DENVER | Transportation Thread

[The Dirt]

I would kind of like it if they cut off TakeFive's internet. Then I wouldn't have to scroll past 8 consecutive posts of his opinions, what he thinks are memes, and 6 paragraphs of article commentary that could have been stated in 6 words.

[Cirrus]

Y'all, there are now some very nice double bus lanes downtown--on a very street that we've thoroughly debated here on SSP many times--and nobody has posted photos of them on the forum.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by SnyderBock

I would like to argue that having your internet cut off, even for a short time, is equally as impactful in today's society, as having your water or electricity cut off. Internet is a utility.

Excellent!

Originally Posted by The Dirt

I would kind of like it if they cut off TakeFive's internet. Then I wouldn't have to scroll past 8 consecutive posts of his opinions, what he thinks are memes, and 6 paragraphs of article commentary that could have been stated in 6 words.

I've only got three maybe four posts left in my "fall series" and then you can RIP. Pending some misc house cleaning for my weekend dinner I may be able to finish today.

My son is into memes; I'll ask him to interpret. Sounds a bit like today's politics where everybody is so entrenched on one side or the other. Fortunately, I'm still able to continue asking questions, explore for answers and wonder what comes next.

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Y'all, there are now some very nice double bus lanes downtown--on a very street that we've thoroughly debated here on SSP many times--and nobody has posted photos of them on the forum.

PLANSIT did post a schematic earlier.

[TakeFive]

Exactly who uses ride-share and why?
Everybody?


A traveler waits to be picked up by a ride-hailing service at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Credit: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Pew Research

• Addicts taking their daily/weekly ride to/from the clinic
• Medicare and Medicaid patients going to/from their doctor/clinic or the hospital

In many instances the above rides will be arranged by a third-party payer.

• Travelers - whether for business or leisure are Big consumers of ride-share. They've found it to be more convenient than renting a car.
• Women - are more likely to rationalize the cost of ride-share whether for hair reasons or for comfort and security or for time and convenience.
• People who attend church
• Just about anybody can occasionally benefit from ride-share. There's a million reasons.

The Working Poor
Lots of retail and service workers, landscapers etc who can't benefit from transit or may be a one-car family where (dad) needs the truck for his business depend on ride-share or friends or both. Others may utilize transit to commute but use ride-share to get groceries, get their hair done etc. In many instances it enables people the freedom (god forbid) to get off the damn couch and go visit a friend or attend a meeting.

More Americans are using ride-hailing apps
JANUARY 4, 2019 BY JINGJING JIANG - Pew Research/FactTank

The share of Americans who use ride-hailing services has increased dramatically. Today, 36% of U.S. adults say they have ever used a ride-hailing service such as Uber or Lyft, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in fall 2018. By comparison, just 15% of Americans said they had used these services in late 2015, and one-third had never heard of ride-hailing before.

This is important

Even as the share of Americans who use ride-hailing has grown substantially in recent years, the new survey finds that few adults overall are making these services a part of their regular routine. Only one-in-ten users of ride-hailing services say they use these apps at least weekly, including just 2% who say they use them every day or almost every day.

So according to Pew Research only 2% are using ride-share (almost) daily. The Downtown Denver Partnership's own survey indicated that only 1.5% commuted by Uber/Lyft or Taxi while 40% report using transit. All the controversy and hysteria is a Big Nothing Burger.

It is certainly possible that those who commute using transit my call ride-share if they need to go somewhere, meet somebody during the day.

Note: I couldn't care less about NYC, Boston or San Francisco etc. Bruce Schaller may know NYC but I could do without his varnished with crap "facts".
Pew Research? Yes, now you've got my attention.

[TakeFive]

I've got some interesting facts about RTD
But are they real facts, Buddy?
Doobie; only the shadow knows that.

While doing some cleaning/organizing I ventured into my favorite closet where I found my trusty mechanical calculator. I gabbed it in order to do run some Simple Math.

For reference, I'm still wearing my favorite Suburban cap which you can find on the previous page. It's the snazzy looking cap in Bronco colors.

Compare and Contrast

Shorter ride-share trips might cost $5-$7.50 - one way or about the cost at McDonald's or Starbucks. Medium length ride-share trips might run $10-$15 so if one is commuting to their job you need to double that to $20 to $30 per day. Longer commutes would ofc be more but only a few could afford that.

A standard All Day RTD Regional Pass runs $10.50 for one person. If you're a couple going to a Rockies game then you need two tickets. Ride-share cost would remain the same as they are a per trip cost.

We know from the good info provided By Nathaniel Minor with CPR that RTD's annual revenue was $143 million in 2018 while operating expenses ran $777 million. This was a recapture rate of 18.4% which is consistent with RTD's 2019 June financial report of 18.6%.

Rounding up the recapture rate to 20% the Cost to RTD for an $10.50 all day pass would be $52.50. By deduction taxpayers are paying the $42 difference.

Go Figure

Streetsblog Denver reports that in 2018 RTD had 97.5 million total boarding's. If you use total revenue of $143 million as the numerator and 97.5 million as the denominator then RTD collected an average of $1.47 per boarding (or $2.93 for an all day pass).

We all take many things for granted. It was only recently that it sunk in just how much RTD's annual subsidy to provide transit service is; it comes to two-thirds of a billion $'s. Makes you appreciate the efficient delivery of necessities like water, electricity and yes, the internet.

[TakeFive]

You can call me Mr. Mayor of Westminster

Note: I've now traded in my Suburban cap for a Bright Red MAGA cap.

"RTD: You're Fired"

1) I order maybe four/five shuttle buses that hold maybe 15 to 20 passengers. I also order a half-dozen nice vans that hold about 8 passengers.

2) Then I call Uber/Lyft and offer them $2 per passenger to use their algorithm and pay system. They needn't worry about anything else.

3) Next I call Super Shuttle or maybe solicit as a small business opportunity someone to run my transit services for Westminster. They need to be responsible for hiring, training, scheduling and managing our new fleet and drivers.

Conceptually, the shuttle buses would run along arterial roads and stop in front of the leasing offices of nearby apartments for riders. Destinations could be major employment areas or to the Sheridan Flatiron Flyer station and the Westminster light rail station. Per ride cost might be $5.00.

Conceptually, the Vans would be for on-demand service to Westminster neighborhoods needing a ride within Westminster and costs might be $6 to $7 per passenger.

It might be better initially to limit vehicle capacity to no more than 15 passengers. Drivers who carry 16 or more passengers will need a CDL license. Either way I assume this service should easily attract potential drivers.

So... Will I be reelected Mayor of Westminster?

[TakeFive]

The End

The Fall Transportation Series for 2019 is now finished.

Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoyed the ride.

[TakeFive]

Per your request

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Y'all, there are now some very nice double bus lanes downtown--on a very street that we've thoroughly debated here on SSP many times--and nobody has posted photos of them on the forum.

Red bus markings on 15th Street in downtown Denver. (credit: CBS Denver)

https://denver.streetsblog.org/2019/...n-15th-street/

Last night the city installed a series of red markings on the road to indicate new bus-only lanes on 15th Street Downtown. The move is expected to accelerate buses up to 42 percent, according to Nancy Kuhn, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Works. And if buses become faster and more reliable, people may start to ditch cars in favor of buses.

Why do I get the feeling that those who expect to now get home 42% faster will be disappointed?

https://www.9news.com/article/news/l...6-3c88f80e019b

The City of Denver is hoping to change people's commuting habits by changing the roads.

Kuhn said after making similar changes to Broadway in 2017, the city saw a 2.5% transit ridership increase

Pretty exciting?

[PLANSIT]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Per your request





Red bus markings on 15th Street in downtown Denver. (credit: CBS Denver)

https://denver.streetsblog.org/2019/...n-15th-street/

Why do I get the feeling that those who expect to now get home 42% faster will be disappointed?


https://www.9news.com/article/news/l...6-3c88f80e019b

Pretty exciting?

The lanes are primarily for inbound buses. It’s a 42% travel time savings in this section.

It is exciting, especially during the same period of time overall bus ridership was down.

[Cirrus]

Not only is it great for Denver, it's a legit national model. AFAIK nobody else in the US has done this.

Remember when we used to think we'd be lucky to get one lane on 15th for something other than cars, and worried we'd have to choose between bikes and buses?

[TakeFive]

2018 Annual rail boardings

By route from highest to lowest:

1. A Line - 7,052,646
2. H Line - 4,967,909
3. E Line - 4,496,104
4. W Line - 4,324,483
5. D Line - 3,343,264
6. F Line - 2,925,490
7. C Line - 2,588,344
8. R Line - 1,835,109
9. B Line - 566,943

By corridor from highest to lowest

1. SE Corridor (E & F Lines) - 7,421,594
2. Airport Corridor (A Line) - 7,052,646
3. I-225 Corridor (H & R Lines) - 6,803,018
4. SW Corridor (C & D Lines) - 5,931,608
5. West Corridor (W Line) - 4,324,483
6. NW Corridor (B Line) - 566,943

Note: Interestingly the A Line and the R Line have the same exact subsidy per boarding. Clearly the A Line needs to be substantially shortened.

Logically, the G and W Lines could be considered as a West 'corridor' even though they're separate.

[bunt_q]

Very curious how they quantify subsidy per boarding for the A and R lines, but the A line in particular. I am 95% sure their math is incorrect (and 100% there’s not a single person at the FTA who could do that math, if that’s the source). That is actually an impossible fact.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

The lanes are primarily for inbound buses. It’s a 42% travel time savings in this section.

It is exciting, especially during the same period of time overall bus ridership was down.

Are You saying some thought went into this?

With downtown Denver easily having the highest job density, an emphasis should be made to move commuters more efficiently in and out of downtown during morning and afternoon peak periods.

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Very curious how they quantify subsidy per boarding for the A and R lines, but the A line in particular. I am 95% sure their math is incorrect (and 100% there’s not a single person at the FTA who could do that math, if that’s the source). That is actually an impossible fact.

I linked the data at the top but it's pg 21 here and it's over my head. Presumably commuter rail is more costly? Still that hardly explains it.

[TakeFive]

Another example of why FasTracks' timing was brilliant

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/ne...236528188.html

Charlotte City Council is expected to decide Monday whether to take the first step toward the region’s largest infrastructure project, a 26-mile light rail line running from Matthews to Belmont in Gaston County.

The cost of the rail line is unknown, but it’s the biggest in a suite of projects the Charlotte Area Transit System hopes to complete by 2030, at an estimated total cost of $6 billion to $8 billion.

These are only early estimates but even if close in today's $'s that's quite a mountain to climb.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

I linked the data at the top but it's pg 21 here and it's over my head. Presumably commuter rail is more costly? Still that hardly explains it.

Ha, yeah, no, that is not apples to apples. See if you can deconstruct the $112,457,343 figure from this service payment schedule: http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/media/u..._EXECUTION.pdf And then tell me if you think the figures for the other rail lines are consistent.

[Cirrus]

Do we have station-by-station ridership figures for the A line? Do we know how many riders are airport workers vs travelers vs non-airport-related trips?

It's a pretty unique line within the US, and I have to say I'm surprised it's just as high as the SE corridor.

[twister244]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Do we have station-by-station ridership figures for the A line? Do we know how many riders are airport workers vs travelers vs non-airport-related trips?

It's a pretty unique line within the US, and I have to say I'm surprised it's just as high as the SE corridor.

I would be interested as well. But, given the number of riders has been rising since the line opened, and one can probably assume that the number of workers isn't going up dramatically, I'm sure the fraction of riders that are travelers has gone up with time.

[mishko27]

Originally Posted by twister244

I would be interested as well. But, given the number of riders has been rising since the line opened, and one can probably assume that the number of workers isn't going up dramatically, I'm sure the fraction of riders that are travelers has gone up with time.

Completely anecdotal, but we take it to go to Rino / Downtown on the weekends, and even late at night (as in after the rush hour), the trains can be packed with people going to and from the airport with a bunch of suitcases. So I would think that travelers make up a significant portion of riders.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Ha, yeah, no, that is not apples to apples. See if you can deconstruct the $112,457,343 figure from this service payment schedule: http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/media/u..._EXECUTION.pdf And then tell me if you think the figures for the other rail lines are consistent.

As an older American I only speak one language: English.

The only novel idea I came up with is that RTD owes DIA some construction payback which somehow shows up in this figure.

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Do we have station-by-station ridership figures for the A line? Do we know how many riders are airport workers vs travelers vs non-airport-related trips?

It's a pretty unique line within the US, and I have to say I'm surprised it's just as high as the SE corridor.

I recently posted about the better 'suburban' stations which includes Central Park/Stapleton, Peoria, 40th & airport on the A Line and ofc DUS and DIA have strong ridership. May thru Aug station numbers are HERE.

[Cirrus]

Thanks. So here we go:

STATION			RIDERSHIP	PERCENTILE
38th/Blake		 2,051		48
40th/Colorado		 2,185		52
Central Park		 5,080		86
Peoria			 7,233		91
40th/Airport		 4,792		82
61st/Pena		 1,419		33
DIA			14,133		97

We can be confident the ridership is not just the airport. The airport is the 2nd busiest station in the entire RTD system, but 5 of the 7 stations on the A line are above the median, and only 1 is really notably below the peak of the bell curve. All the stations are contributing.

Next it would be nice to see origin-destination. How many of those riders at, say, Central Park are going to DIA versus downtown?