"Mover"-ing Day

Driving down I-95 on Friday, I saw something unusual:

It looks like the new Metro Mover cars are arriving - or are these for the Airport? Either way, they are here!

Update on Tri-Rail funding

I've been keeping track of Florida House Bill 1245: Regional Transport Funding and Senate Bill 1512: Relating to Transportation and Transit Authorities. Basically, these bills would secure a portion of fees tacked onto car rentals in South Florida, and deposit them into the operating accounts of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority.

It's important to residents of South Florida to ensure that Tri-Rail continues operating at its full capacity, especially in the face of $4.00 a gallon gasoline. I've already gone on the record with my own savings. It's not chicken feed. If you're commuting across county lines, you can save some serious money by taking the train.

House Majority Leader Adam Hasner sent me the following update:

Today, the Florida House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 1245 - Regional Transportation Authorities. The bill will now move to the Florida Senate for consideration. I encourage you to continue your commitment to helping secure funding for Tri-Rail by contacting Senator Steven Geller and ask him to pass House Bill 1245.

You might make the assumption that Adam Hasner contacted me because I'm particularly active in politics: I assure you, I am not. I don't belong to a political party, I don't have funds available to donate to candidates; I'm just a working stiff who drives a used car and rents an apartment.

So how did I come to get updates from the House Majority Leader of Florida? I filled out THIS FORM, conveniently provided by the South Florida Regional Transport Authority. That automatically sent a letter to all the representatives for this area. Ron Saunders, the rep for District 12o, suggested I email Rep. Hasner, and I've been in the loop ever since.

We truly live in an amazing country, where any of us can have a direct impact on those who are making our laws and governing on our behalf.

So join me in contacting Senator Geller. It's past time for South Florida to secure its mass transit system.

Florida Budget Priorities

Since the idiots in Tallahassee our elected officials seem to be having a problem understanding what their priorities should be, I thought I'd put together a list for them to refer to. So here they are, in order of importance.

EDUCATION
This must be Number One, before anything else on a rational budget. You can't thrive in the world without an education. You need a good education to get a good job, or to understand the world around you. To solve our problems we must understand them; and the problems we'll face tomorrow will only be more complex. Our schools must not be treated as a baby-sitting or warehouse service; our children must grow up to be the leaders of tomorrow. We must prepare our children to face the problems facing them, and that means fully funding our schools. Remember, in a few decades your children will be taking care of YOU.

PUBLIC SAFETY
We must be safe. If you do not understand this, you should not be in public service. We need to know that our laws will be enforced, and that help will come in an emergency. Our police and fire departments lay their lives on the line for us, the least we can do is make sure they have the equipment they need to do that job. A police officer shouldn't be alone on patrol. Firefighters need to have gear they can rely on, and paramedics need to have the supplies they need to save lives. We also need to ensure that they can pay their bills, and that their families are provided for if the worst should happen. Cutting their budget is like cutting off your arm or leg, or that of someone you love.

WATER
Without clean water, you have nothing. We must stop dumping sewage in our oceans; this contaminates our oceans and destroys our fisheries. We must stop further destruction of the Everglades; most animals know better than to destroy their own homes, and it's time we learned at least that much.

We must carefully regulate the use of our fresh water supply; we can't continue to squander drinking water on our lawns, golf courses or the estates of a privileged few. We're literally flushing our most precious resource down the drain. NOW is the time to ensure that we'll continue to have fresh water in the future. With prudent management, we should never have to worry about the taps running dry.

TRANSIT
Apparently some of you missed the 1970s and the two crises that should have alerted you to the fact that the supply of oil is finite. We should have been building our cars and trucks with an emphasis on efficiency; instead, you've allowed Detroit to foist bulky and inefficient SUVs on us. The result is that instead of building up a reserve of decades that would have stabilized both supply and price, you've left us at the mercy of foreign powers. Gasoline is rapidly climbing towards $4 a gallon on average. It's becoming too expensive to drive our big, gas-guzzling cars, and even the more efficient cars are becoming increasingly costly to operate.

Yes, it's great that we're starting to see hybrids that get greater mileage, but not everyone can afford them; and even if we could, we still don't know how long the batteries will last and how much they'll cost to replace.

No, we must stop focusing on accommodating automobiles; we must not expand their infrastructure, we must not widen our highways, or add new routes. It's time to get cars OFF the road. And we do that by giving would-be motorists better options; and that means buses and trains.

It's time to design transit systems that WORK. We can't look at the broken half-formed poor excuse of a system now in place and claim that it teaches us anything. Learn the lessons Tri-Rail teaches us: once the double-tracking allowed trains to run every half-hour during rush hour, ridership shot up. People will use public transit if it is reasonably convenient for them to do so. This has been proven around the world time and time again. We are no exception to that. It's no longer viable to use the excuse that other places had it longer, or that it was cheaper then: it really wasn't. It used up just as much resources then as it would now.

We need to act now to solve tomorrow's fuel crisis. Our economy will collapse if people can't afford to get around town. Businesses are already seeing a drop in patronage as people stay home more. People on the lower half of the economic scale may soon have to choose between putting gas in their tank or putting food on the table. Some are already there.

CONCLUSION
The simple-minded Republican solution of cutting taxes will not get us out of this mess. Neither will hand-outs. We need to set clear and logical budget priorities, and exercise prudent administration of our tax monies.

We shouldn't underwrite businesses that make enough to pay their own way; our sports franchises make a lot of money for themselves, they don't need a dime of tax money. Expenditures at the state level must reflect value for the entire state; at the same time, the state needs to make sure that a fair proportion of funds return to their county of origin.

The legislature needs to stop wasting our tax dollars debating bad law, such as the bill forcing women to pay for ultra-sounds before having an abortion; our legislators are not doctors, and have no business dictating unnecessary medical procedures. It's wasteful and a clear abuse of power. How much has this stupid debate cost the taxpayer so far? Such behavior will not get us out of our budget mess, and should be stopped immediately.

There's a lot I left out of my budget discussion; that's because we need to concentrate on the four areas I laid out above. Everything else must be dealt with AFTER these four key areas.

The next time we're adding frivolous amendments, we should consider adding practical ones: preventing budget cuts in the areas outlined above except under very proscribed and specific circumstances.

Fund Tri-Rail, not Highways.

A few months ago, I did some budget review, and discovered what transit experts had been saying all along was true; it's cheaper to leave your car at home. And that's true now more than ever.

A few years ago, when I looked into using Tri-Rail, it did cost less than driving, but only by a small margin. Now that gas prices are up to $3.45 a gallon, that margin has drastically increased.

Unlike too many of you, I don't drive a gas-guzzling SUV. I have a very basic Chevy Cavalier, and it gets about 28 miles to the gallon in South Florida Traffic. I live 30 miles from where I work. When you factor in tolls, maintenance, and insurance, I spend about $12.00 a day to drive to and from work. I can make the same trip via bus and Tri-Rail for $6.50.

Let's crunch the numbers; I'm saving $5.50 a day, times five days a week is $27.50, or about $118 a month. Over the year, less my two weeks vacation, that's $1,375.00 in savings.

That really isn't chump change, is it? It's like getting an extra couple of weeks' salary for me.

And if you're driving an SUV, or big-ass gas guzzler, you'll save more than me.

(As far as I'm concerned, the ONLY reason to drive an SUV is if you're hauling crap over uneven terrain and to help fund terrorist organizations in the middle east. But that's another blog entry)

I'm not the only one who has discovered this; Tri-Rail ridership has increased 32% from last year, which translates to 10,151 passengers a day.

The other day, a co-worker was trying to figure out how to get her sister to the Miami Airport from Aventura in rush hour traffic without missing several hours of work to do it. I handed her a Tri-Rail schedule and made her day. She went from having to spend three hours in traffic to dropping her sister off after a five minute trip. And her sister's train ride will only be about a half hour.

The problem is that we elect personable people who really aren't very bright. They look at the traffic on our roads, and conclude that the problem is that the roads are too small. So they make them wider, or build new ones. And the result? Traffic gets WORSE.

You see, the problem isn't that the roads are too narrow, or that we don't have enough of them; the problem is that there are too many cars on them.

Now, if our elected officials had any intelligence at all were paying attenction, they would study the results of their past actions:

• widening highways: worse traffic.
• double tracking Tri-Rail: increased ridership
• adding "alert" signs to I-95; increased traffic delays as drivers slow down to read signs
  
• adding trains to Tri-Rail: increased ridership

And here's another fun fact for you: voters keep voting for trains. We voted to create Tri-Rail, we voted to expand Tri-Rail, we even voted to mandate the creation of a high-speed train service to run from Miami to Tallahassee as a part of the state constitution.

To me, that says that a vote against trains is a vote against the voters. But then, I'm not an idiot politician elected official.

Tri-Rail has a petition drive going: click this banner to add your name:

You can also check out Transit Miami.

Bus Stop; A Butt-Clenching Experience

I discovered that the bus that runs a block from my house gets me to the train almost as quickly as I can drive to the station. Of course, you have to have a strong sphincter to wait for the bus along Le Jeune road. See this picture? I’m sitting on a bus bench, those are my feet, and that’s an SUV zipping by at 40 mph.

Imagine trying to roll a wheel chair along the side walk. Bike? Forget that. And the side of the road isn’t any better; not only does the lack of a bike lane leave you sharing a lane with an SUV doing 40 mph, the gutters into the street drains are at such a steep angle that it’s very easy to slide down into the grates. It’s stupid dangerous.

I'm willing to bet that the sidewalks along LeJeune road fail to meet mandatory requirements as dictated by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Another "I rode the train" Blog

I just want to clear up something; yesterday was NOT my first trip on TriRail. I rode it daily about ten years ago while I was between cars.

Back then, cost wasn’t a factor. I took the train while I shopped around for a new car, and if it had been convenient, I would have kept using it. Back then, I was commuting south into Miami; in fact, it was the exact opposite of my current commute! I dealt with the hell that is I-95 south of the Golden Glades interchange on a daily basis. It was a bumper-to-bumper grind of drivers trying to figure out how to pass each other, and no fun at all. But even then, using TriRail simply wasn’t a workable option.

It wasn’t just the fact that the trains only ran on the hour; that was something that could be dealt with. Mostly, it was getting TO the train in the morning using what Broward County tries to pass off as a bus system. Ten years ago, they had a shuttle that ran in the morning, took a break, and resumed an hour or so later.

Guess when the train I needed to catch left the station?

This gave me two options: either I left much earlier, and sat outside a carpentry shop in one of the worst sections of Miami for an hour, or I could be twenty minutes late.

I did try riding my bike to the station a couple of times; it was a near death experience crossing I-95 on Broward Boulevard. I don’t recommend it.

Here we are, 2008. The trains run about every 30 minutes. Broward has a bus that runs all day from the station through the downtown business district. And gas is worming its way up to four bucks a gallon. Now, taking the train makes more sense than ever

This morning, I’m on one of the fancy new trains. It looks much larger than the old ones, inside and out. I’m in a seat that has a power outlet next to it; I don’t need it currently, but it’s nice to know it’s there.

I have to be in an hour earlier today, and the walk to the office took longer than usual, so I’ve taken a train slightly earlier than the one that gets me there “on time.” I expect I won’t see light in the sky until my coffee break at the office. S’allright.

A couple just sat down across the aisle. They take this particular train every day, and there’s a exclamation of joy as they discover that the center seats (the ones facing each other) is available to them yet again. Over the course of the trip, I realize that they are just “train buddies,” and not romantically involved.

Ah! We’re at Opa-Locka again. I can read the sign out the un-fogged window, but it’s still too dark to see the minarets of the station. I saw them on yesterday’s return trip, which I should write today, but this new train has captivated me.

No table in this car, so my laptop is in my, well, lap. No place to perch a coffee cup, but I did have a cup before the train left the station. Now I’m jonesing for it just a little. My body is waking up, and my bones are protesting the hour and the lack of caffeine. Bastards.

I’m debating putting the laptop away and having coffee, but in my gut I know that that’s a Bad Idea. Let’s face it, it’ll slop all over the place, and mostly on me. I’ll tough it out.

The couple across the aisle greets a passenger who’s just boarded. Chalk that up as a fringe benefit; community.

Ticket check! We’re leaving the Golden Glades. Damn! The cars are already stacking up!

As we cross Hallandale Beach Boulevard, the couple across the aisle read the signs at the Raceway Station; $3.29. “It keeps going up!” he says, “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about it anymore” she replies.

You know what this train needs? Cup-holders.

The Return Trip

So I found the shuttle from the downtown bus depot to the train station

Getting out from the station is easy; the shuttle is right there. I couldn’t find the stop for the afternoon trip yesterday, so I sprang the $1.25 to take a bus that eventually showed up. I was more stubborn today, and finally someone said that a big white bus sometimes stops at the sidewalk and they think it’s the Tri Rail bus, and in short order, one did, and it was. There were no markings on it. The driver stared at me for a moment when I asked if this was the bus to the TriRail station. He slouched and nodded his head grudgingly. “Yeh. Dis it.” Unlike the morning bus, which was one of those shuttle jobs, this is one of those big lease buses, the kind you’d take a group down to Key West in for a day excursion.

There are six of us on board. Comfortable seats, and a radio. Good thing I like loud rock.

Yesterday I got hung up at work, so I took the 5:30 train. Today, I make it for the 4:30 train. But I make it because it’s late. It’s late because of a CSX train. The CSX train means that everyone waiting at Platform 1 (the ‘southbound’ side) has to run UP the very tall staircase, across the bridge, and DOWN the very tall (and steep) stair case to get to Platform 2, where the train is now going to arrive.

There’s some swearing, but we all make it.

Yesterday’s train was very full, but I was in a lead car, and it was later in the day. Today, I’m in the last car, up top, with the tables. I didn’t realize how much I missed the tables this morning.

Just before we split away from 95, I snap some pictures of the traffic piling up. I don’t miss that. The return trip is certainly faster than the trip up, although the same amount of time elapses.

The train wobbles a bit as it curves away. I realize, after this morning, that it’s actually the suspension on the train cars, and not the tracks. The new trains gave a very smooth ride over the same sections that make the old trains shake and shimmy.

We’ve reduced to crawl for some reason. We lapsed the CSX train miles back, so it’s got to be something else. We speed up again just before they call out “Golden Glades Station!”

The conductor is nagging passengers about getting off; I guess he’s trying to get back on schedule. “Welcome to the Golden Glades! Everyone disembark – these are short stops! All aboard! We are now leaving the Golden Glades.”

Really, he said it just like that.

There’s a lot more to see on The Return Trip, being daylight and all.

We’re now leaving beautiful Opa-locka, passing through the quaint recking yards and their stacks of dead automobiles. Rusting steel and rotting tires combine to create rustic heights around the stagnant drainage ditches. Charming.

Next, we pull into upper Hialeah, and its groves of cranes and personnel lifts.

Metrorail transfer; I used to pass through this station a lot, but now I’m on until the end.

The warehouse districts suddenly spruce up before we get to Hialeah Market. I don’t know why. Proximity to the airport, I suppose. We pass through the mess they’ve made of 54^th Street by Flamingo Plaza; it’s been dug up for months; it’s gotta be affecting businesses.

I’m packing it in now, we’re almost at my stop, and my battery is down to 54% (forgot to charge it at the office).

Yep. This train thing isn’t bad. Not bad a’tall.

Taking the Train

I got to the station a little later than I’d planned, but I still caught the train.

I did manage to find a parking spot, although the lot was badly chopped up by the construction of the Intermodal Center. But it’s free, and I get to the train by 6:58.

It left the station on schedule; a few minutes later it was swaying like a ship on high seas as it crossed an uneven patch of tracks. The rocking continued through Hialeah, but we got through it all right. It does leave me worried about the overall condition of the tracks, however.

I’m sitting in the upper level of car 1012. There are five other passengers, two of whom promptly fall asleep. The other three are students. I pour a cup of coffee from my thermos, and start this missive. There are tables in this car, which makes it easy to work.

I have my camera with me; I didn’t have time to snap any pictures
before getting on the train, and it’s too dark to shoot out through the windows (which are misted over, anyway). I snap a picture of my reflection in the window across the aisle.

Next stop. A couple of people enter my section, I don’t know how many got on the train all told. I pour another cup of coffee; I’m starting feel human.

The train shimmies a little as we traverse the warehouse districts. I toy with the idea of working on some CAD stuff, but it’s hard enough just typing.

7:17. The train blows its horn. It strikes me that it’s calling out "hoooo HA!” I need more coffee.

Third stop; where is this? Oh, we’re pulling out already. Never mind. I think it was Opa-Locka. But I never know when I’m in Opa-Locka, and this trip doesn’t change that.

We’re passing through more intersections now, and now there are lines of cars a hundred or so long. Suckers!

I see the highway out the window just before the conductor announces the Golden Glades Station. A handful of people get on here, and there are a few reminders to “stand clear of the doors. I can suddenly see the sky; it’s almost sunrise, and I’m half way to work.

I look at the cars stacking up southbound; but I’m not really that impressed. I see that on my morning drive, and it’s more gleeful to step on the gas while the cars on the other side remain in a bumper to bumper crawl. This isn’t about traffic, its’ about cost savings. My car gets about 28 MPG, and I drive 32 miles to Fort Lauderdale. Even if we say I only use a gallon of gas each way (which I don’t), that would still be about $7 in gas, plus the toll. Call it $8.00

I bought a 12 trip pass, and my round trip costs are $5.52.

Ah, Hollwood Station! I can see out the windows, now. Traffic at the intersections is a LOT denser. A larger group of people get on here; students going to FAU, workers headed for North Broward. We’re more than a dozen in the top of #1012.

I can see an orange glow through the clouds to the east.

Sheridan Street Station; this is the first station where I’ve seen an appreciable parking lot, and FHP trooper keeping watch from his prowler at the far end. Or maybe he’s getting a hummer; the prowler could be empty for all I know.

We’re coming up on the airport, and I’ll pack it in after that. We slow down through a cluster of hotels as we pull in to the station. I’ll fill in the rest on the trip home.

Next up: negotiating my way from the station to my office!