Use SunRail to entertain out-of-town Thanksgiving guests

Here’s an idea: How about using SunRail as an inexpensive way to entertain out-of-town guests who are visiting you for the Thanksgiving holiday?

You already know that SunRail isn’t running on Thanksgiving Day. But it is running on the Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving.

Put your guests on SunRail -- or be their SunRail guide. Riding SunRail and checking out points of interest along the way will easily eat up much of the day. It will be fun, too!

It’s our bet is that Sand Lake Road will be one of the busiest SunRail stations because it’s a little more than a mile from fabulous Florida Mall – considered one of the most robust shopping malls in the nation. Riders can get a free transfer from SunRail to a Lynx bus that will take them to the mall.

At Sand Lake Road, riders can also transfer to the Lynx bus that will take them to Orlando International Airport – about a 10-minute ride. (This could spare you from having to drive a departing guest all the way to OIA and put up with the insane traffic.

Here’s a cheat sheet for points of interest near many of the SunRail stations.

·        DeBary – Gemini Springs Park is a leisurely bike ride from the SunRail station. You’ll need to bring your bikes with you on the train.

·        Sanford – At the train station there’s a free trolley that takes riders to downtown Sanford, which is filled with restaurants, craft breweries and a variety of shops. Sanford is situated on the St. Johns River and has a beautiful waterfront. This city also hosts the southern end of the Amtrak Auto Train service. People waiting for the train to leave can ride a free trolley from the Amtrak station to downtown Sanford.

·        Lake Mary – A restaurant and dining district is barely 2 blocks from the SunRail station. The town square at City Hall frequently hosts special public events.

·        Winter Park – This is Central Florida’s best-known boutique district. It’s filled with a wide variety of shops, restaurants and museums. Winter Park also hosts a golf course, several museums, tourist attractions, Rollins College and an Amtrak station. SunRail and Amtrak stop in the heart of Winter Park.

·        Advent Health/Florida Hospital – This station is down the street from Loch Haven Park, which is the home of the Orlando Science Center, the Mennello Museum of Folk Art; the Orlando Reparatory Theater; the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre and the Orlando Museum of Art.

·        Orlando – Downtown Orlando hosts the downtown campus for the University of Central Florida and Valencia College; the FAMU law school; the Orange County History Center; the Orange County Main Library; the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts; Amway Center, the Orlando City Soccer stadium; and a wide variety of shops and restaurants. There are 2 stations in downtown Orlando – Lynx Central and Church Street. The Church Street stop is close to the entertainment venues.

·        Orlando Health – This station is around the corner from ORMC – Central Florida’s largest hospital. It is also an easy walk to the Pulse memorial on Orange Avenue.

·        Kissimmee – Once the capital of Florida’s booming cattle industry, you can still find frontier flourishes in Historic Downtown Kissimmee, which features shops and Central Florida’s largest district of independent restaurants offering everything from barbecue to Mediterranean fare. The train stops a half block from the Broadway business district. The train station is also only one block from Lake Toho (Tohopekaliga), one of the nation’s best-known largemouth bass lakes.

·        Poinciana – This is the southern end of SunRail service. There is a Home Depot (more Christmas shopping) and a really cool ice cream shop within a block of the station.

Happy Thanksgiving. See you on The Rail.

Southbound Magic game-night service returns

Beginning with the Orlando Magic regular-season opener Oct. 23 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, FDOT is again running a special late-night SunRail train that leaves from the southbound Church Street Station. 

FDOT has decided to fully fund this additional train, as it enhances service for its southern customers who embraced this expanded service last season. The FDOT funding only covers the 2019-2020 regular season.

The later train service will coincide with all Orlando Magic regular season 2019-2020 home games at the Amway Center played Monday through Friday. If passengers—attending the game or staying downtown late—wish to take the southbound train home those nights, they should make their way to the southbound platform at Church Street Station, where the train will stage and leave for points south at 10:30 p.m. Regular fares apply.

The northbound route, where the last train normally leaves the northern Church Street Station platform at 10:30 p.m., will stay the same.

When you gotta go, you gotta go!

Have you ever been waiting 30 minutes or more for the SunRail train, and suddenly you have an urge to use the bathroom?

You are not alone.

We’ve all been there.

One of the biggest complaints many riders express is that SunRail did not include restrooms in their stations (though there is a restroom on the train).

That said, we understand and support that SunRail decision because public restrooms are costly to maintain and become a breeding ground for illegal and undesirable activities.

But that explanation doesn’t help you answer the call of nature. So, we’ve prepared this cheat sheet to help you find relief at some stations.

Winter Park: Restroom inside the Amtrak station.

Lynx Central Station: Restroom inside the Lynx bus station

Orlando Health/Amtrak station: Restroom inside the Amtrak station

Sand Lake Road: (This is the mother lode) There are public restrooms inside the nearby McDonald’s, Burger King and Denny’s restaurants, and across the street at the Wawa convenience store.

Kissimmee station: There are restrooms a block from the station at the Hart Memorial Public Library (you can see the library from the northbound platform), down the platform at the Amtrak station, and a couple of blocks away at Lakefront Park.

Poinciana station: Restrooms across the street at the Wawa convenience store and at the Home Depot.

If you know of restrooms at any other SunRail stations, please share that information with us.

See you on The Rail, not at the restroom.

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SunRail schedule change coming

SunRail is making some minor schedule changes effective October 14, and the schedule may be viewed here. This update does not affect all trains and, in most instances, only moves the departure time from one to five minutes later. This minor adjustment will alleviate traffic congestion by reducing the instances in which trains traveling north and south arrive at the Longwood station at the same time, tying up traffic signals.

There is one change of 30 minutes, affecting one train – P338, which travels northbound in the evening. After conducting surveys with riders and meeting with major hospitals, it was concluded that this adjustment will create more opportunities for shift workers to take the train to and from work.

Current bus schedules are not affected by this change and other connections such as the Kissimmee Connector and Sanford Trolley will agree with the update as well.

Important news for SunRail riders

SunRail wants riders to know that some very important changes are happening today. Here is what they said:

"SunRail has a new way to capture data on riders not tapping on or off, or riding beyond their purchased zone fare. Beginning Monday, Sept. 30, riders demonstrating these types of misuse will have their SunCards hot-listed.

Riders with a hot-listed card will receive a red “X” at the validator and on the conductor’s handheld validator device. To keep the red X from making you an ex-rider, customers must then contact the call center: (Toll Free) 1-855-RAIL-411 (724-5411). Hours: Mon - Fri, 5:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

"SunRail’s goal is for all riders to do the right thing; SunRail’s fare policy says a rider must have fare to board the train. And right from the policy, “Unless the ticket or pass has been validated, the fare media is not considered valid for travel.” Another positive outcome in tapping on and off, and promoting good rider habits, is it allows the ability to collect more accurate ridership data. This benefits the four counties in the system. And, managing your SunCard account is easier than ever with the SunRail app, where riders can even set up a recurring feature to automatically reload their card.

"On the front line, the ambassador team, and conductors are there to assist, and will explain that riders must tap on AND off each time they board and alight the train and must purchase the correct number of fare zones. This education effort is in anticipation of enabling max fare in mid-November, which means those who don’t tap on and off each time could end up paying full fare; $5 one way.

"Also, this week, and as a reminder to customers, the SunRail text alert service at 31,996 is coming to an end Wednesday, Oct. 2. Future alerts will be sent through the free SunRail app, as well as on Twitter and at SunRail.com.

"Customers are reminded to update their app and allow push notifications. The move to the service alerts on the app offers a place where customers can view train schedules, connectivity options and catch up on the latest SunRail news and information all in one location. Learn more at www.sunrail.com."

Riders willing to pay extra for weekend SunRail

Many SunRail riders are willing to pay more on Saturday and Sunday for weekend train service.

That’s the result of a Facebook poll that SunRailRiders recently conducted.

Ever since SunRail launched five years ago, riders and the general public have been angry and frustrated that SunRail doesn’t provide weekend service.

For the Facebook poll we asked the question: Would you pay an extra $1 on a Saturday or Sunday for weekend SunRail service?

Of the nearly 400 who responded, 93% voted yes.

“I would be happy to get to downtown Sanford on weekends from SoDo without the I-4 nightmare,” John wrote on Facebook.

Many respondents said they would be willing to pay $5 or $10 more on the weekends for service because it was cheaper than taxis and ride-share.

There is a bone of contention, though.

People who have monthly or annual SunCards say it would be unfair to force them to pay more for weekend service.

“Why should I pay an extra dollar to ride on the weekend when I currently have a 30-day (SunRail) pass? I pay monthly and therefore I should not have to pay extra…A SunRail pass shortchanges the user at least 8 days,” Jeff wrote.

Those objecting to a weekend upcharge are right.

People with monthly and annual SunCards are SunRail’s ridership backbone.

They shouldn’t have to pay one penny more.

SunRail service isn’t cheap. An upcharge for those who use the train only on the weekends makes sense to help offset some of the operating costs.

SunRail is at a critical crossroad. In less than two years the Florida Department of Transportation will pass the management and financial responsibility for SunRail to the local funding partners – Orlando, Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties.

We posed the Facebook poll question to make sure that local leaders know what kind of service the community expects and deserves.

Weekend service should be basic.

Many people in Central Florida do not work a traditional Monday to Friday bankers’ hours' schedule. The caregivers at local hospitals, airport workers and those employed in the service industry need a full-time train service, especially on the weekends.

On the few occasions when SunRail offered weekend service, the trains were slammed with passengers.

Weekend service is great for business – especially small businesses, recreation activities, such as theaters, sports venues and cultural activities.

See you on The Rail!

Riders vote for Saturday SunRail, but that's only half the answer

If SunRail could only run on one weekend day, SunRailRiders unanimously voted for Saturday.

That was the response to a recent poll we conducted on Facebook.

Nearly 400 riders responded to the question: “If SunRail could only run either Saturday or Sunday, which would you prefer?”

Of those respondents, 93 percent voted for Saturday.

Comments left by respondents included:

Dale: “Saturday would make the most sense. More businesses and events are on Saturday than Sunday.”

However, most of the comments were like this:

Lisa: “For the love of God, please do both.”

Ilene: “Here’s a thought – the WHOLE WEEKEND.”

Diane: “Why is both not an option?”

Support for weekend service is especially strong among people who work at Orlando International Airport; the service industry and hospital caregivers. (There are a half dozen hospitals that are either at SunRail stations, or very close the SunRail stops.)

In less than 2 years, the Florida Department of Transportation will transfer the financial and operational responsibility to local governments. That creates a huge opportunity to improve SunRail service.

We want to ensure that local elected leaders clearly understand the level of SunRail service this community expects and needs.

SunRail service that is available only on weekdays, with a schedule focused on bankers’ hours, has been a major disappointment to everyone. Thousands of people who want to use the train have never been able to ride because the service is not available on the weekends.

The people have spoken.

Are local-elected officials listening?

See you on The Rail.

SunRail security totally misses the problem

We want to thank SunRail for trying to solve the perpetual, overwhelming trash problem at SunRail’s Lynx Central Station. Unfortunately, that effort was a swing and a miss.

The northbound platform at Lynx Central Station is covered in trash. One of the major factors contributing to that problem is that homeless people camp overnight on the northbound platform, leaving behind empty food and beer containers, flattened cardboard boxes that are used as sleeping pads and biological substances (yes, just what you think).

Every morning before the first northbound train arrives, the SunRail ambassador wakes up the homeless campers and asks them to leave the platform.

After we published numerous posts haranguing about this issue, SunRail hired a security guard to patrol the northbound platform.

Here is what SunRail told us: “Private security has been on duty since August 8. The hours are Monday-Friday, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. They are paid $20/hour, roughly.

“They are there to assist the ambassadors. They are former law enforcement, familiar with community policing and working with the public.

“LYNX Central is the only station to have this. The increased visibility is meant to cut down on loitering, littering, as well as to increase safety. The LYNX Central Station is a key intermodal facility. We anticipate it will see much use by students and faculty attending the new UCF/Valencia campus, who choose to ride SunRail to and from school.

“The security measures will be monitored and adjusted, as needed.”

But wait a minute, the guard is working from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.?

The actual problem is at 5 a.m., not 3 p.m.

SunRail’s solution solves nothing.

Ideally, a security guard would be assigned to the station 24/7. That’s the approach Orange County took when there were some problems at the Sand Lake Road SunRail station. The problems evaporated.

The problems at Lynx Central Station are largely confined to the northbound platform. Issues are few on the southbound platform that is closest to the Lynx bus boarding bays that are patrolled by uniformed, armed security 24/7. Lynx also has at least one person dedicated to cleaning the bus-boarding area.

If SunRail can’t afford around-the-clock security, then at least assign the guard to work from 5 a.m. to 9 or 10 a.m.

Homelessness is a complex social and economic problem that is beyond the responsibility of SunRail. Letting the northbound platform at Lynx Central Station lapse into an unofficial homeless shelter is not a solution. It’s a failure of community and government leadership.

More services for the homeless are badly needed throughout the Central Florida region. Real solutions include livable wages; more mental health services; free access to public restrooms and laundry; transitional and affordable housing options and a drop-in center where homeless people can go during the daytime.

See you on The Rail.

SunRail was AWOL at the big transportation meeting

During Orange County’s standing-room-only transportation public meeting on Wednesday night, SunRail was AWOL.

Think about that for a moment.

There are only 2 public transportation providers in Central Florida – Lynx and SunRail.

The Lynx acting CEO participated in the meeting and gave an extensive briefing on the bus system’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.

As we reported earlier, SunRail CEO Nicola Liquori has moved to another position and we wish her well.

But what’s up with Mike Shannon, the Florida Department of Transportation District Secretary who declared he would assume the role of running SunRail?

In addition to SunRail, Mr. Shannon is responsible for overseeing ongoing FDOT projects and planning in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia, Flagler, Brevard, Sumter and Marion counties.

If Mr. Shannon is running SunRail, then how come he didn’t participate in the largest transportation meeting held in many years.

The public attending Wednesday’s meeting deserved a deeper understanding of the role SunRail plays in the region’s transportation future.

The SunRail participation was especially required for the public to understand that the responsibility for running SunRail will be transferred from the state to local governments in less than 2 years.

If Ms. Liquori was still running SunRail, we have no doubt she would have participated in the meeting.

Mr. Shannon has too much on his plate to be the hands-on leader of SunRail.

That is why earlier this week we wrote that SunRail needs and deserve a new, full-time CEO.

Mr. Shannon’s miss on Wednesday proved our point.

Why SunRail needs a full-time CEO

Railroad locomotives have a “dead man’s switch” that automatically shuts down the train if the engineer becomes incapacitated or leaves the driver’s seat.

So, who is in the driver’s seat at SunRail now that Nicola Liquori, the commuter train system’s CEO, has moved to her new assignment heading the Florida Turnpike Enterprise?

We’re told that Mike Shannon, the Florida Department of Transportation Secretary for District 5, will be running SunRail.

We don’t know Mr. Shannon, but we’ll assume he is top-notch manager. His present scope of responsibilities is humongous overseeing FDOT projects and planning in Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia counties.

Now Mr. Shannon is going to oversee day-to-day operations at SunRail?

The SunRail operations center is in Sanford.

Mr. Shannon’s district office is in DeLand. The SunRail train doesn’t even go to DeLand -- much to the disappointment of many Volusia County leaders and prospective riders.

Admittedly we were a bit suspicious when Ms. Liquori was appointed SunRail’s CEO three summers ago.

Ms. Liquori was a CPA -- a numbers cruncher with no railroading background when she arrived at SunRail. She proved to be a quick study and an effective, decisive leader.

Ms. Liquori was the right executive at the right time.

Until Ms. Liquori’s arrival other SunRail and FDOT officials dismissed rider complaints about SunRail’s anemic schedule, especially the lack of weekend trains.

By contrast, Ms. Liquori publicly admitted that the SunRail schedule was the system’s single biggest deficiency. Her candor was refreshing and instilled confidence in her leadership.

Though limited by a lack of resources and legal authority to add weekend service, Ms. Liquori worked around the edges to make incremental adjustments in weekday service – including trains to support some nighttime events in downtown Orlando.

Anyone who attended a SunRail Customer Advisory Committee meeting knows Ms. Liquori was laser-focused on improving the passenger experience.

Nothing beats having an executive whose sole focus is SunRail.

Considering all the FDOT projects underway in Central Florida, does Mr. Shannon have the bandwidth to give SunRail and its riders the attention they deserve?

This is no time for caretaker leadership.

SunRail deserves and needs a full-time CEO.

Orange County has a serious talk about funding SunRail

If you have difficulty getting from Point A to Point B in Central Florida, then you should attend a very important meeting scheduled for this Wednesday (Aug. 21).

The meeting was called by Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings to discuss transportation -- everything from roads to SunRail and the Lynx bus system.

During his first State of the County address Demings floated the idea of seeking voter approval for a 1-cent sales tax increase in Orange County to help pay for needed improvements to public transportation.

In that speech, Demings said, “I am convinced that now is the time for us to seek multi-modal transportation options that will increase frequency of public transit so more people will use it,” Mayor Demings said.

“Now is the time to collectively arrive at a comprehensive solution that will foster an environment where a transportation network is fully funded. I invite our community to consider support of a sales tax referendum to prepare for the future today. I look forward to leading efforts to pass a one-cent sales tax increase that will allow us to fully fund a transportation system that can better serve us well into the future.”

He promised to call meetings to discuss transportation needs.

Wednesday's event, which will be held in a second-floor conference room at Lynx Central Station in downtown Orlando.

The timing for this meeting is critical because in 2021 the state will hand financial responsibility for SunRail to local governments and those governments will need to come up with more than $30 million to keep the train running.

Meanwhile, Lynx struggles to serve three counties with a fleet of barely more than 300 buses. By comparison, the Orange County School District has a fleet of 900 buses to serve one county. Many passengers must wait an hour for buses because the fleet is too small, and the system is poorly funded.

Improving public transit gives residents an alternative to driving their cars everywhere – especially when heading to downtown Orlando, where congestion is the worst and parking is expensive.

“Now is the time to move forward and not go back, now is the time to build a better quality of life not only for us but for generations to come,” Demings said during the State of the County speech.

County officials said they're seeking the public's thoughts on:

·        Public transportation

·        Congested roads

·        Pedestrian crossings

·        Traffic signals and technology

Wednesday’s meeting will start at 6 p.m.

Lynx Central Station is a perfect location because it is easy to reach by folks who ride SunRail and Lynx.

For motorists, parking is available at the Amelia Street Parking Garage (Centroplex), 355 Alexander Place.

Park your car at the Centroplex and bring your parking ticket with you. It will be validated at the meeting so you can park for free.

Changing of the guard at SunRail

SunRail CEO Nicola Liquori was just appointed the new executive director of the Florida Turnpike Enterprise.

That’s a big win for the Florida Turnpike, but a major loss for SunRail.

Ms. Liquori took the helm at SunRail three summers ago. Before becoming the SunRail CEO, Ms. Liquori was the Chief Financial Officer for the Florida Turnpike Enterprise.

You probably read elsewhere that the Florida Turnpike Enterprise has been a disaster zone since last year when the state was supposed to be updating the high-tech SunPass toll system. That changeover collapsed into a financial and accounting calamity that still has not been resolved.

Though we hate to see Ms. Liquori leave, she’s an excellent choice to sort out the mess at the Florida Turnpike.

At SunRail Ms. Liquori – a certified public accountant -- was a decisive problem-solver.

A few of her SunRail accomplishments include:

·        Managing SunRail’s southern expansion into Osceola County, which doubled SunRail’s daily ridership.

·        Launching the text-messaging system to alert riders when there are service interruptions. Before Ms. Liquori came aboard the text-alert system was debated for nearly a year. Riders wanted the system, while some consultants said it wasn’t needed.

·        Introduction of the SunRail app. This is another amenity requested by riders.

·        Despite budget limitations, she found ways to occasionally offer trains to support some events in downtown Orlando. The SunRail schedule – especially the lack of weekend service -- remains a major disappointment for many people. Despite that, Ms. Liquori always demonstrated a willingness to look for ways to improve the schedule.

·        Managed the installation of the federally mandated Positive Train Control safety system. The system, which is designed to help prevent trains from running into each other, or de-railing due to high speeds, is expected to be fully operational on the SunRail tracks that run from DeLand to Poinciana. This system also helps protect the Amtrak and freight trains that use the SunRail tracks.

Since its launch in 2014, SunRail has operated under the leadership of FDOT, with Bombardier Transportation, running the trains. The state has been paying most of the operating costs. But in the summer of 2021, the financial responsibility for SunRail will be passed to the local funding partners that include: Orlando, Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Volusia counties.

Consultants are working on plans for that management transition.

Now that Ms. Liquori has left SunRail, the operation will be led by the Florida Department of Transportation District 5 Secretary Mike Shannon.

Please clean up Lynx Central station platform

Can’t believe we’re writing about this again, but: How many bureaucrats does it take to clean the northbound SunRail platform at Lynx Central Station?

The answer: Too many.

During the past several months we’ve written about the horrific trash and sanitation problem at that station numerous times.

Most mornings riders getting off at that station must walk through a smelly trash pile on their way to work at the Orange County Courthouse and other destinations. (The accompanying photo was sent to us by a rider.)

In addition to sheer neglect, the problem is compounded because there is a major problem with homelessness in downtown. Many homeless people camp out at the station overnight and on the weekends.

Addressing homelessness is a complex social issue that we’re not going to be able to solve in this article but cleaning up the trash should be easy.

A couple of months ago a woman and her boyfriend voluntarily picked up all the trash one day. That was awfully nice of them to voluntarily do that, but it’s not their responsibility.

The responsibility belongs to SunRail and the City of Orlando. That’s why people pay train fares and taxes – to take care of public spaces.

We keep asking Orlando City Hall and SunRail about the problem, and we keep getting the runaround.

Last week we reached out to City Hall. Here is the answer we received from Mayor Buddy Dyer’s spokeswoman:

"As previously discussed, the city is aware of the issue however, the area to the east of the station is owned and maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

"Both parties have agreed that the investment in a more permanent solution would be justified as a result of the ongoing maintenance required and both agencies are exploring options to address the issue."

What does that mean?

Beats us…

We're on the list of communities with the worst traffic congestion

No one reading this would be surprised to know that metro Orlando is one of the worst commuter cities in the nation.

The ranking appeared in a recent issue of Business Insider.

The Orlando area ranked No. 18., with an average commute time of 29.4 minutes for motorists. Depending on where you live and where you’re headed to work, your commute could be much longer.

South Orange traffic, SunRail upper right

The only Florida community with a worse commute was Miami, ranked No. 17, with an average commute of 29.9 minutes.

Our friends in the Tampa Bay area have a much better commute because it was ranked No. 27, with an average commute of 27.9 minutes.

The Deltona/Daytona Beach area is also among the top 50. It’s ranked No. 50 with an average commute of 25.3 minutes. (This is why we strongly support extending SunRail service to DeLand)

It’s noteworthy that Florida has 7 metro areas listed among the top 50 –also including Jacksonville, Fort Myers, and Winter Haven.

California was the only state with more metro areas on the list – 9.

Why should you worry?

Because time is money. Think about it:

·        People stuck in their cars on the highways, or creeping along at 5 mph on clogged streets are wasting hundreds of dollars every year in fuel costs, wear and tear on their vehicles and more.

·        New businesses offering greater employment opportunities consider traffic when they’re deciding where to expand their operations.

Traffic congestion hurts quality of life. It makes people feel more stressed out. Time sitting in your car bumper to bumper is the time you could have been with your family or working out in the gym.

The traffic situation is not getting any better because alternate transportation options – Lynx and SunRail – are very weak.

For decades our leaders and local governments have failed to invest in these systems.

The investments make a big difference.

Charlotte, N.C. is like metro Orlando in many ways. But the commute is much better there. Charlotte is ranked No. 30, with an average daily commute of 27.3 minutes.

One factor that makes things better in Charlotte is that the community has a much better full-service transit service with an integrated system of light-rail trains and buses.

The light-rail runs 7-days a week and there are about 500 buses in its fleet. By comparison, SunRail runs bakers’ hours on weekdays only and Lynx only has 300 buses.

Osceola County voters recently shot down a proposal to increase sales taxes by one penny to improve transportation. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings recently proposed one penny increase in the sales tax.

Will voters go for it?

Who knows?

Easing traffic and fixing our inadequate public transit services get more expensive the longer we wait.