Charlotte's Light Rail: Lynx Blue Line

[kermit]

Afternoon peak trains are now pre-COVID crowded. 

Increase the damn frequency CATS!

[kermit]

New “virus” barriers up on Blue line end of car seats (no changes to the middle seating area).

 

 

Fare checking frequency (still w the four person teams) has been ramped up as well. I have gotten checked every ride so far this week. Based on my observations, compliance is high.

Edited November 17, 2021 by kermit

[michaelef]

On 11/4/2021 at 4:04 PM, kermit said:

I dunno. Initially (pre BLE) fare checking was done by one, unarmed guy (and he was super professional). Then they switched to two armed guys. And the crew of five from yesterday appeared to be unarmed. None of these folks appeared to be at all interested in wrestling anyone. Since one (armed) CMPD officer appears to be sufficient for nearly all enforcement activities, I don't really see why the Blue line would be a more complicated environment than that.

I really wouldn't think there would be many safety issues with this job. Its just a $2.20 fare. If someone is combative then shrug and walk away -- if you feel the need, radio for CMPD to be waiting down the line,

Perhaps the big crew was for training purposes? (but its the second time I have seen the heard at work this week).

I took the blue line last Friday from 36th street and we had at least five transit security/fare checkers on the train. However, no one asked to see mine.

[Blue_Devil]

So, I am assuming they have the enforcement personnel hired and onboarded, are currently giving real life experience training, and when frequency ramps up, they will go down to 2 person teams. Just a guess... 

[tozmervo]

The security firm that CATS used for site security and fare checking was purchased by a larger firm (the names escape me). You may be seeing a renewed push now that the new firm has taken over.

[kermit]

So after getting my ticket checked for the 7th time! in 6 rides this week I asked the inspector why they were working in such large teams these days. 
 

His first reply was “that is just how we have always done in” which was clearly bullcrap. His second reply was that they are no longer short handed and this is how it’s gonna be from now on. If so that is an insane waste of resources. 

Edited November 17, 2021 by kermit

[Madison Parkitect]

1 hour ago, kermit said:

So after getting my ticket checked for the 7th time in 6 rides this week I asked the inspector why they were working in such large teams these days. 
 

His first reply was “that is just how we have always done in” which was clearly bullcrap. His second reply was that they are no longer short handed and this is how it’s gonna be. If so that is a crazy waste of resources. 

Gotta love those private contracting firms. Fleecing governments every single time.

[InTheYear2000]

I overheard a person(who can afford a $2.20 train ride) brag about how they simply leave a ticket unused in the mobile app and activate it when fare checkers approach. It's probably a waste of resources to constantly check tickets but the silver lining is that they are getting that idiot to buy more tickets.

[SouthEndCLT811]

15 hours ago, InTheYear2000 said:

I overheard a person(who can afford a $2.20 train ride) brag about how they simply leave a ticket unused in the mobile app and activate it when fare checkers approach. It's probably a waste of resources to constantly check tickets but the silver lining is that they are getting that idiot to buy more tickets.

Realized yesterday I was inadvertently this person

Went to take the light rail to the Hornets and the last time I used the train about a month ago I bought tickets for the group I was with to head to NoDa and didn't realize there was the extra step of swiping on them to activate. 

[nakers2]

On 11/17/2021 at 4:15 PM, InTheYear2000 said:

I overheard a person(who can afford a $2.20 train ride) brag about how they simply leave a ticket unused in the mobile app and activate it when fare checkers approach. It's probably a waste of resources to constantly check tickets but the silver lining is that they are getting that idiot to buy more tickets.

I mean that's what I do. I don't ride all the time, if I did I'd buy a pass. But when I do, I have two day passes saved on my app. I'm of the opinion that public transit should be free, only a small portion of revenue comes from fares. Not to mention the lacking service doesn't exactly make me feel like I want to give them my money if they don't deserve it. If your Uber takes 20 mins to show up, do you want to pay? If there's a wreck in the express lanes, should you still use them? Or use the free lanes? As far as I'm concerned, until CATS gives us service that exceeds the quality or convenience of a car, I see it as a compromise.

[InTheYear2000]

16 hours ago, nakers2 said:

I mean that's what I do. I don't ride all the time, if I did I'd buy a pass. But when I do, I have two day passes saved on my app. I'm of the opinion that public transit should be free, only a small portion of revenue comes from fares. Not to mention the lacking service doesn't exactly make me feel like I want to give them my money if they don't deserve it. If your Uber takes 20 mins to show up, do you want to pay? If there's a wreck in the express lanes, should you still use them? Or use the free lanes? As far as I'm concerned, until CATS gives us service that exceeds the quality or convenience of a car, I see it as a compromise.

But it's not free, in spite of your feelings. You can walk through all the ways you justify it, but it's theft based on the rules our city government has set. If you think it should be free, great see if others agree and get the rules changed.

As far as I'm concerned, expecting public transportation to surpass the convenience of a car is an asinine expectation and virtually nonexistent in the real world.  

 

[kermit]

1 hour ago, InTheYear2000 said:

As far as I'm concerned, expecting public transportation to surpass the convenience of a car is an asinine expectation and virtually nonexistent in the real world.  

 

While it may be unrealistic to expect transit to always be faster than a car, for many it is far more convenient in the sense that you don’t have to worry about being inconvienced by traffic, parking or vehicle maintenance among other things.  

Edited November 19, 2021 by kermit

[Durhamite]

1 hour ago, InTheYear2000 said:

But it's not free, in spite of your feelings. You can walk through all the ways you justify it, but it's theft based on the rules our city government has set. If you think it should be free, great see if others agree and get the rules changed.

As far as I'm concerned, expecting public transportation to surpass the convenience of a car is an asinine expectation and virtually nonexistent in the real world.  

 

I agree. My experiences is mostly based on living and working in DC. In most cases, the car is a much better alternative but many government agencies subsidize metro rail to where it is practically free  to use. Plus parking is always a challenge downtown DC and expensive.  
 

Convenience is not the best term to describe public transportation in general.  I have plenty of  relatives that drive into DC from the burbs for work.  Especially those that aren’t receiving subsidies.

Also ‘scabbing’, basically hopping in a car so the driver can take advantage of HOV lanes.

 

Edited November 19, 2021 by Durhamite

[Desert Power]

On 11/17/2021 at 2:20 PM, kermit said:

So after getting my ticket checked for the 7th time! in 6 rides this week I asked the inspector why they were working in such large teams these days. 
 

His first reply was “that is just how we have always done in” which was clearly bullcrap. His second reply was that they are no longer short handed and this is how it’s gonna be from now on. If so that is an insane waste of resources. 

CATS reaching new lows in their stewardship of taxpayer funds.

[JRCLT]

Ran over to this page just emphasize right now I’m on a train and it is quite full at capacity? Probably not. I could probably count 20+ people in one car at one point. On a Saturday evening…I hope CATS has a plan to increase frequency soon especially when office begins large returns to in person. Some people have expressed concern in here already, but just wanted to express those same concerns on my part.

[JacksonH]

On 11/19/2021 at 11:33 AM, Durhamite said:

I agree. My experiences is mostly based on living and working in DC. In most cases, the car is a much better alternative but many government agencies subsidize metro rail to where it is practically free  to use. Plus parking is always a challenge downtown DC and expensive.  
 

Convenience is not the best term to describe public transportation in general.  I have plenty of  relatives that drive into DC from the burbs for work.  Especially those that aren’t receiving subsidies.

Also ‘scabbing’, basically hopping in a car so the driver can take advantage of HOV lanes.

 

When I lived in DC, which was for 16 years, I did  not want to drive to work hardly EVER.  Only occasionally did I ever do that (which meant paying for expensive parking), and it was because I was running really late for work and could possibly save a few minutes by driving.  But I loved riding the metro because I could relax and read the paper, or do a little work, so it was  productive time, as opposed to driving, in which case you don't have that option and the commute winds up being a complete *waste* of time.  And if you get stuck in traffic, stress levels shoot way up.  

When I first moved to the DC area I lived out in the 'burbs, far from a Metro station, and I hated it.  After eight months I moved to a neighborhood where I could be walking distance from a Metro station, and from that point on I refused to ever again live in a place that was too far to walk to a Metro station.  When I bought my house, being near Metro was my top priority.

[KJHburg]

37 minutes ago, JacksonH said:

When I lived in DC, which was for 16 years, I did  not want to drive to work hardly EVER.  Only occasionally did I ever do that (which meant paying for expensive parking), and it was because I was running really late for work and could possibly save a few minutes by driving.  But I loved riding the metro because I could relax and read the paper, or do a little work, so it was  productive time, as opposed to driving, in which case you don't have that option and the commute winds up being a complete *waste* of time.  And if you get stuck in traffic, stress levels shoot way up.  

When I first moved to the DC area I lived out in the 'burbs, far from a Metro station, and I hated it.  After eight months I moved to a neighborhood where I could be walking distance from a Metro station, and from that point on I refused to ever again live in a place that was too far to walk to a Metro station.  When I bought my house, being near Metro was my top priority.

I learned to drive in the DC area and many say that is why I drive like I do now LOL.    One of my summer jobs was driving in upper NW DC and sometimes to Georgetown.   When I was 16 I was merging in on the Beltway 495 like a Boss in our family sedan heading to Tysons! I did ride the Orange Line a lot from Fairfax. 

[Durhamite]

57 minutes ago, JacksonH said:

When I lived in DC, which was for 16 years, I did  not want to drive to work hardly EVER.  Only occasionally did I ever do that (which meant paying for expensive parking), and it was because I was running really late for work and could possibly save a few minutes by driving.  But I loved riding the metro because I could relax and read the paper, or do a little work, so it was  productive time, as opposed to driving, in which case you don't have that option and the commute winds up being a complete *waste* of time.  And if you get stuck in traffic, stress levels shoot way up.  

When I first moved to the DC area I lived out in the 'burbs, far from a Metro station, and I hated it.  After eight months I moved to a neighborhood where I could be walking distance from a Metro station, and from that point on I refused to ever again live in a place that was too far to walk to a Metro station.  When I bought my house, being near Metro was my top priority.

Well, it’s very difficult to acquire property  or live close enough to walk to a metro stop for most people. Then, rush hour does not lend itself for a nice cozy seat on a jammed metro train. I had to stand a lot for significant portions of the ride.  Plus, depending upon where you worked, the metro stop could be a good hike to get there.   Basically, the reason a lot of people will deal with the traffic.  
 

Not here to throw stones but let’s keep everything in perspective. Public transportation will require sacrificing a lot of convenience in relation to the independence that a car provides ....and that’s a fact.  Not saying it isn’t worth the sacrifice because I did it for years.

[JacksonH]

20 minutes ago, Durhamite said:

Well, it’s very difficult to acquire property  or live close enough to walk to a metro stop for most people. Then, rush hour does not lend itself for a nice cozy seat on a jammed metro train. I had to stand a lot for significant portions of the ride.  Plus, depending upon where you worked, the metro stop could be a good hike to get there.   Basically, the reason a lot of people will deal with the traffic.  
 

Not here to throw stones but let’s keep everything in perspective. Public transportation will require sacrificing a lot of convenience in relation to the independence that a car provides ....and that’s a fact.  Not saying it isn’t worth the sacrifice because I did it for years.

I worked in the District and most work locations inside the District are a short walk from a Metro station.  Hardly anyone I knew at work ever drove to work.  Many of the people who lived in the District didn't even own a car, nor did they want one.  Folks living outside the District who weren't walking distance to a station drove to the closest station, then parked and rode.  When I last lived in the DC area I was in Pentagon City.  It got so that I drove so rarely that my car battery died.  So having a car became an annoyance so I got rid of it.  I was a fairly short walk to a car rental place so if I really needed a car to leave town, like for a trip to NC, I would just walk over and pick up a rental and go.  Prior to that, and for most of my years in DC, driving inside the District was just a weekend thing.  But sometimes even then on weekends, depending on where I was going, weekend parking could be so challenging that I sometimes would still opt for the Metro. 

The one thing I did learn from having a car in DC was how to double park in really tight spaces!  You *have* to know how to do that there, so it becomes second nature.  So much so that I did that once here in California, came back to my car later and found an angry note on my car.  I read it and thought, this guy obviously never parked in DC!

[DownEast]

I currently stay in the DMV and had to go to Eastern Market (Capitol Hill) for work on Saturday. It's very busy when the market is open and parking is scarce.  When you see a spot, you take it. Now when I moved here I had maybe parallel parked six times in my life. That was a year ago. Now I do this. Yes, that's my red Dart. Lol. 

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by DownEast

[ajfunder]

Anybody think it is odd CATS is ramping up traditional fare enforcement after lagging for so many years when many of our peer cities (Denver, Seattle, etc.) are ramping down police like enforcement. Those cities have started to transition to fare ambassadors which don't hand out fines and focus more on outreach and education. Just an observation.

[JacksonH]

3 hours ago, DownEast said:

I currently stay in the DMV and had to go to Eastern Market (Capitol Hill) for work on Saturday. It's very busy when the market is open and parking is scarce.  When you see a spot, you take it. Now when I moved here I had maybe parallel parked six times in my life. That was a year ago. Now I do this. Yes, that's my red Dart. Lol. 

 

 

Haha!  Yep, with that parking job you definitely pass the test for surviving in DC!  Just don't make the mistake I made by taking those skills elsewhere because they're not much appreciated outside of DC.  Re: Eastern Market, I regret that I never went there.  Is there anything like that in the Charlotte area?

4 hours ago, KJHburg said:

I learned to drive in the DC area and many say that is why I drive like I do now LOL. 

Oh no!  I must say, one thing I don't miss -- DC drivers.  I've driven all over this country, including Manhattan, and there's nothing in my experience that comes close to the drivers in DC.

[JacksonH]

10 minutes ago, ajfunder said:

Anybody think it is odd CATS is ramping up traditional fare enforcement after lagging for so many years when many of our peer cities (Denver, Seattle, etc.) are ramping down police like enforcement. Those cities have started to transition to fare ambassadors which don't hand out fines and focus more on outreach and education. Just an observation.

I don't get how "outreach and education" would be effective with people who just want to cheat the system.  I've ridden the Blue Line several times on visits to Charlotte and never saw a single fare enforcer, which seemed a bit strange.  I've ridden San Diego's lightrail occasionally (which operates similarly to CATS) and probably at least a third of those trips I've encountered officials checking for tickets.  People here seem to follow the rules, even though it would be easy to cheat were it not for those officers.

[ajfunder]

11 hours ago, JacksonH said:

I don't get how "outreach and education" would be effective with people who just want to cheat the system.  I've ridden the Blue Line several times on visits to Charlotte and never saw a single fare enforcer, which seemed a bit strange.  I've ridden San Diego's lightrail occasionally (which operates similarly to CATS) and probably at least a third of those trips I've encountered officials checking for tickets.  People here seem to follow the rules, even though it would be easy to cheat were it not for those officers.

Essentially these cities which have far more developed systems have decided using contracted security may not provide the best public oversight, accountability, or be the best use of public funds in achieving results. There were a lot of issues in these cities with the integrity and the reliability of using hired, private security to enforce transit laws. There were also issues with hired security using excessive force and using straight-up intimidation tactics.

The traditional enforcement is definitely regressive and tends to punish serial fare evaders (typically found to be the minority) equally with those who actually struggle to afford to ride. So far my experience with the Ambasador program has been far more enjoyable as a rider than the old enforcement strategies where it just felt they were out to punish everyone. A guy in a sweater vest and name tag is shockingly a lot more disarming and effective then a guy with a sidearm and nightstick.

The idea is to tackle the root cause of fare evasion cases rather than just assume everyone is intentionally fare evading because they can. These transit agencies still track repeat offenders but many of the cases seem to stem from affordability and lack of education, particularly with irregular riders, rather than nefarious fare evasion.

(Observations of a former CATS, RTD and now regular Sound Transit Rider)

 

 

  

 

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by ajfunder

[Durhamite]

14 hours ago, JacksonH said:

I worked in the District and most work locations inside the District are a short walk from a Metro station.  Hardly anyone I knew at work ever drove to work.  Many of the people who lived in the District didn't even own a car, nor did they want one.  Folks living outside the District who weren't walking distance to a station drove to the closest station, then parked and rode.  When I last lived in the DC area I was in Pentagon City.  It got so that I drove so rarely that my car battery died.  So having a car became an annoyance so I got rid of it.  I was a fairly short walk to a car rental place so if I really needed a car to leave town, like for a trip to NC, I would just walk over and pick up a rental and go.  Prior to that, and for most of my years in DC, driving inside the District was just a weekend thing.  But sometimes even then on weekends, depending on where I was going, weekend parking could be so challenging that I sometimes would still opt for the Metro. 

The one thing I did learn from having a car in DC was how to double park in really tight spaces!  You *have* to know how to do that there, so it becomes second nature.  So much so that I did that once here in California, came back to my car later and found an angry note on my car.  I read it and thought, this guy obviously never parked in DC!

Of course if you live in the district very "near" a metro stop, many folk do live without a car (in addition to the proliferation of uber that jhelps).  But definitely not as convenient if new family with small children, but it can be done.   I think it's a bit of a stretch and subjective  when refering to things as a "short" walk...not for a lot of people.  All I'm saying is let's keep things in perspective instead of painting a rosy picture to Charlotte forumers that have only experienced the Blue Line.  It's easy to blast CATS (and probably warranted at times) but even a clean reliable system like the DC metro breaks often, has issues and you're at the mercy of the gods of public transporation....which at times can rank up there with traffic and parking woes in terms of fustration.

No problem with parallel parking etc, it's an acquired skill in urban cities like DC.