 2007 1:46:26 GMT -8
Based on past experiences, Route 320 busses take about 3-5 minutes to transition from the 78 freeway to a transit center stop and another 3-5 minutes to get back on the freeway. Most of the TC's on this route are about 3/8 to 1/2 mile ride each way between the freeway and the TC. The bus also serves the local stops too. I remember the only time this bus had a layover period was at the Vista stop, which has a layover period on the schedule; so once the bus got off the freeway at Vista, 10-15 minutes would often tick by before the bus continued on to the next TC.
|
|
|
Post by nickv on Jan 2, 2008 8:42:22 GMT -8
I just found out that the Sprinter trains will run every 30 minutes on weekends instead of hourly due to a $469,126 grant.01/05/2008 Update: NCTD has not received this grant yet; therefore the weekend trains will run hourly for now.
|
|
|
Post by whitmanlam on Jan 2, 2008 10:49:04 GMT -8
Who's the genius who decided to use Diesel Multiple Units instead of Electric Power ?? With the price of oil at $100 a barrel, this could end up being the more costly solution. And what about greenhouse gases ?? Shoulda Electrified like all the rest.
|
|
snuffy
Junior Member
Posts: 62
|
Post by snuffy on Jan 2, 2008 11:03:14 GMT -8
Sprinter looks nice but why they didn't use Coaster instead? If Coaster runs between San Diego to Escondido, I think much easier and no need to worry about transfer.
|
|
|
Post by nickv on Jan 2, 2008 13:24:57 GMT -8
Demand for travel between Oceanside and Escondido and the intermediate cities is high. Plus, I think the riders would not be happy paying higher Coaster fares.
Right now, two NCTD bus lines directly link the two cities together; one local and one express. The local runs every 15 minutes on weekdays and the express runs every 30 minutes.
The Sprinter will replace the express bus route 320 and headways on the local bus line will be reduced to every 30 minutes. The riders will now use the Sprinter which costs the same as riding the bus. I've ridden the express route several times and about 80% of my rides on this route between Vista and Oceanside were standing room only, and my trips were not made during rush hour.
Because of this demand and the fact that the Sprinter has more intermediate stops than the Coaster, it is more cost effective for NCTD to use light-rail in lieu of commuter rail.
I don't have any sources or facts to back this up, but I've heard that some of the Metrolink trains that will be used for OC's 30 minute Metrolink service and the Metrolink Redlands Exstension will use similar technology that will be used for the Sprinter.
|
|
|
Post by nickv on Jan 2, 2008 13:28:28 GMT -8
Who's the genius who decided to use Diesel Multiple Units instead of Electric Power ?? The folks who completed the SANDAG Transit Corridor Evaluation back in 1992.
They determined that Diesel Multiple Units, a modern form of rail car, will be most cost-efficient for the SPRINTER, instead of an overhead electrified system. That's all the info I have about that; I don't have their detailed reasonings.
|
|
|
Post by nickv on Jan 5, 2008 16:38:37 GMT -8
Many people found out today that the Sprinter may start up later than January 13, per this article because of some safety concerns and incomplete work. I'll post an update once I find out if this will happen or not. If anybody's planning on checking out the Sprinter and is planning on taking Metrolink to Oceanside, you will need to purchase a separate Sprinter ticket for your return trip back to Oceanside from the Sprinter. One way ticket is $2.00. Day pass is $4.00. NCTD's transfer policy permits a Metrolink ticketholder one free boarding from Oceanside TC, but a Metrolink ticket cannot be used for the return trip back to Oceanside. I was informed by NCTD about this. Just a word of preparation so nobody gets in trouble when the fare inspectors come. Consider this post null and "on pause" for now. I was informed today that NCTD has not yet received the grant; therefore the weekend trains will still run hourly for now as posted on NCTD's Sprinter Schedule.
|
|
|
Post by bluelineshawn on Jan 5, 2008 20:41:29 GMT -8
Yes, please keep us updated. I better check before I head all the way down there.
|
|
|
Post by James Fujita on Jan 5, 2008 22:43:55 GMT -8
personally, I'm rooting for the Sprinter.
the way I figure it, twenty-five years ago, the city of San Diego introduced the concept of "light rail" to the United States. the San Diego Trolley was not the first, but it certainly attracted attention: a car-loving suburban city in Southern California attempting to try a new form of urban rail.
(Edmonton had the disadvantages of being too far north, too small, too far away from Los Angeles and too Canadian)
I think the Sprinter may have the potential to do the same for DMU. DMUs aren't perfect, but there are plenty of locations where they might fill in the missing gap between light rail and commuter rail: you might not want to pay for full-scale electrification, but maybe the bi-level Metrolink trains are too big and bulky for your needs
with the Harbor Sub, you might be able to set up a Union Station-to-LAX DMU operation pretty quickly (the delays for the Sprinter, from what I understand, were mostly bureaucratic).
plus, they just look cool ;D
|
|
|
Post by wad on Jan 6, 2008 0:26:02 GMT -8
Many people found out today that the Sprinter may start up later than January 13, per this article because of some safety concerns and incomplete work. I'll post an update once I find out if this will happen or not. Fan friggin' tastic. I took a huge chunk of vacation from work, and it was to have this time off. I don't like this line and I'm beginning to hate it more.
|
|
|
Post by nickv on Jan 7, 2008 23:52:21 GMT -8
The Sprinter and the new BREEZE Bus routes will not begin on Sunday, January 13. Current BREEZE routes will remain in effect until further notice. Source: NCTD
|
|
|
Post by wad on Jan 8, 2008 4:43:36 GMT -8
The Sprinter and the new BREEZE Bus routes will not begin on Sunday, January 13. Current BREEZE routes will remain in effect until further notice. Source: NCTDWhat's the new opening date?
|
|