JohnH_in_OKC
08-06-2013, 05:35 AM
For the third straight year I have purchased a 30 day bus pass. This year I've decided to to chronicle my observations. Today marks 2 weeks of bus travel & I will update this thread during the final 2 weeks. I own a car & normally drive, but I'm retired & one of my avocations is to improve our local transportation systems. (I'm a member of APT - the Oklahoma Alliance for Public Transportation. (http://okapt.org/))
The first day I noticed that the FREE Downtown Discovery Bus (Bus 50) which replaced the downtown trolleys had the same metal mesh windows that are on about 80% of the other city buses. Big Mistake. The Discovery Bus is supposed to show off the best of our downtown to visitors, but it is VERY difficult to view our new buildings & amenities like Boathouse Row & the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial through the mesh windows. The former trolleys did NOT have covered windows. The Metro Transit Authority should remove the window coverings on the Downtown Discovery buses ASAP!
During the last 2 weeks, I've noticed how much more efficient it is to catch a bus transfer. The schedules have not changed since last year, but buses are now usually on time & not 10 minutes early or 10 minutes late which causes heck with trying to make bus connections. The reason is a GPS tracking device on each bus which keeps the buses on schedule (that has just been added this year). Waiting a half hour to an hour for the next bus which was SUPPOSED to be at a bus stop at a certain time is apparently a thing of the past. HOORAY!
Most bus riders are dependent on the bus. They have to schedule their jobs, shopping and all travel around their bus schedules. There is still no evening nor any Sunday bus service. This wreaks havoc with our low income and disabled citizens who would like to attend evening sports events. They complained to me about having to turn down good jobs because of our lack of Sunday bus service and evening service. All other major cities that I know of have evening & Sunday bus service except for Oklahoma City & Tulsa. We are depriving our poor & disabled from basic services that they deserve. Come on city council, give Metro Transit enough money to expand our bus service to Sundays & evenings.
-----------To be continued----------
The first day I noticed that the FREE Downtown Discovery Bus (Bus 50) which replaced the downtown trolleys had the same metal mesh windows that are on about 80% of the other city buses. Big Mistake. The Discovery Bus is supposed to show off the best of our downtown to visitors, but it is VERY difficult to view our new buildings & amenities like Boathouse Row & the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial through the mesh windows. The former trolleys did NOT have covered windows. The Metro Transit Authority should remove the window coverings on the Downtown Discovery buses ASAP!
During the last 2 weeks, I've noticed how much more efficient it is to catch a bus transfer. The schedules have not changed since last year, but buses are now usually on time & not 10 minutes early or 10 minutes late which causes heck with trying to make bus connections. The reason is a GPS tracking device on each bus which keeps the buses on schedule (that has just been added this year). Waiting a half hour to an hour for the next bus which was SUPPOSED to be at a bus stop at a certain time is apparently a thing of the past. HOORAY!
Most bus riders are dependent on the bus. They have to schedule their jobs, shopping and all travel around their bus schedules. There is still no evening nor any Sunday bus service. This wreaks havoc with our low income and disabled citizens who would like to attend evening sports events. They complained to me about having to turn down good jobs because of our lack of Sunday bus service and evening service. All other major cities that I know of have evening & Sunday bus service except for Oklahoma City & Tulsa. We are depriving our poor & disabled from basic services that they deserve. Come on city council, give Metro Transit enough money to expand our bus service to Sundays & evenings.
-----------To be continued----------