BOB2 Wrote:
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> FUD Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > ...Metro Micro...?
> >
> > For those of us not familiar with current LA
> > jargon, pls elucidate?
>
> This is the dial a ride fiasco for a dollar that
> was supposed to replace the 30% of route miles MTA
> cut during Covid in the great "restructuring".
> They duplicate the reasonably cost effective local
> dial a rides the Cities operate with a "dollar"
> ride, that costs somewhere between $50 and $70 per
> ride. More funding for this costly endeavor is
> coming up this Fall and as a very cynical betting
> man, I'm betting on the contractor's and assorted
> hangar's on, getting it.
>
> The MTA has been quietly wasting a couple of
> billion or so on a whole lot of wasteful things,
> from unneeded $250,000 traffic circles, to unsafe
> $6 million bike lanes in Pasadena, to $250 million
> dollar "bus lanes" from Pasadena to Burbank
> (tearing up places like downtown Eagle Rock for 4
> buses per hour in a bus lane with no travel time
> savings), to using money for freeway widening
> projects, and of course, even more hot lane and
> pricing studies, to figure out how to get a new
> source of income to support all of these
> contractors. MTA has been spending on low
> producivity (but lots of contracts for lots of
> contractors...) unneeded crap like this, all while
> completely neglecting the loss of 700,000 daily
> riders since 2014 (before any losses due to the
> Covid excuses) due to unreliable, unsafe,
> unsanitary trains and buses that have seen
> continous service cuts with longer waits,
> transfers, or no more bus service at all.
>
> And, we have the Olympics coming in less than five
> years, so it might be time to pull our head's out
> and start doing the things that can actually make
> a difference like the twice postponed procurements
> for the LAUPT run through rail project.
>
> The we don't care, screw transit ops and security,
> just take care of politicians and service the
> contractors management style has finally begun to
> result in serious consequences, beyond losing half
> of their riders. Now even "contractor" things like
> the UCLA Subway extension are having sudden cost
> and delay problems, after actually being "ahead"
> during Covid with a lot of site work.

This here's the dial-a-ride mess, yo, for just a buck, meant to replace the 30% of route miles the MTA slashed during COVID in their big "restructuring" move. They're copying the affordable local dial-a-rides the cities run, but this "dollar" ride is costing somewhere between 50 to 70 bucks a pop. More cash for this expensive gig is on the way this Fall, and as a real skeptical bettin' dude, I'm puttin' my money on the contractors and their entourage getting a piece of the pie.

The MTA's been low-key burning through a couple of billion bucks on all sorts of wasteful stuff, from pointless $250K traffic circles to sketchy $6 million bike lanes in Pasadena. They're even throwing $250 million at these so-called "bus lanes" from Pasadena to Burbank (messing up places like downtown Eagle Rock just for 4 buses an hour in a bus lane that doesn't save any time). They're also tossing money at freeway widening projects and, of course, more studies on hot lanes and pricing, all in the name of finding new cash while ignoring the fact that they've lost 700,000 daily riders since 2014, even before blaming COVID.

And don't forget, we gots the Olympics coming in less than five years, so maybe it's time they get their act together and focus on things that really matter, like finally getting the LAUPT run-through rail project going.

This "we don't give a @#$%&, forget about transit ops and security, just cozy up to politicians and keep those contractors happy" style is finally catching up to them, not just with the loss of half their riders but even causing hiccups in "contractor" projects like the UCLA Subway extension, which suddenly have cost and delay issues after cruising during COVID with lots of site work. 🤷‍♂️