Now these guys know how to do it!

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New Jersey Transit Bus Driver Suffers Seizure, Hits 4 Cars in Lincoln Tunnel

WIRED

Okay, I may be a cyclist, but come on! This is ridiculous!

"...stating that they should focus on just a few corridors at a time for bike paths. The approach is similar to how TriMet has built out their light rail system..."
Light Rail Model For Bike Paths | MaxRedline

If this guy knew ANYTHING about the Max system...

A chilly night waiting on the Max platform.

As I waited, I scanned my eyes about Pioneer square, right across the street from me. Nothing going on there.  I turned my focus back to the pioneer square/ 6^th ave Max platform that I waited on. A monstrous crowd of people walked and waited along the block. I looked around a bit more, but nothing really caught my eye, so I settled for looking up 6^th street and watching the numerous buses and cars go by as I waited for my Max train to take me to Union Station.

I could’ve walked, I usually do, but I had to be down there in the next 10 minutes and the Max would get me there sooner.

My gaze traveled down the street. Soon I saw bright lights traveling down the tracks. It was Cyclops, the Max train. As it got closer I made the sign out, and I saw that it was a Green  Line, or the pickle line, as I like to call it.

The train squealed to a stop at the platform and open came the doors. A flood of people walked out. Just more people in the never ending rat race. Finally I was able to board. I didn’t sit down, the Max train was full and I was only riding for a few stops, so I nosed my way over to the opposite side of the train to stay as out of the way as I could. Now, this was not the easiest task when you’re on a jam packed Max Train. There was another reason I disliked riding the Max—it was always too full!

The operator had signaled for the doors to close. They were almost shut when someone, who looked to be a homeless man, stopped the doors. He was talking to someone outside of the Max, still on the platform.  The operator tried again, to no avail. The man prevented the doors from closing.  This same cycle went on for a few more minutes before the operator finally resorted to getting on the intercom. She sounded well irritated. She asked who was keeping the doors from closing as she could not move the train without the doors closed. The operator went on to say that this was delaying her train and if it continued it would start to affect the other Maxs behind us. Continuing she told how she needed to get the signal to move and since she was missing it, I easily could delay the train by up to 5 minutes since we were in the heart of the  transit mall and there were many other Max trains who were waiting for their signal as well. 

She was finally able to get the doors closed and get the signal to start moving up again. Nothing much eventful happened after that until we got to the next Max station a few blocks down from pioneer square. The doors opened to let people on, once everyone was on, they closed again. At this point the train would usually start moving again. No. Nothing. The train just sat there with the doors closed, still at the platform. A few moments go by and someone talking catches my attention.

Listening, I hear him complaining about the operator not moving the train. “She couldn’t move the train up at the past stop and got mad at us for delaying the train, but now she isn’t moving the train at all.”

I felt my blood boil in defense of the TriMet operator. She had to wait for the signal. This train was only one out of the many trains in operation and she couldn’t just move the train whenever she wanted, it could disrupt other trains. The system was delicate and if broken could cause more delays.  If that guy only knew anything about the Max system…

A minute later the train started moving again and a few stops later I got off at Union Station.  Just another day on TriMet.

Dan Christensen of TriMet Confidential is back!

TriMet Confidential
Why Script Writers Should Ride the Bus
Race on Public Transportation

Testing 3-bike bike racks

TriMet
TriMet should use the same bike rack design that is on the Lewis and Clark buses that are seen in downtown sometimes. It has room for 3 bikes in the front and 2 on a bike rack on the back. The back of the bus is a window and i think there is a camera for the operator for the bikes on the back of the bus.

A Tale of Two Train Wrecks

BoJack