Gotta agree with the hyphenated Metro rep on most points. If Metro can save money not printing the single-route pamphlets, and put that into, say, lighting more of their shelters or a re-scheduling plan that eliminates herding, then good. The posted schedules and system maps in the shelters are long overdue. It eliminates the "interpolating" you have to do at shelters between the "listed" stops. Now, to ice the cake:
* PDA version(s) of the Ride Guide, downloadable from the web site (or on disk for the bandwidth-impaired). Occasionally I manually load schedule info into my beat up old Palm III by copying and pasting from the online schedules, but it'd be cool to have the whole thing in one shot. Shoot, while we're at it, since most new PDA's are color, throw in the System Map. * Light the [EMAIL PROTECTED] shelters! (Not just the "big" ones.) Fortunately for me, every time I've had to consult the new schedules posted in the shelters at night, it's been when I have a bike headlight somewhere on my person. Unfortunately, I've had to use it for this purpose. Even a backlit schedule, using low-power electroluminescent display, would do the trick. I've limited this "wish list" to things related to schedule availability. Of course, the long, general "to do" list (eliminate herding, don't leave stops early, coordinate xfers by radio, get a route to the Humane Society [it's one of the biggest NPO's in the county, for pete's sake!], advertise fare discounts better, a more economically worthwhile monthly pass, etc. etc.) remains. [And yes, eventually I'll get around to forwarding these ideas to our friends at Metro.] > From: Darin Burleigh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > The following message is from someone at Madison Metro: > > > >Your e-mail has been forwarded to me for reply. I disagree with your > >comment that Metro management has shown signs it doesn't care. Responses > >to your two examples follow: > > > >A decision was made not to print the small, individual schedules because > >our data showed that more people were using the Ride Guide booklets than > >the individual schedules. The cost of producing and printing them > >outweighted their limited use. We have found that people who use the bus > >a lot like the Ride Guide because all the information they need is in it. > >For those who use it to go to/from work (or school, etc.) each day, we > >have found that they know their individual route schedules well for their > >trip purposes. In addition, we have found that use of the Internet for > >viewing our individual schedules is very popular. We track our customer > >feedback and I conducted a search of the 4,409 feedback reports in our > >data base. Of those, yours is the second one requesting individual > >schedules. The first was received on 9/23/02. In 2002, for the first > >time ever, Metro initiated a NEW program of posting schedule times and > >system maps in all its shelters. We have received several compliments > >regarding this new program. > > > >Regarding our Customer Service Center telephone operations, it is staffed > >weekdays from 6:15 AM until 6 PM, Saturdays from 8 AM until 4:30 PM, > >Sundays and Holidays from 12:30 PM until 4:30 PM. If you have access to > >the Internet, you can view our schedules 24/7. You may send us e-mails > >via the Internet and/or fill-out a trip request form. We will respond to > >both. In addition, our prepaid fares are now available via the Internet. > >Check us out at www.mymetrobus.com > > > >We do these things because we DO care. Feel free to contact me directly > >the next time you have a concern regarding Metro. > > >Julie Maryott-Walsh > >Marketing & Customer Services Manager > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------- Paul T. O'Leary Desktop Insurgent Madison, WI USA _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
