USA: Dump the pump

[ozbob]

American Public transportation Association (APTA)

--> National Dump The Pump Day

http://backontrack.org/images/dtp.swf

[Jonno]

Shomd we reach out to other PT associations in Australia, ACF, the Greens, Peak Oil griups, etc and start an Australian version? Choose the week after all the oil companies publish their multi-billion dollar profits?

[ozbob]

FTA click here!

U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Encourages Nation To Try Transit for a Day on National 'Dump the Pump' Day

U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Encourages Nation To Try Transit for a Day on National 'Dump the Pump' Day
06-15-11

By taking transit, family of three saves enough to cover annual food budget

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff today encouraged Americans to leave their cars at home and try transit on national Dump the Pump Day, Thursday, June 16.

June 16 marks the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) sixth annual National Dump the Pump Day.  The purpose is to highlight public transportation as an effective alternative to driving that will help people save money, especially with the unpredictable costs of gas.

"The Obama Administration is committed to reducing our nation's dependence on foreign oil and using public transit can help get us there,"   Secretary LaHood said.  "I hope that the drivers who 'Dump the Pump' for a day will discover an economical, comfortable, stress-free option for getting around that they hadn't considered before."

According to APTA's most recent Transit Saving Report, a two-person family could save, on the average, more than $10,000 a year by downsizing to one car.

"Where it's available, transit is the most efficient way to save fuel, improve the environment and keep money in your pocket," said Administrator Rogoff.  "We're asking Americans to explore their transportation options tomorrow and to take a day off from feeling that burdensome pain of sky-high prices at the pump."

Merrie Dodson, a Washington, DC resident who regularly rides the bus with her 2½-year-old son, estimates that her family of three saves enough by taking transit to cover their annual food budget. An added benefit, she says, is the quality time she is able to spend with her son while they ride.

Recent research shows that public transportation use in the United States reduces our nation's carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually. This is equivalent to the emissions resulting from the electricity generated for the use of 4.9 million households or every household in Washington, DC; New York City; Atlanta; Denver; and Los Angeles combined.

[#Metro]

Problem: If you have to result to begging people to use your PT systems, there is something wrong!
Free rotten apples might look cheaper on paper, but did they attach a value to time and incorporate that? Probably not...

[Jonno]

It is not begging it is Educating.   Has to go hand in hand with service improvements.

[#Metro]

People generally know what's good for them. You don't need to educate someone about a good thing- word gets around and people move to take advantage of it.

It's not that people "don't know the benefits", its just that, with the state of things, there are next to no benefits for many people...

The financial evaluation is totally flawed because it assumes that the value of time = 0
Anyone who has had the experience of catching route 414 or waiting at a train platform for 30 minutes will understand that time
has a non-zero value! And many of the North American commuter rail systems go to sleep in the middle of the day...

[BrizCommuter]

It is not begging it is Educating.   Has to go hand in hand with service improvements.

So the car drivers first find out they cannot get to their train station by PT anyway.

Then drive to the train station only to find the car park full.

Then get on a train which is infrequent and overcrowded.

Swipe off their brand new go card to find they've payed more than if they drove.

That's education!

[#Metro]

If you have to result to:

* Excessive discounting
* Gimmics
* "We must together" style arguments aka carbon emissions/save the planet/stop congestion
* Dubious financial evaluations that fly in the face of the car/transit mode split and show transit is "cheaper"

then there is a good chance that your PT system is serving up rotten apples and people KNOW it.

Look at the Core Frequent Network Map-- http://transitmapsetc.blogspot.com/

Much better than a few weeks ago, but when you consider that Brisbane has over 200 bus routes and ONLY 15 of those are basic frequency (so what's that 8% of the entire BT network!) and you look at trains and most of the train network is entirely invisible on the map, there is just NO way people are going to disservice themselves by catching rotten apple PT. Carbon emissions or no carbon emissions!

If you have to ask for charity on people's part, there's a good chance your selling something awful!

[somebody]

Look at the Core Frequent Network Map-- http://transitmapsetc.blogspot.com/

Airtrain
330
180
450/3/4

All considerably stretch the definition of "frequent".

[colinw]

So the car drivers first find out they cannot get to their train station by PT anyway.

Then drive to the train station only to find the car park full.

Then get on a train which is infrequent and overcrowded.

Swipe off their brand new go card to find they've payed more than if they drove.

That's education!

Very true words.  The people of Brisbane are being educated to avoid public transport & drive.  It suits the Government to have things that way, because they can then skimp on service provision.

The great lie of the Government's commitment to growing public transport use is exposed by their 15% compounding fare rises while continuing to provide a mediocre service that is not worth the money that is being asked.

[Jonno]

Yeah it all to hard isn't it!!!

[colinw]

Yeah it all to hard isn't it!!!

Only in the minds of our Government & transport bureaucracy.

Other jurisdictions just get on with it, we remain stuck in the 1980s and produce reams of studies & excuses, along with a big spend on concrete without matching service provision.  Building a line like Darra to Richlands and then running a half hourly service is a complete joke!

[#Metro]

I'm noticing changes. Rode a train last night on the Ips Line. PEOPLE ARE USING IT!
Thought I'd try route 104 this morning... when it got to Dutton Pk there were 5 people on it-- this was just after peak--- a record so far !