The Bus Bench

Dead Escalator Report 12: 24 Jan 2008

The rain and possible lawsuits seemed to have inspired the MTA to get out and fix things for the moment. Although a lift at Hollywood and Highland was out (which is a right pain to those who require one; trying to connect with the Valley via bus is an hours-long ordeal, especially with a wheelchair), I found only one escalator out of service between Westlake and Civic Center. There may well have been more out there, but for now I continue to monitor only on the Red Line, often between MacArthur Park and downtown.

Westlake-MacArthur Park entrance, 24 January 2008:

 

Dead Escalator Report 11: 23 Jan 2008

Having been ridiculously busy with some print production work since this last weekend, I have not had the time to ride the rails and note the dead escalators along the way. This is bound to happen, and so the Daily Dead Escalator Report may not always be daily. But I will do as well as I can to keep up with the moving stairs being down.

The Wednesday rains made a mess, and while I doubt the inclement weather had anything to do with the two dead escalators I managed to record today (and please note that I stopped at only three stations), the vast pools of water were of great concern. More cause for alarm was the glaring absence of MTA custodial personnel.

On to today's dead escalators along the Red Line between Vermont-Sunset and Pershing Square.

 

 

MTA chat for 23 January canceled

Owing to alleged technical problems, Pam O'Connor's monthly PR stunt was not staged today. perhaps she tried to take one of the MTA lines? One can only guess, of course.

Nevertheless, as the topic was "transit funding strategies," my most pressing question was: "Why is it that straphangers have to pay for the maintenance of others' private-owned vehicles? Why not make folk who insist on owning POVs pay for their own towing, and put that annual $27 million back into the public transit?"
Metro Freeway Service Patrol

Number of Tow Trucks on Patrol	152
Annual Budge	$27 million
Number of Freeway Miles Served	450
Number of Tow Truck Beats	41
Average Number of Motorists Assisted per Month	25,000
Number of Motorists Assisted Annually	300,000

Second on my list was: "Are those whose 'transit funding strategies' ideas that are utilised compensated in a manner commensurate with the obviously inefficient albeit handsomely paid MTA accountants, planners and other middle-management staff?"

And there is a third that availed itself when I submitted the two questions above: "Why is it that this remains the auto-responce to folk who submit queries: 'Join us December 12 at noon to participate.' ?"

-BusTard

Is Chicago's Public Transit Fiasco Portentous for L.A.?

Late last week, Chicago lawmakers voted in such a fashion to narrowly avoid yet another looming disaster for Chicago's public transit system. Had there been no resolution to the in-fighting that has plagued the body under review, more than half the bus routes would have been eliminated, some 2,400 employees sacked and fares raised. This in the middle of a Chicago winter.

What drives the Windy City's transit woes is remarkably similar to what straphangers in Los Angeles endure: the incompetence and insincerity of the MTA board and city council members. Read this bit from the 5 January 2008 Economist to get the gist, and then read here the stopgap reported by the Chicago Tribune. (Yes, the same Tribune that owns The Los Angeles Times.)

And get ready to walk, even if it ain't winter this summer when the big troubles break.

-BusTard