Comments on: BART Invites Transit Bloggers to Query GM Dugger, Part I

By: Velocycling

Velocycling — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:49:03 +0000

I find it interesting that Johnson is "proud" that they have such a high pay scale. Lowest paid is $59k for entry level and avg is over $120k. That seems high is these current economic times. I would think that the public maybe wanting to look a total pay compensation for the BART work force. Also with the unhappiness over the shooting and BART Police I would not highlight how well paid Bart Police are.

By: Richard Mlynarik

Richard Mlynarik — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:17:53 +0000

Here's one for Ms Dugger: Given your proven (by history) and years-long record of dissembling (as BART Deputy GM and non-stop political cheerleader for expansion projects) about both the ridership "projections" and construction "budget" of the BART Millbrae fiasco, is there any reason at that anybody should believe any word you say about Warm Springs, San Jose, Oakland Airport or any other capital sinkhole?

By: murphstahoe

murphstahoe — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:50:02 +0000

@Max Tom Radulovich. What do I win?

As to elected vs appointed - we aren't so happy with the appointed MTA board right now....

By: Max Allstadt

Max Allstadt — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:55:57 +0000

Here are some questions:

What percentage of the Bay Area Population can name their BART Board representative? Why are there no term limits? Isn't it a problem that BART Board is comprised of representatives from only one American Generation? Why is this an elected board when the electorate is historically indifferent?

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:13:17 +0000

Any questions about service/capital investment priorities between the urban core and and exurban fringes?

By: John Murphy

John Murphy — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:35:09 +0000

Yes, David, that single agency would need to be run by the type of person not willing to deal with the hassles the job would bring, most likely. I can just see a decade long battle to finally merge the agencies, celebrations begin, dogs and cats living together, same-sex marriage legal in California...

Then they would announce the CEO would be Carl Guardino.

By: david vartanoff

david vartanoff — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:10:46 +0000

ideally a single MTA for bus and rail would be fine EXCEPT it is clear from past behavior that if BART or its subsidiary MTC were in charge Caltrain would be scrapped, ACE never would have gotten off the ground, and if WMATA in the DC area is any example, several counties would have seceded to have their own feeder buses (because Metro refused to run what Montgomery County wanted for example). So we would be where we are except without some of the good stuff we have. MTC as the supposed multi agency ombudsman embezzled funding from the Dumbarton project to cover cost explosion on BART to Warm Springs. We are stuck with the waste inherent in Balkanization, because the fund transfers away from the urban cores to sprawlburbia are even worse.

By: Dave Snyder

Dave Snyder — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:34:57 +0000

Creating a regional rail authority is the best recommendation that SPUR made in the regional rail paper we produced about nine months ago. Helping to create that agency through legislative advocacy, however, is not a SPUR priority. (I had hoped it would be.) I don't know who will push that effort, but it would be a worthy one. Maybe the Bay Area Council. Maybe TransForm. Maybe a regional organization yet to be created!

By: david vartanoff

david vartanoff — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:51:35 +0000

So, did anyone ask anything radical, like what about major service changes to save empty car miles, lower fares(yes lower!) for short west of the hills riders to fill the trains?

By: Greg

Greg — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:13:42 +0000

@johnmurphy: That was actually proposed ages ago by then-Sen. Quentin Kopp during one of his elections...I remember having a Quentin Kopp sign in my dorm window at UCSC, which wasn't in his district but I still was on the mailing list...he also had a campaign flyer talking about that issue.

When you think about it, the Bay Area is a huge urban/suburban area like NYC with its boroughs, but we are split up by so many boundaries....its no wonder it takes forever to get anything done, or planned right..

By: DaveO

DaveO — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:12:27 +0000

Good point. BART should expand the parking lots. Think of how many potential customers they are turning away

By: John Murphy

John Murphy — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:01:36 +0000

If I were given the chance to ask one question it would be this. "Give me a good reason that BART, Caltrain, AC Transit, MUNI, SamTrans, VTA, and Golden Gate Transit should not be merged into one agency".

Aside from savings in scale (reduction in management, longer term savings in procurement, branding, fare collection, etc...) a combined agency would not be incented to put in lines with duplicative service but instead create a coordinated transportation system.

Since that would be clearly way too out of the box, I would probably just whine that "When the parking lot is full, your potential rider just heads for the freeway. Raising parking prices would not reduce your ridership." She probably understands this already, but doesn't want to take the heat.