Comments on: De-car-ing, month 5 http://greenlagirl.com/de-car-ing-month-5/ Urban environmental lifestyle blog in Los Angeles Mon, 22 Mar 2010 06:16:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Siel http://greenlagirl.com/de-car-ing-month-5/comment-page-1/#comment-15162 Siel Sat, 14 Oct 2006 03:54:09 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/2006/10/04/de-car-ing-month-5/#comment-15162 Ok -- That still seems complicated to me... I'm glad I have yr email now, so I can ask random bus Qs if need be :P Ok — That still seems complicated to me… I’m glad I have yr email now, so I can ask random bus Qs if need be :P

]]> By: Wad http://greenlagirl.com/de-car-ing-month-5/comment-page-1/#comment-14847 Wad Sun, 08 Oct 2006 05:49:32 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/2006/10/04/de-car-ing-month-5/#comment-14847 It wasn't that daunting once I found the formula to add time in Excel. It's useful if you want to keep a cache of bus schedules on your own computer and print them, since Metro in particular has odd paper sizes. It's =sum(CELL+(FREQ/1440)) CELL is the cell above. You enter the first time row manually. FREQ is the frequency, in minutes, of the bus line. If the first time is 6 a.m. and the next bus is at 6:30 a.m., enter 30. That sped up the work. The hard part was redoing everything at different times since agencies have different shake-up dates. Shake-ups are transit agency lingo for periods when drivers get new bus runs and new schedules are released. Metro's two are in June and December. Long Beach has three, but not in even four-month increments. Some agencies don't update schedules frequently, and Gardena has not done a new schedule since the Green Line opened 11 years ago! It wasn’t that daunting once I found the formula to add time in Excel. It’s useful if you want to keep a cache of bus schedules on your own computer and print them, since Metro in particular has odd paper sizes.

It’s =sum(CELL+(FREQ/1440))

CELL is the cell above. You enter the first time row manually. FREQ is the frequency, in minutes, of the bus line. If the first time is 6 a.m. and the next bus is at 6:30 a.m., enter 30.

That sped up the work. The hard part was redoing everything at different times since agencies have different shake-up dates. Shake-ups are transit agency lingo for periods when drivers get new bus runs and new schedules are released. Metro’s two are in June and December. Long Beach has three, but not in even four-month increments. Some agencies don’t update schedules frequently, and Gardena has not done a new schedule since the Green Line opened 11 years ago!

]]> By: Siel http://greenlagirl.com/de-car-ing-month-5/comment-page-1/#comment-14833 Siel Sun, 08 Oct 2006 00:15:00 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/2006/10/04/de-car-ing-month-5/#comment-14833 Wow -- That schedule project sounds daunting, just reading about it. Still, now you're a walking, typing resource for the rest of us :) Wow — That schedule project sounds daunting, just reading about it. Still, now you’re a walking, typing resource for the rest of us :)

]]> By: Wad http://greenlagirl.com/de-car-ing-month-5/comment-page-1/#comment-14794 Wad Sat, 07 Oct 2006 02:13:19 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/2006/10/04/de-car-ing-month-5/#comment-14794 Yeah, I'm a veteran. I used to have this web site that would have the schedules of every transit agency in SoCal, from San Luis Obispo and Kern vounties to the north, San Diego and Imperial counties to the south, the ocean to the west and Las Vegas to the east. It just became a pain to update schedules, and the guy with the computer smarts couldn't keep up with maintenance because of work, and it ended up ceasing to operate. Yeah, I’m a veteran. I used to have this web site that would have the schedules of every transit agency in SoCal, from San Luis Obispo and Kern vounties to the north, San Diego and Imperial counties to the south, the ocean to the west and Las Vegas to the east.

It just became a pain to update schedules, and the guy with the computer smarts couldn’t keep up with maintenance because of work, and it ended up ceasing to operate.

]]> By: Siel http://greenlagirl.com/de-car-ing-month-5/comment-page-1/#comment-14789 Siel Sat, 07 Oct 2006 01:13:05 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/2006/10/04/de-car-ing-month-5/#comment-14789 Ok -- Lemme try the BBB 10 to the Dash first, then if that's still sketch, I'll try out the 534. Thanks for all the tips! You're like a bus route genius -- Ok — Lemme try the BBB 10 to the Dash first, then if that’s still sketch, I’ll try out the 534. Thanks for all the tips! You’re like a bus route genius –

]]> By: Wad http://greenlagirl.com/de-car-ing-month-5/comment-page-1/#comment-14779 Wad Fri, 06 Oct 2006 22:31:27 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/2006/10/04/de-car-ing-month-5/#comment-14779 I forgot about the DASH F. It's also good, but about as reliable as 81/381. Keep in mind that the more frequent buses are, the less reliable their schedules are. You have a third option as well. Line 38/71 travels on Jefferson Boulevard, and runs every 10-18 minutes. It's a tad more reliable than 81. If you wish to take a more direct route, try 534 in downtown Santa Monica and transfer to 38 at the West L.A. Transit Center. Despite the name, the transit center is merely a bus stop underneath the 10 freeway at Fairfax Avenue. It's very depressing, and hopefully when the Expo Line opens, the transit center gets focused near the Culver Junction rather than here. I forgot about the DASH F. It’s also good, but about as reliable as 81/381.

Keep in mind that the more frequent buses are, the less reliable their schedules are.

You have a third option as well. Line 38/71 travels on Jefferson Boulevard, and runs every 10-18 minutes. It’s a tad more reliable than 81.

If you wish to take a more direct route, try 534 in downtown Santa Monica and transfer to 38 at the West L.A. Transit Center. Despite the name, the transit center is merely a bus stop underneath the 10 freeway at Fairfax Avenue. It’s very depressing, and hopefully when the Expo Line opens, the transit center gets focused near the Culver Junction rather than here.

]]> By: Siel http://greenlagirl.com/de-car-ing-month-5/comment-page-1/#comment-14748 Siel Fri, 06 Oct 2006 08:09:41 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/2006/10/04/de-car-ing-month-5/#comment-14748 Thanks for the tip! Ok -- So now my plan's to take the Big Blue Bus' #10 downtown, then take the Dash F bus to USC -- cuz both the 81 and 381 sound kinda unrealiable. I'll let you know how it goes -- Thanks again! Thanks for the tip! Ok — So now my plan’s to take the Big Blue Bus’ #10 downtown, then take the Dash F bus to USC — cuz both the 81 and 381 sound kinda unrealiable. I’ll let you know how it goes — Thanks again!

]]> By: Wad http://greenlagirl.com/de-car-ing-month-5/comment-page-1/#comment-14732 Wad Thu, 05 Oct 2006 23:58:12 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/2006/10/04/de-car-ing-month-5/#comment-14732 A tip for Santa Monica to USC: Use Santa Monica Line 10 to get to downtown. It is much faster than the Rapid. In downtown, catch Line 81/381 and take it south to Figueroa, or any Harbor Transitway bus (440-series) and take it to the 37th Street Station. Santa Monica schedules are available at www.bigbluebus.com. Line 81 runs every 10 minutes, but you trade frequent service for reliability, so the times on the schedule aren't reliable. Line 381 is 81's limited-stop sibling (think Rapid buses without red paint), but it only runs during rush hours. If you choose this trip, buy an EZ Pass with a Zone 1 express sticker. It's $73 a month. The pass is good on MTA and all the major municipal carriers in the county. A tip for Santa Monica to USC:

Use Santa Monica Line 10 to get to downtown. It is much faster than the Rapid. In downtown, catch Line 81/381 and take it south to Figueroa, or any Harbor Transitway bus (440-series) and take it to the 37th Street Station.

Santa Monica schedules are available at http://www.bigbluebus.com. Line 81 runs every 10 minutes, but you trade frequent service for reliability, so the times on the schedule aren’t reliable. Line 381 is 81’s limited-stop sibling (think Rapid buses without red paint), but it only runs during rush hours.

If you choose this trip, buy an EZ Pass with a Zone 1 express sticker. It’s $73 a month. The pass is good on MTA and all the major municipal carriers in the county.

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