Charlotte's Light Rail: Lynx Blue Line

[davidclt]

8 hours ago, Matthew.Brendan said:

The operators continue with the lurching speed up/slow down randomly type of driving. It's really ridiculous.

My suspicion is that it's a lot of new, inexperienced drivers. I've seen a lot of what appears to be new drivers getting "ride alongs" in the cab. Training I would imagine.

There is one driver I get about 10% of the time in the afternoon rush, smooth as silk and chatty (and clear) on the PA.

[CLT>]

Starting to crack down on parking in some (fairly) empty decks (Ucity). I know it’s a ‘penalty’ but $10 seems high. Who wouldn’t just buy a day pass?

[XRZ.ME]

This week I noticed the 8:43train from new bern to ctc is much more crowded.


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[southslider]

And the same price to park at entirely full JW Clay as large and empty UCB???

[King of the Queen City]

3 minutes ago, southslider said:

And the same price to park at entirely full JW Clay as large and empty UCB???

It seems to me that they should leave UC Blvd free for now to encourage people to use it instead of the packed JW Clay. That said, they are both free as long as you do not exit between 3-6 PM.

[KJHburg]

I still dont understand why these garages charge to park when they charge no where else on the entire line.  That is why the Old Concord lot is full. So an occasional user like me that might needs to go uptown for the day would be charged to park at these 2 stations.  How about some kind of way to validate your ticket uptown or any station further south from the campus starting at sugar creek or so for free parking at the station.  Technology could solve the problem of preventing UNCC students from parking for free at these garages and riding 1 station.  You could also change their student passes as well.    It really is a affront to the many University city residents who voted and supported this extension.  

 

[49er]

UNC Charlotte students trying to avoid paying for parking would be my guess. 

[easzman]

9 hours ago, CLT> said:

Starting to crack down on parking in some (fairly) empty decks (Ucity). I know it’s a ‘penalty’ but $10 seems high. Who wouldn’t just buy a day pass?

Can someone clearly explain why they are doing this? 

[Mgelbach]

Probably so that UNCC Students don't use this as an extension of campus parking.

[Scribe]

2 minutes ago, Mgelbach said:

Probably so that UNCC Students don't use this as an extension of campus parking.

This ^^^...

The university makes a ton of money on parking fees. So, they had to make sure there was no "free" parking available nearby -- especially when you could hop onto the Blue Line and ride one stop on to campus.

[ertley]

14 hours ago, davidclt said:

There is one driver I get about 10% of the time in the afternoon rush, smooth as silk and chatty (and clear) on the PA.

It would be great if CATS could develop a more easily accessible mechanism for customer comments (other than the email address [email protected]), because it would be great for you to be able to ID exceptionally good drivers like the one you mentioned.

IMO too often the genuinely best service providers aren't appropriately recognized--and in this case, in addition to perhaps a good review, raise and/or something like--it would be ideal if s/he were recognized within CATS as an excellent driver and even promoted as a master trainer/evaluator... 

[videtur quam contuor]

This site has developed with new members over the years but I recall the issue of parking costs for UNCC adjacent (or near) decks would need a toll of some kind to avoid an extension of campus parking. Also to keep space for real commuters. A search back 2-3 years would find this discussion, and now it closes the circle.

[King of the Queen City]

There really are a lot of students who just ride that one stop, but a lot of them also finish their classes before 3 PM or will hang around and work on assignments or something until after 6 PM to avoid paying. As it is, the 3-6 PM exit charges mostly impact business people who take the light rail Uptown.  Why not just make it to where having a valid ticket (even a one way) is required for exit any time of day? That way the students who just ride one stop would still have to pay something. That said, paying the extra $2.20 for a $6.60 day pass still makes more sense than paying an extra $10 to exit. I can’t imagine anybody paying the $10 unless they just lost their ticket or were trying to get away without paying and got caught.

[easzman]

Why not phase out the UNC Charlotte All Access pass if they really want to ensure everyone who uses the deck purchases a day pass or consider revising how much the all access pass costs. This plan to check drivers exiting the deck between 3 - 6pm will not do any favors with the rider's perception of CATS. 

[kermit]

Decided to board at 25th st today just for fun (the passion about the Brevard no-parking signs inspired me). Much to my surprise someone was getting off the train as I was getting on.

I will say that the 10 second door delay is still ridiculous, and (mathematically) adds two extra minutes on the CTC to UNCC commute.  ITS POINTLESS!

Track conditions on the BLE are bad. There have been significant slow orders in effect for just South of Old Concord and the elevated tracks adjacent to UNCC main. Also saw ballast-moving trackwork near Parkwood earlier in the week.

 

Edited August 30, 2019 by kermit

[grodney]

50 minutes ago, kermit said:

Decided to board at 25th st today just for fun (the passion about the Brevard no-parking signs inspired me). Much to my surprise someone was getting off the train as I was getting on.

I will say that the 10 second door delay is still ridiculous, and (mathematically) adds two extra minutes on the CTC to UNCC commute.  ITS POINTLESS!

Track conditions on the BLE are bad. There have been significant slow orders in effect for just South of Old Concord and the elevated tracks adjacent to UNCC main. Also saw ballast-moving trackwork near Parkwood earlier in the week.

 

Cool view though.

How's that bridge to the OG coming along?

[kermit]

5 hours ago, grodney said:

Cool view though.

How's that bridge to the OG coming along?

You already know the answer to that....

(nothing is happening)

 

Edited August 30, 2019 by kermit

[southslider]

OG?

[kermit]

34 minutes ago, southslider said:

OG?

The original NoDa brewing. That’s how they decided to refer to it.

DIFFERENT SUBJECT (auto merge is weird)

CATS replace all of the art-glass stuff in the shelters at Tom Hunter earlier in the week I think every panel had been shattered since at least May

Its Friday and all of them are still in good shape.

Edited August 30, 2019 by kermit

[Desert Power]

5 hours ago, kermit said:

You already know the answer to that....

(nothing is happening)

They are hoping to get an approved bid done by October (I emailed them a few weeks ago since the site is still out of date)

[easzman]

Anyone see the issue this evening at the crossings for 5th and 6th? The arms were stuck in the down position with no trains in sight around 5:30pm. Significant traffic backup all around.

[kermit]

A rare 3 trains on ROW photo (2 sb, 1 nb) due to single tracking btw East and New Bern around 11:30

(for those of you on phones, the other two trains are past the Ashton)

 

Edited September 5, 2019 by kermit

[videtur quam contuor]

That appears to be an open switch on the right side track for a southbound train to go straight. Redlight for southbound means hold position unless this train on far right is forced to go north from the switch. Any southbound must hold.

[CLT>]

On 8/30/2019 at 3:55 PM, Desert Power said:

They are hoping to get an approved bid done by October (I emailed them a few weeks ago since the site is still out of date)

Wow, they actually replied? I've sent about 4 emails in the last 8mo and not a peep as a reply.

[Desert Power]

34 minutes ago, CLT> said:

Wow, they actually replied? I've sent about 4 emails in the last 8mo and not a peep as a reply.

Whomever the lead engineer on this seems to have retired.