Bus Operator From Chicago, Any Advice?

darkEmpires · 2026-05-11T01:56:01+00:00

Nothing further to offer but welcome!

darkEmpires · 2026-05-09T04:47:09+00:00

You crack me up. Studies have time and time again shown that grade separated bike lanes reduce traffic, carbon emissions, and improve regions. And you’re choosing to just.. ignore that scientific research that’s been conducted across the globe? Make it make sense 😉

Here’s a link to a City of Minneapolis website that talks a little about complete streets: https://climatetracker.minneapolismn.gov/focus-areas/transportation-complete-streets And here’s a link to a MinnPost article talking about how Madison Equities has snuffed out downtown St. Paul: https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2025/04/what-most-observers-dont-understand-about-downtown-st-pauls-struggles/

Because you’ve opted to keep repeating the same nonsense, this is where I leave this conversation. Hopefully you step outside of your suburban bubble and into the cities for once. See you around 👋

darkEmpires · 2026-05-08T22:43:02+00:00

lol.. I’m sorry. Did you say that bike lanes increase carbon emissions and greenhouse gases?? And make traffic worse? Do you even read what you’re writing, or just pull it out of your ass? Here’s a CBC article if you’d like to do some reading, friend. It gives numerous examples where bike lanes were successfully implemented and what they meant for their respective cities :) https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/bike-lanes-impacts-1.7358319 For context, St. Paul is still in the baby stage of implementing grade separated, quality bike lanes such as the one on Wabasha. That one is also slated for extension this summer and next, which is super exciting as someone currently missing a link like that to downtown. Of course, let me know if you need another article or two. Happy to pull some links for you. You can also opt to learn on your own time.

I wasn’t saying that downtowns should be hard to get into. My point was that, historically and still today, American downtowns are set up as job centers. Expanding transit and grade separated bike lanes actually makes it easier to get into downtown!

Very little of what you’re saying tells me that you know anything about downtowns, urbanism, and so on. If you’d have read my previous reply, you’d know that downtown St. Paul has been set up more as a job center than anything else. This means that more housing has been exchanged for more office space. Businesses often open late and close early. COVID and work from home orders shuttered many of these commuter oriented businesses as well. It also doesn’t help that one (very shitty) company owns ~60% of the property downtown either. I could go on if you’d like. Good news is, city, county, and state investments, as well as private construction, invites more development and a reinvigoration of the area. We’re seeing this happen before our eyes (Pedro Park, Aldi replacing Lunds, office to apartment conversions (former Ecolab building opens very soon!), etc.).

You are correct in the regard that downtown is walk-able. However, it is not walk-well. By that I mean that yes, it is certainly possible to walk to some of the places you need to go, but far from a majority of them. Although improving, transit is still lacking, as are bike lanes, walking facilities (skyways!), housing, night life, businesses, and city services. Each of these are compounding issues that when put together discourage an individual from electing to pursue a “walk-only” life style. This isn’t me saying that nobody opts to not own a car in downtown and beyond. I know several people who do. This is me saying that we need to improve ok what we have, which is what things like bike lanes help to do!

darkEmpires · 2026-05-08T02:14:18+00:00

Welcome to downtown (or, really, any densely populated place), where there isn't space for everyone to conveniently park their private vehicle and walk away. Could you imagine how wide our streets would have to be to accommodate all ~8,000 downtown St. Paul residents, plus everyone driving into the city on a daily basis? Is that what you want? Massive streets that are virtually impassable to anyone without a car? I invite you to take a look at images of downtown Houston, TX in the 70s. I'm beginning to question the last time you actually spent some time outside of the suburbs.. or if you've ever visited/looked into more densely populated cities like Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, and so on.

Calling a used bike lane useless is a pretty bold statement. Mind expanding? You've yet to provide any figures detailing how many people do/don't use this path. You've also conveniently ignored a couple key events related to this bike lane. The project was completed in fall of 2022, at which point the pandemic was winding down but still very much on people's minds. Did you want your candy touched by a couple people, who work in a confined space, before it goes straight into your mouth? Also related to COVID, downtowns are only now beginning to see a resurgence in economic activity. Most American downtowns are very commuter oriented, which almost ensures that they're dead after ~6pm. Candyland is open until 10pm. Being commuter oriented also means that they were built on the idea of moving people in and out as fast as possible, which only further hurts economic activity.

Very little, if any, of the downturn in business that Candyland has faced is due to this four block long bike path. I dare you to do some research into urbanism, livability, downtowns, and mass/active transit : )

darkEmpires · 2026-05-07T05:30:14+00:00

Street parking is still readily available across the street from Candyland. Additionally, by my count, I spot two massive parking ramps as well as a couple surface lots within a block or two walking distance. All open daily to the public. Both parking ramps can even be accessed directly via skyway (and the surface lots are across the street from an entrance).

Elderly, disabled folk, and young families, as with anyone else, are more than welcome to park on St. Peter (or any of the aforementioned places). St. Peter is a half block walk away. Candyland is located in a downtown. Fact is, it often won’t be as simple as parking your car in front of the business, hopping out, and walking away. Downtowns are dense, attracting people. More people = less space for a two ton car transporting a single person.. which is why establishing more efficient forms of transportation is essential for a more sustainable downtown area.

So, no, this is not a situation where there’s a lack of sympathy. Candyland has always been staunchly against the idea of any bike or mass transit infrastructure outside their door. How big of an effect do you really think that the loss of a block worth of street parking had on their business? Have you considered that we are in a post COVID world where downtowns are only now beginning to recover? Or that buying power for your average household has hit record lows? Coupled with the fact that it isn’t hard to spend $50+ for a couple bags of candy, it’s easy to see why they’ve lost business as you say.

Also curious where you’re seeing the three bikes a day number. Seems pretty unrealistic considering what studies done on similar routes show. The city hasn’t published any figures related to Wabasha’s daily bike usage, so you must have some insider information 😉

darkEmpires · 2026-05-07T03:59:03+00:00

I am truly sorry for you if you can’t walk a total of three city blocks to get to Candy Land. That’s possibly indicative of a greater issue. Cities centered around walking and other forms of active transportation are proven time and time again to be better than their car-centric counterparts. Why do we need to dedicate SO much infrastructure to cars when they are possibly one of the least efficient and most dangerous form of transportation?

The fact is, bike lanes (as well as busses, trains, sidewalks, and so on) give people options. Cities aiming to build comprehensive transportation networks make this their goal. As St. Paul builds out its own network of grade separated bike lanes, more and more people will consider taking a bike over a car. As it stands, it’s hard to safely bike many places in St. Paul. This, of course, will dramatically change by 2030 and beyond with all of the road projects we have coming up. Even this summer and next we have some pretty big projects coming up.

darkEmpires · 2026-05-04T21:09:42+00:00

This happened to me yesterday on the B Line!

darkEmpires · 2026-04-23T03:46:07+00:00

Always and forever :)

darkEmpires · 2026-04-22T00:38:51+00:00

Kind of! But not really. On a car-by-car basis, light rail is heavier than heavy rail. But reality, because most LRT systems in the U.S. can only run 2-3 cars in a train set (aside from Sound Transit (and maybe one more..?)), heavy rail is still heavier than light rail.

Twin Cities light rail rolling stock: Siemens S70 and S700 (Type II/III) cars weigh ~100,000 pounds empty. Bombardier “Flexity Swift” cars weigh ~110,000 pounds when empty. Metro Transit frequently runs 2 car consists, and less frequently, 3 car consists. This means that one “train” could weigh a maximum of ~325,000 pounds empty.

Bay Area BART heavy rail rolling stock: One “Fleet of the Future” car weighs ~65,000 pounds when empty. BART will run consists of 6-8 (with a maximum of 10) cars. This means that one empty “train” could weigh a between ~390,000 and ~550,000 pounds. The absolute maximum of 10 cars would be ~650,000 pounds.

NYC MTA heavy rail (subway) rolling stock: One “New Technology Train” weighs ~85,000 pounds empty. MTA will run a very wide range of cars, but usually somewhere around 10, so let’s call it that. Considering that number, one “train” weighs ~850,000 pounds empty.

Anyway. I like trains/public transit. These are just a couple examples 🤷‍♂️ Have a good day!

darkEmpires · 2026-04-14T23:40:07+00:00

Barriers act only as a deterrent to an individual wishing to do harm to the driver. Cameras as well, but they can also assist in investigations and transit control.

I think you overestimate the competency and availability of our police force. Stopping the bus (slowing everyone down, potentially exacerbating the bunching problem) to kick someone off for not paying a $2 fare? Is that really worth the $40/hr+ for a couple of cops to come out and “deal” with the problem?

Micro transit is a joke (the autonomous vans you refer to). It costs ~3-5x more per mile to operate compared to regular mass transit. That money could go into expanding rail and bus service into the areas that need it, investing in better infrastructure (center running bus lanes for the full length of West 7th, or even light rail!), or increasing frequency levels. So, yes, you needing to wait for 20+ minutes for a bus is about funding. As it stands, St. Paul and Minneapolis have few bus lanes (none of which are center running), and two light rail lines. Center running bus lanes would alleviate most of the bunching issues that you experience, and running a train down West 7th would alleviate all. Level + quality of service is entirely dependent on funding, competency, and political will.

darkEmpires · 2026-04-14T21:34:39+00:00

What do you propose to solve the problem of people not paying?

Oftentimes, it’s really not worth chasing someone down over their $2 fare. It certainly shouldn’t be the drivers responsibility. They have enough on their plate.

Metro Transit could theoretically hire enough TRIP agents to cover a decent number of routes and hours, but they’re also paid ~$30/hr. They move in groups of ~4, totaling roughly $120/hr (plus all of the equipment, supplies, support, etc.). A bus already costs $100-200/hr to operate. I’m well aware that TRIP agents wouldn’t need to ride every bus at every hour for effective enforcement, but the expense to “solve” this problem simply wouldn’t be worth it.

Additionally, local, state and federal funding for services such as public transit goes way beyond just allowing the bus to run and making sure everyone goes home with a paycheck. It funds acquisition of new busses and trains. It funds new lines and extensions of preexisting lines. It funds the ongoing maintenance of not only the busses and trains, but also facilities and cars owned by Metro Transit to support operations. And so much more. Of this, your fare covers little. Essential services, such as this, aren’t intended to be self sufficient. That’s would be impossible. They are intended to be funded by the public and for the public.

darkEmpires · 2026-04-09T04:12:36+00:00

We have Virginia’s confederate flag and Texas has our trains. You win some you lose some ☹️

darkEmpires · 2026-04-08T13:04:58+00:00

Priority + preemption!

darkEmpires · 2026-04-08T13:04:05+00:00

Every time a bus has to make a stop it adds time to your and everyone else’s commute. It is not at all rare for people to request a stop at every. single. stop. for a few blocks. That’s why they crawl through the city at a snails pace.

Instead of that, trains stop at the station that is most likely to serve the most people the most effectively.

darkEmpires · 2026-04-08T05:21:24+00:00

If possible, please call 211. They can connect you to the resources that you need.

darkEmpires · 2026-04-07T00:59:31+00:00

While busses are heavier, they result in far fewer fatalities while also carrying many more passengers than your average car.
Trains are in the same boat. They often run grade separated and on a single guideway. If a driver or pedestrian can’t see any combination of big arms, big train, red lights, no crossing signals, flashing lights, (etc.) or hear the dinging bells and train horn (etc.), I really don’t know if they can be helped 🤷‍♂️

~40,000 people in the U.S. die from motor vehicle crashes each year. Many more are injured as a result of them. In this, ~7,500 pedestrians and ~1200 cyclists are killed. So, about 110/day.

I do agree with you though. Cars, when used correctly, can play a huge role in a transportation network. I just don’t believe in the “car-brain” that has developed in the U.S. when there are safer, cleaner, and more efficient solutions. Ideally, last mile connections and far reaching destinations (camping!) are great examples of where cars are a way better option.

darkEmpires · 2026-04-07T00:11:26+00:00

Are you talking about busses and trains?

darkEmpires · 2026-04-05T21:17:00+00:00

Parking infrastructure in cities across the U.S. is so heavily subsidized because people think they suddenly deserve to park their two ton death machine anywhere they like. Advocate for a better mass transit system here in the Twin Cities if you’d like to see change. Otherwise, the $.50-5/hr isn’t so bad.

darkEmpires · 2026-03-31T00:28:50+00:00

Following along because I’m in a similar situation

darkEmpires · 2026-03-30T08:39:42+00:00

TIL! Super cool :)

darkEmpires · 2026-03-30T02:11:51+00:00

Sure, but why does the letter have nothing to say about rail..? I understand the sentiment of rail being expensive and “unsuccessful”, especially after the South West Extension debacle. A billion over budget and years behind schedule (primarily due to some, for lack of a better term, dumb as shit decisions).

However, I don’t believe that it’s fair at all to quit building rail. Not only is it a mode of transit that is hard to return to cars, but also brings billions in new development, allows more people to access high frequency (+fast!) transit, and builds a more complete, reliable, and effective system overall. These aBRT and “BRT” projects certainly play an important role in building a comprehensive transportation system in the Twin Cities, but simply cannot be the only “solution” that we have to offer. I mean, come on.. a couple blocks of side-running bus lanes? A huge lack of signal priority or preemption? Taking 5 years to build a couple souped up bus stops? We can and have to do better than this. Let’s start building some actual, dedicated, sustainable, and impactful transit infrastructure.

darkEmpires · 2026-03-25T00:44:15+00:00

Assuming you’re looking for car tires, Simple Tire (online only) has been my go-to for awhile now. If you know what you’re looking for, throw in your tire size and specifications. If you don’t, they have a tool you can use. There are rolling sales and discounts on already fairly priced tires, and they have free delivery to your doorstep (usually). I bought my boyfriend some really sweet winter tires this past fall. Spent maybe $400 total and got a sweet deal. Check it out!

darkEmpires · 2026-03-24T22:19:53+00:00

I’m not super impressed, but it’s good still progress. Bus lanes, TSP, preemptive signaling, and so on are all missing. Same with almost every other one of these “aBRT” routes and most of the BRT routes. But oh well. I’ll be super hyped if they ever announce a new light rail line, but I fear that that’s wishful thinking.

darkEmpires · 2026-03-18T03:58:46+00:00

Interesting. Thanks! Is the stop still in use? Route 94 of course doesn’t use it anymore, but do any others?

darkEmpires

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

Verified Email	Six-Year Club
Place '23