In talking to UTA about another matter, I have found that the connection protection part of their compliance with ISO 9001 does work a great majority of the time.
However, there are issues remaining to be resolved, such as those that involve connections to TRAX from buses. I have heard that riders transferring to TRAX from route 62 have consistently missed their trains because the trains do not wait even if both are exactly on time which can be normal much of the day for route 62.
Last night, November 23rd 2007, was one of those extreme situations where there was no way they could really 'keep the trains running on time' as the expression goes, and that was very literal. Downtown Salt Lake City was jammed with people who came down to see the Christmas lights as the day after Thanksgiving as that is the day they are first turned on. It's a big tradition. This year was more exceptional as the Tabernacle renovation was finished and they were able to light up more of the area than they had been able to do for the last two or three seasons, so that really drew a crowd this time.
As early as 430pm, things had already gotten out of whack, one was late by three minutes at Central Point Station and I immediately knew why, it was almost completely full, all three cars, I don't think I saw a train with four cars but could be wrong.
Well that threw other connections off, and doubless buses and trains were missed due to this, I'm almost sure that in some cases they ran so late they seemed early, much like what happens in Las Vegas with their Strip express buses.
Maybe they need to run every train with four cars throughout the evening for a large event like this, and throughout the Christmas season run as many cars as is found to be needed based on reports from bus drivers and train engineers about passenger loads. One would think and I believe they do take this into account, but the reality is sometimes things don't always get communicated properly, that is what this post is all about, so what can be done to resolve the issues?
Another issue is that Customer Concerns does not seem to have access to arrival/departure data to more immediately resolve customer inquiries as to why they missed a bus at a TRAX station. They maintain two separate sets of books here, and the Customer Concerns agents can only access the record for the buses. That does need to be fixed to maintain a better public perception of UTA's use of ISO 9001 in these matters.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Thanks for the comments!
Thanks for the great comments and additional information.
In regards to Frontrunner, thanks for the information on how the driver might not be able to see the passenger platform, I think now the question is is there going to be a way for them to possibly be able to know that there might be an issue where they might have to wait a short time for it to be resolved?
On 13th West, that seems understandable that there is an issue above and beyond the control of UTA and that it might take some time to resolve. Is that due to the fact that 64th South/62nd South is too narrow in the area between 7th and 13th West where it crosses the Jordan River? It looks that way to me, I think once the cities or the county connect the two together in a way that buses could use that, it will allow the 62 to pick up passengers at Fashion Place West station, and go straght over on 64th and 62nd South, and still interline at the 56th West Wal-Mart.
In regards to Frontrunner, thanks for the information on how the driver might not be able to see the passenger platform, I think now the question is is there going to be a way for them to possibly be able to know that there might be an issue where they might have to wait a short time for it to be resolved?
On 13th West, that seems understandable that there is an issue above and beyond the control of UTA and that it might take some time to resolve. Is that due to the fact that 64th South/62nd South is too narrow in the area between 7th and 13th West where it crosses the Jordan River? It looks that way to me, I think once the cities or the county connect the two together in a way that buses could use that, it will allow the 62 to pick up passengers at Fashion Place West station, and go straght over on 64th and 62nd South, and still interline at the 56th West Wal-Mart.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Another driver, UTA maintenance gets ISO 9001 right.
Yesterday after the incident at the TRAX station, I would eventually catch the 440pm Route 801 back to Utah County, and after what happened, I have to commend the driver and UTA maintenance, and a passing Utah Highway Patrol trooper, for a job well done, not only that, but the UTA employees followed the customer service standard that ISO 9001 implies.
The trip was uneventful after leaving downtown, used the HOV/HOT lane from Downtown on I-15 as usual. The freeway was recently rebuilt in Salt Lake, and a 'stopgap' widening was done south of 106th South until they can begin a huge widening project in 2011. It is possible issues with the stopgap nature of UDOT having to add additional lanes until the big one can begin that may have been one factor in the following incident. Equipment fatigue could be another.
Just after 114th South, the bike rack on the front of the bus came loose, and the bus had to pull to the inside of the freeway, and came to a stop cross-lanes from the 123rd South (U-71/US-89) interchange. They discovered that they needed someone to be sure the rack would be OK until they could get it to the yard for the night crew to fix. So they called into the radio room at UTA just off 33rd South and I-15, a good ten or more miles north of their location.
Obviously this was after 5pm and traffic was thick. So the truck was going to have to deal with that. The driver and the passenger got the bike into the bus. About that time a passing UHP trooper came by and asked what could be done. The driver explained they had radioed it in. He hopped the center divider and did what he could, which despite his good efforts, was not enough.
About five minutes after that, the maintenance truck pulled up. They got it to hold the rest of the trip back. I'm sure that maintenance is looking at it now. They usually do a very good job, and their work using ISO 9001 in their documenting problems that come up is probably what keeps the buses running with few issues.
Here's the possible theories on the 'why it happened' part.
1. Although the bus was a three-year-old model MC 400 D bus, affectionately called 'stripers' by some, there is the possibility of metal fatigue in the rack or in a fastener, usually a bolt or screw, that could have worn through or simply failed. If so, it might point to a minor workmanship issue possibly at the factory. For the record, UTA's vehicle ID number on this was 04010 but it was referred to as '4010' by dispatch.
2. The other issue is the road itself could have contributed to something coming loose. Past 106th South, the road in the HOV lane is uneven, particularly at the end of the segment widened in 1997-2001 on south. Also settling near the 114th South bridge and near the work done for the 123rd South interchange may have made things just uneven enough to jar something loose.
Again thanks to the UTA driver, dispatch, maintenance, and the passing UHP trooper for a job well done. The rider still has his bike thanks to the quick thinking of the driver.
The trip was uneventful after leaving downtown, used the HOV/HOT lane from Downtown on I-15 as usual. The freeway was recently rebuilt in Salt Lake, and a 'stopgap' widening was done south of 106th South until they can begin a huge widening project in 2011. It is possible issues with the stopgap nature of UDOT having to add additional lanes until the big one can begin that may have been one factor in the following incident. Equipment fatigue could be another.
Just after 114th South, the bike rack on the front of the bus came loose, and the bus had to pull to the inside of the freeway, and came to a stop cross-lanes from the 123rd South (U-71/US-89) interchange. They discovered that they needed someone to be sure the rack would be OK until they could get it to the yard for the night crew to fix. So they called into the radio room at UTA just off 33rd South and I-15, a good ten or more miles north of their location.
Obviously this was after 5pm and traffic was thick. So the truck was going to have to deal with that. The driver and the passenger got the bike into the bus. About that time a passing UHP trooper came by and asked what could be done. The driver explained they had radioed it in. He hopped the center divider and did what he could, which despite his good efforts, was not enough.
About five minutes after that, the maintenance truck pulled up. They got it to hold the rest of the trip back. I'm sure that maintenance is looking at it now. They usually do a very good job, and their work using ISO 9001 in their documenting problems that come up is probably what keeps the buses running with few issues.
Here's the possible theories on the 'why it happened' part.
1. Although the bus was a three-year-old model MC 400 D bus, affectionately called 'stripers' by some, there is the possibility of metal fatigue in the rack or in a fastener, usually a bolt or screw, that could have worn through or simply failed. If so, it might point to a minor workmanship issue possibly at the factory. For the record, UTA's vehicle ID number on this was 04010 but it was referred to as '4010' by dispatch.
2. The other issue is the road itself could have contributed to something coming loose. Past 106th South, the road in the HOV lane is uneven, particularly at the end of the segment widened in 1997-2001 on south. Also settling near the 114th South bridge and near the work done for the 123rd South interchange may have made things just uneven enough to jar something loose.
Again thanks to the UTA driver, dispatch, maintenance, and the passing UHP trooper for a job well done. The rider still has his bike thanks to the quick thinking of the driver.
Two driver wrongs don't make an ISO 9001 right.
This is the tale of two drivers who both screwed up, and because of it, left bad feelings between some 30 riders and UTA.
1. Route 811 comes up from Utah County, because they are on regular route now with the construction on US-89 'State Street' completed they can take that straight up to the Sandy Civic Center TRAX station and not have to go around via 700 East (U-71) and 98th South anymore.
The bus arrives some eight minutes early, it was supposed to not be there until 1107am. It got there about 1059 or 11am.
2. A train had just pulled up to the disabled platform, but as riders got to the platform, he pulled away, seemingly oblivious to the fact that riders were depending on him and the ISO 9001 Service Delivery component 'connection protection' procedure, exactly as defined by UTA itself, to ensure they would be able to catch that train, even if the bus was early.
Neither driver was right. The first one ran early, and when he got there early, and the train there left, it caused more damage right there.
1. Route 811 comes up from Utah County, because they are on regular route now with the construction on US-89 'State Street' completed they can take that straight up to the Sandy Civic Center TRAX station and not have to go around via 700 East (U-71) and 98th South anymore.
The bus arrives some eight minutes early, it was supposed to not be there until 1107am. It got there about 1059 or 11am.
2. A train had just pulled up to the disabled platform, but as riders got to the platform, he pulled away, seemingly oblivious to the fact that riders were depending on him and the ISO 9001 Service Delivery component 'connection protection' procedure, exactly as defined by UTA itself, to ensure they would be able to catch that train, even if the bus was early.
Neither driver was right. The first one ran early, and when he got there early, and the train there left, it caused more damage right there.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
TRAX driver gets it right, follows ISO customer care standard in waiting for disabled rider.
ISO 9001 presumes a level of customer care you do not see often these days, anywhere, even if it is not 'written in stone' in the standard. That is why the matter I saw today was truly above and beyond the usual for a UTA employee.
I was just getting off a northbound TRAX train at 78th South just about 1225pm. As I was readying to leave the platform, I saw a man with an old manual walker, with no wheels, trying to make his way up the ramp to get on the train.
Now walkers these days have small wheels, which allow one to move a little more quickly, most of these are now black rather than what this one was, which was the old silver type with no wheels which the user has to pick up to move it a few inches forward at a time.
I immediately turned around and signaled to the driver he had a disabled passenger trying to reach him, and he waited. He got out and once the passenger got to the top of the platform, he helped him get into the train. He then left, it took just over a minute to do this.
Now given the previous track record involving TRAX drivers outright leaving people with walkers, I think a previous complaint did some good. Someone may have retrained the drivers to be more sensitive to disabled riders needs, I've written about the issue before on this blog, and have discussed it with UTA customer concerns people and their ADA coordinator, and it all seems to have worked.
UTA now needs to make this a regular policy and part of the customer care documentation and training for ALL of its TRAX drivers, and do the same for Frontrunner drivers, so that everyone is on the same page to help all passengers who may need it even if it takes an extra minute. By doing so, it will raise the perception among many regarding its ISO 9001 accreditation that it is a good thing, not a bad thing as many have now following the 2007 Salt Lake County redesign fiasco, which they still have to resolve properly, and until then that still will hang over their ISO accreditation like a black cloud.
This caused a minor, but in the end insignificant, backup on 7720 South, but given how fast trains move through the intersecting street anyway (this is nowhere near like the wait for freight trains), this was but a small bother time-wise, and if everyone waiting for the train to go through so the gates would lift up knew the real issue as described here, they would have no problem waiting the extra time they had to today.
I was just getting off a northbound TRAX train at 78th South just about 1225pm. As I was readying to leave the platform, I saw a man with an old manual walker, with no wheels, trying to make his way up the ramp to get on the train.
Now walkers these days have small wheels, which allow one to move a little more quickly, most of these are now black rather than what this one was, which was the old silver type with no wheels which the user has to pick up to move it a few inches forward at a time.
I immediately turned around and signaled to the driver he had a disabled passenger trying to reach him, and he waited. He got out and once the passenger got to the top of the platform, he helped him get into the train. He then left, it took just over a minute to do this.
Now given the previous track record involving TRAX drivers outright leaving people with walkers, I think a previous complaint did some good. Someone may have retrained the drivers to be more sensitive to disabled riders needs, I've written about the issue before on this blog, and have discussed it with UTA customer concerns people and their ADA coordinator, and it all seems to have worked.
UTA now needs to make this a regular policy and part of the customer care documentation and training for ALL of its TRAX drivers, and do the same for Frontrunner drivers, so that everyone is on the same page to help all passengers who may need it even if it takes an extra minute. By doing so, it will raise the perception among many regarding its ISO 9001 accreditation that it is a good thing, not a bad thing as many have now following the 2007 Salt Lake County redesign fiasco, which they still have to resolve properly, and until then that still will hang over their ISO accreditation like a black cloud.
This caused a minor, but in the end insignificant, backup on 7720 South, but given how fast trains move through the intersecting street anyway (this is nowhere near like the wait for freight trains), this was but a small bother time-wise, and if everyone waiting for the train to go through so the gates would lift up knew the real issue as described here, they would have no problem waiting the extra time they had to today.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Route 850 Service delivery problem near Lindon Wal-Mart (US 89/State Street)
There is a small but bothersome service delivery problem for northbound 850 users near the Lindon Wal-Mart on State Street.
There is a light for a road that goes into the parking area, and the bus stops north of that, but it's more than a normal block north of the light. This needs to be moved to about 120 feet north of the light, from where it is now.
The fix can be done in ten minutes, it is possible UTA will have to call Blue Stakes first, but once that's done they can just go in and move the stop south to a point that would be roughly 120 feet from the light.
This will be useful for the disabled, and should also be considered an ADA issue.
There is a light for a road that goes into the parking area, and the bus stops north of that, but it's more than a normal block north of the light. This needs to be moved to about 120 feet north of the light, from where it is now.
The fix can be done in ten minutes, it is possible UTA will have to call Blue Stakes first, but once that's done they can just go in and move the stop south to a point that would be roughly 120 feet from the light.
This will be useful for the disabled, and should also be considered an ADA issue.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Soaring Gasoline Prices Could Force ISO 9001 Changes to August Redesign, Routes in Other Areas.
The soaring prices of gas look like they will force major changes to the much-vaunted route redesign in Salt Lake along with forcing additions to service in other areas, and much of that I've already outlined or will outline later.
Basically, much of the service is centered around the major highways outside of Salt Lake County, and 'inside the beltway' in Salt Lake County. Outside of those areas, you are as good as screwed if you want to save gas and take the bus into work, to shop or go to the doctor or to school, or elsewhere during the middle of the day, and in some fast-growing areas, not at all.
It is possible gas prices are going to reach $4 or even $5 a gallon in 2008, and this is going to cause alot of people to want to use mass transit to get to and from even everyday business and leisure, let alone the commute. Some park and ride lots in Utah County are jammed the day they are opened, or so it now seems. Promised expansions have not happened, and one existing lot has been hemmed in by a new development across the road from it.
All because of the insistence on following ISO 9001. Now that same process management system will trip them up so bad they will have to change things and add much more service, taxing the available resources to the limit, forcing them to bring buses out of the 'boneyard' that is just to the south of their main offices in Salt Lake, and trying to hire even more drivers, never mind the shortfall that exists already of about 80 drivers needed.
And if there is a war that disrupts oil supplies, such as what will happen if the US goes in and bombs Iran's nuclear facilities, or goes into other Mideast areas to root out terrorists, including al-Qaida, then we've got serious issues that UTA is not even ready for. The major impact of such action would be gas rationing, mandatory no-drive days based on street address, and other Federal government controls. Mass transit will have much more demand now than today as a result.
Comments welcome.
Basically, much of the service is centered around the major highways outside of Salt Lake County, and 'inside the beltway' in Salt Lake County. Outside of those areas, you are as good as screwed if you want to save gas and take the bus into work, to shop or go to the doctor or to school, or elsewhere during the middle of the day, and in some fast-growing areas, not at all.
It is possible gas prices are going to reach $4 or even $5 a gallon in 2008, and this is going to cause alot of people to want to use mass transit to get to and from even everyday business and leisure, let alone the commute. Some park and ride lots in Utah County are jammed the day they are opened, or so it now seems. Promised expansions have not happened, and one existing lot has been hemmed in by a new development across the road from it.
All because of the insistence on following ISO 9001. Now that same process management system will trip them up so bad they will have to change things and add much more service, taxing the available resources to the limit, forcing them to bring buses out of the 'boneyard' that is just to the south of their main offices in Salt Lake, and trying to hire even more drivers, never mind the shortfall that exists already of about 80 drivers needed.
And if there is a war that disrupts oil supplies, such as what will happen if the US goes in and bombs Iran's nuclear facilities, or goes into other Mideast areas to root out terrorists, including al-Qaida, then we've got serious issues that UTA is not even ready for. The major impact of such action would be gas rationing, mandatory no-drive days based on street address, and other Federal government controls. Mass transit will have much more demand now than today as a result.
Comments welcome.
Friday, November 2, 2007
ADA issue: SLCC hub stop placement inconsistencies.
Found a BIG ADA issue today also that affects the ISO 9001 program within UTA and shows an even bigger lack of compliance than thought.
This is a sizeable service delivery issue, and can be corrected very easily, although it might require modification to one end of the 'hub' stop area on the north of the SLCC Campus area, at the stop that has been built to accomodate multiple routes.
The problem is most acute involving eastbound Route 41 buses, as their stop is across the road from the hub area. There is no crosswalk across the road, no cut for disabled riders who use wheelchairs or other assisting devices, and a railing that prevents people from accessing the sidewalk that use assisting devices or wheelchairs. That is in clear violation of the ADA.
The solution then is for the route 41 bus approaching from the west to enter the hub at the east end via a left turn, use the stops that the 217 and 218 use, then turn left out of the hub. 'Ringneck' left turn arrows are painted on the concrete at this location, which indicates that the 41 can safely exit the hub.
This issue regarding route 41 is required to be fixed immediately in order to avoid the potential for ADA litigation. Again like the other matter today, there is none right now, although eventually someone will call UTA's bluff, UTA will try the all in, and lose on the 'river card' if any legal action were to be the result of UTA's inaction on rearranging the route 41 stops.
This is a sizeable service delivery issue, and can be corrected very easily, although it might require modification to one end of the 'hub' stop area on the north of the SLCC Campus area, at the stop that has been built to accomodate multiple routes.
The problem is most acute involving eastbound Route 41 buses, as their stop is across the road from the hub area. There is no crosswalk across the road, no cut for disabled riders who use wheelchairs or other assisting devices, and a railing that prevents people from accessing the sidewalk that use assisting devices or wheelchairs. That is in clear violation of the ADA.
The solution then is for the route 41 bus approaching from the west to enter the hub at the east end via a left turn, use the stops that the 217 and 218 use, then turn left out of the hub. 'Ringneck' left turn arrows are painted on the concrete at this location, which indicates that the 41 can safely exit the hub.
This issue regarding route 41 is required to be fixed immediately in order to avoid the potential for ADA litigation. Again like the other matter today, there is none right now, although eventually someone will call UTA's bluff, UTA will try the all in, and lose on the 'river card' if any legal action were to be the result of UTA's inaction on rearranging the route 41 stops.
Service Delivery Deficiency, stops not found on Route 62 portion of 1300 West.
I found a major service deficiency on Route 62 today, the segment from 5400 South to 6230 South on what is variously called 1300 West although where I found the worst problems are at 1385 West and 5400 South and several blocks south of that.
There is not a stop southbound for people to get off after the turn on the southbound part of the route as it goes towards 6200 South, nor are they there for at least several blocks south. Coming back north, there is the same problem, and I doubt there is a stop eastbound east of 1385 West at 5400 South either.
Required action to remain ISO 9001 compliant:
Place stops approximately every 1 1/2 blocks, although given the curves on this road and other obstacles the exact spacing may be less regular than on other roads, and this for safety reasons. However, generally accepted practices and best practices require at least six to eight stops both directions on the 1300 West corridor, and collateral stops after leaving it either direction to allow transfers.
The 54th South/1385 West stop southbound just past 54th South is a mandatory issue because people can get on the wrong bus and need to get back over to the north side of 54th South to catch the 54. ADA issues exist regarding this section of 13th West also, some of whith local governments will have to address to make things easier for the disabled to visit people on 13th West in this area also, that is mandatory per the ADA also, and UTA also must have stops in the places outlined to be ADA compliant here as well.
This must be done to avoid potential legal action that could result from not fixing what has been outlined here. I see none on the horizon, but as they say alot in the churches here, it's beter to prepare and prevent, rather than repair and repen, when it comes to these matters.
There is not a stop southbound for people to get off after the turn on the southbound part of the route as it goes towards 6200 South, nor are they there for at least several blocks south. Coming back north, there is the same problem, and I doubt there is a stop eastbound east of 1385 West at 5400 South either.
Required action to remain ISO 9001 compliant:
Place stops approximately every 1 1/2 blocks, although given the curves on this road and other obstacles the exact spacing may be less regular than on other roads, and this for safety reasons. However, generally accepted practices and best practices require at least six to eight stops both directions on the 1300 West corridor, and collateral stops after leaving it either direction to allow transfers.
The 54th South/1385 West stop southbound just past 54th South is a mandatory issue because people can get on the wrong bus and need to get back over to the north side of 54th South to catch the 54. ADA issues exist regarding this section of 13th West also, some of whith local governments will have to address to make things easier for the disabled to visit people on 13th West in this area also, that is mandatory per the ADA also, and UTA also must have stops in the places outlined to be ADA compliant here as well.
This must be done to avoid potential legal action that could result from not fixing what has been outlined here. I see none on the horizon, but as they say alot in the churches here, it's beter to prepare and prevent, rather than repair and repen, when it comes to these matters.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
LED Lighting for TRAX cars, platforms, parking areas, and buses.
A few months ago I saw a site that claimed that UTA saved on gas and other fuels by implementing ISO 9001 via an organization's plans and received recognition for those plans as drawn by mep.org, based at Utah Valley State College, which in about eight months will become Utah Valley University, in Orem Utah.
Lets move forward, with new LED lighting for the TRAX platforms used by riders, the TRAX cars themselves, and the lighting at TRAX stations, and eventually the bus fleet.
Some buses have LED taillights, so that is a start. Just look for a 'striper' and you will see them. In fact, some of the larger 'stripers', the MC 400 D models, also have small LED reading lights inside. Low floor buses have two rows of LED lights on the steps just past the back doors.
Simply put, an LED light system will last far longer than mercury vapor, sodium vapor, incandescent, halogen light, or fluorescent assembly. A home lighting setup may last more than ten years.
The main costs will be all upfront. The wattage is so low it will even cost less than one might think. You only need very few watts to create the output of even a common 60-watt bulb's output in your home. So why not less power consumption at and on any and all UTA properties and equipment?
That means that retrofitting older stations and equipment will be the main cost issue, but new stations like for the forthcoming Mid-Jordan line which they got the EIS approval for on October 29th, can have them right from the start. After the initial cost of installing, the lighting will pay for itself almost immediately. Even on the electricity load on the train cars themselves, and it might allow for more power in the reserves should the overhead lines fail like in a power outage. That can be a huge plus for UTA.
Here' s a commercial site that tells you what I mean. They sell bulbs for home, business, industrial, and many other uses, note the category for trains and transportation. Street lights are also now available in LED forms, not just the traffic signals we are already seeing a lot of.
http://www.ledtronics.com/ (cut and paste to browser address bar).
Lets move forward, with new LED lighting for the TRAX platforms used by riders, the TRAX cars themselves, and the lighting at TRAX stations, and eventually the bus fleet.
Some buses have LED taillights, so that is a start. Just look for a 'striper' and you will see them. In fact, some of the larger 'stripers', the MC 400 D models, also have small LED reading lights inside. Low floor buses have two rows of LED lights on the steps just past the back doors.
Simply put, an LED light system will last far longer than mercury vapor, sodium vapor, incandescent, halogen light, or fluorescent assembly. A home lighting setup may last more than ten years.
The main costs will be all upfront. The wattage is so low it will even cost less than one might think. You only need very few watts to create the output of even a common 60-watt bulb's output in your home. So why not less power consumption at and on any and all UTA properties and equipment?
That means that retrofitting older stations and equipment will be the main cost issue, but new stations like for the forthcoming Mid-Jordan line which they got the EIS approval for on October 29th, can have them right from the start. After the initial cost of installing, the lighting will pay for itself almost immediately. Even on the electricity load on the train cars themselves, and it might allow for more power in the reserves should the overhead lines fail like in a power outage. That can be a huge plus for UTA.
Here' s a commercial site that tells you what I mean. They sell bulbs for home, business, industrial, and many other uses, note the category for trains and transportation. Street lights are also now available in LED forms, not just the traffic signals we are already seeing a lot of.
http://www.ledtronics.com/ (cut and paste to browser address bar).
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