[PRCo] Re: METRORAIL DISASTER

[Ken and Tracie]

I've mentioned before that the RTA here (Las Vegas, Clark  County) contracts 
their operations to a private company known as Via-Trans. Drivers start at 
$10.00 per hour. The company used to fire drivers for any accident 
involvement, but after losing too many drivers, they changed the termination 
policy to dismissal after a driver's first chargeable accident. They also 
fire drivers for more than two hard brake applications during their career 
with the company. This is harder to avoid than one might believe because 
both the county and the city are constantly tinkering with the traffic light 
timing and the traffic lights go to sensor loops during weekends and 
overnight hours.

When the traffic signals are on sensor operation, you could have a light 
stay green for two and half minutes with no traffic around or the same light 
turn yellow, then red as soon as the first of five waiting vehicles gets 
halfway across the intersection, with no cross traffic waiting or 
approaching. Between this unpredictable cycling of the lights and the bus 
system's termination policy, it is common to see weekend and owl service 
buses roar through yellow and red lights. A light can turn green when you 
are within four bus lengths of the intersection and be red by the time you 
reach it.

The company's insurance provider gives them a better rate for all their 
drivers having clean records, regardless of their experience level.

It should get interesting to see what happens to driver retention rates if 
they ever go to camera tickets for red light runners.

I do not know who maintains or services the buses, but during colder 
weather, the superchargers whistle and howl like sirens and can be heard 
from blocks away.

Separate companies maintain the shelters, etc.

K.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Herb Brannon" <hrbran at cavtel.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 8:06 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: METRORAIL DISASTER


> General inspections and light repair work is done at the Central Rail 
> Shops
> by GCRTA personnel. However, all heavy repair work and (intensive)
> inspections are done at the GCRTA Brookpark Shop by contracted personnel. 
> I
> don't have the contractors name in mind right now, but they not only work
> out of the RTA Brookpark Shop, they also lease the building from RTA. 
> Thus,
> the contractor has taken the place of RTA.
> In the bus operations the tires are contracted to Goodyear Tire & Rubber.
> Their personnel work in the bus garages and the Central Bus Repair 
> Facility
> but they are paid by and supervised by Goodyear. Batteries are another
> thing, that aspect of maintenance is farmed out to Interstate Batteries.
> Again they work in the RTA shops but not for RTA. Also, destination signs
> (bus), transmissions (bus), and even the Marketing Department are all
> contracted out. Oddly enough RTA still has its own Print Shop and Sign 
> Shop.
> In fact the sign shop, apparently having a "slow" week, made up several
> Cleveland Railway and Cleveland Transit System bus and car stop sign
> replicas. I'm trying get one. Yes, today much is contracted out.
>
> On Wed, Jun 24, 2009 at 10:10 PM, Schneider Fred 
> <fwschneider at comcast.net>wrote:
>
>>
>> But I suspect prior to about 1965, Cleveland Transit probably paid
>> all expenses out of the farebox including all maintenance.   Today
>> they probably have shifted a lot of maintenance to capital by bidding
>> out a lot of overhaul work to private corporations.   Am I correct,
>> Herb?   If I'm not, they're different than most companies.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> -- 
> Herb Brannon
> On America's North Coast
>
>
>