Alright, so I thought I’d post a comparison video of a BART trainset departing one of its stations and a METRO trainset departing one of our stations. Note that METRO is slower than BART. BART runs either underground or above ground while METRO runs in the middle of the street.
First up, a video I took of BART departing the Montgomery St Station in downtown San Francisco on 25 July 2007:
Compare this against METRO, departing the Central/Encanto Station on 20 November 2008:
Remember that METRO’s still in testing phase. It opens up in 29 days, and it will travel posted speed limits. It’s also designed to be at a stoplight when the light is green for automobile traffic, so it’s exceptionally efficient.
If one wants an idea of how backwards some parts of the Valley of the Sun are, one has to look no further than the naming of a new high school in Gilbert. As preface, there has been some controversy over the name. The name approved by the Gilbert school board is Campo Verde HS. Campo Verde is Spanish for “green field”. So, here’s from today’s Arizona Republic:
Almost 4,700 people filled out the survey conducted after the board received more than 100 angry e-mails about the name, which is Spanish for “green field.” Several complained that the name was Spanish and others said it was too generic. All argued that the district and board should have gotten public input beforehand, prompting a weeklong effort to gather suggestions via e-mail, a student focus group and an online survey. [emphasis mine]
Simply because the name is Spanish is an automatic criterion for disqualification? Really? Two words: GROW UP. On this eve of Thanksgiving, where we celebrate (among other things) the arrival of the Pilgrims from Europe. In short, we’re all a nation of immigrants.
To make my point, I turn to Randall Munroe of the webcomic xkcd and Ryan North of dinosaur comics. Pardon their language but these comics prove my point eloquently:
The point is this: there is not one true American culture. Like it or not, the US is one great melting pot of different races, cultures, languages, and creeds. To say that some is unacceptable because it doesn’t reflect one culture’s homogeneous beliefs is beyond absurd.
For what am I thankful this Thanksgiving? I’m thankful for people who understand and are tolerant of other cultures. I’m thankful for people that realize that the US is not just one culture but many cultures. I’m thankful for people that seek to end cultural stereotypes and cultural inequities. Or, in other words, I’m thankful for people who get it.
Happy Thanksgiving! O, ¡feliz Día de Acción de Gracias!
During the course of the campaign, I refrained from making comment on Sen. McCain’s running-mate, Gov. Sarah Palin and how there were times when I thought that she just didn’t get it.
And then videotape emerged of her executing an interview whilst turkeys were being executed in the background. The irony? This was just after she pardoned a turkey in Alaska.
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On 20 November 2008, METRO Light Rail, in conjunction with the Heard Museum, held a unveiling of the landmark sign for the Central/Encanto METRO station. Local dignitaries and media were there to cover the event.
Here are some photos and videos to share! If you cannot see the pictures and/or videos, then stop by my blog to see them!
First up, some pictures from the day Next, a video of Phoenix councilman Tom Simplot’s remarks and the actual unveiling .
Finally, a video of a two-car trainset departing the station heading southbound
It’s Bach’s Fugue in e minor, S.548/2, nicknamed the “Wedge”. If you look at the score for this, the main fugue subject looks like a wedge. And that subject is replayed at key places throughout, in either the manualiteror the pedaliter. Speaking of which, it has a great pedal part, by the way…
A couple of quick thoughts on the bailout bill and how the bill seems fundamentally flawed:
I’m not happy with the idea of bailing out businesses who have made mistakes. If I made poor investment decisions, where’s my money from the government?
On bailing out the American auto industry: if we did that, then there would have to be some fundamental changes to what they do. The auto industry would have to start turning out significantly more fuel-efficient autos, producing autos that don’t need gasoline to run, make contributions to transit systems, etc. For instance, 50% of cars sold would have to be powered by alternate fuels (hydrogen, CNG, solar, electric, etc., but not ethanol) and those that are still gas-powered, the average city fuel economy should be 35mpg.
Whatever the government does, there would have to be strict standards. You want money? Then you have to do these things.
“The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work and then they get elected and prove it.”
On 10 November 2008, Keith Olbermann on his program Countdown expressed some thoughts on what marriage apparently isn’t now in society.
As preface, and Mr. Olbermann says it eloquently: “I don’t have a personal investment in this: I’m not gay, I had to strain to think of one member of even my very extended family who is.” But, unlike Mr. Olbermann, I have personal stories of close friends or colleagues fighting the prejudice that still pervades their lives.
“With your knowledge that life, with endless vigor, seems to tilt the playing field on which we all live, in favor of unhappiness and hate… this is what your heart tells you to do? You want to sanctify marriage? You want to honor your God and the universal love you believe he represents? Then Spread happiness—this tiny, symbolic, semantical grain of happiness—share it with all those who seek it. Quote me anything from your religious leader or book of choice telling you to stand against this. And then tell me how you can believe both that statement and another statement, another one which reads only ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’”
Before I get too involved with this post, I should mention that there are:
50 days before METRO’s grand opening!
A question that I’m asked a lot concerns the schedules of METRO Light Rail when it opens up on 27 December 2008. Will I have enough time to shuttle between classes? Will the Tempe/Downtown Phoenix intercampus shuttle go away?
Here’s what I know based on e-mails and contacts to people who are in the know:
METRO LIGHT RAIL SCHEDULES AND FREQUENCIES At this time, we only know frequencies and not an exact schedule. A telephone call to the METRO Light Rail helpdesk affirmed this statement. Here’s what we do know, however:
It will take about 25 minutes to get from the Downtown Phoenix campus stations (Central or 1st Avenue at Van Buren Street) to Tempe. I’m not sure what is meant by “Tempe”, but I would assume Mill Ave/3rd Street.
The frequency of METRO’s service is posted at METRO’s website here. Given that you’ll have to wait (theoretically) at most 10 minutes between 6a-7p and 20 minutes between 5-6a and 7-12midnight, allow yourself 35-40 minutes to get to Tempe.
Having been on the sprawling Tempe campus, a safe bet would be to allow yourself no less than 45 minutes between classes on the Downtown Phoenix and Tempe campuses. Ideally, give yourself an hour.
Remember that you’ll need an ASU bus pass to ride METRO for free.
WHERE DO I BOARD METRO LIGHT RAIL? WHAT’S THE BEST STOP FOR ME AT THE TEMPE CAMPUS? Good question! Read on:
On the Downtown Phoenix campus, there are two sets of stops that work. If you’re at University Center, Cronkite/Eight, Taylor Place, or NHI, use 1st Avenue/Van Buren Street to head east to the Tempe campus. If you’re at the Mercado, use 4th Street/Jefferson Street to head to Tempe.
Remember, though, when you’re arriving back to the Downtown Phoenix campus, for University Center, Cronkite/Eight, Taylor Place, or NHI, disembark METRO at the Central Avenue/Van Buren Street station. For the Mercado, disembark at the 3rd Street/Washington Street station.
On the Tempe campus, there are three stops (from northwest to southeast): Mill Avenue/3rd Street, College Avenue/5th Street, and Rural Road/University Drive.
All three METRO stops on the Tempe campus are on the north end of that campus. If the FLASH buses don’t change their routes, then the best bet to get to the south end of the Tempe campus would be to disembark at the Mill/3rd St station and transfer to a FLASH FORWARD or FLASH BACK bus. (For our purposes, the FLASH University Drive buses wouldn’t do much.)
INTERCAMPUS SHUTTLES I received an e-mail about the shuttles this afternoon. Here’s what’s happening:
When METRO Light Rail comes on board 27 December 2008, the Downtown Phoenix/Tempe intercampus shuttles will stop as METRO makes the shuttles redundant.
The West/Tempe and Polytechnic/Tempe intercampus shuttles will still operate and still terminate at the Tempe campus. It had been mentioned that the West/Tempe would terminate at the 19th Ave/Montebello METRO station and students would transfer to METRO there, but this will not be happening.
New this semester was every third West/Tempe intercampus shuttle making an intermediate stop at the Downtown Phoenix campus. This service will continue.
This list is by no means complete and the information will change as I get more of it. A new Valley Metro Bus Book will be released in a couple weeks’ time and we might get a complete METRO Light Rail schedule then.
