MARCAlliance.org

OK, I haven’t posted in a while. I thought I’d let that last little bit sink in. Now we have a new President Elect. We’ll see how that goes. From John McCain’s long and very well documented record, he wasn’t much of a supporter of rail. We don’t know much, if anything, about the next President’s position on this issue. Let’s hope for some change.

But Maryland and MARC are reeling from a huge budget deficit and no apparent means to make it up. Everyone who uses this system knows how valuable it is, but MTA just doesn’t have the money to keep the service levels at an acceptable level.

Apparently, they either read this blog or my conclusions are so self evident that even a tired and harassed bureaucrat can see the logic. What MTA/MARC has proposed is not so much a cut-back in service as it is a cut-back in man-hours. What is obvious to me is likewise obvious to them. The only way to save any significant amount in your operating costs is to reduce man-hours. Their proposal does exactly that.

But how else might MTA raise money? I’m glad you asked.

Trudging to the platform each morning, I’ve noticed quite a significant number of out of state license plates. I’ve noticed this for quite some time now. We’re not talking days or weeks - months, years even. One hell of commute here from Texas to catch the train, idn’t it? This struck me as odd since I was informed by a Maryland State Trooper that I had 30 days to register my vehicle once I had moved to Maryland. I was a Military dependent at the time transferring my household from overseas to stateside. My wife was not due to leave her present duty station for another couple of months so I saw no need to register in Maryland just to have to re-register in another state in just a few months. I was informed, in no uncertain terms, that the law required me to register the vehicle in Maryland - RTFN!

So, for those of you living and driving illegally in this state, let me acquaint you with how easy it is to comply with the New to Maryland Vehicle Registration and Titling requirements.

For MTA, this morning I walked by 19 out of state tags. All of which I’ve seen before, for months. Let’s do a little quick math here. $200 x 19 = $3,800. That’s just one row of just one parking lot on a low use morning. One row. One parking lot. One morning.

Doesn’t take an Einstein to figure out that MTA could raise some quick bucks by enforcing the vehicle registration laws now does it? Tens of thousands of dollars with less than 20 man-hours of cop time. Not a bad return on the investment.

From: Maryland Transit Administration [mta@alerts.marylandmail.com]

Subject: MTA: October 16, 2008 3:30 PM

Important Information for MARC Train and Commuter Bus Riders

The sources of revenue that support the operation of MTA’s MARC Train and Commuter Bus services have declined dramatically since the start of the fiscal year on July 1. Regrettably, MTA must reduce its budget, and while the majority of reductions are taking place in our administrative budget some MARC Train and Commuter Bus services are proposed for elimination. The proposed service reductions are listed below.

Service reductions are proposed to take effect on January 12, 2009 or sooner if the service reduction is based on a holiday.

MTA will hold public hearings throughout the State to receive public comments on these proposals. Click www.mtamaryland.com/Commuter_MARC_Hearings.cfm for a list of public hearings. Citizens may provide comments at any hearing that it is convenient, or may send comments directly to the MTA by mail or email. No matter how it is sent, any comment received by December 26, 2008 will be considered before proposals are finalized.

By mail, please address comments to:

Mr. Glenn Litsinger
MTA Office of Customer Information
6 St. Paul Street
Baltimore MD 21202

By email, address comments regarding Commuter Bus proposals to commuterbus@mtamaryland.com with “Hearing Comments” as the subject heading. Address comments regarding MARC Train proposals to marc@mtamaryland.com with “Hearing Comments” as the subject heading.

The following services are proposed for elimination:

Commuter Bus

· All service from Baltimore to Columbia on the Nos. 310 and 311 Lines

· All service on the No. 320 Line from Laurel to Baltimore

· All service on the No. 412 Line from Bel Air to Baltimore

· One round trip from Harford County to Baltimore on the Nos. 410, 411 and 420 lines

· All service on the No. 913 Line from Waldorf to the Suitland Metrorail Station

· All service on the No. 921 Line from Annapolis to New Carrollton Metrorail Station

· One round trip on the No. 995 Line from Columbia to Washington, DC and the branch of the line serving Oakland Mills

· Saturday service and one weekday mid-morning round trip on the No. 929 Line from Columbia to Washington, DC

· In addition to these service reductions, MTA proposes, effective Veterans’ Day, to:

· Eliminate all holiday service (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day and the day after Thanksgiving)

· Eliminate all service on the day after Christmas

· Operate holiday service rather than full service on Christmas Eve and the day after New Year’s Day.

MARC Train

· The last two evening round trip trains on the Penn Line (Trains #445, 446, 447 and 448)

· All service on Mondays through Thursdays on Brunswick Line train #871 (Friday service to continue)

· Termination of Brunswick Line train #883 at Brunswick

· All service on the mid-day bus shuttle between Odenton and Laurel

· In addition to these service reductions, MTA proposes, effective Veterans’ Day, to:

· Eliminate all holiday service on all lines (Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day and the day after Thanksgiving)

· Eliminate service on all lines on the day after Christmas

· Operate holiday service rather than full service on Christmas Eve and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day

· Operate holiday service rather than full service on the day after New Year’s Day.

· The MTA also proposes to eliminate the MARC Ten-Trip Ticket.

So the answer to increased ridership and a demonstrated need to conserve energy, our state’s response is to cut funding for vital commuter services.

Remember this when you go to the polls.

This is The Central Scrutinizer. It is my responsibility to enforce all the laws that haven’t been passed yet. It is also my responsibility to alert each and every one of you to the potential consequences of various ordinary everyday activities you might be performing which could eventually lead to - The Death Penalty, or affect your parents’ credit rating. Our criminal institutions are full of little creeps like you who do wrong things… Cruel and inhuman punishments are being carefully described in tiny paragraphs so they won’t conflict with the Constitution (which, itself, is being modified in order to accommodate THE FUTURE). . . . The WHITE ZONE is for loading and unloading only. . . if you have to load or unload, go to the WHITE ZONE… you ‘ll love it… it ’s a way of life . . .

So, what does the future hold?

Glad you asked.

At Union Station in DC there is a “History of Union Station” display. Very interesting photos of the Station’s past. But there is a fascinating display of what might come in THE FUTURE. For instance, pictures of the Spanish Talgo 350 high speed train. - speeds well in excess of what the Acela can do (over 300kph)!

Pictures of a proposed Northeast Corridor Maglev train system! Imagine a train going 400kph+! Over 100mps! DC to Boston in less than 3 hours. DC to NY in an hour. Too cool.

I know I’ll probably never live to see ideas like this become reality. But wouldn’t it be nice to see this happen? I can dream.

This RailPAC editorial makes an interesting observation:

“We know that on September 12th the engineer of Metrolink Train 111 failed to acknowledge or apply brakes for both a yellow and red signal. He even failed to apply brakes before running into a local UP Freight on a single track segment just outside of Tunnel 26. What we don’t know is why he failed to apply his brakes. This is a question for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to answer.”

The NTSB has released an update on their investigation into last month’s crash of a California Metrolink train. They appear to have answered the question.

“According to the time on the cell phone provider’s records, the last text message received by the engineer’s phone before the accident was at 4:21:03 pm, and the last text message sent from the engineer’s cell phone was 4:22:01 pm.

A preliminary estimate for the time of the accident, according to the Union Pacific train’s onboard recorders, is 4:22:23 pm.”

I’ve never seen a MARC engineer or conductor using a cell phone on the train, and I hope I never do. But if any of us ever does, then we need to point out to them that they need to hang up - now! And don’t take any crap from them about it. Just remind them of the Chatsworth train crash. Oh, and by the way - all you pinheads out there babbling away on your cell phones while driving who think you can multitask these activities, take note. You can’t.

Just where will the money come from to expand and improve commuter rail service? As evidenced by the bridge collapse in Minnesota and all too much apocryphal evidence, our entire nation’s infrastructure is failing. The trillions of dollars of debt the federal government is in doesn’t bode well for increased public transportation budgets - quite the opposite in fact. Update 10/03/2008: Though miracles can happen! Like all too many states, Maryland is experiencing a budget deficit - so no money there.

Perhaps it’s time to look at where the money comes from and how it is spent. PublicTransportation.org gives a generalized break-down of funding and expenses for public transportation.

I think it important to note that these are operating expenses, not capital improvement expenses. Significantly expanding or improving service requires funding over and above anything depicted in this mix. I also find it interesting that our fares only pay for about half of just the employee expenses. All the rest of the money has to come from somewhere else.

From PublicTransporation.org

“Public transportation usage is expected to experience the sharpest growth of any form of transportation this decade.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) reports that improvements to transit bus and rail facilities are not keeping up with the strain placed on systems by increased ridership. ASCE says public transportation spending must increase by 41 percent just to maintain current conditions.

According to the U. S. Department of Transportation, in today’s dollars, $17 billion in capital investment is needed annually to maintain and improve performance of the nation’s transit systems.”

Let’s assume for a moment that the percentage of contribution from all non-fare sources will remain the same. Is there justification for raising fares? In all honesty, I think there is. But I also know that they can’t be raised by very much. If the cost of public transportation even begins to take on the vague appearance of costing the same as driving - everyone will be back in their cars. Me included.

So where do we get the money to make these vital improvements? I can see only one answer. The current cost of operating the system has to be slashed dramatically. I’m not an economist and I’m no mathematician, but if these cost percentages are accurate then 70% of the entire operating cost is in its personnel. Not the miles of rail. Not the engines. Not the cars. Not the fuel. Not maintenance. It’s all in making payroll. Anyone wanting to cut costs and realize efficiencies in operations would be forced to take a look at cutting expenses on human resources. As long-time riders of the MARC trains, has the customer service been so outstandingly good that you really don’t think we should be shaking things up in that quarter anyway?

Perhaps privatize operation of passenger rail? That always sounds good in theory. In practice, not so much. Unless we chose to not learn the lessons of Enron. But I guess we haven’t. Is anyone experiencing the huge cost savings in energy we were supposed to get when we deregulated BG&E? I didn’t think so. My energy costs went through the roof too. Gee, I wonder why none our state legislators talked to anyone in California? Wouldn’t have anything to do with campaign contributions and kick-backs, would it?

But the biggest target would also leave the bloodiest axe. I suspect the MARC employees are union, which means no amount of resolve stands a chance of breaking the bureaucratic entrenchment. Can the other operating budgets be squeezed? Probably, but not by much. Nowhere near enough to make a significant dent in any improvement funding.

MARC Budget Needs Tallied; 28-Year Expansion put at $3.9 Billion - that’s billion - with a “B”. Over the course of 3 decades. I will never live to see it finished. Actually, I don’t think I’ll ever live to see it begun!

This plan calls for funding to be kicked in by the State and Federal governments, Amtrak, and CSX (to name a few). The funding proportions have not been worked out. In case you’re wondering what that means, that means that the funding proportions will never be worked out. Sorry to sound so cynical, but the MARC/Amtrak/CSX relationship has always seemed to be somewhat adversarial. Now you’re talking about who is going to dip into whose pocket and how deep. Yeah. I’d love to be fly on the wall for those discussions.

But why can’t passenger rail get more from the Federal government? If you contrast what is spent on highway projects versus rail there appears to be some wiggle room. Now I’m not suggesting that we flip these ratios, but given how important passenger rail has been, is now, and will continue to be I can see a strong argument for siphoning off some of those highway dollars.

What should be done is to incentivize construction contracts. Like everything else, it is the labor costs that drive up the price of large construction projects. Finishing the job more quickly would reduce the total man-hours expended. For instance, after a tanker truck fire caused a collapse on an Oakland Freeway, California implemented an incentive program for the contractors.

“A contractor with a proven track record of rebuilding damaged freeways (most notably the Santa Monica Freeway after the 1994 Northridge Earthquake) well ahead of schedule, C. C. Myers, Inc., submitted a winning bid of $876,075 to repair the damage to the I-580 connector. The bid was estimated to cover only one-third of the cost of the work, but the firm counted on making up the shortfall with an incentive of $200,000 per day if the work was completed before June 27, 2007. The I-580 connector re-opened on the evening of Thursday, May 24, just before the busy Memorial Day weekend. The deadline to finish the project was beaten by over a month, with the contractor earning the $5 million bonus for early completion. The entire reconstruction project was completed only 26 days after the original accident.”

Providing a strong financial incentive to a construction contractor for early completion would give us the vast infrastructure improvements we need much more quickly. Long term it would save money as well.

As gas prices rise, people are driving less and taking the train more! Hard to believe, isn’t it? Whodathunkit.

In true Bizarro world fashion, the increase in ridership results in reduced revenue. Since much less driving is being done, much less gas is being bought. Since the budgets to run most public transportation systems comes from gas tax revenue….

So just when we need to expand and improve the system, the pot of money needed to do so is shrinking.

Behold! The Poster Child for Eminent Domain!

In this electoral season I thought it might be interesting if we all cast our ballots for the absolute worst train station in the MARC system.

My vote goes for Halethorpe. This has got to be one of the worst, if not the worst station on any line. Its’ list of negative attributes is long.

Lousy and Insufficient Parking: It is easy to tell that the parking lot was an afterthought at this station. People typically park up to a kilometer or more away from the actual train platform. They have no choice, these are the only parking spots left. When first I started taking the train I could park no more than 250 meters from the platform. This has since climbed to 500 meters or more as utilization has risen. I realize that in this time of economic decline and budget shortfalls - for both the state and federal governments - that a big ticket expansion of the Halethorpe station is unlikely. I could argue (quite successfully I imagine) that such expansion is vital, long overdue, and has been foreseen as needed for many years now. But you can’t get blood from a stone.

But I’d like you to take a look at the above picture. These are two “businesses” {wink, wink, nudge, nudge} directly across the street from the Halethorpe train platform. One is a purveyor of adult toys and entertainments. The other appears to be a local watering hole that has seen better days. Don’t get me wrong. I’m no prude and I’m not putting forward the argument that they don’t deserve to be in business anyway. I will, however, argue that they do not need to be in business here. In the immortal words of Spock: “The good of the many outweigh the needs of the few - or the one.” [There I go with yet another Star Trek reference - guess I'll have to find another cultural/literary touchstone.]

With the need for additional parking at Halethorpe becoming so acute, the land where these “businesses” reside could be put to much better use as parking. If ever I’ve seen a poster child for eminent domain, this has got to be it. It would be quick, cheap, and easy. Planning, demolition, and paving would cost more than acquisition. These properties can’t be worth more than $40k each.

No Handicapped Access: There is no handicapped parking at Halethorpe. This is not an oversight. The station is probably the most unfriendly to the physically challenged and inaccessible station in the entire system. Low train entry and exit. Poor platforms. Reduced number of train entry/exit points. A three story tall set of stairs to climb and descend to cross the tracks.

Thieves Paradise: My own vehicle has been broken into several times whilst parked at Halethorpe. I have read an account, posted at the station, of a person who had the catalytic converter cut from their car. When walking back one evening I saw someone get in their car and start it. It was very loud, like it didn’t have a muffler. Not surprising, since it didn’t. More exactly, it too had had its catalytic converter cut off. I’ve posted before about the lawlessness rampant in and around the Halethorpe parking lot - and it continues.

Inadequate Infrastructure: Driving home just two nights ago, I get less than half a kilometer from the parking lot and all lanes are blocked. A pedestrian was struck and killed. Not surprising since it is a major thoroughfare with no (not a little, not inadequate, NO) accommodation for pedestrians whatsoever. Dude was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not hard to find in a place where the roads were intended for less than a tenth of the amount of traffic it is now expected to handle.

No Customer Service or Ticket Office: One small mobile home “building” is all this station has for the use of MARC riders. Has anyone seen the beautiful and very functional building at the Dorsey station on the Camden line? Contrast that with the POS made available at Halethorpe. A station, mind you, that handles many more riders than Dorsey.

This is shelter from the storm?

A rather interesting new way to get around town has cropped up. Inspired by the Dutch, there are publically available bicycles to get around the city. Yes, there is a fee. But a whole year is less than most of us spend on Metro tickets in a month.

If you’ve ever seen my portly, heavy-drinking, chain-smoking self meandering about the city you’ll not need wonder if this is a mode of transport to which I will avail myself. But for those of you with the energy for it, I can see this as a useful alternative method for getting from Point “A” to Point “B”.

Oh, and don’t forget to bring your own helmet.

Why do I feel that MARC could be managed better? What would make me think that things are not supposed to be as they now are?

Because at one time it was better. Because once, not too long ago, the trains did run on time.

What happened?

I’ve spent the odd moment contemplating just that question and in my musings, I’ve come up with a theory.

I remember reading one of those “On Your MARC’ circulars. In it was an article announcing a new head of the MARC system. This just happened to coincide with the steady deterioration in the quality of the MARC service.

What I think happened is that the system was previously headed by a mediocre - at best - adminisrator. We, the riders on the MARC system weren’t too enthusiastic about how he ran things - but the MARC employees thought he was great. This individual then retired. His second in command temporarily took over the day-to-day management of the system.

This guy shook the cage. He expected people to show up for work and do their jobs. This guy demanded that the equipment function reliably. This guy was an unholy terror to anyone that wouldn’t meet his very high standards. And the trains ran on time. The trains did not break down. All was right with the world.

But the MARC employees were miserable. How dare this hard-ass bastard make them work so damn hard! This cannot continue! So the MARC system promoted from within and hired their new - and present - manager. Things went back to the way they were before. Meaning that the management was no longer holding the employees accountable and the system back-slid into its current state of disrepair.

But that’s pure surmise on my part. I could be wrong.

Life Cycle Engineering is, oddly enough, an engineering term. What it means is to have engineers design a planned maintenance and inspection program to ensure the continued operation of critical equipment throughout its life. This is also an iterative process. As mechanics and engineers gather information about equipment over time through inspections and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis, the planned maintenance procedures are modified to ensure the machinery continues to operate safely.

Some may recall the brake problems encountered on the Acela trains. Most viewed this as some sort of horrible breakdown of the system. What it was, in fact, was a triumph of an engineered planned maintenance system. Scheduled inspections of the brake rotors detected the cracks BEFORE there was a catastrophic failure. No Acela train ever experienced a brake failure. Other cars were immediately taken in for inspection and the cracks were detected there too. They immediately discontinued using these cars and canceled all Acela service to protect public safety.

It was reported that the manufacturer wasn’t geared up to build new replacement brake rotors - which is true. But instead of just building new rotors to the old design they re-engineered these rotors to endure what they were actually experiencing in the field. While this was going on, the planned maintenance procedures and schedules were modified to decrease inspection intervals and increase the scrutiny these components were subjected to when inspected.

Exactly what you need to do when running a critical infrastructure piece of equipment.

Without first-hand knowledge of how maintenance and repairs are conducted on the MARC engines and cars it cannot be stated that they do not employ an engineered planned maintenance system. But it certainly appears that they are reactive, not proactive, in going after their technical issues.

A truly first class engineered planned maintenance system is not cheap. But in the long run will save money versus emergency repairs or replacements, will be safer to operate, and makes the system these equipment service run much more efficiently.

Speaking for myself, I’d love to know how maintenance and repair are handled within MARC.

MTA: September 15, 2008 9:00 AM Train 417 operaing 17 minutes late at Bowie station due to mechanical problems.
MTA: September 18, 2008 7:20 AM Train 402 is stopped south of BWI due to a disabled Amtrak train ahead.Updates to follow.
MTA: September 19, 2008 7:59 PM Penn: Due to a mechanical problem, Marc 442 is stopped at New Carrollton Stn, approx 20 mins late.
MTA: September 19, 2008 8:16 PM Penn: Due to a mechancial problem, Marc 442 has terminated service at New Carrollton, next northbound trn is Marc 544.
MTA: September 22, 2008 8:46 AM Train 410 is operating 30 minutes late approaching New Carrollton.
MTA: September 22, 2008 9:22 AM Train 410 is stopped 45 minutes late north of Odenton with mechanical problems