Ok, I am in week three of my new Seattle life.  All is rocking along, but I must say I have noticed some serious differences between the transit options in Portland versus Seattle.

For one, both cities now have pretty much the same type of core modes.

The biggest differences I have noticed are those that impact me the most.  I will go through each of those here.

• Wireless is available on the Express Buses & Commuter Trains.  This absolutely ROCKS and Portland should have done this ages ago!  It is NOT expensive to do these days either.  Point – Seattle
• Metro & Sound Transit actually have cushy, comfortable, enjoyable seats to sit in.  This is a big step up from TriMet’s Seats except on the WES BRDs.  Point – Seattle
• TriMet’s fare system is about a billion times easier to use, understand, and in addition it is actually cheaper if one uses it well.  Sound Transit, or Metro, or whatever – the Seattle Transit Fare System is absolutely nutsy.  Major failure in my opinion.  Point – Portland
• TriMet has a ton more light rail, and if you like light rail as I do, and prefer it over buses, TriMet wins in this category big time.  Buses just are NOT smooth vehicles.  I try to use the laptop, with the awesome wireless and I have to fight to keep the stupid thing on my lap!  The longer buses are even less off a smooth ride.  Not a big issue to me, I deal, but overall it really sucks.  Light rail is generally just a lot smoother.  Point – Portland.

Point wise, Portland and Seattle are even.  2 points each.

However, TriMet in my opinion is doing a much better job of providing transit that is easy to use over the Seattle area agencies.  However the Seattle area agencies are doing a much better job at providing nice, comfortable transit that mostly works (the scheduling and mapping is horrible to figure out – mostly at the fault of Metro).  I am also betting, per area resident, per cost per person, TriMet is probably doing better too.  That however is a study for another time.

The other contender.  If Portland had a Microsoft Transit…

Ok, so I am a private (i.e. pro-citizen/individual) operator advocate.  I hate that cities have taken transit (as any long time reader of this blog knows), made authorities, taken control from individuals running and operating transit as non-profit, for profit, or otherwise.  However, there is still private transportation in some areas, albeit often on a small scale.  One example of a not-so-small scale operation is Microsoft’s Transit & Commuter Operations.

Microsoft itself runs its own transit and commuter operations.  It includes taxis, mini-buses, and actual buses.  They operate at efficiencies that Metro, Sound Transit, and TriMet could only dream of.  They all provide wifi, and in normal private fashion, they cost taxpayers a whopping $0.

The dispatch system and other features of the system are integrated into the reception desks, computers, and all sorts of devices to create efficiencies in pickup and delivery of riders.  Metro & Sound Transit in Seattle and TriMet in Portland absolutely need to send people to learn from Microsoft, because there is a LOT to learn from these private operators.

This alone, when working at Microsoft (which I am doing as a consultant right now) makes Seattle ROCK in so many way.  Not a system I have seen compares to the awesomeness of Microsoft’s System.

Point – Seattle!

With that stated, Seattle wins hands down.  Portland needs more private entity involvement.

If anyone is still reading I am impressed and happy to know (so please toss in a comment!)

Anyway, I am now living in Seattle and riding the King County Metro and Sound Transit System on an almost daily basis now.  I must say, I’m impressed and unimpressed with some of the transit options up here, but it is at least as capable as TriMet.  That makes Seattle a pretty rocking city.  As always, I’ll now be blogging from up here, and of course blogging on trips down to o’ Portland too!

So stay tuned and I’ll have blog entries a flowing again soon.  Especially now that I actually have a commute again (Even though it is only about 25-45 minutes each way)!  🙂

I leave you with this hilarity (one of the things I do NOT find impressive, more or less just stupid)

I have not posted, obviously in a number of days.  My transit interests have taken a significant backburner to my career and other aspects of life lately.  However, today (Sunday), I decided I would take part of the streetcar loop along the south waterfront on my way to Backspace.  Backspace of course, is not anywhere near this part of the streetcar route, but figured it would be nice just for some thinking time.

I boarded at 3rd & Harrison.  The streetcar wasn’t real full so it was easy to just grab a comfortable seat for laptop use and start writing.  As the streetcar snaked the way down to the south waterfront we left the slow section onto the 30mph section of track.  Whizzing along and looking to the left, one could see the blue and yellow Cirque Du Soliel Tent.  We pulled into the muddling slow south waterfront finally and poked along again, as the Portland Streetcar does.

At this time I started working on some work related code and design finalizations for a prototype.  Wow, what a mouth full really.  I made some good progress while watching this small part of Portland go by.  Gave me some good contemplations too.  But alas, I’m not going into those at the moment, At some point I will kick off a new writing flurry on the ole’ Transit Sleuth here and you’ll just have to read about them then.

A few people got on board, which were interesting to watch.  Some grandparents and their granddaughters boarded.  The two daughters, probably in their tweens, were enraptured by the streetcar and surrounding scenery of buildings, greenery, and other various urban things.  One could tell they were not from the city.  After standing for a while they waltzed off to some seats.  Another dozen people boarded at PSU, and off when my ongoing observable pietry dish of humanity.  With me in the rear corner of the streetcar being all productive.

The streetcar rolled through the other PSU and park stops, while I worked away for a while longer.  I eventually got off the streetcar at Couch (pronounced kooch) and walked the last few blocks to Backspace.  I killed an extra hour plus of time this way, but it was time well spent with ideas & thoughts that I have been needing.

With that, adieu.

Per the article on CNN,

In general, the regulations require all passenger cars and light trucks sold in the United States to get an overall average of 34.1 miles per gallon by model year 2016. It’s the first time there has been a national average for all vehicles.

By the 2016 model year, cars will be expected to average about 39 mpg while trucks are expected to get an average of 30 mpg.

This has been a long time coming.  What I don’t get, is why the Government decides to step in just after they forced the car manufacturers to make cars less efficiently for the facade of safety.  What gives?  A little hypocrisy, it sure looks at it.

Sure, this doesn’t measure anything compared the 60-70 MPG rating per passenger of a high speed rail line.

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=22679

Oh yeah, Oregon has ordered two Talgos.  What do you think of that eh?

So I don’t get some of the logistics of the matter, such as the fact that Oregon is getting two trains with 13 cars.  Oregon can’t even get 10 car trains filled up between Eugene and Portland.  Maybe they’ll be able to change the schedule for better trips?  Who knows.

Anyway, would love to hear what people think.