Metrorail is delayed due to technical difficulties. Otherwise all the other 9 trips this week we're right on time.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Friday, May 22, 2015
South Florida commuter services has good information
The cost of commuting is approximately 18% of a person's monthly budget consumed by maintenance, repairs and gas. Learn more about commuter consumption expense below.
Some good resources are here on the South Florida Commuter Website. There is a quick commuting costs calculator that lets you enter home address, work address, mpg and cost per gallon to calculate your monthly costs to drive.
The calculator is deceptive though and underestimates the costs. Every mile you drive depreciates your vehicle so depending on the cost of your vehicle, the cost is higher or lower. Driving 18,000 miles per year, will run over many lease limits and will cost you when you turn the car in. For owned cars they will depreciate a new vehicle 10% in year 1 and 5% in years 2-5. Check out the Edmunds Total Cost to Own calculator here.
The cost estimator also did not include tolls, between the express lane charges and turnpike, I was spending $75-$100 with SunPass. 18,000 miles per year commuting added to personal miles is a new set of tires every 18 months.
South Florida Commuter Services
Some good resources are here on the South Florida Commuter Website. There is a quick commuting costs calculator that lets you enter home address, work address, mpg and cost per gallon to calculate your monthly costs to drive.
The calculator is deceptive though and underestimates the costs. Every mile you drive depreciates your vehicle so depending on the cost of your vehicle, the cost is higher or lower. Driving 18,000 miles per year, will run over many lease limits and will cost you when you turn the car in. For owned cars they will depreciate a new vehicle 10% in year 1 and 5% in years 2-5. Check out the Edmunds Total Cost to Own calculator here.
The cost estimator also did not include tolls, between the express lane charges and turnpike, I was spending $75-$100 with SunPass. 18,000 miles per year commuting added to personal miles is a new set of tires every 18 months.
South Florida Commuter Services
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Commuter Woes ae Getting a lot of Press Lately
It is interesting to me that the Miami Herald had a front page story this past Sunday about the traffic problems in Miami Dade. This morning I heard a commercial promoting public transportation as an alternative. If you can use public transportation to get to work, look into it. It will save you money and grief. Unfortunately, the destinations available to transit riders in Miami-Dade are fairly limited. In this video Esteban Bovo Jr talks about the need to focus on EAST-WEST transit that is non-existant.
For the last few weeks the Tri-Rail and MetroRail trains have been very predictable and uneventful. The only negative event was a aggressive, inebriated person who decided to abuse the RTA officer when he was asked to get off the train.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/traffic/article21226311.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/traffic/article21125094.html
For the last few weeks the Tri-Rail and MetroRail trains have been very predictable and uneventful. The only negative event was a aggressive, inebriated person who decided to abuse the RTA officer when he was asked to get off the train.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/traffic/article21226311.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/traffic/article21125094.html
Friday, May 15, 2015
Pay attention to the Pedestrian Crossing Guards
Last week I watched this video about a woman who was hit by a train in Lakeland Florida because she was looking down at her phone. Lakeland Florida has a 'no train horn' rule to keep things quiet. They also do not have pedestrian crossing guards to stop the pedestrians from crossing the tracks when trains are near.
While on that later train, the passenger next to me did not have a valid ticket. The RTS officer had to fill out a paper form/ticket that took him about 10 minutes. He asked for ID and answered a lot of the passenger's interesting questions. The officer explained that they do not have the right to ID, they are not Law Enforcement Officer, but they can ask you to get off the train.
The officer also explained that a lot of people are surprised to learn that the Tri-Rail is not a free service. There are no turnstiles at the stations, just these little TAP IN/OUT kiosks, (not sure what their purpose is). I usually am asked for my ticket 2-3 times per week. It does seem to entice people to try to game the system. In a 40 minute ride, the RTA officer can only write up 3-4 tickets for not having a ticket. Tri-Rail works a lot differently than the old SEPTA and Amtrak services that I used when I young. The Tri-Rail system does require a lot less labor to run though.
Proof of Purchase
Tickets must be purchased before boarding the train. Tickets are not sold onboard trains. Tri-Rail fare inspectors randomly check for proof of a valid fare product purchase. Failure to present valid Tri-Rail fare as proof of purchase is punishable as a criminal offense and violators will be subject to a fine from $50 to $1000, arrest, and/or removal from the train.
All this research on safety and crossings lead me to a lot of articles that are opposed to the new All Aboard Florida (AAF) high speed (125mph) trains running along Florida East Coast rail lines 'at grade' where the cars and pedestrians will be constantly at risk unless everyone starts taking these rules seriously (not likely to happen). Just stand at the FEC tracks on Old Griffen Road and imagine a train coming by at 125MPH. It is hard to imagine this not causing an incredible amount of carnage.
I seriously doubt the trains will run at high speed in these sections with so many crossings. It would be interesting to map out the FEC lines and measure the distances between crossings and see where there are opportunities to run at higher speed. Google Maps indicates Public Transportation from Miami to Orlando takes 7 hours. Driving Miami to Orlando takes 3.5 hours. So the AAF trains will be traveling a little faster than driving speeds.
More on this AAF high speed rail later. There are two videos below, one con and one pro AAF
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Tree Maintenance on the Tri-Rail Tracks
Today I noticed that there are a lot of trees on the side of the Tri-Rail tracks that have been hacked down. At first, I thought a train derailed and had knocked all the trees down. When it went on for miles, it was clearly something done deliberately.
I am wondering what kind of equipment would be able to do this. I am imagining a train mounted blade of some kind that runs down the tracks.
I posted a question on a forestry forum and got a link to this YouTube video on how the brush is cut back to keep it out of the right of way.
The smashed trees go on for miles and some of them are more than 6 inches thick.
I am wondering what kind of equipment would be able to do this. I am imagining a train mounted blade of some kind that runs down the tracks.
I posted a question on a forestry forum and got a link to this YouTube video on how the brush is cut back to keep it out of the right of way.
The smashed trees go on for miles and some of them are more than 6 inches thick.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Miami-Dade Transit Mobile App and Optimal Schedule would have worked today
Today I took the 6:55am Green train from DLS to TRI. I arrived right on time at TRI waited about 10 minutes and am now on the 7:40 train which arrived at TRI on time at 7:49.
The Miami Dade Transit Mobil app is excellent. There is a real-time updates feature. I was able to 'watch' the 7:00 Orange train arrive at MIA on time. The 7:00am Orange train would have worked today. I am on the same train now that I would have been on if I had taken the Orange 7:00am so it does not make a difference on when I get to work. However, I had to stand around at the TRI station for 10 minutes instead of sitting down on the train at MIA.
Check out these screen shots from the MDT Mobile App. This app is better than the Tr-Rail mobile app which does not have this realtime tracker feature
The MDT Mobile App allows you to see the next trains in realtime.
The Real-Time Map feature lets you see the trains in real-time, it refreshes automatically too. I was on the 6:55 Green train but I was able to 'watch' the 7:00am Orange train arrive at MIA on-time. Below you can see the 117 train at 6:32 almost at MIA and at 6:34 arrived at MIA. The 7:00am train would have gotten me to MIA on time today!
The Miami Dade Transit Mobil app is excellent. There is a real-time updates feature. I was able to 'watch' the 7:00 Orange train arrive at MIA on time. The 7:00am Orange train would have worked today. I am on the same train now that I would have been on if I had taken the Orange 7:00am so it does not make a difference on when I get to work. However, I had to stand around at the TRI station for 10 minutes instead of sitting down on the train at MIA.
Check out these screen shots from the MDT Mobile App. This app is better than the Tr-Rail mobile app which does not have this realtime tracker feature
The MDT Mobile App allows you to see the next trains in realtime.
The Real-Time Map feature lets you see the trains in real-time, it refreshes automatically too. I was on the 6:55 Green train but I was able to 'watch' the 7:00am Orange train arrive at MIA on-time. Below you can see the 117 train at 6:32 almost at MIA and at 6:34 arrived at MIA. The 7:00am train would have gotten me to MIA on time today!
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
First ZipCar, early Tri-Rail train and needed upgrades to MDT's Rider Alert system
Good news today, I used my first ZipCar to run an errand today. I reserved the car online and it was right where it was supposed to be. I ran out to Scooby's farm for my eggs and back in 45 minutes. Completely uneventful. $12.40 for the trip and that includes the gas.
The trip home was a bit of a heart-stopper, I saw the 5:17 train pull into the FLL station, I was only halfway to the train and thought it would be the second near miss of the day. I did make it onto the train. The conductor said they got in early and so they wait for the scheduled departure time. The good thing is zero waiting time at the station. Total trip time home was 5:17 to 6:53, 1 hour 36 minutes. The MIA to DLS train left MIA at 6:11 and arrived DLS 6:53, 42 minutes
This post is on the MiamiDade Transit website, hopefully the alerts are on their way soon. This was posted March 13th 2015
Day One trying optimal timing = Fail
I caught the 7:00am orange train out of Dadeland South (DLS). We arrived at MIA at 7:42, I watched the 7:40 train pull out of the station as I hurried down the large set of stairs. Now I hear the old Don Adam's phrase from GetSmart "Missed it by that much".
I suspect that the train took 42 minutes because of 'single tracking' that slows down the trains for track maintenance. Read about single tracking/maintenance on the MetroRail site here. Tomorrow I will catch the 6:50am train.
After reading a little more, the 'single tracking' is supposed to happen after 8:30pm so it should not have slowed us down. MetroRail is supposed to take 33 minutes but took 42 minutes and there are no alerts about delays on their Twitter account.
There are a few benches on the platform, that is where I am writing this blog post. It is 7:52 and the next train is pulling into the station now. This will be the train that leaves at 8:20. Now I am sitting on the train with a table and my coffee.
Today, I will use Zipcar for the first time to run out to Scooby's farm to pickup my weekly CSA.
I suspect that the train took 42 minutes because of 'single tracking' that slows down the trains for track maintenance. Read about single tracking/maintenance on the MetroRail site here. Tomorrow I will catch the 6:50am train.
After reading a little more, the 'single tracking' is supposed to happen after 8:30pm so it should not have slowed us down. MetroRail is supposed to take 33 minutes but took 42 minutes and there are no alerts about delays on their Twitter account.
There are a few benches on the platform, that is where I am writing this blog post. It is 7:52 and the next train is pulling into the station now. This will be the train that leaves at 8:20. Now I am sitting on the train with a table and my coffee.
Today, I will use Zipcar for the first time to run out to Scooby's farm to pickup my weekly CSA.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
The Optimal Schedule for My Commute
This morning's problem is to determine the optimal commute and minimize the time waiting at stations.
The major constraint with my commute is that the Tri-Rail trains only run every 40 minutes. After the 8:20am train they only run every hour until 3:50pm. The MetroRail trains run every 5 minutes, alternating Green and Orange. The question is: Is it better to take the Green Line to Tri-Rail or the Orange line to MIA?
There is a 9 minute trip from MIA to the Tri-Rail Transfer station, these trains run very slowly on the trip from MIA to Hialeah and TriRail because of single tracks and the historic train bridge. Below are some a Google Street View images of this bridge.
This means that I may want to take a Green train to TriRail Station instead of Orange line to MIA. The orange line also loops south to get to the airport wasting time by going back south.
There are northbound Tri-Rail trains that leave MIA at 7:00am, 7:40am and 8:20am. Any of these work for me. The trains that leave MIA get to the Tri-Rail transfer station 9 minutes later. So the same trains leave TRI at 7:09am, 7:49am and 8:30
The ride from Dadeland South (DLS) to MIA is 33 minutes on the Orange line. There is a 6:20 orange train that arrives at MIA at 6:53. Just 7 minutes wait and I should be on the 7:00am northbound Tri-Rail. Total Travel time 1:18, with only a 7 minute wait at MIA.
The ride from DLS to Tri-Rail Transfer Station (TRI) is 38 minutes on the Orange line. There is a 6:25 green train that arrives at TRI at 7:03am. Just 6 minute wait and I should be on the 7:09am northbound Tri-Rail. Total Travel time 1:13, only 6 minutes wait at Tri-Rail.
The total ride time from Dadeland South to Tri-Rail Transfer is 33 minutes + 9 minutes for a total of 42 minutes versus 38 minutes to take Metro from Dadeland South to the Tri-Rail transfer station. So even though the Metrorail has three additional stops between Earlington Heights and Tri-Rail transfer station, it only takes 9 minutes to get from Earlington Heights to TRI. The MetroRail takes 4 minutes to go from Earlington Heights to MIA and then another 9 minutes going from MIA to TRI. If only the trains could run faster on the MIA to TRI section.
The Winner is- Green line trains at 6:25, 7:05 and 7:45am. Green line beats Orange by 5 minutes because spending 10 minutes more on the MetroRail saves 5 minutes on the overall trip. The slow 9 minute ride from MIA to TRI on the single tracks causes a 5 minute loss. However, waiting 5 minutes at the air-conditioned MIA station and being able to get a seat, with a table, on the train makes the MIA station a more attractive option.
Below is a list of the durations for all the trains leaving Dadeland South from 6:20 to 7:45 on both the Green and Orange lines. The best trains are the Green at 6:25, 7:05 and 7:45. The next is the 6:20. 7:00 and 7:40 Orange line at 1:18. The worst one is the 6:30 and 7:10 Orange trains out of DLS. Missing the 7:00 train and taking the 7:10 train adds 32 minutes to the commute.
The Complete MetroRail Schedule is here
The major constraint with my commute is that the Tri-Rail trains only run every 40 minutes. After the 8:20am train they only run every hour until 3:50pm. The MetroRail trains run every 5 minutes, alternating Green and Orange. The question is: Is it better to take the Green Line to Tri-Rail or the Orange line to MIA?
There is a 9 minute trip from MIA to the Tri-Rail Transfer station, these trains run very slowly on the trip from MIA to Hialeah and TriRail because of single tracks and the historic train bridge. Below are some a Google Street View images of this bridge.
This means that I may want to take a Green train to TriRail Station instead of Orange line to MIA. The orange line also loops south to get to the airport wasting time by going back south.
There are northbound Tri-Rail trains that leave MIA at 7:00am, 7:40am and 8:20am. Any of these work for me. The trains that leave MIA get to the Tri-Rail transfer station 9 minutes later. So the same trains leave TRI at 7:09am, 7:49am and 8:30
The ride from Dadeland South (DLS) to MIA is 33 minutes on the Orange line. There is a 6:20 orange train that arrives at MIA at 6:53. Just 7 minutes wait and I should be on the 7:00am northbound Tri-Rail. Total Travel time 1:18, with only a 7 minute wait at MIA.
The ride from DLS to Tri-Rail Transfer Station (TRI) is 38 minutes on the Orange line. There is a 6:25 green train that arrives at TRI at 7:03am. Just 6 minute wait and I should be on the 7:09am northbound Tri-Rail. Total Travel time 1:13, only 6 minutes wait at Tri-Rail.
The total ride time from Dadeland South to Tri-Rail Transfer is 33 minutes + 9 minutes for a total of 42 minutes versus 38 minutes to take Metro from Dadeland South to the Tri-Rail transfer station. So even though the Metrorail has three additional stops between Earlington Heights and Tri-Rail transfer station, it only takes 9 minutes to get from Earlington Heights to TRI. The MetroRail takes 4 minutes to go from Earlington Heights to MIA and then another 9 minutes going from MIA to TRI. If only the trains could run faster on the MIA to TRI section.
The Winner is- Green line trains at 6:25, 7:05 and 7:45am. Green line beats Orange by 5 minutes because spending 10 minutes more on the MetroRail saves 5 minutes on the overall trip. The slow 9 minute ride from MIA to TRI on the single tracks causes a 5 minute loss. However, waiting 5 minutes at the air-conditioned MIA station and being able to get a seat, with a table, on the train makes the MIA station a more attractive option.
Below is a list of the durations for all the trains leaving Dadeland South from 6:20 to 7:45 on both the Green and Orange lines. The best trains are the Green at 6:25, 7:05 and 7:45. The next is the 6:20. 7:00 and 7:40 Orange line at 1:18. The worst one is the 6:30 and 7:10 Orange trains out of DLS. Missing the 7:00 train and taking the 7:10 train adds 32 minutes to the commute.
The Complete MetroRail Schedule is here
Monday, May 4, 2015
Update on the Monthly Parking pass
Today was an uneventful trip, everything flowed well. I left my house at 6:30am. Caught a green train at Dadeland.
I need to go to the Overtown Transit Village to pickup my monthly parking pass. This is the only place where I can pickup the monthly parking pass for the EDPRegional Monthly Pass. However the office hours are 8:00am to 5:00pm. I got there at 7:10am. So I went back upstairs and caught an Orange Train to MIA. I arrived at MIA at 7:25, hopped on the TriRail train which left at 7:40 arrived at Dania at 8:20. The EDP Regional Monthly Pass and the MetroDade Parking pass looks to be an issue for the two mass transit systems.
The train out of MIA was empty so I was to get up front and snap this shot of the single train tracks and the historic train bridge that forces the TriRail trains to move slowly on this section of track.
A colleague at work was telling me about HopStop a service for planning mass transit travel, he used this in NYC. Hoptstop gave me these funny results when I used it to check on a plan to get from work to home. It appears that HopStop knows about Tri-Rail but not MetroRail, so it puts me on a train to MIA and then walking home. :-)
Mopnthly Parking Pass Update - On the way home I stopped at the Overtown Transit Village and picked up my monthly parking pass for $11.25. There is some doubt whether I can buy my monthly parking pass for the regional EDP monly pass at Dadeland South. I may need to stop at Overtown Transit Village monthly. This appears to be a pretty large hole in the Broward/Dade Regional EasyCard process.
I will find out more next month when I get my WageWorks debit card funding to replenish my regional card and figure out if I can get the monthly parking in the same transaction or need to go to the Overtown station to obtain. They certainly are not making it EASY!
I need to go to the Overtown Transit Village to pickup my monthly parking pass. This is the only place where I can pickup the monthly parking pass for the EDPRegional Monthly Pass. However the office hours are 8:00am to 5:00pm. I got there at 7:10am. So I went back upstairs and caught an Orange Train to MIA. I arrived at MIA at 7:25, hopped on the TriRail train which left at 7:40 arrived at Dania at 8:20. The EDP Regional Monthly Pass and the MetroDade Parking pass looks to be an issue for the two mass transit systems.
The train out of MIA was empty so I was to get up front and snap this shot of the single train tracks and the historic train bridge that forces the TriRail trains to move slowly on this section of track.
A colleague at work was telling me about HopStop a service for planning mass transit travel, he used this in NYC. Hoptstop gave me these funny results when I used it to check on a plan to get from work to home. It appears that HopStop knows about Tri-Rail but not MetroRail, so it puts me on a train to MIA and then walking home. :-)
Mopnthly Parking Pass Update - On the way home I stopped at the Overtown Transit Village and picked up my monthly parking pass for $11.25. There is some doubt whether I can buy my monthly parking pass for the regional EDP monly pass at Dadeland South. I may need to stop at Overtown Transit Village monthly. This appears to be a pretty large hole in the Broward/Dade Regional EasyCard process.
I will find out more next month when I get my WageWorks debit card funding to replenish my regional card and figure out if I can get the monthly parking in the same transaction or need to go to the Overtown station to obtain. They certainly are not making it EASY!
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