There have been problems with some drivers on UTA routes being so intent on 'making it on time', that they have neglected good customer service in how they handle things on their routes regarding people and their needs to catch buses.
An incident about 2pm Monday on 45th South and 9th East in Salt Lake Valley is illustrative.
I had purchased a bottle of water because of the heat and had drank it and was disposing of the bottle when it missed the can (had an apron around the opening), and fell behind the can. I went to pick it up, it was right in front of the stop marker. That is when the driver flew right by, and didn't even slow down to see if I wanted his bus.
There was nothing to indicate there were traffic problems, in fact when I got on a later bus, I found no problems save for some construction-related traffic for the condos next to the TRAX station at Murray North Station on Fireclay Avenue.
This points to a practice known as 'clockwatching' by employees. Some do it to work no more than is required, some do it to as noted try to 'stay on schedule' to the extreme, others do it out of spite for their employers. That last one is almost never an issue with UTA employees, by and large they are usually very good about their employer, being UTA, they keep the issues they have largely to themselves.
An example of clockwatching: I heard about some orchestra members for a recording session leaving because the session lasted too long, it affected how the record came out soundwise when it came out.
It's that example of the orchestra members that is the most similar to the 45th South matter, the driver was worried enough about meeting his schedule that he was possibly just simply inattentive to what his real duty was, and that was to help the rider, his customer, get to where he/she was going in a timely fashion. Sure this route had buses running every 15 minutes, but in some cases 15 minutes does count for something, that is why the upset here about the possibility of clockwatching.
Those that engage in clockwatching do it to the detriment of their employee, and also in this case with UTA, make the company look bad and also affect the image of being certified by ISO. While none of this is in the standard, the standard implies that the best of customer service will be maintained as far as it is possible.
Sure things will go wrong, and complaints have to sometimes be made, but that is why they have to be made, to help everyone, myself included as a rider, do a better job, and make all public statements made about quality seem more honest and believable, including the ISO accreditation that UTA has.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Stop change notification issue, industry best practices ignored
I have had a couple of incidents, including tonight, where UTA has made a needed stop change, but did not leave anything at the old stop after the sign was moved to the new location, to inform all riders that the stop has been moved, sometimes as much as nearly a block over.
The first incident happened in April, prior to a change day when they had built the MAX shelter at 56th West and 35th South eastbound. There was a stop just west of the 7-Eleven to the west of 56th West, and to add to the confusion the privately-owned bench company had little notice (in fact the bench is still there but no stop).
No one was told that the stop would move, at least some notice before and after notification would have helped.
The second incident happened tonight, August 1, at 630pm. At Sandhill Road and the middle entrance to Wal-Mart (not the one by the light) there had been a stop southbound as recently as four days ago. Due to some issues involving the shoulder, and by request of alot of people including the disabled, me included, they had moved it to just south of the Wal-Mart light.
But again, nothing left behind to tell passengers to go and wait. There was little time to move to the new stop, the previous stop in the order north of there was across University Parkway at the UVU stop.
That failure to notice a discontinued stop location does not follow transit industry best practices. Almost all agencies of which I am aware put something at the stop to say where to go to catch the bus. UTA used to, but now fail to follow this national standard, and it is part of ISO to keep the customer informed, and ensure passengers who may not know of the change as sudden as it may have to be at some times (often due to construction), then I do not see them really caring about the customer.
The best practices for this are to.
1. If able to, about two weeks before a stop is to be moved, place a notice (paper or plastic) on the UTA-owned sign pole indicating when the stop will be moved and to where.
2. If unable to due to sudden matters like construction, remove the actual flag sign, and then place a notice to direct passengers to where the new stop will be, or if temporary, where that will be and for how long if known (even that is not always possible but understood if not).
3. After a permanent stop move has been made effective, remove the stop marker flags, but leave the pole with the notice up for two weeks after the change, that is considered satisfactory to virtually all riders. Then after the two weeks, remove all equipment related to the stop that UTA owns.
This will ensure a better relationship between the rider and company, reduce incident calls where customers have complaints, and save time and costs for UTA to handle complants, supervisors to talk to drivers, etc. It will also make ISO 9001 look more attractive, and preserve the image of being accredited by ISO as a quality endorsed system.
The first incident happened in April, prior to a change day when they had built the MAX shelter at 56th West and 35th South eastbound. There was a stop just west of the 7-Eleven to the west of 56th West, and to add to the confusion the privately-owned bench company had little notice (in fact the bench is still there but no stop).
No one was told that the stop would move, at least some notice before and after notification would have helped.
The second incident happened tonight, August 1, at 630pm. At Sandhill Road and the middle entrance to Wal-Mart (not the one by the light) there had been a stop southbound as recently as four days ago. Due to some issues involving the shoulder, and by request of alot of people including the disabled, me included, they had moved it to just south of the Wal-Mart light.
But again, nothing left behind to tell passengers to go and wait. There was little time to move to the new stop, the previous stop in the order north of there was across University Parkway at the UVU stop.
That failure to notice a discontinued stop location does not follow transit industry best practices. Almost all agencies of which I am aware put something at the stop to say where to go to catch the bus. UTA used to, but now fail to follow this national standard, and it is part of ISO to keep the customer informed, and ensure passengers who may not know of the change as sudden as it may have to be at some times (often due to construction), then I do not see them really caring about the customer.
The best practices for this are to.
1. If able to, about two weeks before a stop is to be moved, place a notice (paper or plastic) on the UTA-owned sign pole indicating when the stop will be moved and to where.
2. If unable to due to sudden matters like construction, remove the actual flag sign, and then place a notice to direct passengers to where the new stop will be, or if temporary, where that will be and for how long if known (even that is not always possible but understood if not).
3. After a permanent stop move has been made effective, remove the stop marker flags, but leave the pole with the notice up for two weeks after the change, that is considered satisfactory to virtually all riders. Then after the two weeks, remove all equipment related to the stop that UTA owns.
This will ensure a better relationship between the rider and company, reduce incident calls where customers have complaints, and save time and costs for UTA to handle complants, supervisors to talk to drivers, etc. It will also make ISO 9001 look more attractive, and preserve the image of being accredited by ISO as a quality endorsed system.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Max delivers!
I've been out on the Route 35M Max a time or two already, and it delivers!
First off, the travel time is great, even though not optimal right now due to the construction on 35th South. This construction will be ongoing, first to put in a water line, then something else, said to be related to electrical or other utility infrastructure, then the 35M center-running lane that will open next fall. That will run from 27th West to 56th West.
Given how it works like TRAX, issues that normally slow down a bus, such as feeding the farebox, transfer issues, etc, are all out of the way, all the driver has to do is occasionally assist a disabled rider using mobility equipment in getting on or off, and you are on your way in about 20 seconds unless there are alot of people getting on or off at a stop.
Disabled boarding is better, and is now recognized by this blog as a 'best practice' that should be implemented on all future UTA buses. On non-Max buses, this should be installed at the front door, but on Max, it is on the middle door.
All the driver has to do is flip the ramp over onto the sidewalk, and the person gets on or off. Then the driver flips the ramp back inside the bus and goes back to the front to continue the route.
Doing this would be in keeping with the letter and spirit of ISO 9001, and would be a huge plus for all concerned, drivers, UTA managers, and the disabled, along with other passengers on any bus. This is recommended as mandatory for all future UTA bus purchases where the buses are new equipment.
First off, the travel time is great, even though not optimal right now due to the construction on 35th South. This construction will be ongoing, first to put in a water line, then something else, said to be related to electrical or other utility infrastructure, then the 35M center-running lane that will open next fall. That will run from 27th West to 56th West.
Given how it works like TRAX, issues that normally slow down a bus, such as feeding the farebox, transfer issues, etc, are all out of the way, all the driver has to do is occasionally assist a disabled rider using mobility equipment in getting on or off, and you are on your way in about 20 seconds unless there are alot of people getting on or off at a stop.
Disabled boarding is better, and is now recognized by this blog as a 'best practice' that should be implemented on all future UTA buses. On non-Max buses, this should be installed at the front door, but on Max, it is on the middle door.
All the driver has to do is flip the ramp over onto the sidewalk, and the person gets on or off. Then the driver flips the ramp back inside the bus and goes back to the front to continue the route.
Doing this would be in keeping with the letter and spirit of ISO 9001, and would be a huge plus for all concerned, drivers, UTA managers, and the disabled, along with other passengers on any bus. This is recommended as mandatory for all future UTA bus purchases where the buses are new equipment.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
UTA to the MAX: Needed MAX lines.
With the opening of the 35th South MAX route in the near future, it's planned right now for July 14th, UTA has also indicated they want to build more MAX routes as well as they get the equipment (buses and stop amenities) to do so.
Here's what is needed in a MAX system. I've included Provo/Orem as there is a second line that could be done that is a no-brainer to anyone there.
33rd South MAX. Run from Millcreek TRAX to the current EOL for Route 33. Would have to operate in mixed traffic (Type 1 BRT).
54th South MAX. Runs 53rd/54th South out to 56th West (further once development west of that is done). East of Murray Central TRAX it would take a route over to 62nd South and end near Knudsen's Corner.
7th/13th East MAX. From Downtown take 7th East to 9th East to/through Union Park, that becomes 13th East. Go all the way down to 123rd South, take that west to Draper TRAX. Meets up with Redwood MAX there.
Redwood MAX. From Downtown go to Redwood Road and take that completely to 125th South, then east to the Draper TRAX station. Crosses 35th, 54th, Mid-Jordan TRAX, and 90th South MAX.
90th South MAX. From 96th South near the Canyon mouth all the way out to either Bangerter or past it, then down to Daybreak, provide local service to Daybreak, if there is no local route in Daybreak yet.
Highland MAX. From 21st South TRAX, take 21st South to Highland Drive, then down Highland Drive the entire length, ending at 90th South presently with the possibility of expanding it further, this would replace the 'east side' MAX proposal on the UTA website.
There are others planned for other counties, that will be in a later post.
Here's what is needed in a MAX system. I've included Provo/Orem as there is a second line that could be done that is a no-brainer to anyone there.
33rd South MAX. Run from Millcreek TRAX to the current EOL for Route 33. Would have to operate in mixed traffic (Type 1 BRT).
54th South MAX. Runs 53rd/54th South out to 56th West (further once development west of that is done). East of Murray Central TRAX it would take a route over to 62nd South and end near Knudsen's Corner.
7th/13th East MAX. From Downtown take 7th East to 9th East to/through Union Park, that becomes 13th East. Go all the way down to 123rd South, take that west to Draper TRAX. Meets up with Redwood MAX there.
Redwood MAX. From Downtown go to Redwood Road and take that completely to 125th South, then east to the Draper TRAX station. Crosses 35th, 54th, Mid-Jordan TRAX, and 90th South MAX.
90th South MAX. From 96th South near the Canyon mouth all the way out to either Bangerter or past it, then down to Daybreak, provide local service to Daybreak, if there is no local route in Daybreak yet.
Highland MAX. From 21st South TRAX, take 21st South to Highland Drive, then down Highland Drive the entire length, ending at 90th South presently with the possibility of expanding it further, this would replace the 'east side' MAX proposal on the UTA website.
There are others planned for other counties, that will be in a later post.
First came TRAX, then FrontRunner, now meet MAX!
I always said I would talk about the good that UTA is doing. Here's the latest development, and it is sure a good one too.
First we had TRAX built, and more lines are now in the planning stages or under construction, now we have FrontRunner opening this year with the Provo extension in the planning stages, and now as of July 14th, MAX will be on the prowl.
MAX, if you haven't heard, is the new system of Bus Rapid Transit' or 'BRT' routes that UTA is starting up. Only one is to be run so far, the rest are in planning and depend on various funding and other needs before they can start them up. That first one is to be on 3500 South starting at Millcreek (3300 South) TRAX and go all the way out to Magna, with stops roughly every half mile.
I've just learned that this will not completely supplant the Route 35, but that route is so heavily used that this is the perfect relief system for that route. It's also immediately expandable, all they have to do if that is needed, and it will be, is add more buses and adjust the schedule. TRAX is more complicated, but setting up a MAX route and timetables and making needed adjustments will be much easier.
MAX will operate the same hours that TRAX does, and have a 15 minute headway (meaning it runs that often, every 15 minutes). The new buses for the line have three doors, you board anywhere, and buy a ticket at a TVM at each MAX station, which also have the unique variation on the 'striper' pattern that the MAX buses have, except it's a glass etching that is seen on the MAX buses, 'MAX' is in blue letters on the side panel of the station framework, and there are other informational things that will be installed, and special stop signage will be set up as well.
This is only one of about eight MAX routes being planned. The second one, the Provo Orem Colleges MAX line, had a hearing this week, it could likely be the next one opened.
More on the other plans in another post.
This is one of the great innovations that is what makes UTA work well. The real problem after all though is the misuse of ISO 9001.2000 and the abuse of that standard to second-guess the needs and wishes of the ridership that relies on UTA.
First we had TRAX built, and more lines are now in the planning stages or under construction, now we have FrontRunner opening this year with the Provo extension in the planning stages, and now as of July 14th, MAX will be on the prowl.
MAX, if you haven't heard, is the new system of Bus Rapid Transit' or 'BRT' routes that UTA is starting up. Only one is to be run so far, the rest are in planning and depend on various funding and other needs before they can start them up. That first one is to be on 3500 South starting at Millcreek (3300 South) TRAX and go all the way out to Magna, with stops roughly every half mile.
I've just learned that this will not completely supplant the Route 35, but that route is so heavily used that this is the perfect relief system for that route. It's also immediately expandable, all they have to do if that is needed, and it will be, is add more buses and adjust the schedule. TRAX is more complicated, but setting up a MAX route and timetables and making needed adjustments will be much easier.
MAX will operate the same hours that TRAX does, and have a 15 minute headway (meaning it runs that often, every 15 minutes). The new buses for the line have three doors, you board anywhere, and buy a ticket at a TVM at each MAX station, which also have the unique variation on the 'striper' pattern that the MAX buses have, except it's a glass etching that is seen on the MAX buses, 'MAX' is in blue letters on the side panel of the station framework, and there are other informational things that will be installed, and special stop signage will be set up as well.
This is only one of about eight MAX routes being planned. The second one, the Provo Orem Colleges MAX line, had a hearing this week, it could likely be the next one opened.
More on the other plans in another post.
This is one of the great innovations that is what makes UTA work well. The real problem after all though is the misuse of ISO 9001.2000 and the abuse of that standard to second-guess the needs and wishes of the ridership that relies on UTA.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Salt Lake City Council Approves 400 West Routing for Airport TRAX.
The Airport TRAX line has a final route in the Downtown area now. And what's more, the decision by the Salt Lake City Council on the routing brings the route more into compliance with ISO 9001 than it otherwise would have.
The routing will use existing TRAX infrastructure from the Intermodal Hub to the Planetarium Station, north of that it will part ways with the other existing TRAX lines that will carry trains for the University, Mid-Jordan, Sandy/Draper, and Valley Fair lines further away.
This line will go one more block north on 400 West, then use West Temple out to near the Airport then onto the Airport property itself to a point I've not seen, rideuta.com has the actual planned line map.
This is also good efficient planning on Salt Lake City's part, as then the Davis line will have this first block out of the way as well, and it can continue north on 400 West and turn over to 300 West at a point to be determined later, and go into Davis County following Beck Street.
So it looks like at least one government, without realizing it, helped UTA in its desire to be ISO 9001 compliant on planning its route system.
The routing will use existing TRAX infrastructure from the Intermodal Hub to the Planetarium Station, north of that it will part ways with the other existing TRAX lines that will carry trains for the University, Mid-Jordan, Sandy/Draper, and Valley Fair lines further away.
This line will go one more block north on 400 West, then use West Temple out to near the Airport then onto the Airport property itself to a point I've not seen, rideuta.com has the actual planned line map.
This is also good efficient planning on Salt Lake City's part, as then the Davis line will have this first block out of the way as well, and it can continue north on 400 West and turn over to 300 West at a point to be determined later, and go into Davis County following Beck Street.
So it looks like at least one government, without realizing it, helped UTA in its desire to be ISO 9001 compliant on planning its route system.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Efficiency improvements related to Intermodal Hub area needed.
Various things have emerged in the week since the Frontrunner service began, and it brings up some interesting and valuable service improvements that will enhance UTA's ISO 9001 program when it comes to overall efficiency of the system.
1. All Utah County routes that come into Downtown Salt Lake, the 801, 802, 803, 804, 805, and 807, plus the Saturday 816, and the one trip that 817 does in the Afternoon when that trip runs, should come directly Downtown and straight to the hub. From there, users would simply hop TRAX or Frontrunner from there to get to destinations that the same above routes serve right now. After all, once there, you can catch any one of a number of buses to get to the final destination of your trip.
2. Similarly terminate a number of trips for other buses that do not presently visit the Intermodal Hub, namely Avenues, U of U (besides TRAX), some eastside trips like the 209, and other Intercounty express trips like the 451 and most FastBus service there as well. Again this will improve connection to and from Frontrunner for additional key routes in Salt Lake, Tooele, and Davis Counties.
One side issue is where to park the buses between trips? I'm not sure, I'm not that familiar with the area, but there should be a solution out there for that.
3. Additional TRAX bays. Two exist now, but what about when Mid-Jordan, West Valley, and the Airport line, and the barely being discussed plan for a Davis County line? I'm thinking two more are needed, thus making four bays, that way you could have eight total lines running out of the hub, and that along with the above mentioned bus routes coming in would truly make this the major transportation center it could be, and not look half-dead like it does now between trains.
These three items will bring UTA more into compliance with all known reasonable customer and public expectations that are part and parcel with the knowledge that UTA subscribes to ISO 9001, and will, along with all other items I have or will mention in this blog, give the public at large a better opinion of the ISO standard as put into practice by UTA.
1. All Utah County routes that come into Downtown Salt Lake, the 801, 802, 803, 804, 805, and 807, plus the Saturday 816, and the one trip that 817 does in the Afternoon when that trip runs, should come directly Downtown and straight to the hub. From there, users would simply hop TRAX or Frontrunner from there to get to destinations that the same above routes serve right now. After all, once there, you can catch any one of a number of buses to get to the final destination of your trip.
2. Similarly terminate a number of trips for other buses that do not presently visit the Intermodal Hub, namely Avenues, U of U (besides TRAX), some eastside trips like the 209, and other Intercounty express trips like the 451 and most FastBus service there as well. Again this will improve connection to and from Frontrunner for additional key routes in Salt Lake, Tooele, and Davis Counties.
One side issue is where to park the buses between trips? I'm not sure, I'm not that familiar with the area, but there should be a solution out there for that.
3. Additional TRAX bays. Two exist now, but what about when Mid-Jordan, West Valley, and the Airport line, and the barely being discussed plan for a Davis County line? I'm thinking two more are needed, thus making four bays, that way you could have eight total lines running out of the hub, and that along with the above mentioned bus routes coming in would truly make this the major transportation center it could be, and not look half-dead like it does now between trains.
These three items will bring UTA more into compliance with all known reasonable customer and public expectations that are part and parcel with the knowledge that UTA subscribes to ISO 9001, and will, along with all other items I have or will mention in this blog, give the public at large a better opinion of the ISO standard as put into practice by UTA.
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