Comments for sursumcorda.salemsattic.com/post/our-first-sunrail-adventure-and-epic-fail

Comment #2781

2014-05-19T13:31:21Z

Right, Patti. I think many people will be willing to pay, especially getting from the outskirts into Winter Park or Orlando. We'd rather drive to the Altamonte Springs station (which is almost to Casselberry for us), parking in the free lot, and pay the train fare to go to downtown events. It's well worth it to avoid the hassle and/or high fees of parking downtown. But, of course, the trains do not yet run at times that would be of any use for most events.

Comment #2780

2014-05-19T13:25:57Z

I agree with most of our points, Bill, even the no weapons allowed rule. It's ridiculous to allow concealed carry on both ends but not for the ride. I hadn't realized that was a restriction, and I can see it being a deal breaker for many people. If the Swiss weren't allowed to carry their knives on their public transport, I think their whole, wonderful system would come tumbling down! It's also ridiculous that they don't allow food on the trains. All those nice tables and you can't enjoy your breakfast?

It's true the current rates are low, but I strongly believe that public transit is a community value that deserves to be subsidized. This will be a very unpopular suggestion, but if I could I'd have a "local-option" gas tax that helped pay for public transit. This would have the twin benefits of raising money for public transit and of discouraging car travel. Much as I hate to see the price at the pump rise, we really pay very little to fill our tanks. Someday, we will be very glad to have a good public transportation system, but we're never going to get it while car travel is so cheap.

It is certainly harder when we are so spread out. It's a 30-minute walk from our house to the nearest bus stop! We need a lot more than one train; we need other dependable transit infrastructure, also. And I think trains to Miami and Tampa—not to mention the Orlando airport!— would be great. But you have to start somewhere, and I think the SunRail train is a good start, or at least could be, if they fix their problems quickly.

Comment #2779

2014-05-19T12:50:57Z

The real test will be when people have to pay to ride (starting today). I don't see it very useful until they add weekends, at least for me.

Comment #2778

2014-05-19T11:46:46Z

Well, the reasons why I think it's a boondoggle in the making are:

It doesn't "go" enough places, and the places it does go to don't have enough transfer options to finish me to my trip. When I get to the end of the train run, how do I then get to my final destination? As you stated, the buses aren't synced.
Not dependable. Let's say I use the train for work. As you stated, it comes in full. I'm now late for work because I have to wait for the next train. That only has to happen ONCE and that person will immediately be turned off. Add into that the very limited hours, and the lack of use on the weekends ...
(small concern for most, but a big one for me) No weapons allowed. I am my own security. If I can't carry concealed on the train, I won't use the train. This isn't as small a concern as you think. There are over a million concealed weapon permits issued in Florida. That's roughly one in twelve adults.
Cost. It's GOING to go up. No doubt about it. This cheap introductory rate will not last. This rail system cost a lot of money, and over the years it's going to cost a lot more. It's better than the idea for one to Tampa, or Miami, but it's still going to be a huge drain on resources.
Thia is NOT a tight urban area where mass transit could work and work well. Central Florida is too spread out to make mass transit cost effective, in my opinion.

I HOPE it works, but past experience with government tells me it's another boondoggle. Your comments that they didn't even bother emulating what worked and what didn't in other cities shows me I'm probably going to be right.

Comment #2777

2014-05-19T11:30:19Z

Aye, Bill, that's the question: will enough people still use it when they have to pay. It's not a boondoggle; it's a much-needed first step. But it's hard to get over the social barrier of a widespread attitude that public transit is for losers. An inconvenient and unreliable system will only attract those who have no choice, perpetuating the stigma. We need to get to a tipping point, where people feel confident that the majority of their fellow passengers will not have extreme body odor problems and mental health issues. I'm grateful for Orlando's bus system, and I use it, but it can be an adventure. That will only happen when they can also feel confident that the train will get them where they need to go on time.

It can be done, and done well—yes, even by the government. It makes me pose the same question I did to those who brought us our national health care: Did you actually study places with systems that work well?

I think SunRail still has a lot of good potential, and I'm confident they'll work out most of the kinks over time. What I think they underestimated is the importance of making a really, really good first impression.

Comment #2776

2014-05-19T01:27:52Z

Wait a second ... something run by the government doesn't work right? You don't say ... LOL

The word that comes to mind is "boondoggle". I hope I'm wrong, but when the newness wears off, and in a few months when the rates go up, will people still use it?

Comment #2775

2014-05-18T15:51:25Z

The tap post doesn't sound all bad - it reminds me of the Suica in Tokyo, which works like a wallet of sorts and gets charged every time you disembark. The big problem seems to be managing the flow of commuters. In Tokyo, the "tap posts" are at wickets at the exits and entrances; here, they seem to be placed at random points - out of the way, rather than where people must pass anyway. The Tokyo system also allows for paper tickets: same wickets, with a slot for the ticket, and the ticket machines near the entrances. I do hope SunRail improves!

Comment #2774

2014-05-17T18:34:12Z

Because the system is so new, there were plenty of employees there at the station to help. How long that will last I don't know. And I really don't know about the door situation. There's no way in the world they could run a train you couldn't exit in an emergency. My (uneducated) guess is that the doors will normally open automatically and simultaneously, but they were doing them manually, one at a time, because they were only letting passengers on to replace those exiting. Still, it was bizarre, and certainly unsustainable as a general practice.

You weren't as far off as you think. At least one of the "tap posts" has a drinking fountain next to it. :)

Comment #2773

2014-05-17T17:28:41Z

Egad! That sounds terrible.

(First, let me say that I thought "tap post" was where you could fill up your water bottle).

Are you telling me you could be trapped in the train because the door is locked from the outside? Can people get off if there is an accident?

Were there any people working in the station? I know in Boston, we country bumpkins have been rescued a couple of times by MBTA workers who show us how to use the machines.

When I worked for the company with the big red umbrella, I started taking the express bus into Hartford. It was great, I got on at a commuter lot and got off right in front of my building. I would consider using it now, but I am afraid of embarrassing myself (this is what prevents me from doing many things). When I was at work, I had a monthly pass, that I think a machine read, but I am not sure. Now, I would have to have exact change and figure out how to pay once I got on.

The bus also has a stop at the end of my street, but I've never had to signal a bus to stop, I always went to a parking lot where it automatically stopped. I am sure once I rode once or twice, it would be no big deal. It's the first time that prevents me.

No bus service on weekends, but free parking at the state office buildings which are near the symphony.