We assume the water fountain wasn't designed to work like this?
SunRail fountain at Orlando Health station
This is the blog for www.SunRailRiders.com website. Not affiliated with SunRail or FDOT.
Monday, September 29, 2014
SunRail ticket vending machines, Chapter 2
We still don’t understand SunRail’s rationale for the
placement of ticket vending machines that accept cash. It’s not like everybody
has plastic, and considering some of the recent credit-card security problems
it might not be wise to use credit cards on public vending machines. There are
two platforms – northbound and southbound -- at every SunRail station. But SunRail
only puts a cash machine on one platform (they claim financial reasons for
this). So if the cash machine isn’t on the platform where you’re waiting you
must cross to the other side – using the pedestrian crossing, of course -- to
buy your ticket.
At almost all the stations the northbound and southbound platforms
are directly opposite each other. The one exception is at Church Street in
downtown Orlando. There platforms are a block away from each other with a busy
street – South Street – between them. The cash machine is on the northbound
platform, and get this, a rider on Monday told us that machine has been out of
order for several day. So if you arrive at the southbound platform to buy a
ticket with cash as the train is approaching you’re going to be SOL. Thanks SunRail bosses, nice planning.
Friday, September 26, 2014
What grade does SunRail deserve?
How would you grade Central Florida’s SunRail commuter
train system?
It’s hard to believe that SunRail will soon be 6 months
old. It began service on May 1.
So how would you grade SunRail?
We think overall SunRail deserves high praise for the
launch of commuter train service in our community, but there’s lots of room for
improvement.
Now let’s get to specifics:
Facilities
The stations are generally well designed. We particularly
like aesthetic touches at stations, such as the metal sculpture wading birds at
Sand Lake Road and the orange-crate art at DeBary.
Spaces are free and plentiful at most of the stations
where parking is provided. However, the automatic ticket vending machines are
slow and sometimes unreliable. There continue to be problems with a few
crossing gates. But the worst problem is the poorly designed platform canopies
that provide scant protection from the sun and rain. Whoever designed those canopies deserves a kick in the pants.
Grade: B minus
Trains
The SunRail trains are great. They’re comfortable and
well designed. The train crews, especially the conductors, are fabulous.
Grade:
A
Fare
The fare is an outstanding bargain. Try driving round trip
from South Orange County to DeBary in Volusia County for $7.50. Can’t be done.
However, many riders are rightly pissed off with the labeling
of tickets in the vending machines. One ticket selection is for a 7-day ticket,
even though SunRail only runs Monday through Friday. Many riders feel they’re
getting ripped off because you only get 5 days of rides on a 7-day ticket, and
you must use the ticket on 5 consecutive days.
This untruthful labeling highlights just reminds people that SunRail
doesn’t run on weekends. Labeling is equally deceptive for 30-day tickets.
Grade:
C
Reliability
SunRail has an excellent on-time record. But when things
go wrong, it’s time for Katie to bar the door. Most of SunRail problems are
caused by people and vehicles trespassing on the tracks, despite a robust
public-education program.
SunRail’s responses to these problems have been uneven.
SunRail needs to be much better prepared for the unexpected because things are
bound to go wrong. Riders depend on SunRail to get them to their destinations,
regardless problems.
The biggest service deficiency is that SunRail does not
provide service on the weekends or during late-night hours. SunRail remains stubbornly
reluctant to expand service despite a petition signed by more than 2,000
people. Weekend service would mean a tremendous boost to businesses and
cultural venues throughout Central Florida.
Grade:
C minus
Customer
service
We live in the hospitality capital of the world, yet SunRail
doesn’t seem to have much aptitude for customer service. They're not rude, they're neglectful.
Getting rid of the SunRail Ambassadors who worked on the
station platforms was a terrible idea. Even though they were hired as temps,
they proved to be invaluable in answering questions, helping with balky ticket
vending machines and reinforcing operating and safety rules. Riders really
appreciated the assistance provided by the Ambassadors.
SunRail does a poor job of communicating with riders
waiting on platforms when there are service interruptions. We’re happy SunRail
is now working on a text messaging system to contact riders, but why wasn’t
that done before SunRail started operations?
Based on what we’ve seen SunRail needs lessons in disaster
planning and customer recovery. To improve they should reach out to the airlines
and Disney -- businesses that have extensive experience and knowledge in those
subjects.
Grade:
D
SunRail’s
overall grade: B minus
Lynx and Votran also deserve a B grade for providing the essential public bus service that connects
many neighborhoods to SunRail stations.
So what’s your grade for SunRail?
Why do SunRail stations only have 1 cash machine?
Here is another one of those questions we get
all the time from fellow riders. How come there is only a ticket machine on one
SunRail platform that takes cash.
We know one woman – a first time rider – who
only had cash when she came to the station and didn’t realize the cash machine
was on the other platform. So we put the question to a SunRail spokesman.
Here’s his response:
“There
is only one cash machine at
every station due to the additional maintenance and costs associated with
operating a cash machine
(i.e. people try to jam bills into the receptacle, it requires an armored
service to empty the machines, and a place to store and count the cash, etc.). More and more CRT properties
(including Tri-Rail) are moving toward this system of fare collection. If there
are more stations northbound, the cash machine
is on the NB platform. If there are more stations SB, the cash machine is located on the SB
platform. Rationale is, you are more likely to serve the most passengers where
additional destinations are on the line.”
Thursday, September 25, 2014
This is SunRail customer service?
What follows is a note sent to us by a loyal
SunRailRider. We’ll call her Alice from Altamonte Springs.
I miss the Ambassadors, too ... or, at least, I miss the
good ones. When I started at Altamonte Station, we had a really good one who
knew his stuff and was helpful. He disappeared. I don't know what happened. It
could be he left because he knew it was just a "temp job" and he was
offered something better. If so, I sure don't blame him. TEMP JOBS don't
inspire loyalty.
Now I see folks with problems depending on the rest of us
who may be able to help. We do our best. We are usually successful ... but is
this the image SunRail wants to project? Well, I guess it's less expensive.
Further, when the equipment on the platform doesn't work
and someone needs to get where they need to go, what are they supposed to do?
Who can they talk to? How can they let you know they've made a good faith
effort to purchase a ticket? Are all the rest of us supposed to line up behind
him or her to assure you that we've witnessed his/her efforts? Not good.
Since you guys
developed this scenario for your customers, I can only assume you have an
answer. I'm eager to hear it so I can share it with these unfortunates and they
can get to their destination. I personally have seen folks who could not purchase
tickets or, if they had SunRail cards, the cards didn’t work (they didn’t have
"auto load" which, as near as I can tell, is the ONLY failsafe measure
to keep one's SunRail card going".)
So SunRail bosses, what's the answer?
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Step lively, riders!
Much of the time we write about things SunRail can do to
make the service better. There are also things we – SunRail riders – can do to
make the trains run better.
One of the things that always amazes us is how people wait
until the last minute to get off the train at their station. We watch some people
on the upper level wait until the train comes to a complete stop and the doors
open before gathering their belongings to get off.
Seriously?
What are they waiting for?
Next stops are always announced
in advance. What’s wrong with going downstairs so you’re ready to get off as
soon as the train stops?
Riders who delay getting off the train interfere with
passengers who are boarding, and that slows down the train’s arrival at the
next station.
Step lively folks and let’s do our part to keep the trains
on schedule.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Station House will offer life on the fast track at Lake Mary SunRail station
Imagine walking a few yards from the front door of your
home to hop on SunRail for a quick train ride to downtown Orlando.
This isn’t a dream. This description is what life soon will
be like for residents at Station House, the luxury-apartment community that is
being completed adjacent to the Lake Mary SunRail station.
The 200-unit Station House community is being developed
by Epoch Properties, a Winter Park-based firm that has developed 33,000
apartments in 57 cities. The Station House is a perfect example of transit-oriented
development – a community that was planned and built to take maximum advantage
of public transportation.
Convenience is the guiding principle behind the development
of Station House, at 188 E. Crystal Lake Ave. Station House is just a 5-minute
stroll to Lake Mary’s Fourth Street business district that offers a variety of
dining, shopping, recreation and entertainment experiences.
Station House residents are in for a treat. The
four-story mid-rise, private-access community features one-, two- and three-bedroom
apartments. The monthly rent ranges from $1,060 to $1,800.
Each apartment includes upscale finishes including granite
counter-tops, wood-style flooring, wireless- device charging stations and
energy-efficient stainless steel appliances.
Other features include a unique two-story amenities
building housing a 24-hour fitness center; complete concierge services;
business center; summer kitchen ;a patio and a sundeck.
In addition, Station House will have a resort style
swimming pool with cook-out grills and fire pits. For dog lovers there is a dog
park and a canine drinking station. There will also be a parking structure
where residents can leave their cars while they’re riding SunRail.
Construction teams are still working on Station House so
the community won’t be open for tours until late October 2014. Prospective
residents can call 855-229-5085 or email StationHouse012@myLTSmail.com to make a reservation for a tour and request rental
applications. For more information, visit the website at www.EpochLivingStationHouse.com
Friday, September 19, 2014
Why SunRail ridership declined?
The SunRail bosses are at a loss to explain why there was
a ridership decline in August.
Wish we had a good answer, but we noticed that the ridership
decline corresponds with SunRail’s decision to layoff the platform Ambassadors
who were hired to answer questions and assist SunRail riders. In addition,
Ambassadors helped ensure safety and enforce rules – such as no-smoking on
platforms -- at SunRail stations.
All the riders we know say the Ambassadors -- who wore
black monogrammed golf shirts -- were extremely helpful. SunRail bosses don’t think Ambassadors were needed anymore. Now riders are on their own.
Unsure which platform to wait on to catch the train to
Longwood?
Too bad.
Having problems getting a SunRail ticket from a vending machine?
So sorry.
Who knows, maybe a SunRail boss will drop by to answer your
questions.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
SunRail needs a better boss
Central Florida’s Lynx public bus system should be
running SunRail.
That notion may seem off the wall, but it makes sense
because Lynx is in the mass transit business, and the Florida Department of
Transportation – which built and oversees SunRail – is in the road-building
business. Those are two completely different disciplines.
FDOT is top notch when it comes to building roads. They’re
engineers. They care about things, but they’re not exactly warm and fuzzy when
it comes to caring about living and breathing people.
A couple of weeks ago there was a tragic situation at
SunRail when a dead body was found early in the morning on the tracks near the
Sanford station. The public address systems at SunRail stations announced that
SunRail service was canceled for the morning. “We apologize for the
inconvenience,” the announcer added.
We were flabbergasted. SunRail announced service was
canceled as though it was no big deal.
Lynx would have never done that, regardless of the tragic circumstances. They know people are counting on them to get to work. To their
credit, SunRail did resume service that morning. But why did SunRail think
canceling service was an option?
Customer service at SunRail is a joke. When SunRail
launched they had station Ambassadors to answer questions from riders. But they
got rid of the Ambassadors so there’s no one to talk to face to face when you
have a question.
At Lynx Central Station in downtown Orlando there is a
Lynx representative who answers questions and sells bus passes. Oh, and did we
mention that customer service booth is in the bus system’s air-conditioned
passenger lobby. That’s right, air-conditioned – something to think about next
time you’re standing under the skimpy canopy on a SunRail platform in the
blazing sun, or in driving rain.
In addition, Lynx has a platoon of supervisors in marked
cars who patrol the bus routes checking on drivers and answering rider
questions. When SunRail failed a few weeks ago and announced service was
canceled for the morning, it was the Lynx supervisors who led a convoy of buses
to rescue stranded SunRail riders.
Lynx runs 7 days a week, albeit
abbreviated service on the weekends. SunRail provides 4,200 rides
daily. Lynx provides 105,000 rides daily. And as we all know, SunRail doesn't run on weekends, or much during the middle of the day.
SunRail is new and sexy. Lynx is not.
The overwhelming majority of people on Lynx ride because
they don’t have a choice. They can’t afford a car, or for one reason or
another, they can’t drive. It takes a long time to get from Point A to Point B
on Lynx because of traffic congestion and the Lynx bus fleet is too small. Lynx
has 299 buses to serve Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties. Lynx really needs about 700 buses to provide more convenient
service. The problem is that Lynx doesn’t get enough funding, but that’s a
story for another day.
Central Florida won’t get the mass transit it deserves
until bus and rail service is being managed under one roof. Clearly Lynx knows more
and cares more about mass transit than our friends at FDOT.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Anybody home at SunRail?
Early Monday morning one of our favorite riders tweeted that there was a broken sprinkler head at the Sanford SunRail station spewing water like a geyser. She reported this on our Twitter feed, and on SunRail's official Twitter feed. Not a biggie, right? Read on.
Just for the heck of it, we rode up on the train and shot a photo of the geyser, which is right next to the sidewalk that riders use to reach the bus stops and parking lot. We posted the photo on our Twitter feed.
Monday night, the same young lady, on her way home 12 hours after she first reported the problem, tweeted that the sprinkler head was still spewing.
But wait, it gets better! This morning another gentleman reported the same broken sprinkler head was still spewing. Imagine how much water has been wasted. And who pays that water bill?
There's a much bigger issue. Does anybody at SunRail, or the Florida Department of Transportation, even care? Do they care about the concerns of riders? Do they care what's happening at the SunRail stations? We don't see much evidence of their concerns.
They got rid of the platform Ambassadors. They blow off riders pleas for weekend and night service. They downplay complaints about malfunctioning ticket machines. They sell us 7-day tickets, but only provide 5-day-service.Now they're ignoring maintenance requests. "If you see something say something." Yeah, right!
Other than the outside contractors who sweep up at stations, and the train crews, does any SunRail or FDOT official even visit stations on a daily basis?
Mind you, the Sanford station is within a mile or two of SunRail's maintenance and operations base. Yet over a 24-hour period an obvious maintenance problem wasn't addressed. Do they need a pipe wrench? They can borrow ours.
And if they don't care now, just five months since SunRail was launched, what will the stations and trains be like 5 months, or 5 years from today?
Please, would somebody at SunRail or FDOT act like you care and fix the friggin' sprinkler!
UPDATE
At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9, SunRail posted this message on Twitter:
"SunRail operations is working to fix the problem in Sanford immediately. In the future, use our customer hotline 1-855-RAIL-411."
Just for the heck of it, we rode up on the train and shot a photo of the geyser, which is right next to the sidewalk that riders use to reach the bus stops and parking lot. We posted the photo on our Twitter feed.
Monday night, the same young lady, on her way home 12 hours after she first reported the problem, tweeted that the sprinkler head was still spewing.
But wait, it gets better! This morning another gentleman reported the same broken sprinkler head was still spewing. Imagine how much water has been wasted. And who pays that water bill?
There's a much bigger issue. Does anybody at SunRail, or the Florida Department of Transportation, even care? Do they care about the concerns of riders? Do they care what's happening at the SunRail stations? We don't see much evidence of their concerns.
They got rid of the platform Ambassadors. They blow off riders pleas for weekend and night service. They downplay complaints about malfunctioning ticket machines. They sell us 7-day tickets, but only provide 5-day-service.Now they're ignoring maintenance requests. "If you see something say something." Yeah, right!
Other than the outside contractors who sweep up at stations, and the train crews, does any SunRail or FDOT official even visit stations on a daily basis?
Mind you, the Sanford station is within a mile or two of SunRail's maintenance and operations base. Yet over a 24-hour period an obvious maintenance problem wasn't addressed. Do they need a pipe wrench? They can borrow ours.
And if they don't care now, just five months since SunRail was launched, what will the stations and trains be like 5 months, or 5 years from today?
Please, would somebody at SunRail or FDOT act like you care and fix the friggin' sprinkler!
UPDATE
At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9, SunRail posted this message on Twitter:
"SunRail operations is working to fix the problem in Sanford immediately. In the future, use our customer hotline 1-855-RAIL-411."
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Free SunRail train-tracker app
When you step on a SunRail platform the first question
likely to cross your mind is: When is the train coming?
Honestly, SunRail has an excellent on-time record, but
sometimes stuff happens. If you’re like us you want to be sure the train is
coming on time.
Last month SunRail introduced a train tracker on its
website that shows where the train is. That tracker is great if you’re using a
desktop, laptop or a tablet. But that tracker is not so good if you’re standing
on the platform using your smartphone. The official SunRail tracker has not
been optimized for the smaller screen of a smartphone. (Duh!)
Ideally SunRail should have provided a mobile app (one of
those cool icons) you can download to the screen of your smartphone.
Not to worry, though, Ben Gohlke has created an app
called Sol Train 2.0 (Sol = Sun, get it) that you can
download from the Apple App Store.
The app is free and you can also download it to your smartphone by clicking
here.
Ben, an Orlando native and a Lake Mary resident, is an
app developer who works for a digital publishing company in south Orlando near
the Mall of Millenia. Even though Ben doesn’t take SunRail to work because it
doesn’t stop near his office, he is a big fan of the commuter train and has
ridden it for fun with some friends.
Like the rest of us, Ben is perplexed that SunRail isn’t
providing an app, so without any compensation he decided to create one. He
worked on this project nights and weekends with the help us his Mom and some
friends.
As you might imagine creating an app -- a self-contained
program that is designed to execute specific functions – and receiving approval
to distribute it through the Apple App Store is painstaking work. We absolutely
love the fruit of Ben’s labor.
The Sol Train app can quickly help riders answers the two
most important questions: Where is the train I need? How long before it gets to
this station?
In addition, if you’re not at a station, the app will
show you how far you are from the closest station, and how long it will take
you to drive to that station. What’s more, there’s also a Spanish language
version of the Sol Train app. And Ben is already considering upgrades for his
app. This app only works on Apple devices, but Ben is planning to develop an
Android version.
We think Ben (who can be reached through his www.telerisystems.com
website) deserves a standing ovation.
In the interest of full disclosure there is another
SunRail app called Orlando Transit.
Choose the one that works best for you and enjoy.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Feel shortchanged on your SunRail fare?
People
frequently tell us that they feel as though they get shortchanged by SunRail
when they buy a 7-day SunCard because SunRail only runs Monday through Friday.
We
put that question to SunRail, and here’s a written response from a spokesman: “The
weekly passes are good for seven consecutive days from the time you first tap
on for our regular riders. We also offer a stored value card (with a 10 percent
bonus), that operates exactly like your SunPass (toll transponder on cars EDITOR'S NOTE). You are only debited when you
use it, plus you get the 10 percent bonus. That means if you put $100 on your card,
for example, you get $10 worth of additional free rides.”
Are you satisfied by this response?
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Rough day on the rails
On Thursday SunRail had another rough day on the rails.
A freight train derailed near Sanford blocking one of the two tracks used by SunRail, so operations had to be slowed down to let northbound and southbound commuter trains share one set of tracks.
We think SunRail did a much better job this time than they did last Friday. They pushed out messages much faster and more frequently to let riders know what was going on. Good job guys.
Service interruptions, such as the one on Thursday morning are going to happen. Much of the time they are beyond the control of SunRail. What is in SunRail's control and responsibility is to let riders know what's going on.
A freight train derailed near Sanford blocking one of the two tracks used by SunRail, so operations had to be slowed down to let northbound and southbound commuter trains share one set of tracks.
We think SunRail did a much better job this time than they did last Friday. They pushed out messages much faster and more frequently to let riders know what was going on. Good job guys.
Service interruptions, such as the one on Thursday morning are going to happen. Much of the time they are beyond the control of SunRail. What is in SunRail's control and responsibility is to let riders know what's going on.