Comments on: New railcars for WES give TriMet a bike car option http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/30/new-railcars-for-wes-give-trimet-a-bike-car-option-25351 Portland Oregon bicycle news, events, culture, travel and opinion. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:54:28 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Chris http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/30/new-railcars-for-wes-give-trimet-a-bike-car-option-25351#comment-1458537 Chris Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:44:54 +0000 http://bikeportland.org/?p=25351#comment-1458537 #23 - <i>They should have planned a service that could have run at least once an hour and on the weekends. A few trips in the morning and the afternoon does not justify the expense of this friggen thing!</i> During the design and planning phase, it was determined that initially the most cost effective service would be for commuters, weekdays during rush-hours. With the planned expansion, weekend service and all day service is expected to occur. <i>Don't forget the upset the entire Beaverton Transit Center for a year with this nonsense! And when it breaks down they pull buses off already established routes on the west side!</i> TriMet doesn't remove any service when the bus-bridge is needed. They have three buses in Wilsonville and additional buses at Merlo Garage and utilize drivers on standby already. Personally, as a daily user I didn't experience any issues at the Beaverton TC. <i>The WES is a joke, its a failure and should be abandoned!</i> The same could be said for any other form of transportation and be justified in a similar manner. Many people don't realize that all modes of transportation are subsidized. In comparison of other new rapid/mass transit lines, the cost per mile for WES is close (some estimate even cheaper) than other regional lines. The savings will be made up with the expansion of the system to Salem (already past planning phase, already requesting federal funding) and other locations. Cost per mile will drop and less subsidy will be needed. #23 -

They should have planned a service that could have run at least once an hour and on the weekends. A few trips in the morning and the afternoon does not justify the expense of this friggen thing!

During the design and planning phase, it was determined that initially the most cost effective service would be for commuters, weekdays during rush-hours. With the planned expansion, weekend service and all day service is expected to occur.

Don't forget the upset the entire Beaverton Transit Center for a year with this nonsense! And when it breaks down they pull buses off already established routes on the west side!

TriMet doesn't remove any service when the bus-bridge is needed. They have three buses in Wilsonville and additional buses at Merlo Garage and utilize drivers on standby already. Personally, as a daily user I didn't experience any issues at the Beaverton TC.

The WES is a joke, its a failure and should be abandoned!

The same could be said for any other form of transportation and be justified in a similar manner. Many people don't realize that all modes of transportation are subsidized. In comparison of other new rapid/mass transit lines, the cost per mile for WES is close (some estimate even cheaper) than other regional lines.

The savings will be made up with the expansion of the system to Salem (already past planning phase, already requesting federal funding) and other locations. Cost per mile will drop and less subsidy will be needed.

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]]> By: relentlesscactus http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/30/new-railcars-for-wes-give-trimet-a-bike-car-option-25351#comment-1457289 relentlesscactus Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:59:52 +0000 http://bikeportland.org/?p=25351#comment-1457289 agree, fees are for when bikes require addition of more cars. Passengers should be aware of the coming change, and encouraged to get a second bike and provided with lockers, much cheaper than more rail equipment for hauling steel and rubber. agree, fees are for when bikes require addition of more cars. Passengers should be aware of the coming change, and encouraged to get a second bike and provided with lockers, much cheaper than more rail equipment for hauling steel and rubber.

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]]> By: Zoomzit http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/30/new-railcars-for-wes-give-trimet-a-bike-car-option-25351#comment-1457019 Zoomzit Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:22:29 +0000 http://bikeportland.org/?p=25351#comment-1457019 relentlesscactus and AL M, charging for bikes makes sense for Trimet if they have maximized usage for regular passengers. I haven't been on the WES, but if the cars aren't full, then their low variable income isn't covering their high fixed cost. If this is the case, Trimet may be better served not charging for bikes so that they can increase usage and cover their fixed cost. First, Trimet needs to ensure that they are maximizing usage, after that, they can figure out to deal with overcrowding due to bicycles. relentlesscactus and AL M, charging for bikes makes sense for Trimet if they have maximized usage for regular passengers. I haven't been on the WES, but if the cars aren't full, then their low variable income isn't covering their high fixed cost.

If this is the case, Trimet may be better served not charging for bikes so that they can increase usage and cover their fixed cost. First, Trimet needs to ensure that they are maximizing usage, after that, they can figure out to deal with overcrowding due to bicycles.

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]]> By: al m http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/30/new-railcars-for-wes-give-trimet-a-bike-car-option-25351#comment-1456855 al m Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:11:11 +0000 http://bikeportland.org/?p=25351#comment-1456855 Second the motion for fee's for bikes! They should have planned a service that could have run at least once an hour and on the weekends. A few trips in the morning and the afternoon does not justify the expense of this friggen thing! Don't forget the upset the entire Beaverton Transit Center for a year with this nonsense! And when it breaks down they pull buses off already established routes on the west side! The WES is a joke, its a failure and should be abandoned! Second the motion for fee's for bikes!

They should have planned a service that could have run at least once an hour and on the weekends. A few trips in the morning and the afternoon does not justify the expense of this friggen thing!

Don't forget the upset the entire Beaverton Transit Center for a year with this nonsense! And when it breaks down they pull buses off already established routes on the west side!

The WES is a joke, its a failure and should be abandoned!

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]]> By: relentlesscactus http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/30/new-railcars-for-wes-give-trimet-a-bike-car-option-25351#comment-1456738 relentlesscactus Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:37:53 +0000 http://bikeportland.org/?p=25351#comment-1456738 I'm for bikes on trains, but bikes take space, and shouldn't be free. It's a considerable cost to haul another heavy rail car and uses a bit of fuel. That kills both the economy of the service (operating ratio) and greenness of bikes (hauling a heavy rail car each day). There should be a fee for bikes on trains; many European countries do this, which keeps the bike squeeze reasonable using market forces. To counter, and still allow bikes to be part of the system, massive bicycle lockers should be at every station -- save the train space for the bodies. I keep a second, cheap bike at my destination and bike from there to work. There is a cost for the second bike, which is why charging a modest fee for bikes would encourage purchase of a second bike and keep the need for equipment procurement and fuel to a minimum on a modest system like MAX. I'm for bikes on trains, but bikes take space, and shouldn't be free. It's a considerable cost to haul another heavy rail car and uses a bit of fuel. That kills both the economy of the service (operating ratio) and greenness of bikes (hauling a heavy rail car each day). There should be a fee for bikes on trains; many European countries do this, which keeps the bike squeeze reasonable using market forces. To counter, and still allow bikes to be part of the system, massive bicycle lockers should be at every station -- save the train space for the bodies. I keep a second, cheap bike at my destination and bike from there to work. There is a cost for the second bike, which is why charging a modest fee for bikes would encourage purchase of a second bike and keep the need for equipment procurement and fuel to a minimum on a modest system like MAX.

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]]> By: Aaron http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/30/new-railcars-for-wes-give-trimet-a-bike-car-option-25351#comment-1456710 Aaron Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:51:29 +0000 http://bikeportland.org/?p=25351#comment-1456710 I would be deeply impressed to see this line carrying bicycles. But they also desperately need to run this service on weekends I would be deeply impressed to see this line carrying bicycles. But they also desperately need to run this service on weekends

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]]> By: Steven J http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/30/new-railcars-for-wes-give-trimet-a-bike-car-option-25351#comment-1456615 Steven J Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:07:10 +0000 http://bikeportland.org/?p=25351#comment-1456615 finally finally

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]]> By: al m http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/30/new-railcars-for-wes-give-trimet-a-bike-car-option-25351#comment-1456260 al m Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:43:25 +0000 http://bikeportland.org/?p=25351#comment-1456260 <b>So that explains why they bought that piece of junk! For the bicycles!</b> So that explains why they bought that piece of junk! For the bicycles!

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]]> By: Todd Boulanger http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/30/new-railcars-for-wes-give-trimet-a-bike-car-option-25351#comment-1456167 Todd Boulanger Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:04:45 +0000 http://bikeportland.org/?p=25351#comment-1456167 Hi Steven...thanks for the correction. I had DMU originally in my contribution to the article but I fell back on the older term since I was not sure how they would be configured by Trimet. Hi Steven...thanks for the correction.

I had DMU originally in my contribution to the article but I fell back on the older term since I was not sure how they would be configured by Trimet.

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]]> By: Joe http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/30/new-railcars-for-wes-give-trimet-a-bike-car-option-25351#comment-1456031 Joe Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:49:17 +0000 http://bikeportland.org/?p=25351#comment-1456031 also open that line up outside the m-f connecting people to Salem :)too also open that line up outside the m-f connecting people to Salem :)too

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