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PollWould you all be happy with Configuration C or Configuration B for the new BART Cars?
1. Concept C http://bart.gov/docs/cars/interiorConepage.pdf
80%
2. Concept B http://bart.gov/docs/cars/interiorBonepage.pdf
20%
3. Concept D http://bart.gov/news/articles/2012/news20120112.aspx
0%
Total votes: 5
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BART blunder continuesfrom SfGate Embarrassed BART officials are taking the blame for a computer crash that stranded 35,000 commuters for over an hour at the height of the Wednesday evening commute. "We're apologizing,'' said BART spokesman Linton Johnson. "We screwed up. In a rush to do the right thing, we messed up.'' To read the rest click here |
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All I have to say is that I
All I have to say is that I am a VP of technology and if I did something this stupid, I'd be out of a job. I left my office a 4:30 and got home at 7:30, I was so mad ;-)
That's right Linton..."in a
That's right Linton..."in a rush". Does BART management ever think things all the way through? Does anyone in that Ivory Tower have the ability to see the whole picture? Or are they too busy putting relatives on the payroll? No one at BART will be fired over this big SNAFU. It will all be blamed on the company who wrote the software....according to BART's specs. GIGO is not a term we hear much anymore but at BART it is standard operating procedure. Much like the software written for the DMV, millions of dollars have been spent on software for BART that will never work, no matter how much they tweak it.
You 2 make a good point. Who
You 2 make a good point.
Who does the managers of BART have to answer to when they fail?
An Operator gets the blame for a lot of thigs I am sure, which when they add up, lead to dicipinary actions and possilby termination.
When BART managers fail, who do they answer to or do they just have to answer to themsleves and other managers?
It seems, as long as the cash flow is going, then things are cool even in the light of operational trouble.
If no one rode the bart for a week do to mechanical/computer failure, how would that effect the pocket books of the BART mgt. and system operators. Im sure mgt could care less about the effects on the Bar Area traffic and commute, but would they care about their bank accounts?
Just curious.
Tom Margro, General Manager
Tom Margro, General Manager in particular, answers only to the BART Board of Directors who are all elected by the general public. If you are as angry as you should be with last week's computer failure that frustrated so many commuters, you should be contacting your Director and demanding termination of the responsible employee and not some scapegoat(and the "buck stops' with Margro). To find out which Director represents you, log on to www.bart.gov and click on "about BART". The drop down menu will show Directors. Click on that to find out which Director represents your district. Or...on this webpage in the upper right corner,where it says "click here for the Official BART website" it will take you right to www.bart.gov.
Your point about hitting BART in the bank account is a very good one. BART management pays attention when cash flow is affected. Isn't that why fares were raised and they started charging for parking? By the way, rumor is that the parking fees have increased cash flow noticably so every station with available parking will have paid parking!
AND SPEAKING OF THAT: Isn't it unconscionable that BART is charging $5/day at West Oakland but only $1.00 at Rockridge??? Do you know why? Get this logic. Because the "overflow lot", which is run by some guy who owns the gas station across the street, has been charging $5/day to those commuters who got to the West Oakland after the BART parking lot was full. So, BART Management, in it's infinite lack of wisdom, decided it would be ok to gouge their riders for the same amount in their lot! Now tell me, where would you feel SAFER parking your car?
WHY ARE ALL TRAINS BREAKING
WHY ARE ALL TRAINS BREAKING DOWN NOW? FIRST THE FIRE, THEN COMPUTER PROBLEMS NOW BROKEN DOWN TRAINS GOING OUT OF SERVICE CAUSING DELAYS. WHEN WILL BART STOP TAKING SHORT CUTS. THEY ARE PURPOSELY LETTING THE SYSTEM DEGRADE TO NON-FUNCTIONAL.
I HEAR BART IS SUBCONTRACTING OUT EVERYTHING AND CUTTING CORNERS, YET THEY DRIVE THEIR TRAINS ON OVERTIME ALL THE WAY OVER TO DALY CITY FOR WASHING BECAUSE IT IS BETTER THAN THE WASHER IN CONCORD. GO FIGURE. THEY CAN PAY OVERTIME TO GET THE TRAINS WASHED BUT NOT TO MAKE THEM WORK CORRECTLY.
Washed? BART trains? When?
Washed? BART trains? When? The outside is as filthy as the inside. I haven't seen a clean BART train in I can't remember how long. As to why they are breaking down....you do know that BART always takes the lowest bid don't you? Expect those wonderful "brand new" ticket machines to start breaking down pretty soon along with those "brand new" gates. Recent article in the Chronicle stated that the escalators at the South San Francisco station (what? two years old right?)were broken down several weeks & out of warranty. BART spends more money on feasability studies, outside consultants and other conflict of interest expenses than it does on maintaining rolling stock and other necessary equipment.
Trains are washed nightly.
Trains are washed nightly. You forget that some of those cars have been in service for over 15 years. Those cars don't get to sit in a garage and be protected from the elements. They're outside 95% of the time. They sit out at Daly City with the fog, and salty mist. They sit out at Concord and Bay Point in the summer when it's over 100 degrees everyday. 15 years of no protection from the weather and elements will make any vehicle look like sh*t.
And for the record, when there is bidding on a project, how many times have you seen a organization or company take the HIGHEST bid? Majority of companies will always accept the lowest bid, because they believe a penny saved is a penny earned. I bet you Caltrans is gonna accept the lowest bid on the Bay Bridge project. So in reality, BART is no different from any other organization in that regard.
Well, you've got me on the
Well, you've got me on the low bid point. Can you refute the money spent on feasibilty studies and consulting fees? I'm bettin' BART has some brilliant minds "in house" but for whatever reason doesn't access that knowledge. I read somewhere on this website that a lot of BART employees have college degrees and even Masters degrees. Like any other agency that receives government money, you've got to spend it to prove that you need more of it even if that means spending it foolishly.
I can't refute that, but
I can't refute that, but again, how is BART so different from any other organization in that regard? I worked as a project manager for a major telecom company a few years ago, and the same thing went on there. They were paying all these "consultants" double, and sometimes triple of what we were making to come in and do work, and in reality, they didn't do s*it. All major companies/organizations spend money on dumb stuff and your last statement explains why.
And lastly on the lowest bid issue. You as a consumer do it every day. If the brakes go bad on your car, and one shop is charging 400 to fix them, one is charging 325, and one is charging 225, I'm 100% positive you're gonna go with the lowest bid.