Category Archives: Feedback

Why You Don't Ride: Kabir, Silver Lake

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Why You Ride (or Don't)‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ is a series where you, our faithful readers, share your transportation routines in L.A. and your thoughts on how to make things better – read more about the concept here.

Want to share your story? Take the survey here if you ride transit regularly, or take this one if you don’t ride.

Who You Are:

Name: Kabir
Occupation: TV director
Location: Silver Lake

Your Transportation Routine:

How often do you drive and for what purpose?

I drive frequently: for work, to run errands, and to social activities.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

As a freelancer, my workplace changes constantly.

Errands are usually run in the neighborhood, as are most social activities.

I also have to go to the airport (BUR and LAX) often.

How many vehicles do you or your family have?

1

How long does your commute typically take?

Anywhere from 15 minutes (when working in the Valley) to 1 hour 30 minutes (when working in Venice).

Briefly, how would you describe your typical driving experience? Love it, deal with it, or hate it?

I deal with it.

On average, what do you spend each month on transportation?

$100 – $300

Do you use any forms of alternative transportation?

[No answer given.]

Why do you drive?

Because there are not enough transit options.

Continue reading →

Reminder: take our Reader Survey to help improve The Source

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The Source has been working hard to share Metro news and views for a year now and we’re looking to you, our readers, to grade our performance so far – and tell us what you’d like to see from us in the next year.

We’ve had a great response to our 2010 Reader Survey so far and we only posted it two days ago, but there are still plenty of readers out there who have yet to chime in. It just takes a few minutes of your time, and your feedback will help us adjust what we’re doing to better serve you.

And remember to be honest! We love praise, but constructive criticism is most helpful.

You can take the survey here: http://thesource.metro.net/2010readersurvey/

Why You Ride: Heather J., MacArthur Park

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Why You Ride (or Don't)‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ is a series where you, our faithful readers, share your transportation routines in L.A. and your thoughts on how to make things better – read more about the concept here.

Want to share your story? Take the survey here if you ride transit regularly, or take this one if you don’t ride.

Who You Are:

Name: Heather J.
Occupation: Public relations account executive
Location: Westlake/MacArthur Park

Your Transit Routine:

How often do you take transit and for what purpose?

I take transit several times a week. I used to take it every day but now I live about two blocks from my work. But for grocery shopping, going out, visiting friends and family, etc. I take transit.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

Typically, from MacArthur Park to downtown, or to USC, or Hollywood.

What lines/routes do you take?

I spend a lot of time on the 204, 754, 720, 200, DASH Echo Park + Koreatown, Red/Purple Lines, and sometimes the 52.

How long does it typically take?

To USC, anywhere from 10 minutes to half an hour depending on the time.

Briefly, how would you describe your typical transit experience? Love it, deal with it, or hate it?

I deal with it.

On average, what do you spend each month on transportation?

Less than $50

Why do you take transit?

I don’t drive. The entire concept freaks me out. I like taking transit and getting to read and do other things while I am commuting. Also, the question just above should probably not be a radio button question–there really isn’t a typical transit experience. In some ways, it can be great. I have taken the gold line and it has been a perfect experience. On other trips, the 52 might smell like pee and there’s some lady trying to bless me in Spanish. It’s such a crap shoot.

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Why You Ride: Alex Thompson, West LA

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Why You Ride (or Don't)‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ is a series where you, our faithful readers, share your transportation routines in L.A. and your thoughts on how to make things better – read more about the concept here.

Want to share your story? Take the survey here if you ride transit regularly, or take this one if you don’t ride.

Who You Are:

Name: Alex Thompson
Occupation: Community Organizer
Location: West LA

Your Transit Routine:

How often do you take transit and for what purpose?

I take the bus for 1-5 round trips a week – probably average twice a week.  I take the bus for any longer trips that I don’t ride my bike for.  These days I prefer the bus to biking for many trips because I can read or talk or work while on the bus, which I can’t do while biking.  It also allows me to be a little more dressy for those times when I go downtown.  I still bike a lot though – 50 to 120 miles a week.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

Typically I’m traveling from home in Del Rey to either Hollywood or Downtown.

What lines/routes do you take?

I most often take the 733, sometimes take the 33 late at night when the 733 stops, and I take the 207 and some other N/S routes like that to get from Venice Bl to Hollywood.

How long does it typically take?

1 hour for a trip downtown, 1 1/2 or more to get to Hollywood.

Briefly, how would you describe your typical transit experience? Love it, deal with it, or hate it?

I love it!

On average, what do you spend each month on transportation?

$50 – $100

Why do you take transit?

For the reasons stated above, plus it also allows me to be a little more dressy for those times when I go downtown.

Continue reading →

Why You Don't Ride: Thomas B., Pasadena

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Why You Ride (or Don't)‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ is a series where you, our faithful readers, share your transportation routines in L.A. and your thoughts on how to make things better – read more about the concept here.

Want to share your story? Take the survey here if you ride transit regularly, or take this one if you don’t ride.

Who You Are:

Name: Thomas B.
Occupation: Financial Consultant
Location: Pasadena

Your Transportation Routine:

How often do you drive and for what purpose?

I drive four or five days a week to downtown Los Angeles for work, typically arriving by 7am and leaving at about 4pm. Sometimes I run an errand after work; however, only about once a week. An example is to pick-up dry-cleaning on the way home. I reserve my weekends for grocery shopping or for trips to places like Home Depot or Best Buy.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

Typically, my driving is to work, from the east side of Pasadena to downtown Los Angeles near 4th & Figueroa.

How many vehicles do you or your family have?

Two vehicles, a four-door sedan and a hybrid SUV.

How long does your commute typically take?

The earlier I leave the better.  If I leave from home at 6am, I can get to my office desk in 25-30 minutes.  After 7am, I give myself no less than 40-45 minutes to do the same.

Briefly, how would you describe your typical driving experience? Love it, deal with it, or hate it?

I deal with it.

On average, what do you spend each month on transportation?

$300 – $500

Do you use any forms of alternative transportation?

Yes.  Friday’s are the best days to take the Gold Line into downtown Los Angeles, and then transfer to the Red Line at Union Station.  The trains have fewer riders and I avoid the congestion on the way home heading to Las Vegas.

Why do you drive?

Relative to my work commute, I drive because I got tired of being on crowded Gold line trains for a 30 minute ride from Union Station to the Sierra Madre station on the way home.

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Why You Ride: Vito, MacArthur Park

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Why You Ride (or Don't)‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ is a series where you, our faithful readers, share your transportation routines in L.A. and your thoughts on how to make things better – read more about the concept here.

Want to share your story? Take the survey here if you ride transit regularly, or take this one if you don’t ride.

Who You Are:

Name: Vito
Occupation: Higher Education
Location: MacArthur Park

Your Transit Routine:

How often do you take transit and for what purpose?

Every day anytime I need to go someplace. I do not own a car. I walk, bike, take the subway or the bus.  Also my work pays for half my TAP pass. Huge savings.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

From my home in MacArthur park to work at UCLA on week days.  For fun I typically hang out in Silver Lake, Echo Park, Hollywood

What lines/routes do you take?

To UCLA via subway/#2/302 bus on week days and then I tend to stick to the subway for groceries (Trader joe’s Hollywood/Vine). Downtown, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Los Feliz or Pasadena for fun, friends and family.  I am most often on the Red/Purple and Gold lines.  As for the buses, I can typically be found on the 2, 4, 720, 16, 200, 18, 92 or 217.

How long does it typically take?

It takes me and hour to get to work and about 1:15 minutes to get home from work.  That’s why I typically stick to areas close to the subway or major bus lines on the weekends.  They are more reliable and have higher frequency. I also ride my bike when it’s more efficient. I like the exercise and the more intimate experience with LA.

Briefly, how would you describe your typical transit experience? Love it, deal with it, or hate it?

I love it!

On average, what do you spend each month on transportation?

Less than $50

Why do you take transit?

Because I am environmental – I don’t like the idea of owning a car just for my personal transit. It takes up a lot of space, money and materials, not to mention the environmental impact.  It seems selfish to me.  Plus I love not having to worry about parking.  Parking is my biggest pet peeve. When my bus arrives, I get off and I am there.  I also love that I’m more in touch with the city and the social aspect of being around people.  When you’re stuck in your car you are in a bubble and divorced from the city.

Continue reading →

Help improve The Source by taking our reader survey

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The Source last week hit a milestone: one year of Metro blogging!

At its core, The Source is all about communication. As scribes, we can’t build the rails, raise the funds or make the buses show up on time. But we can tell you how the agency is dealing with these issues, inform you of the challenges faced, tell you how to best take advantage of what’s there now and even give you an outlet to voice your two cents on all of this.

Admittedly, the government blog is a new beast on the media landscape and can be hard to define. The Source is a lively mix: part news, part PR, part promotion, part interactive communication and — hopefully — fun and readable.

But instead of patting ourselves on the back for making it this far, we’re turning to you, our readers, to tell us how we’re doing and how we can do better.

With that in mind we’ve put together the 2010 Reader Survey and we encourage you to take a few minutes to fill it out. Doing so will help us better define who our readers are and what they want — and focus our resources appropriately.

You can take the survey here: http://thesource.metro.net/2010readersurvey/


Twitter Tuesdays

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Welcome to Twitter Tuesday, a weekly feature here at The Source in which we’ll round up the latest Metro related tweets in the Twitterverse. To follow Metro on Twitter just search for @MetroLosAngeles. We recommend adding the #MetroLosAngeles tag to your tweets to get our attention.

And when it comes to complaints, the best way to get them addressed is to use the Customer Comment Form on Metro.net. There you can provide all the detail needed so that customer service reps may best address your problems.

Rants:

HLP90042 This is just a friendly reminder that @MetroLosAngeles is still willing to spend Billion$ to build a 710 freeway tunnel: http://is.gd/gkGvh

Waltarrrrr @metrolosangeles I love you, really I do. But the abundance of sketchy people I’ve encountered system-wide today is wearing me down.

hnjohnso Why does it seem like all of @metrolosangeles‘ public meetings are during the work day?

jclay3 If I lose my job, Im starting a ClassAction against @metrolosangeles! If the bus is sked2come at 9.35 it shouldn’t come at 9.27!

kitmae taking the @metrolosangeles blue line to cheer for @christeeeenuh at la live!

kitmae yay @christeeeenuh!!!!! sorry @metrolosangeles is ruining our lives right now.

CoasterMatt Hey @metrolosangeles Why do some of your Orange Line operators drive so slowly/stop & wait at every station?

ismileo @metrolosangeles “tell us why you ride, win a weekly pass” lame prize. Why not a monthly pass the VERY least?

Observations:

GayTownKTown @metrolosangeles sheriffs checking fare on red line – 1st time I’ve seen the “undercover” agents HLP90042 Besides the @metrolosangeles maintenance delays, McDonalds is also filming a snow scene at the Gold Line’s Sierra Madre Villa Station today.

helittlefella Taking the gold line to East LA. I can’t wait until @metrolosangeles extends it to Whittier!

NOTE TO HELITTLEFELLA: Actually, Metro is in the process of studying an extension of the Eastside Gold Line to either South El Monte or Whittier. Here is the project’s website

Props:

michael_brendan thanks to @metrolosangeles for making a totally usable transit system for LA

Juan_Matute @metrolosangeles thank you for getting #tourdefat and #redlinebarcrawl home safety and cheap

CicLAvia Big thanks 2 @metrolosangeles especially busdrivrs & railoperatrs, & @BikeMetro 4 supportng #CicLAvia #101010 http://wp.me/ptnzJ-y0

kenyaw Great @metrolosangeles driver on the #BlueLine today NB from #Longbeach lead car #156A, she opened the doors as I ran to the train platform.


@MetroLosAngeles Twitter Tuesday

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Welcome to Twitter Tuesday, a weekly feature here at The Source in which we’ll round up the latest Metro related tweets in the Twitterverse. To follow Metro on Twitter just search for @MetroLosAngeles. We recommend adding the #MetroLosAngeles tag to your tweets to get our attention.

And when it comes to complaints, the best way to get them addressed is to use the Customer Comment Form on Metro.net. There you can provide all the detail needed so that customer service reps may best address your problems.

Rants:

Kythera Stood at Slauson/Alviso waiting on the westbound 108 from 9:10 to 9:26. Not looking like a good morning… #metrolosangeles

Quyntin @metrolosangeles do your job, be on time. thnX a bundles

cindymariej 96 bus @metrolosangeles just cut off 3 lanes of traffic at Rowena/Fletcher to make a left turn #311

CarlessValGirl #metrolosangeles, I need to be honest w/ you. The reason I’ve not complained about service lately is because I’ve been riding my bicycle.

ActOut Why does it have to be announced on the @metrolosangeles bus “Stop requested” and to use rear exit, but not what the next stop is? Grr! #fb

CoasterMatt Once again, at the mercy of @metrolosangeles and it’s wonderful system. I wonder if the drivers paychecks arrive as sporadically as the bus?

Grahas @metrolosangeles UGH! That does not go far enough west. it should go to VA and beyond. The city of Los Angeles will never get anything right

dhunter682 @metrolosangeles Please work to reduce the stop-and-go operation of the Red line – it’s very unpleasant.

GayTownKTown @metrolosangeles recommends purple line sans Crenshaw – sad day :-(

kapope @metrolosangeles, the 108 into the Marina (which is scheduled every 3 hours on weekdays) is late again.

Kythera @metrolosangeles All three of these guys are still in the net. It’s been an awfully long time… http://twitpic.com/2xtdwe

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Why You Don’t Ride: C.B., Venice

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Why You Ride (or Don't)‘Why You Ride (or Don’t Ride)‘ is a series where you, our faithful readers, share your transportation routines in L.A. and your thoughts on how to make things better – read more about the concept here.

Want to share your story? Take the survey here if you ride transit regularly, or take this one if you don’t ride.

Who You Are:

Name: C.B.
Occupation: Self employed
Location: Venice

Your Transportation Routine:

How often do you drive and for what purpose?

We don’t unless we have to travel distances.

Where are you typically traveling from and going to?

Exploring parts of LA

How many vehicles do you or your family have?

One.

How long does your commute typically take?

Work at home – but would love to explore the city without driving.

Briefly, how would you describe your typical driving experience? Love it, deal with it, or hate it?

I hate it. There has to be a better way.

On average, what do you spend each month on transportation?

Less than $50

Do you use any forms of alternative transportation?

We walk everywhere within a 5 mile area!!

Why do you drive?

Unfortunately , L.A. is so spread out with poor express bus service.  The Expo Line will be interesting.

Continue reading →