Comments on: What if the Van Ness BRT wasn’t run by MUNI? http://kfarr.com/2007/10/12/van-ness-brt-will-it-be-just-like-the-failed-t-third-line/ Kieran Farr Sun, 04 Jul 2010 09:42:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: The City’s continuing support of MUNI is worse than no-bid Halliburton contracts in Iraq. « blog http://kfarr.com/2007/10/12/van-ness-brt-will-it-be-just-like-the-failed-t-third-line/#comment-77 The City’s continuing support of MUNI is worse than no-bid Halliburton contracts in Iraq. « blog Sat, 01 Dec 2007 20:54:45 +0000 http://kfarr.wordpress.com/2007/10/12/van-ness-brt-will-it-be-just-like-the-failed-t-third-line/#comment-77 [...] start with easily defined, necessary transit projects, such as the new Bus Rapid Transit lines. Let’s have an open bidding process for operators. These operators will have a reasonable opportunity to make a profit on operations if they are an [...] [...] start with easily defined, necessary transit projects, such as the new Bus Rapid Transit lines. Let’s have an open bidding process for operators. These operators will have a reasonable opportunity to make a profit on operations if they are an [...]

]]> By: kfarr http://kfarr.com/2007/10/12/van-ness-brt-will-it-be-just-like-the-failed-t-third-line/#comment-4 kfarr Sun, 14 Oct 2007 04:37:52 +0000 http://kfarr.wordpress.com/2007/10/12/van-ness-brt-will-it-be-just-like-the-failed-t-third-line/#comment-4 Thanks, n judah. I agree that outsourcing alone is not an "end-all-problems" solution; it's just an option to consider. It seems the main failure is inability to set and achieve reasonable goals that serve the transit needs of the community, wether or not those goals are achieved purely with public entities or some sort of public-private partnership. Thanks, n judah.

I agree that outsourcing alone is not an “end-all-problems” solution; it’s just an option to consider.

It seems the main failure is inability to set and achieve reasonable goals that serve the transit needs of the community, wether or not those goals are achieved purely with public entities or some sort of public-private partnership.

]]> By: n judah http://kfarr.com/2007/10/12/van-ness-brt-will-it-be-just-like-the-failed-t-third-line/#comment-3 n judah Sat, 13 Oct 2007 03:36:30 +0000 http://kfarr.wordpress.com/2007/10/12/van-ness-brt-will-it-be-just-like-the-failed-t-third-line/#comment-3 the thing is, we've tried a private system before (at one time we had 4 companies + MUNI running trains and whatnot around town). the thing is, there's really not a lot of money to be made running transit systems that serve the entire public evenly. one of the biggest problems the old private railway had during the war was that due to shortages they began to cut service and raise fares, making it difficult for war workers to get to work. when they were asked to increase service the standard response was that they had no obligation to the war effort, just to shareholders. This was one of the reasons they ended up being absorbed by MUNI . It is also why we have so many duplicate lines. much of MUNI's work is outsourced already - most of the studies being done for the TEP and peformance are done by outside companies, and obviously construction. the real disconnect is that too often they look for the cheap way out so they don't have to ruffle the public's feathers instead of being honest about what's needed. That's why the T line was such a SNAFU - they chose to fiddle in the margins and make something that looked good on PAPER but had no basis in reality. the thing is, we’ve tried a private system before (at one time we had 4 companies + MUNI running trains and whatnot around town). the thing is, there’s really not a lot of money to be made running transit systems that serve the entire public evenly.

one of the biggest problems the old private railway had during the war was that due to shortages they began to cut service and raise fares, making it difficult for war workers to get to work. when they were asked to increase service the standard response was that they had no obligation to the war effort, just to shareholders. This was one of the reasons they ended up being absorbed by MUNI . It is also why we have so many duplicate lines.

much of MUNI’s work is outsourced already – most of the studies being done for the TEP and peformance are done by outside companies, and obviously construction. the real disconnect is that too often they look for the cheap way out so they don’t have to ruffle the public’s feathers instead of being honest about what’s needed. That’s why the T line was such a SNAFU – they chose to fiddle in the margins and make something that looked good on PAPER but had no basis in reality.

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