Sprinter Employees Need to Read their own Website
The Sprinter was idling at the Oceanside, California, Station
yesterday as I transferred from the Surfliner to the Coaster so I could
detrain at the Carlsbad Village Station.
There were six or more men with hard hats and orange vests that
appeared to have driven the Siamese-Twin Sprinter unit over from
Escondido for a Whopper. (The Oceanside Stations has a Burger
King.) While two Orange Vests made a Whopper Run, a couple of
them were standing at the new ticket machines. I joined the
conversation between them and an out-of-state train buff who knew about
the Sprinter and was happy to see someone to talk to about the all-new
cummuter train.
Because a friend and I want to plan a trip from Orange County to ride
this new train when it goes into service, I asked one of the gaily
decorated Sprinter officials, "Where can I get a Sprinter Schedule so I
can plan a future trip down here from Orange Country to ride it?"
Prior knowledge from having ridden the Sprinter from Ocanside to
Escondido round trip twice already told me I had seen such a
schedule. This fellow told me, "There is no Sprinter Schedule
yet, they are still working on it." Wrong,
Kemosabe!
Sprinter Managers Take Note
Dear Father of the Sprinter:
Please give your employees, and officials from consulting firms who are
out in the field, some schedules to carry in their hip pocket. Also,
put some schedules at the ticket stations. The way I figure it,
if you expect anyone to show up to ride your new train, they will first
have to see a schedule to see when to go to the station, right?
Sprinter
at the Oceanside Transit Center, Feb. 4, 2008, with Red Sign
Reading: Coming March 9.
If anyone reads this report, and plans to ride the Sprinter when it
opens, they might find these schedules useful:
Click Here
to see the Eastbound Schedule
Click Here to see the Westbound Schedule
You can find these schedules online, along with a map of the stations,
at:
http://www.gonctd.com/sprinter_schedules.htm
The following Press Release, printed in a free local paper I found at
the Carlsbad Village Station, can be found at:
http://www.gonctd.com/sprinter_intro.htm
copied here for your convenience:
About Your
New Light Rail System
On March 9, 2008 North County will have a new east-west
mobility link
between Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido: the SPRINTER rail
line. This investment in our community is significant; it's one of the
largest public works projects this region has seen. The SPRINTER makes
North
County a nicer place to be, here's why:
The SPRINTER runs 22 miles
along the Highway 78 corridor effortlessly transporting passengers to
work, school, shopping centers and other activities.
Riders have the freedom to read, work or relax as these European-style
light rail vehicles sprint to the 15 stations.
With significant population growth coming,
we're all worried about congestion and the resulting pollution.
The
SPRINTER will reduce traffic by eliminating hundreds of cars and will
offer North County residents a green alternative.
The predictable,
reliable service is easy to use, practical and consumer friendly. It's
easy to reach North County's top destinations using the BREEZE bus
system, which serves all fifteen stations. Additionally, the COASTER
trains connect with the SPRINTER in Oceanside.
The SPRINTER also encourages transit-oriented development in the
cities along the route, a prospect that supports the principles of
Smart
Growth.
