If you were onboard the 17 this morning between 5:30 and 9 a.m., you probably enjoyed a smooth ride under the skillful command of professional coachman Stephen Chang. You also unwittingly became a part of Capital Metro’s history, as that run was Stephen’s last–he’s retiring from Capital Metro after 23 years behind the steering wheel.
Today also happens to be Stephen’s 80th birthday–he has the distinction of being the oldest Capital Metro employee. Happy Birthday, Stephen!
Capital Metro celebrated Stephen’s milestones today with cake after he returned from his shift. Thanks, Stephen for 23 great years!
Capital Metro wishes Stephen Chang (pictured with his wife) a happy retirement.
I always feel like somebody’s watching me (apologies to Rockwell) on MetroRail station platforms. And I’m glad someone’s watching to help keep things safe and secure. Capital Metro has a comprehensive system of rail platform security cameras, 38 in all, spread out among the nine rail stations (not mention the 16 internal and external cameras on board each MetroRail vehicle which constantly record).
The platform cameras are monitored 24-hours a day by security staff and rail dispatchers to observe any unusual or unsafe activity; they can send an officer out immediately if needed. For example, rail dispatchers recently spotted this truck encroaching in the railroad right-of-way near the MLK station:
5-yard penalty for encroachment (and the real penalties and dangers are more severe)
I voted for rail both times it was on the ballot. Each time before election day I campaigned for it on a personal level. I had two reasons for voting for rail service in Austin. First, I had used commuter rail in California before moving to Texas and experienced the benefits it offered and saw how much people enjoyed it. Second, and more importantly, I thought of it not so much as a need for us now but as a need for our great grandchildren and their children.
Go back with me in time to the late 80’s, early 90’s. At that time I was an assistant manager in a bookstore in Hollywood. And as fun and wild as it is in Hollywood, it was even more fun and wild in Tijuana. Plus it was a dangerous city, which was an added attraction for me. Kind of like some people are attracted to unsuitable people.
To get to “T.J.” I took Amtrak from downtown Los Angeles to downtown San Diego. There, in the same station, I would buy a one-way ticket for the commuter rail for two dollars. Then get on the red line to San Ysidro, the last town in California. A very small town. I think it was the size of Austin’s downtown and surrounding business district. It had more dirt roads than paved. Continue Reading »
Meet soon-to-be MetroRail frequent rider Logan Gentry. Logan is an engineer who works downtown. He’s also an avid twitterer who’s been tweeting about Capital MetroRail for the past year or more.
Since Capital Metro started tweeting via @CapMetroRail, we’ve become acquainted with Logan through his always persistent, sometimes pointed tweets about MetroRail.
We let the media ride on MetroRail this past Monday, and we were allowed to invite a few other guests, too. Logan was my guest, and as his tweets indicate, he enjoyed the ride.
Today was the second day of passenger testing on the Red Line (and also the day we learned MetroRail will begin service: March 22). Riders rode the rails, tested the ticket vending machines, and generally evaluated the usability of the system. While yesterday was a day for Capital Metro employees and their families to test it out, today was mostly community volunteers. One group of volunteers has an inspiring story.
Eight service-minded students are trekking across the southern U.S., volunteering along the way. Today they helped test our MetroRail trains. Thanks, Breakers!
A group of eight high school and college students from across the nation (and one hailing from Toronto) spent the day on the train as part of a five-day Alternative Break Tour, sponsored by Calling All Crows in partnership with City Year and the band State Radio. The service tour began in Little Rock Arkansas, and will end tomorrow in New Orleans. At each stop along the way, the “Breakers,” as they informally referred to themselves, were volunteering with local organizations by day, and rocking out with State Radio at night.
So what did they think of the train? They loved it, down to the “new train smell.” Damon Cawley, the group’s tour guide/chaparon/riding companion from City Year, said he’s been on trains all over the U.S. and–I’m not even kidding–said our MetroRail trains were the nicest he’s ever been on.
Calling All Crows is a is a service organization that mobilizes musicians and fans to promote human rights. On their Web site you can experience the Alternative Break Tour through video and blog entries created by the students. It’s quite cool. You can hang out with the Breakers tonight, when State Radio plays at La Zona Rosa.
I am proud to say there is change happening at Capital Metro. It is indeed a new day for us. Just this morning, Capital Metro was approved to begin MetroRail operations on March 22, 2010– a development that has been some time in the making, but a great transformative step for our transit agency. I can assure you this is the first step in a series of changes for our organization, and without a doubt, there is more to come.
Central Texas’ transit agency is at a critical turning point, and we know it will not happen without good leadership, good service, good employees and community support, all of which exist and is growing stronger each and every day. The final approval of our MetroRail operations is testament to that.
The new board at Capital Metro has hit the ground running, and we are committed to working tirelessly on behalf of our communities to realize the mission of our organization. Our mission statement drives us to “provide high-quality, customer focused, effective and efficient transportation services and systems for our communities.”
To get our agency to the place we all want it to be, we must also gain the necessary community confidence that has not always proven to be there for us. If we strive to fulfill our mission statement exactly as it is stated, I believe that community confidence will follow. Continue Reading »
The first day of dry run tests went really well yesterday, and we’re back out doing the same thing today. Here’s a sample of last night’s TV news coverage:
Today, about 100 people made up of Capital Metro employees and family members are participating in “Dry Run” testing. The purpose is to simulate passenger service to see if everything works as intended.
Interim President/CEO Doug Allen talks to employees about the testing at the Downtown Station.
The trains started running their regular schedule at 5:25 this morning. Shortly after 7 a.m. the train began picking up groups of testers at the stations. Once the train arrived at the MLK, Jr. and Downtown Stations, some people transfered to the rail connector buses to test the routes as well. Continue Reading »
