Foolworm
Active Member
No, a *customer service mentality* like the airlines where you don't have a ticket, you aren't allowed to board.
Customer service can only be expected if customer pays market price to ensure the business stays in business.
Valley Line LRT | TransEd/Marigold | City of Edmonton
- Thread starter Daveography
- Start date
No, a *customer service mentality* like the airlines where you don't have a ticket, you aren't allowed to board.
Customer service can only be expected if customer pays market price to ensure the business stays in business.
David A
Senior Member
Last time I checked there was a fare box right at the front of the bus or a place to tap the payment card, so payment seems to be a big thing for ETS too.
With that payment comes some expectations of service. Of course there is a need for fares to cover a significant portion of the cost, because taxpayers who are not transit users are understandably not so keen about covering the whole cost of it. So while transit is not entirely covered by customer payments, it is definitely a part of the model.
I don't think the people who run the system are always mindful of the fact people who use it do pay, so if service is not good they put that portion of their budget towards other transportation options.
With that payment comes some expectations of service. Of course there is a need for fares to cover a significant portion of the cost, because taxpayers who are not transit users are understandably not so keen about covering the whole cost of it. So while transit is not entirely covered by customer payments, it is definitely a part of the model.
I don't think the people who run the system are always mindful of the fact people who use it do pay, so if service is not good they put that portion of their budget towards other transportation options.
Foolworm
Active Member
Last time I checked as well there was also an extreme cold weather alert with drivers allowed to exercise discretion for boarding passengers. Imagine that at an airline!
It's very simple, running a public transit service means less of an emphasis on quality, because the operational mandate is based on essential need. If there is enough usage that the organisation approaches competitiveness, great. That doesn't always happen, especially not in NA.
This often is ignored or misunderstood by the paying public who only understands the concept of 'customer is king'. Such is the culture of capitalist NA.
It's very simple, running a public transit service means less of an emphasis on quality, because the operational mandate is based on essential need. If there is enough usage that the organisation approaches competitiveness, great. That doesn't always happen, especially not in NA.
This often is ignored or misunderstood by the paying public who only understands the concept of 'customer is king'. Such is the culture of capitalist NA.
David A
Senior Member
Oh, nobody really expects the customer is king any more. But in a free country, you can't force people who pay to use transit, or any other particular transportation service.
The extreme cold weather has affected service with many forms of transportation and discretion is exactly that, but essential need is not a good argument for poor or mediocre service.
The extreme cold weather has affected service with many forms of transportation and discretion is exactly that, but essential need is not a good argument for poor or mediocre service.
occidentalcapital
Senior Member
Agreed
They do have recovery ratios in terms of fare revenue, but it does seem the current approach is based on this being a social service for the poor, not transportation for the masses. Besides revealing a disrespectful attitude towards lower income people, this approach also has the effect of making transit worse for everyone, including low income persons.
CplKlinger
Senior Member
The head of ETS was on CBC Edmonton AM the other day, and she said Valley Line ridership was at ~138,000 in November, and more than 135,000 in December.
occidentalcapital
Senior Member
Is that daily or over the whole month? She also mentioned that they are now at service level 8 under their contract with transEd.
Kosy123
Active Member
If this is daily ridership, then that's absolutely insane. Monthly ridership doesn't seem to be this number, that would essentially mean 5,000-ish a day.
MacLac
Senior Member
Is that a lot? 5,000/day is too much or too little?
Seamusmuldrew
Active Member
If that is daily I'd be really surprised because the capital line isn't even near that level according to the 2023 Q3 ridership report by the APTA ( https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-Q3-Ridership-APTA.pdf ). 5000/day also seems dismally low.
IanO
Superstar
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EdmTrekker
Senior Member
If you listened to the interview ETS is happy about the daily ridership - it was what they hoped for. If it stays at that level around 135,000 plus they will be well on target and increase frequency. Currently the train frequency is at Level 8 but they are increasing it next month towards a "train" in rush hour every 5 minutes. Whether that means 1, 2 3 or 4 or 5 cars was not discussed. Someone more knowledgeable will hopefully chime in and flesh that out in more detail.
EdmTrekker
Senior Member
The Report you reference does not break down by LRT Line on the last page of the PDF. It states at end of 3rd Qtr 2023 total LRT weekday ridership is 73,100 which excludes the new Valley line.
occidentalcapital
Senior Member
What is the passenger threshold to go from 8 to 9 in the P3 contract? That should tell you the current ridership.
Seamusmuldrew
Active Member
Yup that's correct, my point was that the current LRT service including Metro and Capital Lines had a ridership lower than 135,000 according to the APTA report which makes me think the figures given for the Valley line were monthly ridership numbers. It's possible the current actual ridership is higher since much of Q3 has lower student ridership, but the Q1 report shows 76,500 and Q2 shows 77,200 so I doubt it is much higher. I just said the Capital Line since that's where the bulk of the current ridership lies, apologies if that was confusing.