tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31762492446364015112024-03-12T23:20:27.422-07:00Comprehensive TransportationCurrent efforts to deal with traffic congestion are doomed to fail because they are piecemeal. They are incremental. They lack a necessary big picture vision of how each specific proposed building project will fit with the whole or how much the whole will cost and can be financed. Current planning methods presume there will be major tax increases later. Transportation and transit are not issues that can be addressed one piece at a time. A long-term, comprehensive 50-year plan is necessary.Eliminate Traffic Congestion - Door-To-Door Transit with Flex-Vanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13367587480479386785noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176249244636401511.post-51334827578067982902020-04-01T04:06:00.007-07:002021-03-28T18:53:08.560-07:00On-Call, Door-to-Door, App Driven Flex Van Service - March 25, 2021<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: center 3.25in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: center 3.25in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">JAMES ROBERT
DEAL ATTORNEY PLLC<br />
</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">PO Box 2276, Lynnwood WA 98036<br />
Telephone 425-771-1110, Fax 425-776-8081</span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: center 3.25in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">James@JamesDeal.com</span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">OVERVIEW</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">WE CAN END TRAFFIC
CONGESTION</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">AND ELIMINATE THE
NEED TO OWN A CAR</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">WITH
AN ON-CALL, DOOR-TO-DOOR, APP DRIVEN FLEX-VAN SERVICE</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Read the
full version at:</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="https://www.jamesrobertdeal.org/door-to-door-transit" target="_blank">JamesRobertDeal.org/Door-To-Door-Transit</a></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;"><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;"><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;">***</p><h1 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Architects Daughter", handwriting; font-size: 30px; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: 100%; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">MOSTLY EMPTY BUSES, </span></h1><h1 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Architects Daughter", handwriting; font-size: 30px; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: 100%; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">MOST OF THE TIME</span></h1><h1 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Architects Daughter", handwriting; font-size: 30px; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: 100%; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">MARCH 25, 2021</span></h1><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">On my list of absurd policies is that we continue to waste vast sums of money driving buses around that are mostly empty most times of the day on most routes. Buses roar on the next stop, offering rides that almost no one accepts.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Our transit system does not pick us up where we are nor take us all the way to our destination. Using transit involves taking hikes and waiting in the rain and the dark. The system is fragmented, not interconnected, not comprehensive.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Buses rolling 18 hours daily cost $150 per hour to operate, not counting the cost of purchase. Mass transit, whether bus or train, will never reach its full potential unless there is an easy way to get to and from the mass transit.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Uber has shown us the solution: It’s an on-call, door-to-door transit service. It would differ from Uber in that vans of various sizes would be used, thus reducing the per person cost. I would suggest a trial rate of $1 per mile with a minimum fee of $2.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Vans would deliver riders from home to transit station to work to grocery to car rental and back home.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Such a strategy would work downtown, in suburbs, and rural areas. With a comprehensive transit service it would be unnecessary to own a car. We would then be able to build apartments and condos with minimal parking. To read the full proposal google “door to door transit James Robert Deal”.</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;">***</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></p><h1 class="entry-title" style="background-color: #fefefe; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 2.625rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.25rem; max-width: 640px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 2.625rem;">Commentary:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 2.625rem;">How to fill the gap</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 2.625rem;">between home and destination<br />July 12, 2020</span></div></h1><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-size: medium; text-decoration-line: underline;">https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/commentary-how-to-fill-the-gap-between-home-and-destination/</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Transit agencies are suffering from reduced
fare revenues because of the coronavirus pandemic. But there is a deeper
problem, and that is that even in healthier times the transit agencies are
wasting their money by running buses that are mostly empty most of the time. </span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Only the freeway and daytime buses in downtown
Seattle buses run full. In every other part of Washington, and even in Seattle
at night, most buses are mostly empty most of the time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCPcdnvJnfaP5YspSalxW1u02ywUAEWRD8avsXMcAeVoLFU7bc-DRP08q7myXmjH-_EC2whHvcjjqmQgKtSoRlF-kDobaD6MAf8uyV9df5kQEPWJCF2wk23x4Oz86pBdB315p1eTyWus/s640/P1010500.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCPcdnvJnfaP5YspSalxW1u02ywUAEWRD8avsXMcAeVoLFU7bc-DRP08q7myXmjH-_EC2whHvcjjqmQgKtSoRlF-kDobaD6MAf8uyV9df5kQEPWJCF2wk23x4Oz86pBdB315p1eTyWus/s320/P1010500.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Conventional
transit planners draw lines on maps and operate buses along these lines for 18
hours daily, at a cost of around $150 per hour, even when buses run mostly empty.
Even worse than the waste of money is the fact that underused buses deliver a
mostly unwanted service. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Only around 6% of
us ever ride buses, in part because buses </span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">deliver a fragmented service. Buses do not pick us where we are, nor take us
all the way to where we are going. We must take a hike to get to the bus and
another hike when we exit the bus. Mass transit will never reach its full
potential unless we make it easier to get to and from the mass transit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTfof4HcO5IVydP483FQN8fg_rw2CYmJXC7eI0ZOH4lpH0hadK_5V6aX07Bn2TPOZqGubZ35ZJgh3b5YDnGYwW-fHnzNmNJwPAX8qEO9uZdYgP5Kt6s6eAWNVYDA-S_aFZV9H8p8EIDo/s520/A+STUCK.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="430" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTfof4HcO5IVydP483FQN8fg_rw2CYmJXC7eI0ZOH4lpH0hadK_5V6aX07Bn2TPOZqGubZ35ZJgh3b5YDnGYwW-fHnzNmNJwPAX8qEO9uZdYgP5Kt6s6eAWNVYDA-S_aFZV9H8p8EIDo/s320/A+STUCK.jpg" /></a></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Experts say there is no solution and that traffic
congestion will only get worse. </span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">But there is a solution: an Uber style, on-call,
door-to-door transit service using what I call flex-vans that pick you up
wherever you are and take you where you need to go, to transit centers and local
destinations, to the post office, the doctor, the grocery, and home again. Flex-vans
would offer a complete alternative to driving. We could leave the car at home,
or sell a car or two, saving – according to the IRS - $773.50 per month for
each car we would no longer own. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Areas would be
divided into zones, with flex-vans orbiting each zone. You would summon a
flex-van by phone, computer, pager, or Uber style app, or by flagging down a
passing flex-van, or by walking to a bus stop and pressing a button. </span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Trains were the first mass transit. They could
not leave the tracks, so they had to run fixed routes. When buses replaced
trains, buses imitated the trains and also ran inflexible, fixed routes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Along came Uber and
proved that flexible, door-to-door transit was feasible. Flex-vans would work like
Uber, but would carry five or more passengers. The operating cost of a
five-passenger flex-van would be one-fifth the cost of a solo Uber ride. Most
flex-van rides would be short, interconnecting rides. A charge of $1 per mile
with a $2 minimum might cover operating costs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Buses would
continue to run on well-used routes. Flex vans would feed passengers to the buses
and help fill them. Flex-vans would take over whenever a bus line were underused,
especially at night. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaLogTI5PtUARz8uc0M_W9eQu9wLW4XHR_vE6Amrzp23cweOtxzQtQvIFi0ZzrijAJGXqjIjD7uh3aB_64LS2KEdOEVQ4nLSfwr2zvDxIl5vYZrVyOltWF4796GdkljYQDgmOvVBjyfE/s1773/IMG_0042.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1773" data-original-width="1773" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaLogTI5PtUARz8uc0M_W9eQu9wLW4XHR_vE6Amrzp23cweOtxzQtQvIFi0ZzrijAJGXqjIjD7uh3aB_64LS2KEdOEVQ4nLSfwr2zvDxIl5vYZrVyOltWF4796GdkljYQDgmOvVBjyfE/s320/IMG_0042.JPG" /></a></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Flex-vans would
improve transit security. Women, children, and actually all of us would appreciate
a door-to-door service, instead of taking hikes and waiting at bus stops in the
dark and the rain. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Flex-vans could even
replace school buses. They would carry children door-to-door from home to school,
daycare, and soccer, and then back home. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Critics say a van service would be more
expensive. My response is: More expensive that what? than buses being driven
mostly empty? than gridlock in downtown Seattle? than impaired freight
mobility? than hours wasted in traffic? than widening the freeways? than
building more transit center parking garages? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The flex-van
solution is the only way to eliminate traffic congestion, meet the mobility
needs of those who do not drive, and reduce carbon emissions. It would be the
least expensive and quickest solution to implement. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Flex-vans
would be called into service in proportion to demand, which would control costs.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Driver payroll expense
would rise, but flex-vans would fill up with paying riders, and in turn fill up
buses and trains with paying riders. At the end of the bus or train ride, other
flex-vans would fill up with paying riders going on to ultimate destinations
out in the various zones. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHf2hrtcG1ah45j1bzKnAF-urAgp1FlRf3QvNpCux5ocw3gMnMhyphenhyphenaaD9h42KfmEbes9MOabnh7-cN6FbrXoi1V398pys_0_9IMeR8mVax7UlFXim3HoEmvygxJApATWQ0j6yfrkqgou98/s555/Freshman-Smart-Special-Military-Adapted-Receiver-Transmitters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="555" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHf2hrtcG1ah45j1bzKnAF-urAgp1FlRf3QvNpCux5ocw3gMnMhyphenhyphenaaD9h42KfmEbes9MOabnh7-cN6FbrXoi1V398pys_0_9IMeR8mVax7UlFXim3HoEmvygxJApATWQ0j6yfrkqgou98/s320/Freshman-Smart-Special-Military-Adapted-Receiver-Transmitters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">While each five-passenger van would add one vehicle
to the roads, it would also take five vehicles off the roads, yielding a net
reduction of four vehicles. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Freeway bus commuters
would use the flex-vans to get to the transit centers, provided that we start charging
$15 daily to park at transit centers. Most will choose the round-trip flex-van
ride for around $4. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Flex-vans would work
equally well in cities, towns, and rural areas. The entire state could be served
by buses and trains interconnected by door-to-door flex-vans. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Read
the full proposal at <a href="http://www.comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com/">Comprehensive-Transportation.Blogspot.com</a><span class="MsoHyperlink">.</span> Send questions and criticisms to <a href="mailto:James@JamesDeal.com">James@JamesDeal.com</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br clear="all" style="break-before: page; mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">WE CAN END TRAFFIC CONGESTION</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">AND MAKE IT
POSSIBLE TO GET AROUND WITHOUT OWNING A CAR</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">WITH A FLEXIBLE,
DOOR-TO-DOOR, APP DRIVEN VAN SERVICE</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Read
the full version and follow links at:</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://jamesrobertdeal.org/door-to-door-transit/"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">http://jamesrobertdeal.org/door-to-door-transit/</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">April 1, 2020</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">PART
ONE</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">If
we were to design a transit system that would be difficult to use, we could not
design one more difficult to use than the one we have now. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Our transit
system does not pick us up where we are, nor does it take us all the way to
where we are going. It is not easy to get to and from transit centers and rail
stations. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Unless we live
close to a bus stop and unless our destination is close to the bus stop where
we get off, buses are inconvenient. We do not like to wait for buses in the
dark and in the rain. We do not like to be leered at by drivers passing by.
Many of us do not feel secure standing at bus stops, which is necessary
multiple times if a transfer is involved. We do not like taking a hike from
home to the local bus stop, a hike from the exiting bus stop to the
destination, and more hikes on the return trip, sometimes with a load of
groceries. Hikes are necessary because buses do not deliver door-to-door
service. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We have a bus
system where we must go to the bus. What we need is a system where the bus – or
the van – comes to us. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Why do we put
up with such an inconvenient bus system? Well, we put up with it by not using
it. Most of us commute single occupancy. We drive our cars, usually single
occupancy, everywhere we go, filling the roads and freeways. Only six percent
of us here in the Seattle area ride the buses and trains.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGkDj73DBzZJx6K50NsAtnqdNRFGOG3NDd8j-PtFDwutU2HuHRRqOEQsoIHshFc2n18PQ6FL0AvSDWgk3gxOTK0iIEyUKSvUn53bS2sO-DH1RHSlSvUXXjUyjv8kMldKK6LnurasDYgY/s720/A+liberty.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGkDj73DBzZJx6K50NsAtnqdNRFGOG3NDd8j-PtFDwutU2HuHRRqOEQsoIHshFc2n18PQ6FL0AvSDWgk3gxOTK0iIEyUKSvUn53bS2sO-DH1RHSlSvUXXjUyjv8kMldKK6LnurasDYgY/s320/A+liberty.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Mass
transit, whether by buses or trains, will never realize its full potential
unless we develop a better way to get to and from the mass transit. Our transit
system is disconnected. We have a last mile problem that we fail to
acknowledge.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">M</span><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">any buses are
driven mostly empty, particularly in the suburbs and even in Seattle at night,
wasting fuel, wasting labor cost, depreciating valuable equipment, and failing
to deliver services to the many people who need them. I refer to these as
“ghost buses”. When you see a bus go by, look up into the bus to see how many
or few riders are on board. You will be surprised at how many buses roar by
mostly empty.<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Why do our transit agencies offer such a
fragmented and disconnected transit service? It all goes back to the trains.
The first mass transit was trains. Trains had to run fixed routes because they
could not leave the tracks. When buses replaced trains, they were set up as
imitation trains, also running fixed routes. Trains picked people up and
dropped them off only at fixed stops, and so buses did the same. The trains did
not deviate from their fixed routes and pick up and drop off passengers, so
neither did the buses. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Proposal</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">My
proposal is that we implement a flexible van service using an Uber style app
for ride hailing, with vans which would provide door-to-door service from
wherever we are to wherever we need to go, from front door to transit centers,
to train stations, to major BRT bus stops, and to local destinations. The
number of vans in service and the size of the vans would vary with demand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">My
proposal is that we retain the model where we run buses on fixed routes if
those routes get significant ridership. But whenever fixed routes are
underused, we should supply service using flex vans. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">So
that they would pay their own way and not increase system operating costs, flex
vans would at least initially be paid for as an add on service, with a swipe
card initial charge that I would estimate at $1 per mile, with a $2 minimum
fee. This is my place holder estimate of operating cost and might need
adjustment. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzthTud0F_k9pcMa01c3R6snLoyj195FsGQY4NbBTXyC3Vr_a7LDOVcJAX-piJZ0nIWoplj_O3Rgyd8d4TCTraoGVrkSDBCELOX5X0qGxFsrcZcZyIOKzq1J5r3-GzIuJoCthZ-AKnrX8/s548/Metal+Dectector+part+2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzthTud0F_k9pcMa01c3R6snLoyj195FsGQY4NbBTXyC3Vr_a7LDOVcJAX-piJZ0nIWoplj_O3Rgyd8d4TCTraoGVrkSDBCELOX5X0qGxFsrcZcZyIOKzq1J5r3-GzIuJoCthZ-AKnrX8/s320/Metal+Dectector+part+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A
van with six passengers would in theory cost one-sixth of the per mile cost of
riding solo. The vans would deliver mostly short, connecting rides. They would
connect up our disconnected transit system and solve the last mile problem.
They would gather riders and carry them to transit centers and train stations,
as well as to local destinations. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
vans would fill up and pay their own way. The vans in turn would fill the
freeway buses and light rail trains. Money would not be wasted on ghost buses.
Bus and light rail ridership would increase, and revenues would rise. Negative
cash flow would be reduced or turned positive. More money would be freed up to
make capital improvements. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Yes, it would be necessary to hire more
drivers. However, some van drivers would be those who formerly drove mostly
empty buses. Newly hired drivers would be busy driving mostly full vans. The
vans should be priced on a per mile basis to pay their own way.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A system with buses running fixed routes
on a full day schedule is not scalable. Buses must run for 18 hours per day
even if there are few riders on board. A van system would be scalable, with
more or fewer vans called into service as requests for rides rises and falls
during the day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">With more people using transit, we could
take a third of the cars off the roads and freeways and put an end to traffic
congestion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Objection: It Would Be Too Expensive</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">When I propose a flex van solution to
transit leaders, they sometimes say it would be too expensive. My response is
“More expensive that what?” More expensive than ghost buses being driven mostly
empty? More expensive than widening the freeways? More expensive than building
multi-story park and ride structures. More expensive than tens of thousands of
hours wasted by people stuck in traffic? More expensive than impaired freight
mobility? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It would convert currently underused buses,
which take in little revenue, to heavily used freeway and BRT bus rapid transit
buses running on major highways between transit centers. Underused bus routes,
particularly at night, would be covered by flex vans delivering secure rides.
Bus routes with heavy usage would continue as before, with flex vans available
to bring passengers to meet them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We Fail to Make
Good Use of Our Transit Assets</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">In
terms of roads, we do not have a capacity problem. Seattle area freeways are
twelve lanes wide in some places. Some highways are seven lanes wide. Our roads
are gigantic. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">In
terms of vehicles, we do not have a capacity problem. We have thousands of buses
on the roads, although many of them are driven mostly empty. We have tens of
thousands of private cars on the road, although most are driven with three
seats empty. We have enormous spare capacity, but we misuse it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">And
in terms of parking, we have excess capacity. Every business is required to
have ample parking. Shopping centers have acres of parking. The Boeing plant in
Everett has 21,000 parking spaces, which are often full by 7 a.m. Excess
parking is waste of real estate assets. A van service could reduce the need for
such much parking and make this land available for tax paying development.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Backwards
Thinking About Transit </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
are backwards in our thinking when it comes to transit. We should focus first
on delivering a comprehensive transit service, which carries passengers from
where they are all the way to where they are going. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Instead,
we draw bus lines on a map, making sure that the lines come within a half mile
of all parts of the service area. Therefore, according to an erroneous theory,
people will take long hikes to come and meet these buses as they pass by
occasionally. In most places you cannot even wave down a bus. No, you have to
be at a proper bus stop. So, as you see the bus coming you must run and try to
get to the bus stop before the bus gets there and leaves without you. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Buses
are set up so that they will pick us up in public places on busy streets and
drop us off in public places on busy streets. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBV-e7e-5NTOxWV2UdgWYramYjjJmO-barB_lNVddv_VyzKgGYPH2miIRR8q5AoFqTwUz1-X-tJiOWoJqoXRHVpYkpXRBsiWvFSd_YSyvjv5Y-OBmLtYIuNptQ_9ghleuhcDnJddzDVNI/s650/Scripps-Ranch-San-Diego-2003-150-houses-but-eucalyptus-DID-NOT-burn-NY-Times.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBV-e7e-5NTOxWV2UdgWYramYjjJmO-barB_lNVddv_VyzKgGYPH2miIRR8q5AoFqTwUz1-X-tJiOWoJqoXRHVpYkpXRBsiWvFSd_YSyvjv5Y-OBmLtYIuNptQ_9ghleuhcDnJddzDVNI/s320/Scripps-Ranch-San-Diego-2003-150-houses-but-eucalyptus-DID-NOT-burn-NY-Times.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
raise tax to finance expensive buses to run along these lines for 18 hours per
day, costing around $130 per hour to operate these buses and pay the drivers.
Sometimes almost no one rides these ghost buses. In Lynnwood at night there are
many completely empty buses, roaring along the streets. During rush hour you
might see six aboard. (A van could carry that many.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">There
it is, in plain view, our tax money being squandered. How is it that we have allowed
ourselves to think that this makes sense and to ignore the grand waste? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
are all overworked and overcommitted. We do not have time to philosophize about
improved transit. We are generally trusting in our nature. We trust our elected
leaders and our public agencies to be responsible and look out for our best
interest. But our leaders are much like us. They are often very good at dealing
with traditional municipal issues, but most are not deep thinkers when it comes
to transit. Our leaders are also easily misled by salesmen selling defective
goods and services, such as a fixed route bus system. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Why
do we trust our leaders so much? It is because we are conformists by nature. Our
ancestors lived in herds or large family groups. We needed order. We had to get
along with others, so we tried to go along with whatever seemed to work. So, we
respect our leaders, and we respect them too much. Our leaders are often bamboozled
by slick salesmen into doing wasteful and stupid things. This is a human defect
which we should work to avoid.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Our
transit experts develop a fixed route system. The buses run every half hour or
15 minutes. The experts got the politicians to raise enough taxes to pay for
all this bus service. Unfortunately, only six percent of us use the fixed route
transit system. The system offers rides that few want to take. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2moaGlxQ5zzzriAaBPg4YdFeiIiF8AZ5I8QMWYMdPEDutdOJ5KaoDiabQiYySOkf6V06Rqt8oYi8LMc8JHClJQgqtHy3krnK7Ka8c2BgL_skVkFgNeMuXkY2Tg7LSLeY8iNh0vb2qi6M/s2048/Chemtrails+6-2-17-4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2moaGlxQ5zzzriAaBPg4YdFeiIiF8AZ5I8QMWYMdPEDutdOJ5KaoDiabQiYySOkf6V06Rqt8oYi8LMc8JHClJQgqtHy3krnK7Ka8c2BgL_skVkFgNeMuXkY2Tg7LSLeY8iNh0vb2qi6M/s320/Chemtrails+6-2-17-4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Turning
our backwards thinking around means focusing first on what people need in terms
of mobility. People need complete and comprehensive trips instead of fragmented
trips. They need a service which picks them up at home or at the restaurant or
grocery store, and which takes them to wherever they need to go. They want an
affordable system. A six-passenger interconnecting van would cost in theory
one-sixth the cost of a solo ride. Such a system was not feasible until
portable phones came along and until Uber proved that an on-the-fly pickup and
drop off ride hailing system was possible. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Proof of Concept – Home to Transit
Center</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">When I discuss door to door transit to
transit leaders, they look at me as if I were from the moon. This is not the
way they have done business, and they have difficulty changing. So, a proof of
concept is needed</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">I suggest home to transit center and
from transit center back home as the first test case because it is easy to
visualize how such a flexible van system, powered by cell phone app, would
increase transit ridership and reduce the number of cars on the freeways. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is also easy to visualize because it
is already in use. In the San Francisco Bay area Uber vans pick people up at
their front door and carry them to the nearest BART or MUNI station. At the end
of the day these vans carry people back home. It costs less per person to ride
in an Uber van than to ride in an individual Uber car because multiple riders
are sharing one vehicle and the services of one driver. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Proof
of Concept – Local Flex Van Service </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A
door-to-door van service delivering local service is more difficult to
visualize. The test case could be set up in select neighborhoods in which users
could not only get a van ride to the transit center but also get a ride from
the front door or from wherever they are to local destinations – to shopping,
restaurants, work, ferries, car rental, church, school, day care, soccer
practice, child visitation, and back home again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOJSl891lwVAVRaAszTKgoySTHR2lLa-wTaggGL7UjChyIQtbIoM6U6nbQExW_IAf5Hp-A3MzJQaKv8UG0x5yw2BAy16b4bLfu5GT5AtjJM0b_SyQ1cXTxajTVsfmgOc0IYM5eIV4aEs/s2048/20191006_142226.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOJSl891lwVAVRaAszTKgoySTHR2lLa-wTaggGL7UjChyIQtbIoM6U6nbQExW_IAf5Hp-A3MzJQaKv8UG0x5yw2BAy16b4bLfu5GT5AtjJM0b_SyQ1cXTxajTVsfmgOc0IYM5eIV4aEs/s320/20191006_142226.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Our
local bus system is ineffectual. For example, to shop for groceries means
taking a hike to the bus stop, taking a bus to another bus stop, taking another
hike from the bus stop to the grocery store, and then reversing the process
carrying heavy bags. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">There are a lot of people who do not
like to drive, who do not see well at night, who are too young or too old to
drive, who cannot afford a car, or whose licenses have been revoked. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
same vans that carry riders from home to transit center could also be
delivering local service, charging the same $1 per mile fee with a $2 minimum
fee. Rides would be summoned by an Uber style app or by flagging down a van.
Ghost buses, those driven mostly empty, would be replaced with vans delivering
complete transit services. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A
local van service would enliven the local economy. It would be especially
popular at night. It would increase dinner business. Riders would not have to
worry about traffic and parking or about drinking too much and being charged
with DUI. They would not have to worry about getting lost in an area they might
not know well, especially if they are newcomers to the area. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Door-to-door
Transit Would Solve the Last Mile Problem</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">To
travel the last mile or two to the transit center, you can drive your car. But
you may find that the transit enter parking lot has been full since 7 a.m. You
can ride a local bus to the transit center, but that would involve studying
schedules, taking a hike to the bus stop, and waiting in the dark and the rain
for a bus. The bus might be late. Or you might be late and miss your bus. In no
case would the bus pick you up at your front door or deliver you back to your
front door. I would not want my wife or daughter standing at a bus stop in the
dark. </span><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/boost-transit-ridership-women-safer/"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">https://www.wired.com/story/boost-transit-ridership-women-safer/</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">There
Was No Solution to Traffic Congestion Until Cell Phones and Uber</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">There
is continuing debate over what we could do to alleviate traffic congestion. The
Seattle Times, for example, runs a series of Traffic Lab articles. They are a
constant lament about how bad traffic is, how traffic is only getting worse,
and how nothing can be done to make it better.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJoCEDyQ2595J9DAi6gXk-cCIYNgRWjNTEcq5XwKKq88ONZGlOvNWhQm3nqrCVFtTmOlgpTktVVPserrUvY1VzeMgCatJGMPb5OWMSmonWVQRt-Tm5UuGfyekXnB3f5WkiRmb8PclR5Q/s1773/IMG_0043.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1773" data-original-width="1773" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJoCEDyQ2595J9DAi6gXk-cCIYNgRWjNTEcq5XwKKq88ONZGlOvNWhQm3nqrCVFtTmOlgpTktVVPserrUvY1VzeMgCatJGMPb5OWMSmonWVQRt-Tm5UuGfyekXnB3f5WkiRmb8PclR5Q/s320/IMG_0043.JPG" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">However,
smart phone technology plus an Uber style app applied to a system of vans of
different sizes would solve the last mile problem. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Now
days, most people have smart phones. Some still have cheaper flip phones.
Either could be used by riders to hail a ride and get picked up wherever they
are. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Door-to-door
service is now completely feasible, and the only reason public transit does not
provide it is conventionality. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Van Pools Show That Flex Vans Would Work</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Van pools work. I support van pools. </span><a href="https://www.carpoolworld.com/carpool.html?ev=microsoft&to=Redmond,US"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Microsoft,
Amazon, and other companies</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"> offers rideshare programs in the Seattle area.
According to the </span><a href="https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/publications/fulltext/graynotebook/corridor-capacity-report-17.pdf"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Washington DOT
Congestion Report</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">,
around ten percent of commuters use van pool programs, while only six percent
ride buses. Around 74 percent drive their own cars. I support van pools. A
six-person van pool takes five cars off the roads. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">However, van pools are limited in that
they only carry a fixed group of people and they only carry them to and from
work. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Motivations
to Use Flex Vans</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">When
I speak with transit gurus, they question whether people would use the vans.
There a several factors which would motivate them to do so.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://newsroom.aaa.com/auto/your-driving-costs/"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">According to the
AAA</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">,
it costs on average around $706 per month to own, drive, maintain, and insure a
car. That figure assumes one is driving around 15,000 miles per year, which a
lot of people do. A van system could provide door-to-door service for much less
than $706 per month. Some families own a fleet of cars, one each for husband
and wife, and one each for each child of driving age. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">If
a van service were implemented, many families would sell off most of their
cars. They might even become no car families. They would ride door-to-door flex
vans, buses, and trains. When they needed to go solo, they might ride a taxi or
take Uber or rent a car, all of which would be available by app or at transit
centers. The family savings would be enormous.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pioHxX6-5gV4j7vxxf2Gx4dD25LHXU_emYc64bROyBnX-0DuhvwDPybanAlmE6DFTGH-jYh6YCpvPd2m4ptya_ude2PCeQHZCgeFpw4gyhZJ2N6XZEfx-GsWI9g7zZfmv8JP4lOPM6E/s2048/P1010020+-+Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pioHxX6-5gV4j7vxxf2Gx4dD25LHXU_emYc64bROyBnX-0DuhvwDPybanAlmE6DFTGH-jYh6YCpvPd2m4ptya_ude2PCeQHZCgeFpw4gyhZJ2N6XZEfx-GsWI9g7zZfmv8JP4lOPM6E/s320/P1010020+-+Copy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Another
factor motivating us to use the vans would be to avoid the hassle and anxiety
of bumper to bumper driving and to avoid having to find and pay for parking. We
could take a nap on our way to work instead of struggling to keep our sleep
deprived eyes open.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">As
stated previously, many people do not like to drive. Many do not see well at
night. Many are too old or too young to drive. Many would prefer not to own a
car if there were some alternative. Many people cannot afford a car.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Charging
an $8 fee to park at the transit center, a fee that would exceed the cost of
riding a flex van to the transit center, would add additional motivation to use
the flex vans. Doing so would ration use of transit center parking, meaning
that those who really need to park there would be able to do so. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">If
even more incentive is needed, we could charge a per mile fee to drive on
freeways or an odometer tax on all road usage. This should be a last resort.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">So,
in response to those who question whether the vans would be used, it is clear
that there would be ample incentives for riders to do so. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A
Flex Van System Would Facilitate Urban Development</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">City
planners have been reluctant to approve construction of apartments and
condominium buildings that have relatively few parking spaces or even no
parking spaces, lest on-street parking be maxed out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">With
a flex van system that would make it possible to get around without owning a
car, more such no and low parking apartment and condominium buildings would
become feasible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A Flex Van System Would Offer Greater
Security</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Commuting by bus in winter, when the
days are shorter, involves waiting for rides in the dark and taking hikes in
the dark. A van service would eliminate the hike to the bus stop, the waiting
at the bus stop, the hike from where you dismount the bus to your ultimate
destination, and the same hikes on the return trip. Thus, a door-to-door,
portal to portal system would be more secure.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Flex
van drivers would be vetted and trained, and all would be members of the
transit union. Riders would be less concerned about troubled people and drunks
because such people could be shunted into separate vans or receive rides from
Uber or taxi drivers, who would be trained in how to handle them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A
Flex Van System Could and Should <br />
Work in Coordination with Uber and Taxis</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A
comprehensive and connected transit system is one which is integrated, where
all parts of the system work cooperatively with all others, where big buses,
little buses, vans, taxis, and Uber drivers would all be kept busy through
referrals from transit regarding those needing a special solo ride. The only
provision I would make would be that Uber and taxi drivers would have to be
well trained members of the transit union. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
role of a union is to negotiate fair wages and working conditions, train
employees, insure their good behavior, eliminate irresponsible employees, and
assist management in improving service. I suggest across the board union
membership because it would allow all transportation providers to work cooperatively.
This does not mean that Uber and taxi drivers would necessarily work directly
for transit, but simply that certain quality and training standards would apply
along with a reasonable level of compensation.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Kyoto
And Paris Protocols</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Transportation
produces around </span><a href="https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/publications/fulltext/graynotebook/corridor-capacity-report-17.pdf"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">43 percent of
all Washington carbon emissions</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">. If we were to implement a flex van
system, we would drive fewer vehicles, drive them fewer miles, burn less fuel,
and do our part to reduce carbon emissions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Door-to-door
Transit Would Work for Children </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
have thousands of school buses that sit around mostly idle most of the time.
Schools should get out of the transit business. Flexible vans, driven by
professionals who would be trained and vetted to guarantee child safety and
security, could do a better job of transporting children. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Flex
vans would pick children up at the front door in the morning and bring them
home to the front door in the afternoon, instead of at school bus stops.
Parents would worry a lot less. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbriv1gMjomCzS-AZjGc9HRNsc530ufvlrgZFLtFK7mstTEOIG-PZ6pBkq74gp27jpcFLDpcuGMC13P5dlgidofP0HF8gY_uw-B3rKz6914qy6HtYnPqX4UPBka0TxlOA6_vbwI3KC-lI/s640/P1010068+-+Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbriv1gMjomCzS-AZjGc9HRNsc530ufvlrgZFLtFK7mstTEOIG-PZ6pBkq74gp27jpcFLDpcuGMC13P5dlgidofP0HF8gY_uw-B3rKz6914qy6HtYnPqX4UPBka0TxlOA6_vbwI3KC-lI/s320/P1010068+-+Copy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Children
also need rides to day care, soccer practice, piano lessons, and parental
visitation. Parents tell me they get tired of serving as taxi driver for their
children. Flex vans could deliver such helpful services. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Flex
Vans Would Improve Life for the Poor </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Some
people cannot afford a car. The poor need a ride to their local jobs, to the
post office, to church, to the grocery store. Many of the poor have drug or
emotional issues, and it would be wise for them not to be driving. It is
difficult to impossible to use our existing fixed route bus system to go for a
run to grocery, post office, and Redbox, because that would involve making
several transfers. To make transfers involves making careful transfer plans,
waiting for long periods of time to make bus transfers, taking hikes to areas
poorly served by buses, and having to carry heavy groceries and other loads
from bus stop to home. Flex vans would be a blessing to the poor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The Best and Only Solution</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">I have been contemplating this issue for
many years. For so long I held back in writing about it because it was so
different. I wondered why no one else had I was doubtful that for some reason it
might not work. My mother always encouraged me to “take faith”, and so I have. After
considering all the other alternatives, I am now ready to campaign for it and
rally support of it. I am certain that a flex van solution is by far the best
and only solution.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is the easiest to implement, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is the quickest to implement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is the least expensive to
implement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is the only solution that could be
implemented without widening roads and freeways and without building new
multi-story transit center park and ride facilities. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is the only solution that would
eliminate traffic congestion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is the only solution that will make
it possible to be mobile without owning a car. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is the only solution that would grant
full mobility to those too young or too old or too poor to drive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is the best solution for reducing
carbon emissions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Send
comments and questions to </span><a href="mailto:James@JamesDeal.com"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">James@JamesDeal.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">. Responses will
appear in a subsequent issue.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">PART
TWO</span></b><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It Was Inevitable </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">I remember driving north through Seattle
on I-5 in December of 1970. That was when I moved to the Northwest. I-5 had
just been finished. The new freeway had fewer lanes then, but it was still almost
empty. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">However, time by its very nature continues
infinitely into the future. If you keep growing, even if you grow slowly, you
will eventually double your numbers. We have widened our roads and freeways since
1970 and widened them again. But we have nevertheless filled them up. What was
unimaginable in 1970 is upon us. We are at the point where traffic often cannot
flow. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Traffic will only get worse unless we do
something very different than what we are doing now. Our transit leaders admit
that they know of no way out of our traffic jams. The </span><a href="https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/publications/fulltext/graynotebook/corridor-capacity-report-17.pdf"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Washington DOT
Congestion Report</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">
envisions only continually worsening congestion. No one else has proposed a
solution, so after much study I will make the attempt myself. I challenge those
who disagree with my proposal to respond to it and say why they disagree, and
not to ignore it, as the media here often do. And if my theory is somehow
wrong, it is at least a useful tool for finding some better solution. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4CXVApXc51K0kwSHqLxojqxYyUC46r4optC60HlryY9lv82EkcikVx_XrMfIuRq-yZQPev9vyDQUc7B1AHNyyBNE2_r_dVyi_0Dt984EIR10VCjcKWGzrRSxKBb0UdUuFulpk52in9Y/s640/P1010076.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4CXVApXc51K0kwSHqLxojqxYyUC46r4optC60HlryY9lv82EkcikVx_XrMfIuRq-yZQPev9vyDQUc7B1AHNyyBNE2_r_dVyi_0Dt984EIR10VCjcKWGzrRSxKBb0UdUuFulpk52in9Y/s320/P1010076.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We must take this question seriously
because traffic congestion is unpleasant. We are stuck in a traffic jam.
Traffic congestion creates great monetary inefficiencies. Delay increases labor
cost. The cost of owning, operating, and parking a car has become too expensive
for many. Because so many buses and cars being driven mostly empty, wasting our
taxes and belching out too much carbon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">July 7, 2020</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Door-to-door
Transit Is the Best and Only Option</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">As I said in Part One, I am certain that
a flex van solution is by far the best and only solution. It is the easiest to
implement. It is the quickest to implement. It is the least expensive to
implement. It is the only solution that could be implemented without widening
roads and freeways and without building new multi-story transit center park and
ride facilities. It is the only solution that would eliminate traffic congestion.
It is the only solution that will make it possible to be mobile without owning
a car. It is the best solution for reducing carbon emissions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">There
would be political resistance to raising the fuel tax to finance wider roads.
There would be political resistance to enacting a regional toll on all freeway
use or an odometer tax on total mileage driven. There would be great political
resistance to raising the car tab tax, which next to the sales tax on food, is the
most hated tax of all. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtRuC275zOmoM4HCYTt2clGLt_f04Asi_u3tNZlSiX1pxmsA6KaQ9MpyLlb2C-Mj1ZS3mJnOhsR1V5CCJFNGY-7fowOJf2NxmD6XY7_07n21Lo2celB12iHp3O9M6eSMgqeVBOxsltuU/s640/P1010101+-+Copy-Pineapple.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtRuC275zOmoM4HCYTt2clGLt_f04Asi_u3tNZlSiX1pxmsA6KaQ9MpyLlb2C-Mj1ZS3mJnOhsR1V5CCJFNGY-7fowOJf2NxmD6XY7_07n21Lo2celB12iHp3O9M6eSMgqeVBOxsltuU/s320/P1010101+-+Copy-Pineapple.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">But
there would be no resistance to a flexible van system summoned by an Uber style
app, because it does not raise taxes of do any of the other options just
listed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Priced
as an add on service, it would pay for itself. It would take a lot of cars off
the roads and freeways, and so it would make them flow again. Sleep deprived
passengers would like it because they would be able to snooze during their
commute.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Global
Warming</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Current
goals to hold global warming to two degrees Centigrade are laughable. Do we really
believe that we can erect a stop sign that Mother Nature will obey? Do we
believe that once temperatures rise two degrees they will stop there? If temperatures
rise two degrees, more methane will be released, a feedback loop will be set up.
We have no idea how hot it might get nor how high the oceans might rise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
only way to stop global warming is to stop drilling NOW. There should be no new
exploration or drilling for oil and gas. All new capital to be invested in
developing solar, wind, wave, tidal, hydro, and geothermal. The only sensible plan
of action is to stop drilling NOW. To do otherwise is to continue driving down
a one-way dead-end street going the wrong way. The sooner we stop and turn
around, the better off we will be.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">In
one of my songs I say:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Hey Exxon
Mobile, look up not down</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">To solar and
wind and wave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Stop drilling
NOW. The future is green.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Be a big
green energy company. </span><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">You can make a tidy profit</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Without fracking up the world. …</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Hey Shell Oil, how much did you spend?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Eight billion dollars in the Chukchi
Sea?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">You left. You said there was no oil. But
really there’s a lot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It was Mother Nature’s storms that drove
you off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Eight billion dollars </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Would build enough solar</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Enough solar power to permanently power</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Two hundred thirty thousand homes. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<a href="https://www.whattoserveagoddess.com/do-unto-others-a-song-by-jimmie-deal/"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">https://www.WhatToServeAGoddess.com/do-unto-others-a-song-by-jimmie-deal/</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">If
we implement door-to-door transit, we would be doing our part to reduce carbon emissions.
We would be setting an example for other cities and other countries.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">How
serious we are about meeting the Kyoto and Paris protocols? Currently our
response has been half measures. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Self-Driving
Cars Will Not Solve Traffic Congestion </span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">An
automated single occupancy vehicle would still take up one space on the roads
and freeways. While they might be safer, automated vehicles would not reduce the
number of vehicles on the roads.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNHgU8Zu57CuyJEf7BEk759k7CKvJpEME3SpcFQM3htEgPOdY2E6h1ywcwYOv_m0SS9Mws4Gwzq4d9QUA-MF_boERtWZ_E3Jas16DKms-4tTzSQRhihdPIb70snIBWdR9mP_N059X5d4/s640/P1010441-Pineapple.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNHgU8Zu57CuyJEf7BEk759k7CKvJpEME3SpcFQM3htEgPOdY2E6h1ywcwYOv_m0SS9Mws4Gwzq4d9QUA-MF_boERtWZ_E3Jas16DKms-4tTzSQRhihdPIb70snIBWdR9mP_N059X5d4/s320/P1010441-Pineapple.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">However,
a self-driving flex van would take vehicles off the roads, and that technology
may be part of our transit future. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">My
opinion is that self-driving should never mean no driver at the wheel. There
are situations which will arise which no computer will be able to deal with.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Flex
Vans Will Make Ferries Work Better</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
have a ferry system that hauls thousands of cars back and forth across Puget
Sound every day. Ferries haul cars back and forth because we have no easy way
for people to travel to the ferry except by car and no way for them to travel from
the ferry landing on the other side to their ultimate destinations except by
car. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Under
my proposal vans would carry commuters to and from the ferries. Vans would not
in most cases go onto the ferries because there will be vans waiting on the
other side. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">There
would also be buses carrying passengers to the ferries, and those buses will
have been filled up at transit centers by passengers carried to the transit
centers in vans. Those buses would not in most cases go onto the ferries
because there will be buses waiting on the other side. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">On
the other side vans would be waiting to carry passengers to nearby destinations.
Buses would be waiting as well, to carry riders on to transit centers further
away, from which riders might then take final vans to their ultimate
destinations. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">There
would be fewer vehicles on the ferries and more walk on passengers. Mile long lines
of cars waiting for a place on ferries would become a thing of the past. And there
would be room on the ferries for those who really do need to take a vehicle
across. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
would save enormous sums by not having to build so many ferries with large car carrying
capacities. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Flex
Vans Would Work in the Suburbs </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">There
is a bus stop up a steep hill a half mile east of our home in Lynnwood. There
is a bus stop down a steep hill a quarter of a mile west of our home. Buses
running on both routes are infrequent. In Lynnwood most of the buses are ghost
buses, driven mostly empty day and night. Bus service is infrequent in many
neighborhoods. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
Transit Center, with its 1,368 parking stalls, is maxed out by 7 AM. The Boeing
parking lots at the Everett plant, where many Lynnwoodites work, with their
21,000 parking spaces, is maxed out even earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My neighbor revs up his car and leaves for
Boeing at 3:30 AM to be sure of a parking space. A flexible van system would
give Boeing workers a much better way to get to work. Vans would pick riders up
at their front door and either take them directly to the Boeing plant or to a
transit center, from which large buses would carry them on to Boeing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It
is easy to visualize how a van system would work in the Suburbs. Riders would
summon a van via an Uber style app, and the van would carry a rider from home
to transit center or local destination.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Example:
Everett to Renton</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Assume
that you live in Everett and work at the Paine Field Boing plant. Next, assume
that you have been transferred from the Everett Boeing plant to the Renton Boeing
plant. It is a 45-mile journey on I-5 and then I-405. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">In
this example there are points A, B, C, and D. Point A is your home. Point B is
the Everett Transit Center. Point C is the Renton Transit Center. Point D is
the Boeing plant in Renton. Our current transit system only carries you from
Point B to Point C. It does not carry you from Point A to Point B. Nor does it
carry you from Point C to Point D. It is up to you to walk or figure out some
other way to go from A to B and from C to D. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Our
current system offers commuters a fragmented transit service, and that is why
most people do not use it.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Example:
Lynnwood to Bellevue </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Assume
that I want to attend a seminar in a Bellevue neighborhood which is not close
to the Bellevue Transit Center. It is a 22-mile drive from Lynnwood to
Bellevue. I would summon a van using my Uber style cell phone app. The van would
carry me and five other passengers, to the Lynnwood Transit Center. From there
an express bus would take me and 50 others to the Bellevue Transit Center. From
there a final van would take me and five others to our ultimate destinations,
all in the same zone. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Lynnwood
and Bellevue would be divided into zones, with one, two, or more vans orbiting
each zone, picking up riders, and delivering them to the Transit Center or to
other destinations. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A
few passengers get to the transit center by bus. A few people walk to the
transit center. A few pedal. Some get dropped off at the “kiss and ride”. But
most drive to the transit center. If they find that none of the 1,368 parking spaces
is available, most get on the freeway and drive all the way to their
destinations. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Unless
a van service is implemented, the only truly convenient currently way to get to
the Lynnwood Transit Center is to drive. Given the limits on parking spaces
available, the number of passengers who can be served out of the Lynnwood
Transit Center, even when Link Light Rail is completed this far north, is
limited. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
solution again is door-to-door transit, carrying riders from home to transit
center and to local destinations. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Door-to-door
Transit Would Work in Cities</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">There
are many Seattle bus lines which are heavily used. Many people live close
enough to those lines and are going to destinations close enough to those lines
so that those lines are popular. I support buses running fixed routes if they
have significant ridership. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">However,
Seattle is a large city, and many areas of Seattle are a half mile or a mile from
the nearest bus stop. Currently some riders walk to the nearest bus stop.
Others never ride a bus and always drive wherever they are going. But a van
system would give people what they now get by driving their own cars –
door-to-door service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Some
Seattle thoroughfares are so filled with cars that buses are stuck in traffic. I
read in the </span><a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019777003_ballardbus28m.html"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Seattle
Times</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"> that
bus rapid transit is having problems in Ballard. BRT cannot work if the streets
are too crowded with cars for BRT bus rapid transit buses to be rapid. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Proof
of Concept</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Flex
Vans Would Work in Downtown Seattle</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Flex
vans are most needed in downtown Seattle. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
easiest case to visualize would be flex vans delivering secure rides in downtown
Seattle at night. Downtown buses which were packed during the day are ghost buses
at night. Those buses should be parked and replaced by vans summoned via cell
phone app. The vans would take a rider all the way to a nearby destination or
to a transit center or hand the rider off to a van or bus going all the way to
the rider’s ultimate destination. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">During
the day downtown streets are often jammed. People would use an alternative if
one were available. We want people to use transit to come into Seattle to work.
We also want them to use transit to travel to local, in-city destinations. That
is at least partially impractical if the current bus system is the only option.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Many
people downtown have no idea when a bus is coming or where they should stand to
catch one. Suburbanites many not know how to use the buses. So, they bring
their cars downtown, pay big fees to park there, and create stop and go traffic
jams. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">In
the heart of Downtown, whether during the day or at night, a rider would not
necessarily wait for a van going all the way to his neighborhood. Instead the
rider might take a van going generally north, generally south, generally east, or
generally west. Once a rider is on board, the driver and the app would see to it
that the rider is taken to the rider’s local destination or to a connecting
van. These transfers would be much easier to make than the transfers which are currently
so difficult to make. Instead of you looking for a bus, a van would be looking
for you. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Vans
of various sizes would work together in a fuzzy logic way to cooperatively
deliver complete transit services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Door-to-door
Vans Would Be a Big Draw to Tourists</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A
flexible van system would be ideal for tourists. The sites they want to see are
often not far away, but they typically do not know how to get there by bus. Tourists
would enter their desired destination in their cell phone app, and a van would
pick them up and take them all the way to their local destination or take them
to a transit center. Seattle would become known as the world’s most tourist friendly
city.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Rural
Areas Need Door-to-door Transit</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Many
rural areas have no bus service. Many have some service, but it is infrequent.
Riders must take long hikes to meet buses running infrequently, and those rarely
take them all the way to their ultimate destinations. As a result, buses in
rural areas often are ghost buses, driven mostly empty.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A
flex van system would make life much easier in rural areas, especially for
those with low incomes and those who do not see well enough to drive or those
who do not like to drive. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Door-to-door
Transit Math</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
dollar estimates used in this section and throughout this paper are place
holder numbers, which would be revised as costs are reviewed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Some
will say that a flex van program would be more expensive. My response is: More
expensive than what? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">More
expensive than widening the freeways? More expensive than converting every
transit center into a multi-story parking garage? More expensive than the
wasted hours we spend stuck in traffic? More expensive than the inefficiencies
which traffic congestion forces on business? More expensive than most of the ghost
buses here in Lynnwood being driven around mostly empty most of the time? More
expensive than our current transit system, which is heavily subsidized by our
taxes and is a country mile away from covering its operating expenses out of
the fare box? More expensive than driving a single occupancy vehicle, which </span><a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/loans/total-cost-owning-car/"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">costs on average
around $706 per month</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">
to own and operate. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Transit
leaders have told me that a flex van program would cost too much. They are
saying that we cannot afford a van system which would fill up the vans, which
would be scalable so that only the necessary number of vans would be operating,
which would fill up the buses and trains, which would produce more revenues,
which would reduce negative cash flow, which would make more capital available
for expansion, which would eliminate traffic congestion, which would provide
more and better transit service to those who need them, and which would be of
great help to the poor. They are saying that we must instead widen the
freeways, build five story park and ride structures, and continue to subsidize
under-used buses.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3cYPXkEwIL1s6b6YDaXYHA_d4WbHszg4eP2_a11lgOFK770Tk1GbHU-guQK-FHsMWemmD2VwsdE-zQrcsYw0CQi_YgVW5TkGfb667WtUEtuybOVAV4xTIJggdJ0vvwDGl_o8SkNfLCk/s640/P1010498-Pineapple.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3cYPXkEwIL1s6b6YDaXYHA_d4WbHszg4eP2_a11lgOFK770Tk1GbHU-guQK-FHsMWemmD2VwsdE-zQrcsYw0CQi_YgVW5TkGfb667WtUEtuybOVAV4xTIJggdJ0vvwDGl_o8SkNfLCk/s320/P1010498-Pineapple.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">On
the other hand, they are saying that we can afford a bus system where many
buses are ghost buses, driven around mostly empty most of the time. It is a
system which fails to eliminate congestion and fails to deliver transit
services to those who need them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A
flex van system, working in coordination with our bus and train system, would
carry many more riders than our current system. Per passenger costs would drop
because vans, buses, and trains would run full or closer to full. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It
costs me $12 to take Uber around three miles from my home to the Lynnwood
Transit Center. If there were six passengers sharing the same van, the cost per
person would be $2 each. My daily cost for the round trip would be $4 per day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">I
would propose that vans charge an add on fee, in addition to regular bus fares.
The fare would be $1 per mile with a minimum charge of $2. In the future the
fare might be rolled into the total cost of a transit ticket. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Once
a van system is in place, the transit system should then start charging fees to
park at the transit center. I would suggest a fee of $8 per day. A parking fee would
produce more income for the transit system. It would motivate people to take
the vans to the transit center instead of driving and parking there. Because of
the convenience and relatively low cost of a door-to-door van-bus-train
service, more people would take transit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Charging
for parking at the transit center would not only produce needed revenues; it
would also insure that there would be open parking spaces available for those
who really need to park there. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It
costs around $130 per hour to operate a bus. This does not include the capital
cost of buying the bus. If the fare is $4 then the bus will break even if there
are 33 passengers per hour on average riding the bus. ($130 / 4 = 33) If there
are 33 passengers riding into Seattle but only a few passengers riding the bus
back to Lynnwood, this math would still work if round trips could be made in
one hour. If the round trip takes more than one hour, more passengers would be
needed on the inbound trip to Seattle keep the average up to 33 passengers per
hour. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">With
a van system feeding riders to buses and trains, they would run at higher
capacity and generate higher fares. They might even break even in terms of
operating cost or at least run at a smaller operating loss. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Buses
can cost from $500,000 to more than $1 million. After 20 years of service, even
if they have been driven mostly empty most of the time, they are depreciated
down to a low value and sold for next to nothing to transit services in Mexico.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Vans
designed to carry six to eight riders might cost around $40,000, but probably
no more. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">In
theory, a van averaging a speed of 20 miles per hour, carrying six people at
all times, and charging each person $1 per mile could generate $120 per hour,
more than enough to the cover operating costs, which would be less than
operating costs for a bus. Labor cost of around $50 per hour would be the same
for both buses and vans, but equipment costs, fuel costs, and depreciation
expenses would be less for vans. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Average
ridership might be less than a constant six passengers because the van will not
always be full and because many side trips would have to be made to pick people
up and drop them off. On the other hand, average revenues would be increased if
there were a minimum fee of $2 per trip and if many of the trips were less than
two miles. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
comparison is more stark when you consider that out in Lynnwood and other
suburbs, many or most buses carry fewer than six passengers at a time. This
means that a van costing $40,000 would be generating as much revenue as the
typical bus costing $500,000. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Vans
cost less to operate than buses. Vans can be electric. Vans are more nimble and
can deliver quicker pickups and drop-offs. Vans can pull into a driveway and
stop near the front door of Fred Meyer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Again,
vans would be popular especially at night, when it is not safe for women and
children and all of us to stand on street corners in the dark waiting for
buses. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
cost to operate vans would be easier to control than the cost to run buses on
fixed routes. This is because the number of vans in use would be scalable. If
there are fewer passengers hailing rides during mid-day or after 7 PM, fewer
vans would be operating. On the other hand, under our current approach buses
must continue to operate, drive their full routes, and drive their full
schedule, even if there are few riders aboard. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It
is a long-standing transit policy to charge less than actual operating costs to
ride buses. Transit leaders do this out of concern that if the ride is not
cheap, people will drive and not take the bus. This may be true to some extent
because currently our buses are offering incomplete rides. However, the cost of
driving, the cost of parking, plus the stress of driving make the bus trip a
valuable service, for which passengers will pay a reasonable fee if the bus or van
carry them all the way from where they are to where they need to go. Fares
should be increased to a level closer to the breakeven cost. Most of us can
afford to pay more than $4 for a bus to downtown Seattle. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Our
current transit system subsidizes rides even for those who can afford to pay
the full cost, which does not make financial sense. Conversely, there should be
discounts for the unemployed, students, and those with middle and lower
incomes. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
should not be discounting bus fares to provide an incentive for people to take
the bus. There is enough incentive already. Driving is stressful and dangerous.
Parking can be expensive. The average cost of driving a car is $.61 per mile,
so a 40-mile round trip commute costs $24.40, plus the cost of parking. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">With
a transit system which comes closer to breaking even, we would be spending less
money subsidizing underused buses. We would free up more money for capital
improvements, such as completing Link Light Rail.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">If
the added convenience of taking vans instead of driving in single occupancy vehicles
is not enough to induce people to ride the vans, we could charge a per mile fee
to drive on our freeways or an odometer tax on total miles driven. A small per
mile fee would produce large revenues, all of which could be used to make
capital improvements to the transit system and finish Link Light Rail sooner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Snohomish
County is predicted to add 200,000 more residents in the next twenty years.
King County will add even more. So, traffic congestion will only get worse. If
we continue with our current transportation and transit policies, we will need
to widen the roads. It would take many years to do that and would cost an
enormous amount of money. And by the time the roads are widened, there will be
more drivers and more choke points. We are already in gridlock. What will our
gridlock look like in 20 years if we fail to do things differently?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">I
conclude that there are many reasons why many people would be motivated to ride
the vans, that further motivation could be created by charging by the mile to
drive, and that van ridership would be substantial.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Objection:
A Van Program Would Add Even More Cars to The Roads </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Response:
If a flex van were driven around carrying now passengers, it would add one car
to the roads. If it were carrying one passenger, it would add one car to the
roads but take one car off the roads, which would mean it would break even in
number of cars on the road. If there were six passengers on board, the flex van
would be adding one vehicle to the roads but taking six away, a net reduction
of five vehicles. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Further,
the van system would be scalable, meaning that it would only add vans to the
roads when there were more riders requesting service. And each rider who
receives service represents one fewer driver on the roads.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Flex
Vans Could Deliver Packages and Produce Additional Income</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
Burlington Northern Railway makes much more money carrying freight than it
could make by carrying people. So, the Burlington Northern does not carry
people. It rents space on its tracks at a high price to Sound Transit and Amtrak.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Likewise,
there is more money to be made in carrying packages than in carrying people. Link
Light Rail could include cars which would carry roll off bins of freight, such
as Amazon and Wall Mart packages. Packages would be transferred to flex vans,
which would carry them the last mile to the purchaser. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Packages
are easier to carry than people. They can be delivered after rush hour is over,
when there is a lull in passenger ridership. Packages are not in as much a
hurry as passengers. Packages can be packed tight and stacked up. Packages do
not need fresh air or a cushioned seat. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">In
the same way that FedEx and UPS compete with the Post Office, the Post Office
in turn should compete with them. Likewise, public transit should be unafraid
to compete with private delivery services. Publicly owned enterprises should be
run in a business-like manner. Public transit should be unafraid to compete
with privately owned enterprises. A public transit system should be set up to
earn a profit on such services as package delivery in order to finance better
service delivering passengers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Uber
could implement a door-to-door flex van service, but it probably will not.
Public transit should be unafraid to compete also with Uber. Public transit
should leave solo transportation to Uber and taxis, but it should forge ahead
with van services.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Door-to-door
Transit Would Help Us Complete Link Light Rail</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Link
Light Rail can transport tens of thousands of riders from north to south and
east to west on an exclusive right of way that would not be subject to slowdowns.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Transit
experts say Link can never reduce traffic congestion and can only provide a way
around traffic congestion. If we continue in our current direction, they are
right. If we implement a flex van system, they are wrong. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
vans will supplement Link and dramatically increase Link ridership. More drivers
will leave their cars at home and use the vans to get to and from Link. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
should finish Link Light Rail, from Everett to Tacoma, from West Seattle to
Kirkland, from Downtown to Issaquah. A line from Ballard south to West Seattle
and a crosstown line from Ballard to the University District should be built
too, which I will discuss below. We should push to get all this done in
six years. If the Chinese can build a 15,000-kilometer national bullet
train system in a decade, we should be able to finish Link Light Rail in six
years. We voted for Link Light Rail in 1996, and 21 years later, the system is
less than one-third done. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Voters
passed Sound Transit 3 in November of 2016. It raised the sales tax, raised the
car tab tax, and raised the property tax. Voters taxed themselves, hoping desperately
that doing so might reduce traffic congestion. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">To
complete Link Light Rail quickly we must raise more money or save money we are
now wasting. A flexible van service would help us do both by solving the last
mile problem. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Savings
will come from replacing buses with vans. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Increased
revenue will come from increasing ridership, which the vans will do. It will
come from pricing services as far as possible to cover operating costs and raising
ticket prices – while giving discounts to those with middle and low incomes. Increased
revenues will come from charging for parking at transit centers, from renting
cars at transit centers, and from carrying packages. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
combination of savings and increased revenues would free up money for completion
of Link Light Rail and other improvements. If more money is needed, we should charge
a toll to drive on all the freeways or an odometer tax on all miles driven. We
would use the increased revenues to fund construction directly and to support
bond sales sufficient to finish the entire project. A finished project will
attract the most riders and generate the most revenues, so we should finish it
as soon as possible. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
should set up a Washington State Bank, as North Dakota has done. We would issue
bonds to raise the capital needed, and the new bank would buy the bonds - which
would be a very secure investment. The Washington State Bank would charge no
loan fees and would charge a lower interest rate than investors charge currently
on transit bonds. We should draw on all possible sources of money and finish
Link Light Rail. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
Should Extend Express Buses or Rail to Lewis-McCord</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Recently
Paine Field was opened to passenger service, and Alaska, United, and Southwest
will begin service there in 2018. In the newspaper we read that it will be more
convenient to fly from Paine Field because a drive through congested Seattle
can be avoided. This shows how uncreative people are. Already, we can travel by
express bus from the transit centers at Everett, Lynnwood, or Mountlake Terrace
to downtown Seattle. And from there we can take Link Light Rail to SeaTac. No
one needs to drive from Snohomish County to SeaTac. This trip would be even
easier if we had flex vans to carry us from home to transit center.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">SeaTac
is running out of room for expansion, and a new airport will be needed. But the
place for that new airport is not Paine Field. Paine Field is surrounded by
homes. And land there is far too valuable for location of aviation related,
high payroll companies, rather than for airport parking, motels, and strip
clubs. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
right place for the new mega-airport is Joint Base Lewis McCord, which has
miles and miles of open fields which can be turned into as big an airport as
might be needed. To carry riders to McCord, we should extend Sound Transit
express bus service or rail to McCord. See </span><a href="http://www.jamesrobertdeal.org/paine-field"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">www.jamesrobertdeal.org/paine-field</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
Should Extend Express Buses or Rail to Olympia</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It
is a disgrace that there is no regular service, several times daily, between Seattle
and Olympia, especially when the Legislature is in session. Express buses or rail
should be extended to Olympia, with vans waiting to deliver riders all the way
to their ultimate destinations. This service would be heavily used if flex vans
were waiting at each end to carry passengers to their ultimate destinations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
Should Serve West Seattle and Ballard using the Best Technology</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">West
Seattle and Ballard have been waiting 21 years for light rail to come to their
crowded streets. There are plans to dig tunnels and build elevated light rail
to serve both. We unwisely voted down a ready-to-go monorail plan in 2005,
which would have served this route more effectively than light rail, and it
would have been completed by now. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">That
plan should be resurrected, although in a different form. We should not use
rubber-wheeled monorail. We should use a better technology, a quiet, efficient,
medium-speed maglev. Most of the route from West Seattle to the ferries and
Alaskan Way and then up to Ballard, is to be elevated along major thoroughfares.
If a train is to be elevated, it should be a maglev train. Maglev can also run
through a subway. Maglev has no moving parts to wear out, and although
construction costs may be higher, maintenance costs are lower. A light rail
train screeches as it goes around turns, as wheel flanges scrape on rails, but
a maglev train is whisper quiet because it is not in physical contact with the
rails. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
federal government subsidizes only proven technologies. In 2005 maglev was
relatively new. Now the Japanese and Chinese have proven that it works. The
opposition to monorail came from light rail proponents who feared that monorail
would make light rail look bad. The monorail was to be built through a new
monorail agency. Ironically, it should be Sound Transit which should build a
West Seattle to Ballard maglev train. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">There
is a proposal to build a cross town light rail train from Ballard to the
University District at some time in the distant future. A maglev would go up
more quickly and deliver better service.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
Seattle Center Monorail Should Make a Comeback</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Our
1.5-mile-long, truncated, 1962 Alweg monorail turns a profit. It is one of the
few transit systems in North America which does. But it is a laughing stock,
only 1.5 miles long. Tourists ride it and ask, “Is that all there is?” Governor
Rossellini had intended that it be extended once the World Fair was over. He
was disappointed that he could not convince Seattle officials to do so.
Apparently, the city beautiful crowd was against it. They were against tall
things in general. They were paranoid about passengers in an elevated train
looking down into their windows. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
Alweg is a powerful machine, capable of carrying large numbers of people and
capable of climbing steep hills. The appropriate use of its capabilities would
be to extend it north up Queen Ann Hill and over it to Seattle Pacific
University, and to extend it to the southeast up to the hospital district. The
original Link Light Rail plan was to serve the hospital district with a subway
station, but it was eliminated apparently to cut costs and to shorten the
route. As with other trains, an Alweg extension would be most successful if it
were supplemented by a van system, which would carry passengers to and from monorail
stations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
cost of extending the Alweg north and south would not be prohibitive. The
technology is proven. The maintenance facility is in place along with the
experts to maintain the system. It would only be necessary to buy more train
sets, build new elevated tracks, and build new stations. It might make sense to
completely replace the Alweg with a new heavy duty medium speed maglev. The
Alweg currently makes a profit. It may be the only transit system in the
country that can say that. It would run an even bigger profit if it were
extended north and south.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Door-to-door
Transit Will Require More Drivers, But That’s Good</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">A
flex van system would employ more drivers, but some of those new van drivers
would be drivers currently operating so-called ghost buses, which are often
mostly empty. With a van system there would be more fare revenue with which to
pay drivers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">There
should be cooperation among regular bus and train drivers, van drivers, taxi
drivers, van pool drivers, and even Uber drivers. Vans of various sizes will be
needed because at sometimes and in some areas, there will be more or fewer
riders. There are drunks and other difficult people who will be needing rides
too, and there should be a separate group of vehicles for them, driven by
drivers trained in how to deal with them. The way for all these classes of
drivers and sizes of vehicles to work together would be for all classes of
drivers to be members of the transit union. Thus, they would all receive proper
vetting, would all receive proper training, and would all receive fair
compensation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Objection: Too Few Will Ride the Vans </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Response:
Driving is tense. Parking is expensive. Many people hate to drive. Many do not
see well, especially at night. Many are not old enough to drive. Many are too
old to drive. Many cannot afford to own and operate a car. More people are
living in apartments and condominiums, which provide little or no parking, and
so they too cannot easily own cars. For those who do own cars, it would still
cost less and be more convenient to use the van-bus-train system instead of
driving solo. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">If
van ridership drops, for example during mid-day or after 7 PM, the number of
vans on the road could be adjusted downward. A flex van system would be more
scalable than a bus system because it would not have to run fixed routes on a
fixed schedule and keep running for 18 hours per day even if there are few
riders aboard – which is what buses must do. Vans will be activated and
deactivated as demand ebbs and flows during the day and night. For that reason,
it would not be a serious problem if too few were using the vans. The number of
vans in service would simply be reduced. In all cases there would be fewer
wasted trips, the contrary of our often-underused buses.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Objection:
Too Many Will Ride the Vans </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Response:
This would never be a problem. If there is a surge in ridership, more vans would
be put into service. The more vans that are on the roads, the more cars will be
taken off the roads and the more feasible the van service will become
financially. More vans could easily be brought on duty if there were more
riders requesting rides. Full vans carrying four to ten passengers are more
economical than half million-dollar ghost buses frequently being driven around
mostly empty.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Transit Leaders Should Be Directly
Elected</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">There
are 18 members of the Sound Transit Board, ten from King County, four from
Pierce County, three from Snohomish County, plus the Washington Secretary
of Transportation. Board members are not directly elected. The three county
executives are automatic members, and the executives appoint board members from
among the mayors, city councilors, and county councilors in their respective
counties. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">An
Edmonds resident might like Dave Earling’s policies as mayor but disagree with
his policies as Sound Transit Board member, but the only way the resident could
get Dave off the Sound Transit Board would be to get him out of the mayor’s
chair. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Likewise,
the boards of Community Transit, Metro, and Pierce Transit are all either mayors,
city councilors, or county councilors, all appointed by their respective county
executives. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Transit board members mean well. They
are evidently ethical and honest people. However, they are not transit
scholars. Their career focus has been on more traditional municipal issues.
They listen to their hired staff, who are traditional thinkers. Together they
all think only in terms of buses and trains running fixed routes, with people
somehow making their way to and from the buses and trains on their own. They
apparently think that if they draw lines on a map, which pass within at least a
mile of most locations, and run buses on those lines at 20 or 30-minute
intervals for 18 hours each day, that they have done their job – even if very
few people ride those buses. The system is offering rides, and the riders are
blamed if they fail to accept the offer. Our transit leaders know of no way to
induce people to ride the buses, except to keep the fare price low. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Our
transit leaders presume that there is some logic behind the inept way we
deliver transit services. They apparently presume that the way things have
always been done is the way things should be done. They apparently presume that
there is some logic in our inefficient transit system, when there is little or none.
So, they are most comfortable with sticking with what they have done before. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
in turn put our trust in our transit leaders. We presume that they know what
they are doing. Most of us are overworked and have little time to become
transit scholars. So, we put up with our disconnected transit system without
questioning whether it makes sense. We are desperate for some way out of our ever-worsening
gridlock, and so we vote for enormous tax increases for Sound Transit
construction projects, even though our transit leaders make no claim that they
will lessen traffic congestion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">I
conclude that our transit leaders have let us down. They do not think outside
the box. They do not identify what the core problem is, that our current system
is disconnected and that we have a last mile problem. They ignore a simple
solution which is now available due to the invention of the cell phone and the
Uber app. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">When
I addressed the Community Transit Board regarding door-to-door transit, they
looked at me as if I were from the moon. One member responded that a circulator
bus had been set up in Brier but that no one rode it. I submitted a written
proposal, but Community Transit did not respond. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">When
I wrote to Sound Transit representatives, they replied with a polite letter
telling me about their van pools and referring me to other transit bureaucrats
I could talk with. Having written their polite letter, they took no further action.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Virtually
all the well-paid officials who run our transit system drive everywhere they go
and never take a bus. They should try riding our non-comprehensive,
disconnected transit system. They would learn how difficult it is to use our
current bus system to go to their transit jobs, then go to the post office
after work, then to the grocery store, and then home. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Our
transit leaders truly have no clue as to how to solve the traffic congestion
problem and how to provide connected local transit services for the poor and
those who do not drive. Everything they say shows that they know of no real
solution. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">For
example, although Governor Inslee has done many good things for Washington, the
only transit suggestion which he has offered is to “eliminate choke points”. He
was </span><a href="http://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-directs-changes-i-405-express-toll-lanes-repairs-i-5-and-funding-more-incident"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">speaking
of the congestion on I-405 between Lynnwood and Bothell</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">. However, it will
take ten years to widen and eliminate I-405’s many choke points, and even if
our freeways are widened, there will be more drivers and new choke points. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Growth
is a six-letter word. It is both a blessing and a curse. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Recently,
drivers were allowed to drive on the freeway shoulder from Bothell to Lynnwood,
a temporary solution that will become permanent. Not having a shoulder reduces
safety and poses problems when emergency vehicles need to speed ahead to reach accident
scenes. Are first responders going to drive on the grass along the freeway?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">When
election time comes, there are no campaigns for positions on transit boards,
and there are no debates about how we should spend the vast sums which Sound
Transit is collecting and what it should be doing to eliminate traffic
congestion. Voters have almost no input at all regarding the selection of our transit
representatives. I do not know if this arrangement has been taken to court. I
see it as a case of taxation without effective representation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">I
conclude that transit board members should be directly elected. This would
bring discussion about transit planning into the open. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
Planning Method to Employ:<br />
Predicting the Future</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
proper planning method would be first to identify why most people do not use
transit. Most people do not use transit because it does not deliver a
comprehensive, portal to portal service, because it does not solve the last
mile problem, because it does not pick us up where we are, nor take us all the
way to our ultimate destination. The obvious solution is to pick people up
wherever they are – summoned by an Uber style app – and deliver them all the
way to their ultimate destination. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">We
should get past the assumption that we must “build something” to solve our
traffic and transit problems. The freeways and highways are already built. They
are gigantic. They are big enough. Making them bigger is not going to help
because time continues infinitely into the future and our numbers will continue
to increase. More and more people will take to the roads. We should finish Link
Light Rail, but building it without providing a way to get to it will not
eliminate traffic congestion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Washington
has no long-term transit and transportation plan other than to finish Link
Light Rail, to continue widening the roads, and to continue making expansions,
adaptations, and adjustments to what is a flawed plan. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">It
is said that we cannot predict the future, but we can set goals and work to
achieve them. If we do that, there is a sense in we can in fact predict the
future. Our planning method should be to envision a future where it is not
necessary to own a car to get around and put in place a flexible van system
where rides are summoned through a cell phone app. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Summary</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
key points to remember are: There are limits to how many single occupancy
vehicles can be crowded onto our freeways and highways, and so we must do
something different from what we are doing now. A van system would be popular
because there are so many people who do not like to drive or do not see well
enough at night or are too poor to afford a car. A van system connecting our
disconnected transit system would be much less expensive that widening the
freeways or building multi-story transit center parking garages. A van system
could be set in motion in a matter of a few months and provide both immediate
reduction in congestion and a genuine improvement in transit services for those
who do not drive and cannot afford to own cars. A flexible van system would take
vehicles off the road and reduce carbon emissions. The successful
implementation of a flexible van system would set an example which other cities
and other countries could imitate. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">See
my </span><a href="http://jamesrobertdeal.org/flex-vans-letter-to-governor/"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">letter
to Governor Inslee and the Department of Transportation</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://jamesrobertdeal.org/wp-content/uploads/response-from-department-of-transportation-7-22-131.pdf"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">See
reply from Washington Department of Transportation</span></a><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Request
for Response to Transit Proposal</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">I
am sending this request for response to my transit proposal to Sound Transit,
Community Transit, Metro Transit, Pierce Transit, the Seattle Department of
Transportation, the Washington Department of Transportation, Governor Inslee, and
Mayor Durkan. I am asking that they give my proposal full consideration and
respond with financial calculations as to its feasibility.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "bookman old style", serif; font-size: 11pt;">End</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Poor Richard", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sincerely,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Poor Richard",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;">James Robert Deal<br />
Real Estate Attorney & Real Estate Managing Broker</span></b><span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Poor Richard",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br />
<a href="mailto:James@JamesDeal.com"><span style="color: #4472c4;">James@JamesDeal.com</span></a><br />
PO Box 2276 Lynnwood WA 98036<br />
Law Office Line: 425-771-1110<br />
Broker Line: 425-774-6611<br />
Cell & Text Line: 425-670-1405 (better to send email)<br />
KW Everett Office Line: 425-212-2007<br />
Fax: 425-776-8081<br />
<br />
I help buyers, sellers, brokers. Flat fee payable at closing.<br />
<a href="https://www.washingtonattorneybroker.com/helping-brokers"><span style="color: #4472c4;">WashingtonAttorneyBroker.com/Helping-Brokers</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.washingtonattorneybroker.com/helping-brokers"><span style="color: #4472c4;">WashingtonAttorneyBroker.com/Helping-Buyers</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.washingtonattorneybroker.com/helping-brokers"><span style="color: #4472c4;">WashingtonAttorneyBroker.com/Helping-Sellers</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.washingtonattorneybroker.com/seller-financing/"><span style="color: #4472c4;">WashingtonAttorneyBroker.com/Seller-Financing</span></a><br />
Property search: <a href="http://www.jamesrobertdeal.com/"><span style="color: #4472c4;">JamesRobertDeal.com</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.mortgage-modification-attorney.com/"><span style="color: #4472c4;">Mortgage-Modification-Attorney.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<a href="http://www.jamesrobertdeal.org/smart-meters"><span style="color: #4472c4;">JamesRobertDeal.org/Smart-Meters</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.jamesrobertdeal.org/white-skies"><span style="color: #0563c1;">JamesRobertDeal.org/White-Skies</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.jamesrobertdeal.org/Attorneys-Viewpoint-Vaccinations"><span style="color: #4472c4;">JamesRobertDeal.org/Attorneys-Viewpoint-Vaccinations</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.jamesrobertdeal.org/Door-To-Door-Transit"><span style="color: #4472c4;">JamesRobertDeal.org/Door-To-Door-Transit</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.whattoserveagoddess.com/Music"><span style="color: #4472c4;">WhatToServeAGoddess.com/Music</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Eliminate Traffic Congestion - Door-To-Door Transit with Flex-Vanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13367587480479386785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176249244636401511.post-53243389801300340432015-02-02T05:58:00.000-08:002017-03-20T23:41:12.879-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: #F6F5EA; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 18.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<h2>
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 21pt; padding: 0in;">Door-To-Door Transit:</span>The Only Solution To Our Traffic Nightmare</h2>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #010c0f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; padding: 0in;">by James Robert Deal, Attorney<br />February 2, 2015</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Traffic is bad and getting worse, and there is no solution in sight,
as one would conclude from reading Eli Sanders’ </span><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/welcome-to-town-heres-why-youre-stuck-in-traffic/Content?oid=21567055" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: windowtext;">“Welcome to Town, Here’s Why You’re Stuck in Traffic”
(Stranger, 1-28-15)</span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZjAopNKf5l7dlxa3otz5fNKE2gf_H69LKhgHpc55MH5LZ5yK4AkemHMwBOwy_fSjyZyRdZBcB5nsPAt_vnfawEOFdFJsp3nCkcUMi7rrFw3sVpZq301_T2QCTiECvcN9Y0qe3mOjd_E/s1600/community-transit-van-pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZjAopNKf5l7dlxa3otz5fNKE2gf_H69LKhgHpc55MH5LZ5yK4AkemHMwBOwy_fSjyZyRdZBcB5nsPAt_vnfawEOFdFJsp3nCkcUMi7rrFw3sVpZq301_T2QCTiECvcN9Y0qe3mOjd_E/s1600/community-transit-van-pool.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I believe there is a solution: a flexible van system which would
deliver door-to-door service to those who subscribe to it. It would use on-call
vans to connect up the fragmented and disconnected transit services we now offer,
with the goal that transit will become so convenient to use that half of us
will leave our cars at home. It should not be necessary to own a car to get
around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Widening the freeways, eliminating choke points, and finishing Link
Light Rail will take decades and billions of dollars. After decades there will
be more people, more cars, and new choke points, and we will have to spend
billions more. More mass transit and wider freeways will not solve our problem
unless we figure out a way to get people to and from mass transit – whether it
is buses or trains.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Link Light Rail carries a tenth of its capacity because it is not easy
to get to and from rail stations. Out in the suburbs enormous Park & Ride
lots max out at 7 a.m. Late-comers have no choice but to drive on into the
traffic jam. Even in the HOV lane – filled up by lane violators – it can take
90 minutes to drive from Shoreline to Bellevue. The Everett Boeing parking lot,
with 6,000 stalls, is maxed out at 6 a.m. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A big part of the problem is that most cars are driven
single-occupancy. If half of those now driving SOV would start using the flex
van system and leave their cars at home, there would be half as many cars on
the roads. Traffic would flow again. Those who really do need to drive would be
able to do so. With fewer drivers parking at Park & Ride lots, those who
really need to park there would be able to do so. (We should charge to park in
Park & Ride lots.) And if we can take half the cars off the road, we would really be doing something to reduce CO<sub>2</sub>
emissions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Assume I need to go from my home in Lynnwood to a seminar in Bellevue.
Through my Regional Transit UberX-like app, I would request a van. The van
orbiting my zone would arrive within five to ten minutes and take me and three
or five others to the Lynnwood Transit Center. I would then take a fast bus to
the Bellevue Transit Center, where I would board another van serving the
appropriate zone, which would carry me and three or five others on to our
ultimate destinations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Technology would not be a barrier. Regional Transit could sub-contract
with UberX to set up the software. Vans would be driven by responsible,
well-trained union drivers. And a flex van system could be up and running in a
matter of months. A flex van system would be more secure; a rider would be
picked up and delivered to his or her front door and not have to hike long
distances and stand in the dark and the rain at bus stops. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The role of flex vans in Seattle and other major congested areas would
be to pick people up wherever they are and deliver them either to their
ultimate destinations - if they are not too far away – or funnel them to a
major transit center, where they would take a fast bus or light rail. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Those using the flex vans would pay extra, anywhere from $50 to $75 to
$150 per month – depending on their van usage - on top of what they currently
pay for regular bus fares. There should be reduced fares for the needy. Those
who prefer to get some exercise and hike to the bus stop can continue to do so
and pay the same basic bus fares as they do now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Vans would roam the many van zones throughout the area. The more
people who use the vans, the more vans there would be, the faster the service
would be, and the more revenue they would generate.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjmaQb4y-JS7pguvHBz_af2EBRSy2ZBzxBkMIoXEwzG1pfztyB-e_TDoEymEciOnY5i1cL61HmdLq1qVzC_AmD9o-5pg-8uZSXnYe4a21bKe9l8tfCzBCOcZsrMi0qEBxYLCOWJjQNIM/s1600/SoundTransit_Bus_NC.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjmaQb4y-JS7pguvHBz_af2EBRSy2ZBzxBkMIoXEwzG1pfztyB-e_TDoEymEciOnY5i1cL61HmdLq1qVzC_AmD9o-5pg-8uZSXnYe4a21bKe9l8tfCzBCOcZsrMi0qEBxYLCOWJjQNIM/s1600/SoundTransit_Bus_NC.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh, that would be too costly”, some will say. More costly than what?
It costs around </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/04/average-cost-of-car-ownership-rises-to-8-946-per-year/"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">$745 per month</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> to own and operate a car. Would it be more
costly than that? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Would a flex van system be more costly than widening the freeways?
Than converting every transit center into a multi-story parking garage? Than
the wasted hours we spend stuck in traffic? Than the time we cannot spend with
our families? Than the inefficiencies this creates for our business? Than our
current inefficient transit system, which is subsidized around 80% by our sales
taxes? We need a transit system that is so convenient to use that more people
will use it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A family owning one, two, or three cars, might go to owning two, or one,
or maybe even (shocking idea) no car at all. The savings would effectively add
to their disposable income.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A flex-van system would require capital investments in more vans and more
buses. Buses would run more frequently, and more buses would run full. Increased fare revenue would offset increased capital
and labor cost, so the transit system would need a smaller subsidy. Cash flow
could be freed up, maybe enough to complete Link Light Rail to Everett and
Tacoma without raising the sales tax rate, and even build a maglev train from
Shoreline to West Seattle – the most feasible technology for that neglected
route. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The flex van system would target two populations, first, those who
commute long distances on arterials and freeways. It would deliver tens of
thousands of additional riders to transit centers and then on to their ultimate
destinations and take tens of thousands of cars off the arterials and freeways.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Second, it would target those who cannot afford a car, those who
cannot drive (maybe because their eyesight is bad), and those who would just
rather not drive, like me. I hate to drive. Large numbers of people would sign
up for such a service. I would. It would mean that I could leave my car at home
and not worry about avoiding wrecks, finding parking, and filling the gas tank.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To use the current bus system, you must research bus schedules and
take a hike to the bus stop on your own. At the other end, the bus drops you
off short of your destination, and you have to take another hike. This is inconvenient,
and so most people do not use public transit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why do we put up with this inefficiency? First, because the
flexibility I propose would not have been possible before cell phones and smart
phones came along and before UberX proved us that such flexibility is feasible.
Second, we generally presume that the way things have always been is the way
things ought to be. Trains ran fixed routes, so buses run fixed routes. We are
often unthinking creatures of habit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There is nothing wrong with buses running fixed routes and schedules,
provided they are heavily used. But late at night, even on routes where buses
are packed during the day, most buses run mostly empty. Flex vans could take
over at night and deliver riders securely all the way to their homes. On most
local routes here in Lynnwood, most buses run mostly empty most of the time.
The sales tax we pay to subsidize the buses is mostly wasted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If UberX can provide door-to-door service on a single passenger basis,
public transit can do so on a multi-passenger basis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For more details go to <a href="file:///H:/apple1/TRANSIT/Comprehensive%20Transportation/www.Comprehensive-Transportation.Blogspot.com"><span style="color: windowtext;">www.Comprehensive-Transportation.Blogspot.com</span></a>.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">See my </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://jamesrobertdeal.org/flex-vans-letter-to-governor/"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">letter to Governor Inslee and the Department of
Transportation</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://jamesrobertdeal.org/wp-content/uploads/response-from-department-of-transportation-7-22-131.pdf"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">See reply from DOT</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">See </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/948328-129/says-drivers-seattle-taxi-ride-sidecar"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Seattle
Weekly article </span></a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">on
for-profit app-based taxi services, with many or most vehicles operated on a
part time basis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">See: <a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2024836257_westneat22xml.html">Westneat’s
“Hey, we’re world class! For truly terrible traffic”</a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Seattle Times 10-21-14)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">See: <a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2024830154_congestionfreewaysxml.html">Lindblom’s
“Region’s Commute Times Worsen”</a> (Seattle Times, 10-20-14)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">See: <a href="http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20150105/BIZ/150109997"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Traffic
is Hurting Snohomish County Business</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (Herald, 1-5-15)</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">OBJECTIONS TO A FLEX VAN SYSTEM</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some will say that a flex van program would be expensive. I respond:
More expensive than what? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">· </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">More expensive than widening the freeways? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">· </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">More expensive than converting every transit center into a multi-story
parking garage? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">· </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">More expensive than the wasted hours we spend stuck in traffic? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">· </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">More expensive than the time we cannot spend with our families?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">· </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">More expensive than the inefficiencies this creates for our business?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">· </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">More expensive than most of the buses here in Lynnwood driving around
mostly empty most of the time? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">· </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">More expensive than our current transit system, which is subsidized
around 80% by our sales taxes? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;">· </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">More expensive than driving a single occupancy vehicle, which costs on
average around </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/04/average-cost-of-car-ownership-rises-to-8-946-per-year/"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">$745 per month</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> to finance, operate, maintain, and insure?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">People would buy a flex van pass if it would cost them less than what
their cars cost them. They might go back to being – shock – two car families
instead of three car families and save a lot of money. They might go back to
being – shock – one car families and save even more money. They might eve
become – shock – no-car families and save even more money. When they go on a
trip, they will rent a car.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I would suggest that we start charging rent for the privilege of
parking at the transit centers. It is a valuable privilege to park on such
expensive ground. There are times when people need to park there – when they
are in a special hurry, for example, and there should be spaces available for
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I would suggest that we charged for a flex endorsement on the
Orca card, and charge the real value of the service. If the real cost of the
door-to-door service is $2, $3, or $4 per direction, that is $4, $6, or $8 per
day, the monthy cost would be $86, $129, or $172 per month. If it costs $745
per month to own, operate, finance, and insure a car, then the monthly fees
that we would charge for flex van service would be a bargain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Those would be the standard charges for those able to pay. Those who
can afford to pay the real cost should pay the real cost. For those of limited
means, there should be a sliding scale, going down to $0 for the unemployed,
those earning minimum wage, and those of limited means.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The freeway buses carry so many passengers that they come close to breaking
even on a cost versus revenue basis. With flex vans breaking even, the system
will come closer to covering its operating costs. That would be a revolutionary
concept – a transit system that covers its operating expenses!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This would free up sales tax capacity that could be used to fund Link
Light Rail all the way to Paine Field, Everett, and Tacoma. Is it possible to
extend Link to Everett without raising the sales tax? Maybe. Maybe we could get
to Everett with a smaller sales tax increase – using the flex van concept.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18pt; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">MORE OBJECTIONS</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Objection: A flex van program would just add more cars to the roads.
If a flex van were driven around empty, it would be adding one car to the
roads. If it were carrying one passenger, it would be adding one car to the
roads but taking one car off the roads, which would mean it would break even in
number of cars on the road. The cost of the driver would be an additional cost.
The depreciation of the flex van would be an additional cost, but it would be
offset by the fact that the passenger’s car would not be depreciating. The flex
van could be an all-electric van, and so it would emit less carbon than a
private vehicle which might burn gas and not be warmed up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If there were four passengers on board, the flex van would be adding
one vehicle to the roads but taking three away. This would apply to the
freeways as well. With fewer cars on the freeways, the freeways will flow
better, and cars will burn less fuel. Those who need to drive will be able to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Objection: Too few riders will sign up for flex van service. Response:
Lower the price until you find a price where a sufficient number of riders will
be willing to join. Charge for parking at the transit centers, and give
commuters a choice between paying for parking at the transit centers or paying
for the flex van.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Objection: Too many riders will sign up. Response: The more riders who
use the flex van system, the more financially feasible it becomes. More vans
can easily added if there are more riders. Full vans carrying four to ten
passengers are more economical than half million dollar buses frequently being
driven around mostly empty most of the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Conclusion: a flex van system would take more cars off the road than
it would add. It would open up roads for those who need to drive. It will bring
in more revenues and help reduce the amount by which bus service is subsidized
by our sales tax. It will make it feasible to extend light rail north and
south without raising the sales tax rate or by raising it less than we
would have to others. We will give a lot more for our money.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some propose that we enact congestion taxes in order to reduce the
number of cars on the freeways – the stick method. I say that the carrot is the
better approach: Give commuters an option better and cheaper than
driving solo.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18pt; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">KYOTO PROTOCOLS</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A flex van system would reduce carbon emissions. Are we serious about
reducing carbon emissions, or is this just a phrase that we pander to? What
would do more to reduce carbon emissions than to get half of our commuters to
leave their single-occupancy vehicles at home?</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18pt; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">BUS RAPID TRANSIT</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We read in the </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019777003_ballardbus28m.html"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Seattle Times</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> that bus rapid transit is having problems
in Ballard. BRT cannot work if the streets are too crowded with cars for BRT
buses to be – rapid. The solution is to make it so easy to use public transit
that riders will gladly leave their cars at home, which we can accomplish only
by giving commuters what they now get by driving their own cars – door-to-door
service.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18pt; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">FERRY PROBLEMS</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A flex van system might improve our ferry service. Vans would carry
commuters to the ferries. Buses, vans, taxis, and rental cars would be waiting
on the other side to carry us on to our destinations. There would be fewer
vehicles on the ferries. Long ferry lines could be a thing of the past.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18pt; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">SCHOOL BUSES</span></h3>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We have thousands of school buses which sit around mostly idle most of
the time, sometimes for months at a time. Flex vans could be used instead of
school buses. Currently our children must walk several blocks and wait in the
dark and the rain for buses. Instead, flex vans would pick them up at home in
the morning and deliver them home after school. School start times could be
adjusted so that flex vans would carry children after carrying workers to the
transit centers or to their jobs. School districts would save money; children
would travel more safely; parents would worry less.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Objection: Parents might worry about having their children ride with
adults. Response: The flex vans that would be carrying children to and from
school would be carrying children only and would be driven by union bus drivers.
For children in high school, there should be no concern about their riding with
adults. All of the adult passengers would hold Orca cards, and their identities
would be known. There would be special vans for those who are drunk or who are
deemed dangerous.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18pt; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">EXAMPLE</span></h3>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A flex van system would attract more ridership than does a system
operating only buses – because it would deliver a more complete and
comprehensive level of service.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.05pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Assume that you live in Lynnwood and have been transferred from the
Everett Boeing plant to the Renton Boeing plant. Assume that Point A is your
home ; Point B is the Lynnwood Transit Center; Point C is the Renton Transit
Center; Point D is the Boeing plant in Renton. Our current transit system does
not deliver you from Point A to Point D. It delivers you from Point B to Point
C, but it does not get from Point A, your home, to Point B, the transit center.
Nor does it get your from Point C, the Renton transit center, to Point D, your
destination at Boeing Renton. Our current system offers commuters a fragmented
transit service, and that is why most people decline to use it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Our long-term goal should be to develop a train, bus, van, and rental
car system that would provide fast, safe, non-stressful, affordable, and
environmentally responsible transportation to most parts of the city, county,
and eventually the region, with passengers able to leave their cars at home.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18pt; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
<h3 style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">WE NEED A LONG TERM<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">
TRANSIT AND TRANSPORTATION PLAN</span></h3>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Washington needs a 50-year transportation and transit plan. We need to
envision where transit and transportation can be in 50 years and make sure that
everything we build now fits with that long term vision. Transportation
improvements we are building now should be pieces which will work with the
transportation plan we expect to have in place in fifty years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.05pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Washington has no long-term transit and transportation plan. The
current approach is to keep making expansions, adaptations, and adjustments to
a flawed plan – instead of changing the plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We should get past the belief that we have to “build something” to
solve our traffic and transit problems. The freeways and highways are already
built. We just have to use them more efficiently than we do now. We jam them up
with too many SOVs (single occupancy vehicles) and we max them out to the point
where they do not function efficiently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We do not have a capacity problem. We have a lot of empty seats on a
lot of our buses. We have generally three empty seats in the typical
single-occupancy vehicles which jam up the freeway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Afflicted by our any-growth-is-good mentality, we tax the capacity of
the system by making more people and more cars to max out the system. Our
species has an unconscious and so far unstoppable urge to develop every
developable square foot of the planet. There will be 9.0 billion of us by 2050.
We are sleepwalking blindly towards ecological catastrophe. We will kill off
75% of the species in the world by simply denying them a place to exist. Our
highway expansion program is a tool for furthering the Great Die Off. And most
people assume this is fairly inevitable. I do not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I will give you an example, the debate about whether we should build
acres of free parking around transit centers. We have gigantic Park and Ride
lots around the area. They are intended as a mechanism for making it easy for
drivers to take the bus instead of drive on the freeway during rush hour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We fail to ask whether there is some alternative to big Park and Ride
lots. There is. Subscribe Park and Ride users to a ride sharing program that
would pick them up at their front door – in all kinds of weather – and drive
them to the Park and Ride. After work the ride sharing program would deliver
them back home – to their front door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">All of us now carry smart phones or non-smart phones. A flex van
system is more feasible now than ever before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A transportation utility district would be set up, preferably as part
of Sound Transit or Community Transit or Metro, which would deliver
door-to-door service. Many people would sell one or two of their two or three
cars. Some would go carless. We would be doing something to get us closer to
complying with the Kyoto greenhouse gas protocols. Bus routes which carry few
people would be discontinued, and they would be replaced with a flex van
service which would provide the comprehensive door-to-door service people need.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Door-to-door service would not cost more than our current system. The
current transit system is very costly. We pay sales tax to cover around 80% of
the operating cost of our bus system. Fare box receipts cover only around 20%.
And that does not even cover the cost of buying the equipment. Our current
system is frightfully expensive, and it does not take enough vehicles off busy
highways and freeways. We are not making enough progress towards meeting the
goals set out in the Kyoto Protocols.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I would love it if someone would pick me up and drive me to my
destination. I would pay for the service, especially if it meant that I would
save the cost of licensing and maintaining one of our two cars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For further discussion of these possibilities please visit </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">http://comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18pt; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">TAXIS AND RIDE SHARING</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Informal ride sharing – mediated through cell phone apps – is now a
big thing </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/05/technology/technology-makes-car-pooling-safer-and-easier.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120705"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">throughout the United States</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021206141_ridesharingappsxml.html"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">and in Seattle</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">. Apps such as Lyft, Sidecar, and UberX have
become very popular.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Many taxi drivers are switching to UberX. Taxi companies themselves
are adopting the UberX system. For taxi drivers the big problem is down time.
My taxi driver friends tell me that they can sometimes spend three-quarters of
the day just sitting idle waiting for a call. There will always be a place for
taxis, because there are times when a person wants a private ride all the way
to his or her destination.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Likewise, there will always be a place for UberX, which presumably
would offer taxi-like private rides instead of the shared rides which the flex
van system would offer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Regional Transit could sub-contract with UberX to set up the cell
phone app. Vans would be driven by responsible, well-trained union drivers.
This could all be set up in three months. If UberX can provide door-to-door
service on a single passenger basis, public transit could do so on a
multi-passenger basis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Most of the cost of running a bus or a van is labor, and there would
be more labor cost with a flex van system. However, the increase in ridership
would greatly outweigh the increase in labor cost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This could all be set up in three months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
</div>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #010c0f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; padding: 0in;">James Robert Deal, Attorney</span></div>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #010c0f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; padding: 0in;">425-771-1110</span></div>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #010c0f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; padding: 0in;">James at James Deal dot com</span></div>
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Eliminate Traffic Congestion - Door-To-Door Transit with Flex-Vanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13367587480479386785noreply@blogger.com0Lynnwood, WA, USA47.8209301 -122.3151313000000247.7356476 -122.47649280000002 47.906212599999996 -122.15376980000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176249244636401511.post-79178191731988218772013-08-13T06:00:00.000-07:002014-10-04T23:19:59.114-07:00TRAFFIC CONGESTION - FLEX VANS MIGHT BE THE SOLUTION<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: center 3.25in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15.0pt;">JAMES ROBERT
DEAL ATTORNEY PLLC<br />
</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">PO Box 2276</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">, Lynnwood, Washington<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>98036-2276</span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: center 3.25in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Telephone 425-771-1110,
Fax 425-776-8081</span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-hyphenate: none; tab-stops: center 3.25in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">James@JamesRobertDeal.com</span></i></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">TRAFFIC
CONGESTION: FLEX VANS MIGHT BE THE SOLUTION<br />October 4, 2014</span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">There is continuing debate in the Seattle
Times over what we could do to alleviate traffic congestion. Writers suggest
that we <a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2019699313_paulahammondopedxml.html">preserve
what we already have</a>, build <a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/editorials/2019708721_chuckayersopedxml.html">bicycle
highways</a>, and <a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2019699309_brucenurseopedxml.html">stop
waging war on cars</a>. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Another suggests that we improve our mass
transit system, however, no matter how much we spend upgrading mass transit, it
will attract more riders only if we make it easier for passengers to get to and
from mass transit. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Lynnwood Transit Center, for example, has 1,368
parking spaces but is maxed out by 8 a.m. From most places in Lynnwood it is
not easy to get to the Lynnwood Transit Center by bus. Some passengers do get there
by bus, some by bicycle, some on foot, and some by being dropped off (at the
“kiss and ride”), but most drive to the Transit Center. If they find no
parking, most will drive on to their destinations. And so the number of
passengers who can be served out of Lynnwood is limited.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">How do we get more riders to and from Park-and-Ride
and light rail stations and thereby reduce the number of single occupancy
vehicles from roads and freeways? I suggest we implement a flexible and
spontaneous van program which would carry commuters from their homes in the
morning to the transit centers. At the end of the day the vans would carry them
back home. I call these “flex vans”. Flex vans would not drive fixed routes but
would pick people up where they are and deliver them to where they are going.
Flex vans would solve what I call “the last mile problem”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The Lynnwood area would be divided into a
dozen or so zones, with vans “orbiting” each neighborhood zone. A van would
probably pick you up within ten minutes. Is that too long to wait for a chauffeured
(but shared) ride in an energy efficient van? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Transit agencies would sell a pass which would
include flex van door-to-door service. Through <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/technology/app-maker-uber-hits-regulatory-snarl.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121203">smart
phones or pagers</a>, flex van pass holders could summon a ride to grocery,
doctor, work, or transit center. We now have the computing power to make a flex
van program work. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">For those too poor to own a car and who are
completely dependent on public transit, a flex van program would be life
changing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Some will say that a flex van program would be
expensive. I respond: More expensive than what? More expensive than widening
the freeways? More expensive than converting every transit center into a
multi-story parking garage? More expensive than the wasted hours we spend stuck
in traffic? More expensive than most of the buses here in Lynnwood driving around mostly empty most of
the time? More expensive than our current transit system, which is subsidized
around 80% by our sales taxes? More expensive than driving a single occupancy
vehicle, which costs on average around <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/04/average-cost-of-car-ownership-rises-to-8-946-per-year/">$745
per month</a> to finance, operate, maintain, and insure?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">People would buy a flex van pass if it would
cost them less than what their cars cost them. They might go back to being – shock
– one car families and save a lot of money. They might rent a car from the
transit system when they need to go on a trip, and become – shock – no-car
families and save even more money. People might be willing to pay enough for a
flex van pass, that the system could cover its own operating costs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We read in the <a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019777003_ballardbus28m.html">Seattle
Times</a> that bus rapid transit is having problems in Ballard. BRT cannot work
if the streets are too crowded with cars for BRT buses to be – rapid. The
solution is to make it so easy to use public transit that riders will gladly
leave their cars at home, which we can accomplish only by giving commuters what
they now get by driving their own cars – door-to-door service. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A flex van system might solve our ferry
problems. Vans would carry commuters to the ferries. Buses, vans, and rental
cars would be waiting on the other side to carry them on to their destinations.
There would be fewer vehicles on the ferries. Long ferry lines could be a thing
of the past. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A flex van program would add more cars to the
road, but it would take more cars off the road than it would add. Are we
serious about reducing carbon emissions? What would do more to reduce carbon
emissions than to get half of our commuters to leave their SOVs at home? Congestion
taxes might not be necessary. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We have thousands of school buses which sit around
mostly idle most of the time. Flex vans could be used instead of school buses. Currently
our children must walk several blocks and wait in the dark and the rain for buses.
Instead, vans would pick them up at home in the morning and deliver them home after
school. School districts would save money; children would travel more safely; parents
would worry less. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In outlying areas and at night, all those
mostly empty buses would be parked. Flex vans would use “fuzzy logic” to pick
up and deliver people. Such a system would attract more ridership than do the
buses – because it would deliver a more complete service. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Our current transit system delivers you from
Point A to Point B, but it does not get you to Point A nor take you on from
Point B to your destination. Our current system offers commuters a fragmented transit
service, and that is why most people decline to use it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Our long-term goal should be to develop a
train, bus, van, and rental car system that would provide fast, safe,
non-stressful, affordable, and environmentally responsible transportation to
most parts of the city, county, and eventually the entire state.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For further discussion of these possibilities please
visit <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com/">http://comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com</a>.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Sincerely,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">James Robert Deal, Lawyer</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Washington</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">
Bar Number 8103</span></div>
Eliminate Traffic Congestion - Door-To-Door Transit with Flex-Vanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13367587480479386785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176249244636401511.post-37997930830086352112013-08-13T01:22:00.003-07:002013-08-13T01:22:37.641-07:00Elon Musk proposes a high-speed evacuated tube transport transit system.<br />
<br />
See: <a href="http://jamesrobertdeal.org/wp-content/uploads/hyperloop_alpha-20130812.pdf">http://jamesrobertdeal.org/wp-content/uploads/hyperloop_alpha-20130812.pdf</a>.Eliminate Traffic Congestion - Door-To-Door Transit with Flex-Vanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13367587480479386785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176249244636401511.post-43067267631096814032012-07-05T02:04:00.002-07:002014-10-04T23:18:37.807-07:00Long Distance Ride Sharing - NYTMore on Ride Sharing from the New York Times:<br />
<div>
July 4, 2012</div>
<h1>
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/05/technology/technology-makes-car-pooling-safer-and-easier.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120705" target="_blank">Car-Pooling Makes a Surge on Apps and Social Media</a></h1>
<h6>
By <a data-mce-href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/mickey_meece/index.html" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/mickey_meece/index.html" rel="author" title="More Articles by Mickey Meece">MICKEY MEECE</a></h6>
The annual ritual of piling into the car for the great American summer <a data-mce-href="http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/road-trips/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" href="http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/road-trips/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="">road trip</a> has a new twist as more travelers are inviting strangers along for part of the ride.<br />
<br />
Long-distance travelers as well as commuters are connecting on sites like <a data-mce-href="http://Zimride.com" href="http://zimride.com/" target="_">Zimride.com</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://Ridejoy.com" href="http://ridejoy.com/" target="_">Ridejoy.com</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://Avego.com" href="http://avego.com/" target="_">Avego.com</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://Nuride.com" href="http://nuride.com/" target="_">Nuride.com</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://Rideshare.com" href="http://rideshare.com/" target="_">Rideshare.com</a> and <a data-mce-href="http://eRideShare.com" href="http://erideshare.com/" target="_">eRideShare.com</a>.<br />
<br />
This summer, a German company with a quintessential American name, <a data-mce-href="http://Carpooling.com" href="http://carpooling.com/" target="_">Carpooling.com</a>,
will try to break into the United States market with a trial run in the
Northeast. In June, the company announced that 30 million rides had
been offered through its 10-year-old network, which now has 3.8 million
registered users.<br />
Ride-sharing and car-pooling, it seems, are having a moment in the United States after many fits and starts.<br />
“It’s
been a tough sell in the U.S. for a long time,” said David Burwell,
director of the energy and climate program at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace. “A lot is due to not only the fact that people
have different places they want to go, but also safety and other
concerns about going into a car with strangers.”<br />
<br />
What is different
now, Mr. Burwell said, is the advancement of digital technology and
social networking, “which removed a significant amount of barriers.”<br />
<br />
To that end, eRideShare, which was started in 1999, is testing a mobile app this week for <a data-mce-href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/iphone/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/iphone/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="Recent and archival news about the iPhone.">iPhone</a>
and Android phones. “I see a lot of new entrants this year” as well as
new technology, said its founder, Steven Schoeffler. “I think it will be
a very interesting time for ride-sharing.”<br />
<br />
The sites vary in the
process of matching drivers with passengers, security protocols and how
payment is calculated and made. Some sites allow participants to settle
on the cost of a ride; others charge by mile traveled. The profit-making
sites take a percentage of the fee charged to riders, but it’s free to
sign up for the service.<br />
<br />
Proponents of ride-sharing say that, by
design, it is an effective way to reduce congestion and greenhouse gas
emission, as well as to save money on gasoline and car maintenance.<br />
<br />
America’s
love affair with cars is not fading into the sunset anytime soon. By
Sunday, 42.3 million Americans will have journeyed 50 miles or more from
home during the weekend after the Fourth of July, according to AAA
estimates. That is up 5 percent from last summer.<br />
<br />
On any workday,
however, most drivers are riding solo. The percentage of people
car-pooling has hovered near 10 percent for several years, according to
Census survey data. About 5 percent of commuters use public
transportation, and 76 percent drive alone.<br />
<br />
“The reality is, we do
it because it happens to be the most convenient best option for us,”
said Paul Steinberg, director of Americas at Avego, a multinational
transportation company that is conducting several real-time ride-sharing
tests in the United States.<br />
<br />
“We are trying to convince 85 percent
of the population to give up their car — not every day, but a couple of
days a month — and pick up someone or share a ride,” Mr. Steinberg
said. “It’s a big challenge; it’s harder in the U.S. than other
geographies.” American culture is partly the reason, he said, as is
sprawl and subsidized gasoline.<br />
<br />
In Sonoma County, Calif., Avego is helping to run a private-public nonprofit program called <a data-mce-href="http://WeGoRideShare.com" href="http://wegorideshare.com/" target="_">WeGoRideShare.com</a>.
Two testers, Monika Loose and Cyndi Mills, employees of the Sonoma
County government, found each other through a ride board on the Web site
and have recently shared rides a few times a week.<br />
<br />
Ms. Loose is a
passenger and helps pay for gas. She drives from her home to a nearby
Park and Ride lot, where Ms. Mills picks her up. Together, they can ride
in the high-occupancy vehicle lane, which reduces their commute time.<br />
<br />
“For
me,” Ms. Loose said, “I’m not an everyday car pooler, maybe three days a
week. I like to have my car other days to do other errands.”<br />
<br />
That
also works for Ms. Mills, who says the few days add up and help defray
her monthly gas costs. Because she is often transporting her children,
she said, “I don’t want people dependent on me every day.”<br />
Tara Weingarten, founder of the automotive site <a data-mce-href="http://vroomgirls.com" href="http://vroomgirls.com/" target="_">vroomgirls.com</a>,
said ride-sharing could work regionally for some commuters but faced
resistance in car-centric places like Southern California, “where
drivers are used to being cocooned in their private auto bubbles padded
with comfy seats, satellite radio, climate control and privacy, where
they don’t have to make chitchat if they’re not in the mood.”<br />
<br />
Even
so, companies that promote the exchange of rides are joining a wave of
so-called collaborative consumption sites that use social networks to
build communities like Airbnb.com, for finding a place to stay, <a data-mce-href="http://Swap.com" href="http://swap.com/" target="_">Swap.com</a>, for exchanging goods, and TaskRabbit.com, for outsourcing tasks and errands.<br />
On
Zimride, in the days leading to July 4, the owner of a 2009 Ford Focus
in Pullman, Wash., was seeking passengers for a round trip to Rochester,
Wash., for Independence Day. The driver had three seats available at
$25 apiece each way.<br />
<br />
A would-be passenger on Ridejoy, another
ride-sharing and car-pooling site, requested two seats traveling from
San Francisco to Los Angeles on Monday “to visit relatives and surf!”<br />
<br />
“We
want a better alternative than the Greyhound (it takes 10 hours),” the
rider posted. “We will help with gas and we would love to hang out, get
brunch/drinks/and kick it if you perhaps know the cities (either of
them) well.”<br />
<br />
Next week, Ridejoy plans to introduce digital
identification verification and background checks to its other safety
mechanisms, which include Facebook integration, user reviews and
references, plus a safety checklist sent to users. Kalvin Wang, a
founder, said, “We understand that there may be people who love the
concept of ride share, but are still on the fence due to safety
concerns.”<br />
<br />
Those willing to experiment have found that
ride-sharing in 2012 — driven by technology and enabled by social media —
is a far cry from the somewhat risky hitchhiking phenomenon of decades
past.<br />
Consider <a data-mce-href="http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/music/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" href="http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/music/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="">music</a> festivals, for example. A generation or so ago, rides were given and received spontaneously along the way.<br />
<br />
In the age of Facebook the connections are made in advance, with built-in safeguards.<br />
<br />
Tyler
Hall, 23, of Brooklyn said he used Zimride in June to find three
passengers when he drove from his parents’ house in North Carolina to
the <a data-mce-href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/b/bonnaroo_music_and_arts_festival/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/b/bonnaroo_music_and_arts_festival/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="More about the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.">Bonnaroo</a>
music and arts festival in Manchester, Tenn. “It did not seem as
sketchy as it sounded in concept,” he said. “It totally covered my gas. I
was a chauffeur with no overhead.”<br />
<br />
For the same festival, Vanessa
Coletto, 22, who is completing a summer internship in Knoxville, used
Zimride to find a ride and a campmate. The site requires users to log in
using Facebook, which she said inspired confidence “to see that someone
is who they say they are.”<br />
Zimride, which has more than 350,000
users, is testing a mobile app called Lyft for “real time and intracity
ridesharing” in San Francisco.<br />
<br />
John Zimmer, a founder, said his
site was part of a movement of services “taking online social networks
offline,” meaning people who connect on social networks ultimately meet
in person.<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://Carpooling.com" href="http://carpooling.com/" target="_">Carpooling.com</a>
hopes social networks will help ease its entry into the stubborn United
States market. “If car-pooling is done right,” said its chief
executive, Markus Barnikel, “you’ll likely have a better sense of the
person driving a ride-share vehicle than you do a bus or taxi driver,
and can even forge a relationship with them.”<br />
<br />
Responding to a Silicon Valley blog that issued a call this year to build a future without cars, Mr. Barnikel wrote on <a data-mce-href="http://GreenBiz.com" href="http://greenbiz.com/" target="_">GreenBiz.com</a>
that one way to change how cars are viewed is through ride-sharing. “If
Americans could arrange ride sharing as easily as they could check
e-mail or Facebook,” he offered, “you might see a shift.”<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/05/technology/technology-makes-car-pooling-safer-and-easier.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120705" target="_blank">Thanks to NY Times</a>.Eliminate Traffic Congestion - Door-To-Door Transit with Flex-Vanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13367587480479386785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176249244636401511.post-3238389280472664942010-05-08T20:00:00.000-07:002012-12-25T01:10:05.121-08:00A Comprehensive Approach To Transit, Transportation, and Land Use<div align="center">
A Proposal</div>
<div align="center">
By<br />
James Robert Deal<br />
<br /></div>
(This article was written about Seattle and the state of Washington, but it would apply as well to any other city or region.)<br />
<br />
<br />
Our current efforts to reduce traffic congestion are doomed to fail because they are piecemeal. They are incremental. They lack any big picture vision of how any specific proposed building project will fit with the whole or how much the whole will cost and can be financed. They are underfunded and presume tax increases later. They lack a 50 or 100-year plan. They are band aids on a broken limb. <br />
<br />
Transportation and transit are not issues that can be addressed one piece at a time or one city or district or county at a time. Even if you complete all the pieces one at a time, all of them jury rigged political compromises, when you are done, they will not necessarily work well together. We must write a comprehensive, state-wide master plan looking forward to what we can have in place a year from now, a decade from now and at mid-century. <br />
<br />
I know of no one else who has proposed a comprehensive, long-term plan. Despite the fact that I have no college degree in traffic engineering, I am presuming to take a first stab at it. I will not be offended if you disagree with my approach. However, if you do disagree, I only ask that you come up with a counter-proposal. Use mine as a starting point. Don’t just say “it won’t work” or “nothing will work.” That is what I think most of us believe right now, that it will take decades to get us out of traffic jams—if we ever get out. <br />
I propose a plan for mid-century. More importantly I also propose a plan for what we could accomplish within one year: implement door-to-door transit from anywhere you are to anywhere you would want to go for a monthly fee. I propose we implement congestion pricing. Half of all drivers would voluntarily and joyfully leave their cars at home. We could cut in half the number of cars on the roads. People would sell some of their cars and save money on fuel, insurance, and car payments. We could eliminate traffic jams, get people around much faster than we do now, and eliminate the tension and frustration we now experience in traffic. And we could greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. <br />
<br />
I could start with a discussion of new bridges, new tunnels, new trains, new ferries, new trains on floating bridges, new monorails, new light rail, new maglev, or new bike trails. I will touch on all these subjects — later. I choose to start with a discussion of how we could implement a door-to-door van and ride sharing service, possibly combined with congestion pricing. Neither have been included in any plans I have seen. <br />
<br />
The following is a big point with me: We do not have to “build something” to solve our traffic and transit problems. The freeways and highways are already built. We just have to use them more efficiently than we do now. We jam them up with too many SOVs (single occupancy vehicles) and we max them out to the point where they do not function efficiently. Afflicted by a destructive growth mentality, we challenge the system more and more by making more people and more cars to max out the system. Our species has an unconscious and so far unstoppable urge to develop every developable square foot of the planet. There will be 9.0 billion of us by 2050. We are sleepwalking blindly towards ecological catastrophe. We will kill off 75% of the species in the world by simply denying them a place to exist. Our highway expansion program is a tool for furthering the Great Die Off. And most people assume this is fairly inevitable. <br />
<br />
Individual by individual, some humans are sublime in their beauty and wisdom. As a group we humans are more destructive than any invader from outer space. To the animals and plants, we are the invaders from inner space. We invade all the wild areas of the planet and turn them into suburbs, deserts, corn rows, and feedlots. <br />
<br />
Kyoto Protocols were just a starting point. We much decrease greenhouse gas emissions much more than what Kyoto called for in order to prevent an arctic meltdown. Are we serious about global warming? Are we serious about solving traffic congestion? Are we ready to change how we behave as a group? Those who would widen the freeways are going in exactly the wrong direction. <br />
<br />
The permafrost in the Arctic is thawing and it will release enormous amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas 24 times more potent than CO2. It is possible that our children will live to see Puget Sound rise to the point where the Sculpture Park becomes the Scuba Sculpture Park. This is serious. <br />
<br />
Humans have an instinct to follow convention. We use our big brains to rationalize the status quo. We often do what we do because everyone else does things that way or because people we otherwise respect do things that way or because we have always seen things done as they are done now. Given this weakness, we must try to become aware of the conformist absurdity of the current system, in which we move people who take up a relatively small space and who weigh on average 160 pounds in vehicles that take up a full lane on a freeway and average 4,000 pounds in weight. <br />
<br />
I suggest that we think outside the box. Let’s deliver something that people cannot now obtain, no matter how much horsepower their cars have, fast, relaxing, door-to-door transportation, with no traffic jams to endure. Lets charge people a monthly fee for the service. Let’s hire FedEx as consultant and general administrator. <br />
<br />
Most people writing about transit talk about how transit can be made to work for OTHER people, usually poor people. I want to talk about a plan that I too would use and which the rich would even prefer. I would like to be able to leave my car at home in the garage, and maybe even downsize to a one-car family. I call my plan the Comprehensive Transportation Pass System, and part of it is called the Flex Van System. <br />
<br />
In developing my plan, I first conducted my own informal survey of people who do not regularly use the bus system. Here are some typical objections to using the bus system as it now exists:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>It is slower to take the bus. If I drive my own car, I can leave right now. I can get there quicker. Transit is not as convenient. I cannot get from my home to the bus stop either quickly or conveniently. Sometimes it is rainy and windy and cold. My car is dry and even warm after a few minutes. The Park & Ride is usually already filled by the time I get there. If I use transit, I have to look up the times and plan ahead. If I use transit, I have to stand in the public places for long periods of time with strangers driving by and leering at me and wondering why I am too poor to be able to afford a car. The bus doesn’t go to the places where I need to go. Before and after work, I have to make several stops, so going by bus just would not work. I often have to go shopping, and riding the bus is impractical when I have groceries to carry home. I sometimes work odd hours, when few buses are running. There are often weird people riding the buses.</li>
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I believe my door-to-door solution would address these issues. I sometimes call it the last mile solution. It’s a comprehensive transit package good for any reasonable time of day or night from any place where I am to any place I want to go, to work or to shop, including both local and regional destinations. It is my theory that if we try to do anything less, we will stay stuck in our traffic jams, we will not be making use of mass transit - bus or train - because we have trouble getting to and from mass transit. So we will not do enough to reduce carbon emissions. <br />
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Under the plan I propose, Sound Transit, Metro, and Community Transit would sell a Flex Van Transit Pass available just like the regular bus passes it sells, but this one would provide door-to-door service. It would cost more than the current passes good only for riding buses, but it will cost less than the cost of owing and operating a vehicle. <br />
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How would it work? What will happen one year from now when this new service is implemented? I will get up that morning at 7:30 and decide that after I go jogging I will want to head for the office at 9:00. I have a standing order for a pickup at 9:00. I can go online or use my cell phone and change the pick up time. Vans would be orbiting my neighborhood in north Lynnwood. In ten minutes, a van would drive up, and I would climb aboard. The van would take me all the way to my office, a trip of about three miles. By the way, for me to take the bus to downtown Lynnwood, I would have to take a ten minute hike to the nearest bus stop, ride one bus to the Lynnwood Park and Ride, wait a long time, and then take a second bus to the office. <br />
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When I go to lunch at a restaurant, I would request a ride the same way I did in the morning. After lunch I realize I have forgotten my cell phone, so I pick up a payphone and dial an 800 number, and line up a ride back to my office. I punch in a code for my location and general destination.<br />
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The van might be empty when it arrives. Along the way the van driver might get a message on his dashboard computer telling him of one or two passengers to be picked up along the way who are going in the same general direction. <br />
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If it will be a short trip, the van, carrying one to five riders, will take us all to our local destinations. If it is a trip to Bellevue, the van will take me to the Lynnwood Transit Center, where I will pick up a fast bus to the Bellevue Transit Center, where I will take another van to my seminar. Others going in the same general direction would come along in the same van. <br />
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This is not an outlandish idea. We already have it working, at least in part. Metro has the most successful Van Pool program in the country. Van poolers pay monthly fees which make the project self-supporting. The Van Pool program carries riders from their homes all the way to work and then back home after work. Vans are owned by Metro. The driver gets to use the van for commuting to work with passengers and for a reasonable amount of personal use. The Van Pool program would become even more popular if we implemented congestion pricing. <br />
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Metro also has a Van Share program which carries riders from home or from the ferry terminal to the Park and Ride or to Boeing in the morning and back home or back to the ferry terminal in the evening. With both of these programs, riders sign up in advance and ride the same vans with the same riders at the same time each day. <br />
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What I am suggesting is that the Flex Van program be expanded into a more flexible program that would not only drive people from home to Park and Ride or to Boeing, but also to doctor or local job or the Mall, and operate on a flexible, impromptu, fuzzy logic basis. A person could call for a ride from anywhere and get one in a short time. Vans would be waiting at Park and Rides, major bus stops, ferry terminals, and other busy hubs, where lots of people generally need rides. The zones served by vans would be posted on the vans. Flex vans would pick up more riders along the way, even by being flagged down.<br />
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Aside: It might be reasonable to issue vans to selected commuters. They would leave for work early and pick up riders going in their general direction.<br />
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For safety purposes, all flex van drivers would have to go through training and background checking. Flex van riders would have to be enrolled in the system and carry a flex van ID card.<br />
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For drivers and passengers, there would be a code of behavior to be followed while riding in a flex van, and to hold a flex van pass, flex van passengers would have to take a course on the subject.<br />
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Flex vans would all be equipped with transponders, so the central computer would know where they were. There would be two-way text and voice messaging through dashboard computers, like the ones installed in taxis, including TomTom type GPS mapping to show the driver the route he is to follow to pick up and deliver his passengers, the lane the flex van will drive in, and the speed at which it is to travel. <br />
It may or may not be necessary to add congestion pricing to the mix. If flex van ridership were substantial, and half the SOVs were taken off the roads and freeways, there would be no need for congestion pricing. Congestion pricing communicates to drivers that they can save money by taking the bus, train, or flex van. However, congestion pricing alone - without a flex van program - would be unfair and unpopular. If we raise the cost of getting to work but provide no economical alternative, congestion pricing will only hurt the poor and the middle class, while the rich will easily be able to pay tolls on freeways which will then be too expensive for the poor and middle class to afford. My point is that congestion pricing should only be implemented in conjunction with a flex van program that would give everyone a good alternative to driving his or her own vehicle. <br />
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If congestion pricing were implemented, the way to collect the tolls would be through information delivered by transponders, which would be installed in participating vehicles. Drivers would pay tolls electronically as they pass certain points in the freeway or highway or avenue. Some cities photograph license plates and send out bills to those who are not equipped with transponders. Private vehicles wanting to pay the lowest tolls and ride in the best lanes would at least have transponders and be set up to receive voice messages by cell phone, assigning them to a certain lane and a certain speed. Perhaps all vehicles should eventually be equipped onboard computers. <br />
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If congestion pricing were implemented, SOVs would pay the highest rates. A car with 2, 3, 4, and more passengers would pay progressively less. Tolls would be assessed on a sliding scale. Perhaps the driver would plug the number of passengers into the onboard computer or into his cell phone or pager. <br />
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Tolls would be charged at toll points on freeways and highways and even avenues. The higher the number of passengers on board, the lower the toll that would be charged at toll points and the higher preference the vehicle would receive for riding in a faster lane. Fuel efficient vehicles should also have priority. <br />
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To communicate more easily with all drivers as to which lanes they should drive in, letters and numbers should be painted right onto the lane surface.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Aside: For example, starting at my home base in Lynnwood and headed south, the right lane would be lettered “L-1”. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The second lane from the right would be lettered “M-2”. The third “N-3”. The HOV lane would be lettered “O-4.” Maybe it would have the HOV symbol in it, or maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe most lanes will be high occupancy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Give the lanes names from the middle of the alphabet because the freeway might expand on the right side, with new lanes added on the right. The “L” lane would remain the “L” lane until that lane exited the freeway. For example, when you head south on I-5 and get to 85th Ave in Seattle, “L-1” will terminate into a must-exit lane. At that point “M-2” would change its name to “M-1”. It would retain its letter, but it would be in a different position from left to right and so would change its number.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">At Mercer another right-hand lane becomes a must-exit lane. “N-3” in Lynnwood became “N-2” at Roosevelt and becomes “N-1” just past Mercer. </span><br />
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Painting letters and lane numbers on the lanes would create reserved corridors, like flight corridors for aircraft. Van 1457 carrying eight people and headed from Lynnwood to the Southcenter area would login its number of passengers and its destination. Headquarters would assign it to Lane N-3, with instructions to stay in Lane N (which would keep its letter but change its lane number several times) until exiting in Renton. A space on the freeway would be allocated to Van No. 1457 all the way to its destination. Van 1457 would <span style="font-size: x-small;">speed up or slow down as instructed to maintain traffic flow. P</span>robably <span style="font-size: x-small;">Van 1457 would </span>travel at 65 mph all the way from Lynnwood to Southcenter at rush hour with no slowdowns. <br />
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New rules of the road would be developed One would be that drivers would be prohibited from tailgating. Drivers would be required to leave more than enough distance between their vehicle and the vehicle in front to allow other vehicles to change lanes and merge into the space ahead.<br />
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Another new rule of the road: The driver to your right or left, provided he were ahead of you, would have the right of way over you, meaning the right to change lanes by pulling into the space in front of you. This would reverse the current rule, which apparently is that no driver can merge into the space in front of you unless you arbitrarily choose to allow him to do so.<br />
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On the other hand, one should change lanes only when there is a good reason for doing so. Because vehicles would be assigned lanes to use for the duration of the trip, the only reason for changing lanes would be to exit the freeway or to make a change as instructed via radio or cell phone or dashboard device, for example, if there were a slowdown ahead. <br />
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And if there were a slowdown ahead, vehicles approaching the area would be instructed through onboard computer to slow to some specific, lesser speed sufficient enough to give time for the problem ahead to be corrected and avoid having traffic come to a complete halt. <br />
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Another reason for assigning letters and numbers to lanes would be to be able to give more accurate instructions to drivers. Take for example, the signs above the I-5 lanes as they pass under the Convention Center heading south. Because I-5 is going through a curve at that point, it is not easy to tell which lanes the arrows point down to. If lane numbers were painted on the lane surface, everyone would know which lane would go where. <br />
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Moreover, the signs above the lanes do not give full or accurate information about which lanes go to Tacoma and which go to Bellevue. Several of the lanes go to both, and several of those lanes that go to both have signs above them which say erroneously that they go only to one or only to the other. People feel compelled to make lane changes which are not necessary. The signs should say: Lanes L, M, and O to Bellevue. Lanes N, P, and Q to Tacoma. My point is that signs should accurately communicate information to drivers; our current system does not. There has always been discussion about why traffic slows down under the Convention Center. The reason usually given is that it is dark thereunder. No, I think it is because people are struggling to change lanes unnecessarily. <br />
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Under my plan, the emphasis would be on viewing transportation and transit as a public utility and adopting a cooperative model of transit and transportation. The emphasis would be on people getting together and giving each other rides and setting up the rules and customs to make the transit and transportation venture work. The current individualist model is inappropriate because it overloads the system. We the people pay vast sums in taxes to finance our roads and freeways. They are ours, and we can regulate them as we see fit to facilitate the flow of people and goods.<br />
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It is my hypothesis that we could implement a door-to-door flex van service within a year, and do so without raising the sales tax. I would propose that we halt and delay all new concrete laying projects and train building projects until this new plan is implemented. We should finish Link to the University of Washington, but build no more light rail until we have formulated a comprehensive plan. <br />
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If congestion pricing were part of the mix, it would arouse much more opposition than a Flex Van program. If the flex van program is a success, congestion pricing might not be necessary.<br />
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What about taxis and taxi drivers? They would immediately be a part of the program. They already have onboard computers. Some people would still want to ride privately, and I would think taxis for private occupancy would continue to be available. I would suggest that incentives might be set to encourage taxi drivers to carry more riders by paying bonuses according to the number of person they carry for the most number of miles.I talk with taxi drivers. They say that they sit around 60 percent of the time waiting and hoping for a fare. If they get a fare from Lynnwood to SeaTac, they have to "deadhead" back to Lynnwood. They are are prohibited from picking up a passenger at SeaTac and carrying him to Lynnwood or anywhere - unless the taxi driver has a SeaTac license. This is a rediculous system. Under a flex van program, taxis would make more money than they do now.<br />
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Driving a flex van would not necessarily be a full time job. A driver might be issued a flex van by transit agencies. He might carry a regular group of passengers or a group that he might pick up "on the fly". He would leave for work an hour early to allow time to pick up passengers and then deliver them in the area where he is going. He would log in through his onboard computer or by cell phone. Messages would tell him where to go to find the number of passengers he might want to carry, and then where he would go to drop them off. <br />
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Flex vans driven by Sound Transit drivers would orbit neighborhoods, picking up riders calling for rides, and take them directly to their local destinations or to bus stations or other transfer points where they would transfer to high speed buses. Flex vans would go wherever riders are and pick them up and take them wherever they might need to go. It would be a comprehensive service. <br />
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Particularly if it is dark, cold, and rainy, flex vans would pick up those on the side of the road flagging for a pickup. Let’s call them flaggers. Flaggers might be equipped with a distinctive blinking flashlight that drivers could spot easily. <br />
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But what about the additional cost for labor to pay drivers to pick people up whereever they are and take them wherever they want to go? Right now SOVs provide their own free driving labor and their own vehicles. Will the price people pay for a Flex Van Pass cover the cost of transit services delivered? <br />
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How many passengers must a flex van carry to cover the extra cost of paying a driver and maintaining the flex van? From the extra costs incurred, be sure to subtract costs avoided, including the gallons of fuel not burned, the amount of greenhouse gasses not released, the billions of dollars not spent on armies to guard Middle East oil, the five story Park and Ride buildings not constructed, the freeways not widened, the reduction in sales tax subsidies we pay to have so many buses driving around most of the time mostly empty. <br />
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There are mathematicians who can assign values to such factors and make the calculation. My approximation would be as follows if we are talking about a van which picks people up, carries the passengers to their destinations and does that again in the evening, in other words a non-full time van. If that van were carrying no passengers, there would be there would be the same number of vehicles in use and therefore the same amount of greenhouse gasses released. If the van were carrying the driver and one passenger, then there would be one fewer vehicle on the road and one vehicle's share of emissions not emitted. With the one passenger's vehicle left at home, there would be one fewer vehicles on the road and a reduction in congestion.<br />
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If the flex van were carrying four passengers, one quarter as much greenhouse gasses would be released and there would be three fewer vehicle on the road and therefore a potential 75 percent reduction in congestion in areas where the flex van program were in operation. Four drivers might each sell one car, and therefore as a society, we would be avoiding the costs of supporting four vehicles—insurance, financing, repairs, fuel, and storage space. Auto accidents would be less frequent, resulting in a reduction in property and personal injury damage. The only added cost, again, would be the cost of paying the flex van driver, but in this case the cost would pay for the transportation of four and not just one passenger. <br />
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There would be a tradeoff between maximizing these savings and picking up and delivering riders as quickly as possible. As the average number of riders being picked up and delivered increases, the amount of time it would take to get each rider to his destination would be increased. On the other hand, as the total number of vehicles on the road is radically reduced, congestion would be reduced, and delivery times would be shortened. <br />
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In creating a mathematical model, we should also factor in the increase in personal efficiency. Workers would get to work more quickly and waste less time on the road. Workers riding as passengers might be able to work instead of pay attention to the bumper ahead, again increasing productivity. Or they might get a little extra sleep. Or listen to music or news on their iPods. Getting to work more quickly would mean that passengers would either have more time to devote to work or more time to devote to their families and their personal callings. Workers would arrive more rested and therefore would be more effective at work. <br />
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The calculation should also include the general increase in occupancy levels of the bus system overall. Riders could get to bus stations more easily and so would fill the trunk line buses. This would lessen the cost currently needed to subsidize the bus system. That’s right, buses typically collect around 25% of their cost of operation at the fare box. The percentage of people using buses remains disappointingly low. <br />
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Another important factor is that implementing a Flex Van Pass system would obviate the need to expand the Park and Ride Centers, which would save hundreds of millions of dollars. And it would obviate the need to widen the freeways, which would save billions of dollars.<br />
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So, can we afford the extra costs of a van and ride share program? Yes, it would be far cheaper than the other alternatives, because the other alternatives are not working.<br />
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We are silly to presume that we should just keep widening freeways to carry more single occupancy vehicles. Every time we widen the freeways we set in motion forces that will cause us to need to widen them again. We must figure out a way to ration the use of the enormous freeways we have. <br />
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Such a system would increase mobility generally and thus make our businesses more competitive internationally. When all these savings are factored in, they more than offset the additional cost for vehicles and drivers to deliver door-to-door service. <br />
And just maybe, if other cities implement similar programs, we could stop the sea level from rising. <br />
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Wouldn’t a flex van and ride share program be a little chaotic? Yes, and in an earlier era it would not have worked. But now practically everyone is equipped with a cell phone. Even some children carry cell phones. The less affluent could use cheap pagers. And now we have GPS onboard computers, like the ones in taxis, that can be connected by wireless networks to central mainframe computers. It would be easy to coordinate those needing rides with flex vans available in the area to accept riders and to map out travel routes for the driver. <br />
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A flex van could even be called on to carry children to and from home, school, and daycare, and to their father’s law office after work. Parents would not have to act as constant chauffeurs for their children. Maybe the door-to-door system would supplant the current school bus system, with its acres of buses sitting idle most of the time in vast parking lots. <br />
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Not everyone would buy a Flex Van Pass. Some would walk and bicycle to work. Some would walk or bike to the Transit Center and take the buses which would continue to operate on busy local routes on on freeways and major highways and avenues. Some will insist on driving their own vehicles on the freeways, and there will be more room on the freeways for those who choose to drive. As long as flex vans took substantial numbers of SOVs off the road, there would be no need for congestion pricing. It would be wise to avoid congestion pricing if possible because it could cause political backlash, just as raising excise tax on vehicles did. Instead of instituting congestion pricing, it would make much more sense politically to impose a sales tax on gasoline. People would pay an extra dollar per tank and such a tax would not arouse the same backlash. It would be just enough to prod people to consider signing up for a Flex Van pass.<br />
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Riding in a flex van or ride share will not work for everyone all the time. Some use their car as their offices. Sometimes we need to make trips involving a series of stops, making pickups and drop-offs. But it would work for enough people enough of the time to remove a sizable number of vehicles from the road. <br />
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What about buses that run on regular bus routes? If these routes were significantly utilized, then they should continue to operate. However, underused bus lines should be phased out. A bus line might run during the day when there are substantial numbers of riders but shut down at night and let flex vans take over. Bus drivers would not lose their jobs but would go to work driving flex vans providing door-to-door service. <br />
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I lament the number of buses I see driving by here in Lynnwood mostly empty most of the time. It would be funny if it were not so expensive and ineffectual. It’s like the kings new clothes. Buses driving around empty following lines on a map are a pretend bus system. Most bus lines here are under utilized, and there is good reason: Buses run only every half hour. Buses usually pass many blocks from where you live or want to go. To get where you want to go by bus, you often have to transfer to a different bus. You end up waiting in the cold and the rain. <br />
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It is true that there is much greater bus utilization in Seattle, however, a van and ride share program would still fill a need. A lot of people would pay extra for door-to-door service. And at night Seattle too has buses that drive around mostly empty, whereas vans that provided door-to-door service would be busy.<br />
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My theory is that we would attract far more passengers by giving them what they need—fast door-to-door service. Instead of relatively few buses driving around mostly empty and getting gallons per mile, we would have more smaller flex vans and ride shares carrying more riders and getting better mileage per passenger mile overall. We would be moving a lot less steel and rubber and a lot more people. Some costs would go up, but benefits would go up even more.<br />
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My vision of transit-oriented development is “string theory.” High-rise construction would be authorized near bus and train stations, and high-speed bus and later train lines would interconnect all the stations. Orbiting around the stations would be vans to bring those living further out to and from the stations and ferries. <br />
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Every few years we hear that planners are considering reopening the ferry system that once ran from down Kirkland across to the foot of Madison or to the University. But the ferry line never opens because there is not enough parking in downtown Kirkland. Parking! The almighty parking space for the almighty SOV! All bow down to the almighty SOV! With a flex van and enhanced ride share program, we could easily deliver the passengers to the ferry docks.<br />
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If more people used public transit in the form of flex vans and ride shares, then homes, apartments, condominiums, and office buildings could be built with fewer parking spaces, and the savings would be great. Park and Ride centers and bus stations could be redeveloped with condos and apartments, office buildings, and vertical industrial parks where there are now acres of parking spaces filled with acres of cars. The people who would live and work close to stations would drive rented cars on occasion, but generally they would ride in buses, flex vans, and ride shares.<br />
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How far out from the densely populated areas of Snohomish, King, and Pierce County should the Flex Van Pass, door-to-door system extend? I suggest that the congestion pricing and van and ride share system would be expanded gradually and eventually throughout the I-5 corridor from Blaine to Portland and I would hope even into rural areas throughout the state. Transit in rural areas can be extremely difficult. People there generally have infrequent bus service if they have it at all. I am proposing a regional or even state-wide transportation utility district that will lessen dependence on driving around solo. <br />
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Some rural counties have buses, but they mostly drive around empty as in Lynnwood. People must own a car to go anywhere, including to work or to college. The economics of providing transportation in suburban and rural areas could be worked out, and I think the key to keeping down costs would be to encourage a significant number of owners of private cars to sign up and serve as ride share drivers as they go about their daily driving. With drivers and riders signed up and certified, informal ride sharing could be quite effective in moving people around in rural areas. <br />
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I want to say a few words about growth. Both political parties favor growth. One seems to favor fast growth, while the other seems to favor slightly less fast growth. But growth is growth. Time continues infinitely into the future, as I often say, so the result is the same. In the long run growth increases the cost of utilities, schools, roads, police, and fire protection, and the costs rise faster than the increased tax revenue that growth produces. The last time I checked, both parties said nothing about population explosion in their platforms. That is one of the reasons why I am not a member of either. <br />
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More people and more vehicles and more consumption produce more greenhouse gases. I oppose growth in general. If I got my wish, the United States would mostly close its doors to immigration and we would stabilize our population immediately. Illegal immigrants already here would be allowed to stay, in fact, it would be impossible to round them up and evict them. But no others would be allowed to enter except for the very closest relatives and specially trained workers.<br />
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Given the primitive level of our politics, I presume that our numbers will continue to grow. On the other hand, it is possible to decrease the impact of so many new people by decreasing the number of vehicles we drive and by living in more compact high rise neighborhoods where public transportation can more easily be implemented. <br />
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According to my string theory of transit and land use, incentives should be set up to encourage conversion of older housing into green space and to concentrate living space into 40-story condominium towers located along transit lines. The easiest example of this is the concrete block ghettos of Mountlake Terrace. Owners of an entire block of homes could be bought out by a public utility district. Owners would own a large, new, energy efficient unit in a tall condominium tower built on one corner of the block. The rest of the block would be tennis courts, ball fields, vegetable gardens, and green space. Our tall condominium towers would be surrounded by miles of meadow and forest. In theory we should evacuate the sprawling suburbs over the decades and regroup back into town centers. <br />
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I would like to say a few words about bicycling, and most of the things I say about biking will apply to walking: Biking is an excellent form of exercise. Old people and fat people can bike. It is not as hard on the knees as jogging. Biking is a relatively fast way to get around. Bicycling can be a way for people to get to bus stations or get to their ultimate destinations. <br />
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I propose we develop what I would call bicycle highways and freeways. Some would be striped lanes winding through neighborhood streets. Some like the Burk-Gillman and the Interurban should be limited access bicycle freeways, with overpasses and underpasses over and under streets, and with continuous roofing for all-weather use. Traffic signals should be set up at busy streets. Traffic flow could be timed so that bikers and cars could take turns riding through on green lights. <br />
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Main bicycle highways should have overpasses or underpasses so bikers and walkers could safely pass the busiest streets and highways. I note how difficult it is in most places for pedestrians and cyclists to cross freeways. The roads that pass under freeway interchanges often include no lanes for walkers and bikers, who must sprint across freeway on-ramps littered with broken glass and gravel. Bike tires can be punctured. Biking is not necessarily a sweaty thing, but employers should be encouraged to make showers available for those who push hard and get sweaty. <br />
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Already we have bicycle corridors on major thoroughfares and even highways. Their virtue of these is that they are straight and that hills are gradual. Unfortunately, it is inevitable that drivers will make mistakes and hit bikers. I suggest that alternate routes be developed which would parallel heavily traveled thoroughfares and run a few blocks away from busy streets. These routes would twist and turn through neighborhood streets. There would be few cars on these streets, and the few cars there would be required to drive slowly and carefully and give bikes and pedestrians the right of way. With 50 to 75 percent of the vehicles off the road, there would be more room for bikers and walkers. <br />
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What is mass transit? It is transportation that moves a lot of people and goes really fast. Moves a lot of people—yes. Goes really fast—not necessarily. If the mode of transportation moves a large number of people and the distances are not great, then high speed is not a necessary ingredient. It is the total flow per hour that is important. Three miles can easily be walked by a pedestrian in an hour, and 12 can easily be biked by a biker. The term “mass transit” should not have to exclude methods where people travel three mph as in the case of walkers or 12 mph as in the case of bicycling. I would propose bicycle and pedestrian routes that would be multiple and parallel, and which would thus have a large carrying capacity. This is why I contend that biking and walking qualify as mass transit. <br />
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We have a lot of people who have problems getting to and from work. A lot of these people do not get enough exercise. In one bicycle or walking package we could give them weight loss, good health, and a refreshing and reasonably fast commute to work. <br />
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Another component of the door-to-door concept would be to make rental cars available at bus and train stations. Sometimes a person needs a private vehicle to conduct private business. Sometimes people need to travel to destinations far from bus stations. Maybe there are no vans or ride shares available going out to remote areas. There are times when the SOV is the best option. <br />
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How would a person go from Woodinville to a destination a few miles outside of Frederickson, a small Pierce County berg that is not well served by transit. He would go by van from his home in Woodinville to the bus station, then by express bus at 70 mph with no slowdowns to a Tacoma station, and then by van, ride share, or rental car to Frederickson. He might rent a car if he had many trips to make in and around Frederickson. If he drove his SOV all the way, and if congestion pricing had not yet been implemented, the trip would be slow, tense, and exhausting, particularly if attempted during rush hour. If congestion pricing were in effect, it would be faster but still tense and exhausting, and in addition it would be expensive. But if he used his Comprehensive Transit Pass, the trip would be faster and cheaper, and he could even take a nap in route. <br />
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I would like to say a few words about light rail and trains in general. Some transit thinkers question whether we need trains at all. Their theory is that computerized and congestion priced freeway driving combined with rapid buses, vans, and carpools would do the job better than a train or a widened freeway and could be implemented much more quickly than trains. Some may take the position that we lack the population density necessary to justify the high cost of trains. <br />
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I agree that computerized and congestion priced use of the freeways is the first step we should take, along with bus rapid transit, vans, and ride shares, plus safe bicycle highways and walking paths—what I refer to as the Comprehensive Transit Pass system. However, I believe that there are corridors where—after the Comprehensive Transit Pass System is implemented first—there is sufficient ridership to justify building the right kind of high speed train. <br />
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And the right kind of train is a maglev train, digital transportation, almost no moving parts except the HVAC fans. Why waste our money on analog transportation? It’s outmoded. A digital train makes sense because it can operate at much higher speeds, which is necessary where longer distances are involved. It is energy efficient, can carry many passengers, enjoys low maintenance costs, can carry freight and would make a lot of money doing so, provides a much higher quality ride than steel wheeled trains or rubber wheeled monorails. <br />
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Such a train would go fast enough to replace some airline traffic, including short haul airline freight traffic. I will talk below about how Sound Transit could build a train around Lake Washington that would be the first leg of fast train that would interconnect all four corners of the state of Washington and perhaps other states. <br />
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The valid objection to trains has been that people have to get to them to ride them, and that it is difficult for people to get to them, especially if there are no parking lots around them. A door-to-door van and ride share program would get people to and from the train stations. <br />
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I come to the conclusion that high speed rail is feasible because I apply my string theory of development and because I take a really long view. I also come to that conclusion because the train I have in mind can be designed to carry freight. Not coal or logs, but light and medium weight freight of high value that would justify solid freight charges and thus high profits. Carrying freight is always the high profit side of the business for trains. Maglev freight trains made up of aerodynamically designed container vehicles could run day or night. Maglev is so quiet that no one would object to night trains. One of light rail’s defects is that it is not designed to carry freight. <br />
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If my string theory of development were adopted, there would be many condominium dwellers and many vertical office and factory buildings in close proximity to train stations. Cargo would need to be delivered, and the new train would be the delivery mechanism. <br />
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The system I propose would have turnouts so trains could leave the main line and ride on a slow lane into stations and then onto another line where containers would be off loaded. <br />
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The system would have switching on the trains and not on the tracks, a concept hard to understand for those new to train design. Tracks would not move to switch a train from one set of tracks to another. Instead an apparatus on the train would move. This arrangement would be safer and greatly reduce wear and tear and thus maintenance costs. <br />
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Next I would like to say something about the various freeway and train mega-projects now on the boards. I am talking about light rail across the I-90 bridge, rebuilding the SR-520 bridge, and doing something about the Alaskan Way Viaduct. <br />
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Again, please bear in mind that this is a speculative and hypothetical treatment of these issues intended to stimulate debate on these subjects. I will not be offended if you disagree with my proposals. All I ask is that you give them due consideration and, if you disagree with them, come up with something better. <br />
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I would first suggest a method to use in analyzing these mega-projects, and that would be to look forward to 2050 and ask ourselves what kind of state-wide transit and transportation system we are worthy of having by that date. We should keep that system in mind as we decide what to build and what not to build today. Everything we build today should fit in as a component part of the 2050 system. Nothing should be built that will not fit in as a component. <br />
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We are building what should be permanent improvements, so we should think far into the future. We should not be wasting any of our limited funds on projects that will be rendered unnecessary by more advanced technologies which we will build later. Our transit opportunity capital is limited, so none of it should be squandered on projects that do not fit with the ultimate 2050 vision. <br />
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This is far different from the method we currently use: We analyze one project at a time and individually. We do not analyze them as part of an integrated system. We incrementally expand and rebuild existing components, with no vision of how they will work together and what will happen in the distant future. <br />
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I would first apply this big-picture, comprehensive 2050 look-back method of analysis to the issue of whether we should build light rail across I-90 from Seattle to Bellevue. The answer is No. The answer is HELL NO. Instead of a slow train across Lake Washington, we should build a fast train around Lake Washington. <br />
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First, I will comment on why light rail on I-90 would be a bad idea and then discuss the advantages of building a high speed train around the Lake instead of light rail across the Lake—of course after, the door-to-door Comprehensive Transit Pass system is implemented. <br />
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George Kargianis and Phil Talmadge wrote about “The Hidden Costs of Light Rail Across the I-90 Floating Bridge” (Seattle Times, May 16, 2007). They correctly pointed out that taking over the I-90 reversible lanes for light rail would lessen our ability to deliver rapid bus service across Lake Washington. They pointed out that three inches of concrete would have to be shaved off the bridge deck so that when two trains pass, the weight will not be excessive. <br />
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Transit experts point out that the shaving is needed because, although the I-90 reversible lanes were designed for heavy rail, they were not designed for light rail. They explain that ironically light rail trains are heavier than their heavy rail counterparts (like BART, which has an exclusive right of way) because light rail trains have to be sturdy enough to survive inevitable collisions with trucks and cars at grade crossings. <br />
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Kargianis and Talmadge could have reminded readers that there is a difficult stray current issue when operating an electric train on a floating bridge. That trains making the transition off firm ground onto a barge that moves up, down, sideways, and rotationally, may derail, or that as a precaution against derailment trains might have to creep slowly onto the bridge. That if rails are not precisely parallel and level with each other, trains have a tendency to oscillate from side to side. That as a result on a floating bridge there would be bridge movement that could set off or amplify such oscillations. That trains might have to travel slowly as they cross the bridge, especially on windy days. That the flanges on conventional train wheels are small and that it is relatively easy for a conventional train to be derailed—accidentally or through mischief. <br />
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They could have added that floating bridges are not permanent structures. They are glorified pontoon bridges. They only last a few decades. The majority of all floating bridges ever built in Washington have sunk. A train system should be built on firm ground and should be built to last for centuries. A glorified pontoon bridge is no place for a train. <br />
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Next, I will say a few words about the many advantages of a round-the-lake high-speed train—of course after, the door-to-door Comprehensive Transit Pass system is implemented. The round-the-lake train I have in mind would do more than just connect the two sides of the Lake and all the cities around the Lake. It would be the first stage in interconnecting the entire state by high speed rail. <br />
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Fast buses, fast vans, and fast carpools are an excellent use of technology for relatively short trips, especially if congestion pricing and door-to-door service are implemented to eliminate traffic jams. However, for longer trips, moving people and freight by automobiles is too slow. I think it is a shame that I cannot get on a fast train and be in Olympia in an hour or less to lobby politicians. Driving to Olympia is exhausting and stressful. All automobiles use more energy than a train on a per passenger basis. There is a practical speed limit for vehicles not physically or magnetically attached to a rail. It is just not safe to drive them at the same speeds that trains can achieve. Further, freeway lanes and even HOV lanes can become blocked. <br />
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It should be our goal by 2050 to have a state-wide high-speed rail system up and running which would connect all Washington population centers—Blaine to Vancouver to Renton to Bothell to Redmond to Bellevue to Issaquah to Tacoma to Bremerton to Yakima and to Spokane. All of it should be built with an exclusive right of way and with turn-outs at each station so express trains will not have to stop at each station. Local trains could pull out and stop and let non-stop trains bypass the station. High speed buses and door-to-door vans and ride shares would deliver passengers to and from the stations. <br />
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This state-wide system could be part of a Northwest States or a West Coast or even a national high-speed, train system. There would be plenty of time for agreement to be reached on a common technology. My thesis is that the first stage of that system could be a high-speed maglev rail line around Lake Washington. It would make sense to start in Seattle because we need a round-the-Lake system. <br />
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What if train technology changes? Rails, what ever the type, should be built so they can be unbolted from supporting structure and replaced with different rails. <br />
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Another reason why we should develop a high speed train system is to diminish the use of airplanes. Flying people and freight around is very fuel inefficient, and when you consider the time needed to get to and from the airport, it is not necessarily faster, especially for short hops.<br />
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Airplanes spew <a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="OLE_LINK4"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="OLE_LINK3">greenhouse gasses high into the stratosphere, including carbon dioxide, which does not dissipate because there are no forests and no oceans up there to absorb it, plus much </a>nitrous oxide, “the third largest greenhouse gas contributor to overall global warming, behind carbon dioxide and methane.” <br />
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How do we reduce such pollution? It’s easy: Develop hydrogen burning aircraft. No, it is not easy. Hydrogen fuel takes up more space than kerosene although it weighs less. It will have to be supercooled because presurized tanks would weigh too much. The technological problems are challenging although not insurmountable. Thus far neither Boeing nor Airbus has plans to build hydrogen powered aircraft. <br />
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That leaves only one other method to stop pollution of the stratosphere by aircraft: Stop flying. Take trains. We need to use trains instead of airplanes if we are really serious about reversing the greenhouse effect and stopping sea level rise. Unfortunately, building a national high-speed train is also a long-term project. But just because a worthy project will take a long time and will be an uphill battle does not mean we should not work to get it started. If we started now, we could have it running by 2050. <br />
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Our ultimate goals should be to adopt a more cooperative approach to travel and treat it more like a public utility. We should lessen our reliance on private vehicles and instead utilize fast buses and trains instead of cars and use fast trains as much as possible for both short and long trips. We have to move in this direction in order to reduce emission of greenhouse gasses both on the highways and in the stratosphere. With apologies to Boeing, I conclude that planes should be used primarily for travel between continents or at least between cities which have no trains interconnecting them. <br />
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I would apply the same big-picture, 2050, look-back method of analysis to the debate about the SR 520 floating bridge. The solution is simple: Tear it down, and don’t rebuild it. There is no need to waste $5 billion rebuilding a floating bridge if we are going to have a high-speed train running around the Lake and high-speed bus rapid transit running across the I-90 bridge. The SR 520 bridge should never have been built, and rebuilding today would be a repetition of the original mistake. <br />
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What about the Alaskan Way Viaduct? The current plan is to move SR 99 to a deep bore tunnel. There is debate over whether cost overruns will be guaranteed by the state of Washington or by the city of Seattle.<br />
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Fortunately, plans to dig a new tunnel under Alaskan Way have been scrapped. Such a tunnel would have been below sea level from the start. We can look forward to sea level rising continuously, year after year. Frankly, I believe it is too late to avert global temperature increases and a major rise in sea level. Even if there were solutions which might work, I believe our amoral version of capitalism is so devoted to worshiping the dollar and so powerful that it will be impossible to reduce carbon emissions until it is too late. We will not do anything serious about global warming until after the water starts to rise in a big way and Wall Street and the New York subways are flooded. Temperatures in the Arctic and Antarctic will rise up to ten degrees Fahrenheit over the next century. Many more cubic miles of ice are melting into the oceans yearly than are being added as snowfall. Warming oceans expand. Sea levels quickly rose 400 feet at the end of the last Ice Age, and the rising has resumed. <br />
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Uniformitarianism is a serious intellectual error, because as I said above, time continues infinitely into the future. We should take a really long view of this, I mean a 100 or 500 year view: In a century Ivar’s Acres of Clams will probably be underwater. Sooner or later any tunnel built along the Seattle waterfront will be a canal, and the money we spend on it now will have been squandered. An Alaskan Way tunnel or rebuilt viaduct certainly would not fit into the 2050 comprehensive plan I propose. <br />
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Severe earthquakes occur here every few hundred years, and the last one devastated the Northwest in 1700. Soil along the waterfront is unstable fill. Some say a killer quake could heave and twist the shoreline, destroying a new viaduct or tunnel. <br />
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So what should we do about the Viaduct? I would apply the same big-picture 2050 look-back method of analysis and propose a seventh alternative, one which may sound extravagant and impossible at first, and odd because I am proposing new freeway construction, something I generally oppose. But I think it makes sense in this case. And if you disagree, please come up with something better. <br />
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Here is my proposal: I-5 would be relocated straight down into a group of deep-bore, stacked tunnels below where I-5 now runs through Downtown Seattle. SR 99 would be rerouted to run jointly through the same set of tunnels. The new high-speed train I am proposing would run through these tunnels and continue around Lake Washington, following I-5 and I-405 or Bothell Way. It would mostly be elevated. <br />
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A detoured SR 99 would turn east and run as an elevated highway over Royal Brougham to join a subterranean I-5 heading north. At Mercer it would turn west in a tunnel under or a viaduct over the present Mercer to rejoin the existing SR 99. At the completion of the project the Alaskan Way Viaduct would be dismantled. <br />
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I admit that such a tunnel project would be fabulously expensive. I only propose it because we have to do something about the Viaduct before the next earthquake hits and because the state of Washington and Seattle are proposing to spend a fabulous $4.5 billion on a new deep bore tunnel. A single, combined I-5/SR 99 tunnel would presumably cost more than a single deep bore tunnel for SR 99 only. However, if we are going to spend fabulously, shouldn’t we at least get something fabulous for our money? My mother always said it was usually better to spend a little more to get something better. Cheaper is not always better, but it seems that most Washingtonians believe that. <br />
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And the results would be fabulous: Putting I-5 into a tunnel would free up an area for redevelopment and parks that would be a city block wide and two miles long, all the way from King to Mercer, around 40 city blocks. That redevelopment would produce fabulous infusions of capital from the sale of the real estate plus fabulous real estate tax revenues for ever—maybe enough to pay for the project through the sale of long-term bonds. Because a federal freeway would be involved along with a new high-speed train, federal money would be available to help finance it. Conversely, the Feds will contribute little to rebuild a state highway tunnel. <br />
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In retrospect it should be clear that our predecessors made a big mistake 50 years ago when they failed to insist when I-5 was built that it be tunneled through Downtown Seattle. President Eisenhower, signer of the 1956 act that authorized building of the Interstate system, was shocked at the resulting bulldozing of American cities. Ike admitted he had envisioned the new freeways going around instead of through downtown cores. <br />
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The plan I propose would allow the Viaduct and I-5 both to remain open during construction. It would give us a no-freeway Downtown, a no-Viaduct waterfront, crossover routes between I-5 and SR 99, bi-directional HOV lanes through Downtown (needed if bus rapid transit plans are to work), improved truck access to the Port, opportunities for a new high-speed train, a solution to the Mercer mess, new land for parks and development, revenues from land sales, and new ongoing tax revenues. A new SR 99 tunnel would reconnect Seattle to its waterfront, but the plan I propose would do that and also reconnect the Seattle that was bifurcated by I-5. <br />
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I have been told by those who should know that the Burlington Northern rail right of way under Seattle is inadequate, and it could be upgraded at the same time this other work is done.<br />
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Except for completion of the HOV system, I oppose widening the freeways. I favor putting I-5 in a tunnel in part to complete the HOV system. I also favor it because we have a general need to build more and better rights of way through downtown Seattle—for bidirectional HOV, for trains fast and slow, and to create an alternative to the Alaskan Way viaduct or tunnel. <br />
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Back to the subject of cost and a comprehensive plan: We would save $4.5 billion by not building an tunnel just for SR 99, $6 billion by not building light rail across I-90 bridge, and $5 billion by not rebuilding SR-520. Now we have saved $15.5 billion that could be applied to more useful projects such as my Comprehensive Transit Pass system followed by a tunnel which would hold both SR 99 and I-5 followed by a round-the-Lake train. <br />
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Which form of taxation should be used to fund transit and road improvements is another difficult issue. I hope you would agree with me that a general sales tax is not the way to do it; it is extremely regressive. The same is true of a high motor vehicle tax. Cars should be relatively cheap to own but relatively expensive to use. Any large property tax on cars creates great resentment and politicians would be wise to oppose it. <br />
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The best way to fund transit is with user fees, specifically a fuel tax and congestion pricing. The Washington Constitution might prevent using fuel tax for anything other than road building and ferries. A sales tax on fuel might be a way to circumvent the constitutional problem. But if the Washington Constitution must be amended, I say amend it. Those who drive the most should help pay for building transit alternatives that will get people off the roads so the roads will work better. A tax on road use, a charge by the mile, would be a way of sidestepping constitutional problems with a fuel tax: Tax miles driven instead of fuel used. <br />
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Would citizens of Eastern Washington support use of a fuel tax to build a state-wide high-speed train? It would benefit them, so maybe they would. If they opposed it, then it could be left out of the taxing district. They just would not get their high-speed train. <br />
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Another alternative source of revenue would be a state income tax on the rich, a flat income tax at a relatively low rate that would exempt the first $200,000 in income for single people and the first $400,000 for married couples, indexed to the cost of living. We thousands of millionaires and billionaires living here in Washington who have been made rich at least partially through the assistance and services given them by the state of Washington. They are able to pay something back, and they should do so. <br />
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The same could be said of Washington corporations: We should tax the incomes of corporations with the first $500,000 in corporate income exempt and mostly do away with the B & O tax. If the Washington Constitution must be amended for us to have such an income tax, I say amend it. <br />
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I would prefer that the income tax be dedicated first to fund education fully. The Washington Constitution requires that the state do so, but we ignore it on that point. Bill Gates Sr. and other enlightened wealthy people say they do not want all the tax breaks they keep getting, that they would rather have a state where kids are well educated, where transit works well, and where people are not sleeping in the streets. <br />
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I would like to say a few words about light rail: Light rail is not the highest and best technology available, nor the most cost-effective, nor the safest. It does not offer an exclusive right of way and therefore is too slow. Trains lacking an exclusive right of way will inevitably run into or be run into by cars, trucks, animals, and people. The advantage its supporters tout most is that its tracks are low enough that cars can drive over them. Duh? We want cars OUT of the right of way. I was glad to learn recently that Sound Transit has decided that any additional light rail to be built will have an exclusive right of way. <br />
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Maglev is a better mass transit technology than steel rail. Being elevated and not having grade crossings, it would be safer and faster. It might cost more in the short run, but having no moving parts, it would cost less to maintain, and thus would be more cost-effective in the long run. Also, being capable of higher speeds, it would attract more riders. Further, it can carry freight, and light rail is not designed to do that. <br />
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I would like to say a few words about monorail: I was a Seattle resident for many years, and if I had still been living there, I probably would have voted in favor of the final 2005 referendum to build the monorail. However, I have shed no tears about the monorail going down. I thought its rubber-tired technology was not the highest and best transit technology available.<br />
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Further, the version of the monorail on the final ballot was a pale shadow of its original vision. Because there was never an adequate funding source and not enough money to build a quality system, monorail leaders kept cutting the scope of the plan. Gleaming stations became unheated bus stop shelters. The number of train sets was cut. The length of the trains was cut. The length of the system shrank. It was the incredible shrinking monorail.<br />
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Ironically it was Dick Faulkenberry who set the monorail up for failure. From the very beginning, Dick said he was only in favor of monorail if it could be built cheaply. Trains cannot be built cheaply, at least not the first ten miles of a new train. If they are built cheaply, they will have to be rebuilt later or replaced. A well built train can last for centuries. The funding source for the monorail, a property tax on cars, was truly stupid. A sales tax on fuel or even a general sales tax would have been more palatable politically and would have raised more money.<br />
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Perhaps someday we will revive the Green Line as a medium-speed HSST style maglev, running on guideways compatible with those used by my proposed high-speed train. <a href="http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr25/f58_tec2.html">http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr25/f58_tec2.html</a>; <a href="http://www.monorails.org/pdfs/CHSSTApplicabilityFTA2003.pdf">http://www.monorails.org/pdfs/CHSSTApplicabilityFTA2003.pdf</a>; <a href="http://monorails.org/tMspages/MagMono.html">http://monorails.org/tMspages/MagMono.html</a>.<br />
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I must say something about how Sound Transit and any new RTID should be governed. Its directors should be directly elected by the people. Currently directors are appointed by the county councils of King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties. There is no way to vote out Sound Transit commissioners without voting out the county councils, and therefore voters have no real control over what the directors do.<br />
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Finally, I would like to return to the initial issues: Any competent transit and transportation plan must include congestion pricing as well as a way to make it easier and cheaper for people to use mass transit than their SOV cars. Any competent plan must do something about global warming. Proposition 1-RTID failed on all counts.<br />
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The plan I propose would take cars off the roads permanently. It would improve the flow of traffic and make it possible for buses, jitneys, vans, and carpools to move around the region quickly. It could even ultimately provide an alternative to airplane travel. All of this would reduce the greenhouse gases we emit.<br />
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We need to take this global warming thing very seriously. Gradualism is not going to prevent a lot of valuable real estate from being flooded by this time next century. I find it odd that Republicans drag their heels most on global warming: Republicans own most of the beachfront property!<br />
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Half measures will not get the job done. We must come up with a bold and comprehensive new plan and implement it. If we do so, we will deal with traffic congestion, reduce greenhouse emissions, and bequeath to our descendants a saner lifestyle. On the other hand, if we continue to make the same marginal transit and transportation adjustments that Proposition 1-RTID proposed, we will accomplish nothing except spend lots of money ineffectually.<br />
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Links:<br />
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<li><a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/337040_ltrs28.html"><span style="color: #3333ff;">See my October 26, 2007, article in the Seattle P-I on this subject</span></a><span style="color: #3333ff;">: </span><a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/337040_ltrs28.html"><span style="color: #3333ff;">http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/337040_ltrs28.html</span></a><span style="color: #3333ff;">.</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1884949118" title="blocked::http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1884949118
http://links.olh-16.com/d.aspx?e=MTk1NDk1MDky&c=1&linkID=259506
http://links.olh-16.com/d.aspx?e=MTk1MzU4NzM5&c=1&linkID=255525"><span style="color: #3333ff;">See My Book on the Link between the Environment and Diet</span></a><span style="color: #3333ff;"><br />
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Read about the Fluoride Scandal</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ys9q1cvKGk" title="blocked::http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds5G0XasTHM
http://links.olh-16.com/d.aspx?e=MTk1NDk1MDky&c=1&linkID=259504
http://links.olh-16.com/d.aspx?e=MTk1MzU4NzM5&c=1&linkID=255523"><span style="color: #3333ff;">Bellevue Dentist Bill Osmunson Speaks out on Fluoride</span></a><span style="color: #3333ff;"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.dentalwellness4u.com/layperson/fluoridefacts1.html" title="blocked::http://www.dentalwellness4u.com/layperson/fluoridefacts1.html"><span style="color: #3333ff;">Seattle Dentist Paul Rubin speaks out on fluoridation</span></a><span style="color: #3333ff;"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.dealmortgage.net/fluoride-class-action/legislature-2-24-8.htm"><span style="color: #3333ff;">My Letter to the Legislature (copy to Governor Gregoire) regarding the Fluoride Scandal</span></a><span style="color: #3333ff;"></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #3333ff;">More Links</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #3333ff;"><a href="http://mortgage-modification-attorney.com/">How Mortgage Modification Works</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #3333ff;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Serve-Goddess-Comes-Dinner/dp/1884949118/" title="http://links.olh-16.com/d.aspx?e=MTk5ODQxODY5&c=1&linkID=359151
blocked::http://www.amazon.com/What-Serve-Goddess-Comes-Dinner/dp/1884949118/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211775762&sr=8-1">The Connection Between Diet and the Environment - My Book</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #3333ff;"><a href="http://fluoride-class-action.com/" title="http://links.olh-16.com/d.aspx?e=MTk5ODQxODY5&c=1&linkID=359152
blocked::http://dealmortgage.net/fluoride-class-action/fluoride-class-action.htm">Oppose Water Fluoridation - Write the Governor</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #3333ff;"><a href="http://dealmortgage.net/fluoride-class-action/notice-to-arkansas-of-liability-12-16-8.htm">Deal Threatens to Sue his Home State of Arkansas over Fluoridation</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #3333ff;"><a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/362935_ltrs14.html">Seattle Water Not Safe or Healthy, Seattle P-I Article by JRD</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #3333ff;"><a href="http://comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html" title="http://links.olh-16.com/d.aspx?e=MTk5ODQxODY5&c=1&linkID=359153
blocked::http://comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html">Save Fuel - Reduce Traffic Congestion - Improve the Environment</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #3333ff;"><a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/396801_ltrs21.html">Put the Viaduct and I-5 Together In A Tunnel Under Downtown Seattle</a></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #3333ff;"><a href="http://www.vegpage.com/index.php?option=com_content&sectionid=13&id=8355"></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #3333ff;"></span><br />
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Mail a letter to the Governor about these and other isues:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Governor Christine Gregoire</li>
<li>Office of the Governor</li>
<li>PO Box 40002</li>
<li>Olympia, WA 98504-0002</li>
<li>Fax: 360-753-4110</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://governor.wa.gov/contact/default.asp" title="blocked::http://governor.wa.gov/contact/default.asp"><span style="color: #3333ff;">Send an e-mail to the Governor</span></a><span style="color: #3333ff;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #3333ff;"></span><br />
<a href="http://mortgage-modification-attorney.com/"><span style="color: #3333ff;">Learn about mortgage modification.</span></a><br />
Call me at 425-771-1110 or 888-999-2022 for further information.Eliminate Traffic Congestion - Door-To-Door Transit with Flex-Vanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13367587480479386785noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176249244636401511.post-857032612893771952009-01-19T22:55:00.000-08:002009-03-13T02:06:49.417-07:00The Viaduct in a Tunnel, I-5 in a Tunnel<div align="left"><a name="OLE_LINK6">To</a> the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:<br /><br />The decision is made: A tunnel will replace the Viaduct. The waterfront eyesore will be gone. The plan could even be called visionary.<br /><br />I propose we further expand our vision and eliminate an even greater eyesore. While we are boring a big tunnel, we might as well bore an even bigger one, a tunnel big enough not only for SR 99 but also for Interstate 5.<br /><br />In one bold stroke we could reclaim not only the waterfront but also central Seattle, 40 city blocks, all the way from Yesler to Mercer.<br /><br />We could reunite the Downtown that was bisected fifty years ago. There are a lot of people born before 1960 who can remember what Seattle was like before its face was scarred by I-5. The Post-Intelligencer should interview them.<br /><br />Where there is now a noisy freeway barrier, there would be acres of new parks and high rise residential and commercial buildings.<br /><br />What about the cost? The cost is the best part. The lease and sale of development rights for those 40 city blocks would probably produce enough revenues to pay for the entire project. We could get both tunnels for free.<br /><br />There is more to my proposal. It is lengthy so I have posted it at: <a href="http://comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.html">http://comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.html</a>. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">(<a href="http://comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.html">Click here </a>to read the April, 2008, blog discussing a combined SR 99 and I-5 tunnel, plus other issues relating to comprehensive transportation planning.) </div>Eliminate Traffic Congestion - Door-To-Door Transit with Flex-Vanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13367587480479386785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176249244636401511.post-26474173913039857372008-09-30T23:34:00.000-07:002008-10-02T01:46:58.813-07:00SEATTLE BUSES ARE OVERFLOWING: BUT THERE IS A SOLUTION<div align="center">James Robert Deal<br />September 30, 2008</div><div align="left"><br />Seattle buses are jam packed, and we need to expand the fleet. (See Seattle Post-Intelligencer, “Region’s Buses Overflow,” September 7.) To do that Metro proposes to raise fares and sales tax, and Sound Transit wants to raise sales tax to build more light rail, all of which will hurt the people we want to help. To find a solution we should look outside the box, in this case, outside the bus. Look at all those mostly empty cars driving by. We need to make use of their spare capacity.<br /><br />I would propose a ride sharing plan in which we would use our computers, cell phones, and pagers to connect those needing rides with those offering rides. Such a plan could be implemented in a few months and at low cost. A ride sharing program could easily get a quarter of the vehicles off the roads and freeways. We could increase average occupancy levels, currently at a paltry 1.31 persons per vehicle. We could reduce total fuel consumption and meet our commitments under the Kyoto Protocols.<br /><br />Congestion pricing might perhaps also be utilized in conjunction with ride sharing, however, the rising cost of fuel is acting as a form of congestion pricing and so too would an increase in fuel taxes, which I advocate, and so congestion pricing by the mile might not be necessary.<br /><br />Ride share riders would take an orientation class on proper behavior, pass a written test and a criminal background check, and be issued a ride share ID badge with their photo on it. Ride share drivers too would be trained and licensed and get a badge too. Their vehicles would exhibit ride share medallions and might have dashboard GPS computers which would tell them where to make pickups and deliveries consistent with the drivers’ intended routes. Some kind of sign would be posted in or on their vehicle to indicate where drivers are going. Part-time drivers might start their trips to work early to allow time for pick-ups and drop-offs. Taxi drivers and others needing work might work full time as ride share drivers.<br /><br />We already have excellent ride share programs, but they run fixed routes at fixed times and carry the same riders every day. My proposal is flexible: It would give us door-to-door service, from wherever we are to wherever we need to go—from home-to-transit center—from transit center-to-office, from office-to-lunch, from lunch-to-office, from office-to-gym, from gym-to-grocery, and from grocery-to-home. Our children could get rides to and from school, daycare, and the ex-spouse. A person needing a ride could hold up his or her ID badge and waive down a ride share driver.<br /><br />My theory is that if public transportation would deliver a better service, more people would ride it. I certainly would.<br /><br />Riders would pay a reasonable monthly fee, perhaps based on passenger-miles used, more than for a standard bus pass, but definitely cheaper than riding solo in a single occupancy vehicle. Ride share drivers would get credits and be paid at the end of each month for each passenger-mile they deliver. No money would change hands during trips.<br /><br />To go to Bellevue for a seminar, I would ride to the Lynnwood Park & Ride in a public van or private vehicle carrying two or six others. There I would pick up a fast bus to Bellevue Park & Ride, and from there I would pick up a ride share which would carry me and two or six others to our ultimate destinations, all in the same quadrant of Bellevue. The two or six cars my fellow passengers and I would normally be driving would stay at home burning no fuel and taking up no space on the roads. We would all get to our destinations a lot faster than we would if we drove alone or took buses and made transfers in the conventional way.<br /><br />To hold a job it is usually necessary to drive a car, a heavy financial burden for some. Those without vehicles are handicapped by immobility. If we had the kind of ride sharing program I am proposing, families could sell some or all of their vehicles, which would raise their effective standard of living. We could take a nap on the way to work or listen to music or maybe work on our laptops. Our general anxiety level would drop and our quality of life would rise.<br /><br />Underused bus routes could be replaced with door-to-door ride share service. Bus drivers would double as ride share drivers. They might drive Metro vans and serve major venues, running flexible routes, taking people and their shopping bags all the way home. At night, drivers would wait until riders are safely inside. Riders would feel more secure and so more of us would use the system. Most ride share drivers would be private citizens driving their own vehicles. At night most buses would be parked, and smaller vans and ordinary cars would provide customized, door-to-door transit service.<br /><br />Buses are packed in Seattle but not elsewhere. Ride sharing is not less but more important in smaller towns, suburbs, and rural areas where densities are low and fixed route bus schedules do not work well. Ride sharing should be implemented on a state-wide basis. People should be able to share rides over long distances. Traffic congestion and comprehensive transit solutions are not just local issues.<br /><br />Here in Lynnwood it is embarrassing to see so many buses driving by mostly empty. In large part we have a “pretend” bus system with drivers putting in their time burning diesel fuel, driving around in 30,000 pound buses carrying almost no one.<br /><br />The only full buses I see in Lynnwood are the express commuter buses. Those who ride them generally drive solo to the Park & Ride and fill up a parking lot the size of a subdivision. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have ride share drivers bring commuters in groups of two or six to the Park & Ride?<br /><br />We accept our traffic jams, our prodigious fuel consumption, our acres of parking, and the doubling and tripling of our population, perhaps because it is all we have known. We cling to the belief that we have to build something expensive to solve our traffic congestion problem—light rail, monorail or more freeway lanes. No, we can solve our problems before we build any of these things, simply by utilizing our road and vehicle capacity more efficiently.<br /><br />Sound Transit proposes that we tax ourselves to extend light rail north, south, and east. Building out a complete light rail system might be a good thing to do some day, but it is certainly not a quick fix and certainly not the first thing we should do. Moreover, if we fail to implement a ride sharing program first, perhaps along with congestion pricing to encourage and subsidize it, light rail will never make a significant dent in the problem. The expensive solution is not always the best solution.<br /><br />My full proposal is lengthy, so I have posted it for your further consideration at: <a href="http://www.comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com/">http://www.comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com/</a>. </div>Eliminate Traffic Congestion - Door-To-Door Transit with Flex-Vanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13367587480479386785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176249244636401511.post-3557694130641376422008-07-26T17:10:00.000-07:002008-07-26T17:21:36.547-07:00Ridesharing Article Published in The Herald of Everett, 7-20-8Door-to-door transit: Cut fuel cost by sharing rides<br />The Herald of Everett<br />July 20, 2008<br /><br />By James Robert Deal, Guest Editorialist<br /><br />Every day there is another piece on television or in the papers about soaring fuel prices. No solutions are offered, only complaints and laments. There is no sure way to stop the price of fuel from rising, but we could spend a lot less on it than we do now by driving together and thus burning less of it.<br /><br />I am proposing a ride sharing plan in which we would use our computers, cell phones and pagers to link those needing rides with those offering rides. Such a plan could be implemented in a few months at low cost. A ride sharing program working in conjunction with congestion pricing could take a quarter to a half of single occupancy vehicles off the roads and freeways. We could increase average occupancy levels, reduce total fuel consumption, and meet our commitments under the Kyoto Protocols.<br /><br />Ride share riders would take an orientation class on proper behavior, pass a written test and a criminal background check, and be issued a ride share ID card. Ride share drivers would do the same and get a chauffeur's license.<br /><br />Their vehicles would be equipped with dashboard GPS computers, the kind taxis have, which would illustrate the best routes to follow to pick up and drop off riders. Drivers might use their own vehicles or be assigned a transit vehicle.<br /><br />Riders would pay a flat monthly fee. Drivers would get credits and be paid at the end of each month for each passenger-mile they deliver. No money would change hands during trips.<br /><br />Riders would get door-to-door service, from wherever they are to wherever they need to go--home-to-office, office-to-lunch, lunch-to-office, office-to-gym, gym-to-grocery, grocery-to-home. Our children could get rides to and from school, daycare, and the ex-spouse. A person needing a ride could hold up his card and waive down a door-to-door vehicle. It might bear some distinctive, lighted medallion. If we deliver comprehensive service, the riders will climb aboard. I would.<br /><br />But can we afford such personalized transit? Large numbers of cars would be left at home. Buses would be better utilized. Freeways would not need to be widened. Park & Ride lots would not have to be expanded. We would get to work more quickly, so we will be more efficient. We would save countless gallons of fuel. Yes, we can afford it. My mother advised: Sometimes it's worth spending a little more to get something worth having.<br /><br />Ride sharing is not less but more important in the suburbs and rural areas where densities are low and fixed route bus schedules do not work well.<br /><br />Tolls would be set at a level sufficient to discourage enough people from driving alone so that at all times roads would flow freely and fast. However, tolls would be unfair to middle and lower classes unless some better, cheaper and faster way of getting around were offered. Thus, congestion pricing and ride sharing are best implemented jointly.<br /><br />With ride sharing available, a family could sell one or more cars and save on car payments, insurance and repairs, which would raise its effective standard of living.<br /><br />Buses would continue to roll on heavily traveled routes -- on freeways, highways and major thoroughfares. But on underused routes, buses would be replaced with door-to-door service. A hub-and-spoke system might be used: We would travel freeways, highways and major thoroughfares on fast buses running in HOV lanes. At Park & Ride stations we would switch to vans.<br /><br />Average vehicle occupancy for ordinary vehicles is around 1.35. Except for express buses, most of the buses I see here in Lynnwood drive around mostly empty. That's a lot of unused and wasted capacity.<br /><br />The fixed route bus system is too rigid. We need a mix of large and smaller vehicles delivering flexible and personalized transportation of higher quality and which in turn would be heavily used.<br /><br />We cling to the myth that we must build something to solve our traffic congestion problem -- light rail, monorail, more freeway lanes, wider bridges. Without door-to-door transit, none of these construction projects will be effectual. Construction projects are the last thing, not the first, we should be doing with our limited transit money.<br /><br />No one else has, so I have presumed to come up with a theory of what might get us out of our traffic jams. This short article is only a partial summary of my full proposal which is available at: <a href="http://www.comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com/">www.Comprehensive-Transportation.Blogspot.com</a>.<br /><br />If you disagree with me, make a counter-proposal. Don't just say "it won't work" or "nothing will work." That is what most of us believe right now, that it will take decades for us to get us out of traffic jams -- if we ever get out.<br /><br />James Robert Deal is a real estate attorney and mortgage broker in Lynnwood who has a deep interest in transit and transportation issues.Eliminate Traffic Congestion - Door-To-Door Transit with Flex-Vanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13367587480479386785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176249244636401511.post-155561369619109892008-07-01T00:45:00.000-07:002008-07-01T01:24:56.930-07:00We Can Cut Fuel Cost By Sharing Rides<div align="center">by James Robert Deal</div><div align="center">July 1, 2008</div><p><br /><br />Every day there is another piece on television or in the papers about soaring fuel prices. No solutions are offered, only complaints and laments. Apparently nothing can stop the price of fuel from rising. But we could spend a lot less on fuel than we do now by driving together.<br /><br /><br />I am proposing a ride sharing plan in which we would use our computers, cell phones, and pagers to connect those needing rides with those offering rides. Such a plan could be implemented in a few months at low cost. A ride sharing program working in conjunction with congestion pricing could easily get a quarter to a half of single occupancy vehicles off the roads and freeways. We could increase average occupancy levels, reduce total fuel consumption, and meet our commitments under the Kyoto Protocols.<br /><br /><br />Ride share riders would take an orientation class on proper behavior, pass a written test and a criminal background check, and be issued a ride share ID card. Ride share drivers would do the same; in addition they would prove themselves sober and responsible and get a chauffeur’s license. Their vehicles would be equipped with dashboard GPS computers, the kind taxis have, which would illustrate the best routes to follow to pick up and drop off riders.<br /><br /><br />Riders would pay a flat monthly fee, which would cost less than driving alone and buying gasoline. Ride share drivers would get credits and be paid at the end of each month for each passenger-mile they deliver. No money would change hands during trips.<br /><br /><br />Riders would get door-to-door service, from wherever they are to wherever they need to go—home-to-office, office-to-lunch, lunch-to-office, office-to-gym, gym-to-grocery, grocery-to-home. Our children could get rides to and from school, daycare, and the ex-spouse. A person needing a ride could hold up his card and waive down a jitney. We need to deliver comprehensive service to get riders to participate.<br /><br /><br />To go to Bellevue for a seminar, I would ride in a jitney carrying maybe two or six others to the Lynnwood Park & Ride, where I would pick up a fast bus to Bellevue Park & Ride. From there I would pick up a jitney which would carry me and maybe two or six others to our ultimate destinations, all in the same quadrant of Bellevue. Two to six cars would not be on the roads.<br /></p><p>Would this be affordable? Large numbers of cars would be left at home. Buses would be better utilized. Freeways would not need to be widened. Park & Ride lots would not have to be expanded. We would get to work more quickly, so we will be more efficient. We would save countless gallons of fuel. Yes, it would be affordable.<br /><br /><br />Ride sharing is not less but more important in the suburbs and rural areas where densities are low and fixed route bus schedules do not work at all. Ride sharing should be implemented on a multi-county and state-wide basis.<br /><br /><br />Those driving solo would pay a per-mile congestion pricing toll. This would encourage them to leave the gas guzzler at home and ride a jitney. Toll levels would be adjusted during the day to whatever level necessary to discourage enough people from driving so that at all times roads would flow freely and fast.<br /><br /><br />During World War II we rationed fuel. Instead, we would be rationing space on our too full roads. Our president says this is a national emergency. Shouldn’t we then take emergency measures?<br /><br /><br />Roads have become so packed with mostly empty vehicles that the vehicles can no longer move efficiently. The space on the roads is valuable public property. We own it and can legitimately charge rent for it to ration its overuse. Otherwise it becomes less useful. We should treat transportation as a unique public necessity, one which requires organization and cooperation for it to work effectively, and one which must be delivered reliably and affordably for us to live quality lives and compete economically. It is not communistic to apply a more cooperative and less individualistic model to transit and transportation.<br /><br /><br />However, it would be an unfair burden on the poor and the middle class to implement congestion pricing without at the same time implementing a better, cheaper, and faster way for people to get around. The ride sharing program I propose would do that.<br /><br /><br />To hold a job it is usually necessary to drive a car, a heavy burden for some. With ride sharing people could sell one or more cars and save on car payments, insurance, and repairs. Families could sell some or all of their vehicles, which would lower their cost of living and raise their effective standard of living. With fewer cars on the roads we would move at higher speeds and with few delays. We could take a nap on the way to work or listen to music or maybe work on our laptops. Our general anxiety level would drop and our quality of life would rise.<br /><br /><br />Heavily traveled bus routes on freeways, highways, and major thoroughfares would be maintained, but underused bus routes would be replaced with door-to-door jitney service. A hub and spoke system might be used: We would travel freeways, highways, and major thoroughfares on buses running in HOV lanes, but at the Park & Ride stations we would switch to vans for delivery to our final destinations, whether it be the grocery or our front door step. Bus drivers would double as jitney drivers. They might drive Metro owned vans and serve major venues. Many jitney drivers would be private citizens driving fuel efficient vehicles.<br /><br /><br />To highlight the absurdity of our current system, look inside cars as they go by. Note the typical 120 pound woman or 160 pound man riding alone in the typical 4,000 pound car. Look inside buses. Here in Lynnwood it is embarrassing to see so many buses driving by mostly empty. In large part we have a “pretend” bus system with drivers putting in their time burning diesel fuel, driving around in 30,000 pound buses carrying almost no one.<br /><br /><br />Generally those who can afford cars do not ride the buses. We do not like to stand in the rain in the dark and have strangers leer at us as they drive by. We do not like to study schedules and then walk some distance to a bus stop and then wait for a bus that might not arrive on time and might not take us where we want to go without transfers and more waiting. The fixed route bus system is too rigid. We need smaller vehicles delivering flexible and personalized transportation. With computers, cell phones, and pagers, we now have the technology to make such a system work.<br /><br /><br />The only full buses I see in Lynnwood are the express commuter buses. Those who ride them generally drive solo to the Park & Ride and fill up a parking lot the size of a subdivision. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have jitneys bring commuters in groups of two or six to the Park & Ride instead?<br /><br /><br />We accept our traffic jams, our prodigious fuel consumption, and our acres of parking, perhaps because it is all we have known. We cling to the belief that we have to build something to solve our traffic congestion problem—light rail, monorail or more freeway lanes. No, we can solve our problems before we build any of them, simply by utilizing our road capacity more efficiently.<br /><br /><br />I have come up with a theory of what might work. This article is just the beginning. My full proposal is lengthy, so I have posted it for your further consideration at: Comprehensive-Transportation.Blogspot.com.<br /><br /><br />If you disagree with me, come up with a counter-proposal. Don’t just say “it won’t work” or “nothing will work.” That is what most of us believe right now, that it will take decades to get us out of traffic jams—if we ever get out.<br /><br /><br /><br />***<br />TRANSIT<br /><br /><br />Read my Theories About a Comprehensive Approach to Transit and Transportation <a href="http://comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com/">http://comprehensive-transportation.blogspot.com/</a><br /></p><p>Fuel Tax, Not Sales Tax, Should Fund Roads<br />October 26, 2007<br /><a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/337040_ltrs28.html">http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/337040_ltrs28.html</a></p><p>Alaskan Way Viaduct<br />February 23, 2007<br /><a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/304766_webltrs23.html">http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/304766_webltrs23.html</a></p><p>Don't Destroy One Monorail to Build Another<br />July 12, 2002<br /><a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/78191_alweg12.shtml">http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/78191_alweg12.shtml</a></p><p>How Would You Spend A Billion Dollars?<br />October 15, 2000<br /><a href="http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20001015&slug=TTDC1TM32">http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20001015&slug=TTDC1TM32</a></p><p>Highway 520 Congestion -- Solution To Traffic Jams Requires Big- Picture Analysis And Light Rail On I-90<br />March 23, 1997<br /><a href="http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19970323&slug=2530141">http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19970323&slug=2530141</a><br /></p><p>***<br />FLUORIDATION</p><p>To get caught up on what is happening in the anti-fluoridation effort go to <a href="http://www.dealmortgage.net/Fluoride-Class-Action/Fluoride-Class-Action.htm">http://www.DealMortgage.net/Fluoride-Class-Action/Fluoride-Class-Action.htm</a>.<br /><br />It is amazing that something as absurd as adding fluoride to drinking water has not been outlawed. It is amazing the tenacity with which people cling to this completely unscientific custom, like those who believe that the earth is flat. </p><p>To read my recent Post-Intelligencer Letter to the Editor about fluoridation click here:<br />Too Much Fluoride in City Water<br />May 14, 2008<br /><a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/362935_ltrs14.html">http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/362935_ltrs14.html</a><br /><br />My anti-fluoridation partner Dr. Osmunson, Bellevue dentist, has been working with Seattle Public Utilities to get them to set up a taskforce on the fluoridation question.<br />Click here to read his letter.<br /><a href="http://www.dealmortgage.net/Fluoride-Class-Action/Osmunson%20Water%20District%20Challenge%205-10-8.pdf">http://www.dealmortgage.net/Fluoride-Class-Action/Osmunson%20Water%20District%20Challenge%205-10-8.pdf</a> </p><p>See and hear Dr. Bill Osmundson, Bellevue dentist, on fluoridation <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds5G0XasTHM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds5G0XasTHM</a><br /><br /><br />Read what Dr. Rubin, Seattle dentist, has to say about fluoridation. <a href="http://www.dentalwellness4u.com/layperson/fluoridefacts1.html">http://www.dentalwellness4u.com/layperson/fluoridefacts1.html</a><br /><br />See the Safe Drinking Water slideshow on fluoridation <a href="http://www.greenfrogcreative.com/presentation.pdf">http://www.greenfrogcreative.com/presentation.pdf</a><br /></p><p>***<br />THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT AND DIET<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Serve-Goddess-Comes-Dinner/dp/1884949118/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211933082&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/What-Serve-Goddess-Comes-Dinner/dp/1884949118/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211933082&sr=8-1</a><br /><br /><br />***<br /><br />Mail a letter about fluoridation to the Governor<br />Governor Christine Gregoire<br />Office of the Governor<br />PO Box 40002<br />Olympia, WA 98504-0002<br />Fax: 360-753-4110<br />Send an e-mail to the Governor<br /><a href="http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/">http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/</a><br /><br /><br />***<br /><br /><br />Would you like to know more about how to get your 30-year mortgage paid off in 25 years? Or maybe as little as 10 years?<br /><br />The first hurdle to get over is your scepticism. There are techniques for doing this, and they work.<br /><br />Click here to read An Overview of Mortgage Acceleration.<br /><a href="http://dealmortgage.net/Mortgage-Acceleration.htm">http://dealmortgage.net/Mortgage-Acceleration.htm</a><br /><br />***<br /><br />Click here to read about improving your credit score.<br /><a href="http://dealmortgage.net/CreditScore.htm">http://dealmortgage.net/CreditScore.htm</a><br /><br />***<br /><br />At Deal Mortgage we offer transparent, flat fee mortgage pricing. <a href="http://dealmortgage.net/TransparentPricing.htm">http://dealmortgage.net/TransparentPricing.htm</a><br /><br />***<br /><br />I am also an attorney. I write and review purchase and sale agreements. <a href="http://jamesrobertdeal.com/">http://jamesrobertdeal.com/</a>. </p>Eliminate Traffic Congestion - Door-To-Door Transit with Flex-Vanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13367587480479386785noreply@blogger.com0