What will make people ride the bus? According to a new study by DePaul University, the answer may be Wi-Fi. "The prevalence of portable electronics is changing the dynamics of how we make travel choices," says the study’s author Dr. Joseph Schwieterman. In short: People may be willing to switch to the bus if they can use their travel time to surf the Internet. The study showed that nearly 40% of passengers on new Wi-Fi equipped buses were using some form of portable technology—something Los Angeles area riders will soon have a chance to do as Metro moves ahead with plans to allow cell phone companies to provide service in the subway.
Speaking of technology, a new service is letting OC riders use cell phones to find out bus arrival times. It’s called Text4Next, and it’s now available for all Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) buses. To use it, riders simply text OCTAGO (628246), and then at the prompt key in the word "bus," followed by the bus’ stop and route numbers. They’ll instantly receive the next three scheduled times the bus will arrive at the bus stop. More information is at octa.net/octago
A similar service is also available for many buses in Southern California via NextBus.com, which uses satellite technology to let riders know when the next bus will arrive (via wireless devices or on public digital displays). Bus providers that use NextBus include Camarillo Area Transit, Glendale Beeline, Gold Coast Transit, Moorpark Transit, Simi Valley Transit, Thousand Oaks Transit and VISTA buses.
If you have employees in the Perris area: A transit center just opened in downtown Perris that features a 141-space Park & Ride lot, bus service that will expand to 200 buses serving seven routes...plus plans within a few years to house a Metrolink rail stop. For details, visit the Riverside County Transportation Commission at rctc.org
And in the category of "good news/bad news"... the good news is that Metrolink will not raise fares (as was recently proposed to meet a budget shortfall). The bad news: that means service reductions will have to pick up the slack. By mid-February, Metrolink will reduce the number of trains, limit weekend service or eliminate service altogether on a number of lines, including suspending two weekday trains on the Inland Empire-Orange County lines. The full list is at metrolinktrains.com
Due to the loss of state funding and declining sales tax revenue, OCTA bus service will be reduced starting March 14. For current information about affected routes/schedules and to learn about travel options, visit octa.net/marchchange
Local transit may be affected further if a state excise tax is adopted. Governor Schwarzenegger last month proposed swapping the current 6% sales tax motorists pay at the pump on a gallon of gas for a 10.8-cent increase in excise taxes. While that would mean a 6-cent reduction in gas prices, the tax would also allow the state to legally cut the money it must currently pay to local governments, including an estimated $1 billion for bus and rail. For updates on how the state budget cuts will impact transportation in this region, go to The Source blog at metro.net
