I can fix 610 Mine Road.....on Mon 12 Sep

TJR, I wanted to respond to your post since you took the time (thanks for doing so, sorry I couldn't respond earlier.)

Much of what you wrote about the effectiveness of the 2 proposals has already been covered/addressed in this thread (please take a look back), so I won't repeat it here. But I wanted to make sure you knew how this "decision process" came about.

1. Several riders/drivers over the past several months suggested we change line direction and split into 2 lines. I thought they were good ideas, and I still do (I can't take credit for them). So I decided last week to try and step up to see what support there was for these 2 changes.

3. Tuesday I spent about 1.5 hours (0545-0715) loudly announcing the 2 proposals to probably over 200 folks (you had to have seen me if you were there when you said you were)...and I was careful to suggest these were only ideas at this point, and that I was looking for feedback either personally while I was there, or on Slug-Lines.com. At the lot, 2 people gave me negative feedback (1 said line direction was fine, 1 said we can't interfere with bus lane). Probably a dozen or so verbally said things like "good ideas" or "about time", and lots of folks nodding their heads (fewer shaking their heads). I felt that speaking to this many people and allowing them verbal feedback (as well as watching non-verbal clues) would provide a good representative sample of all sluggers who use the lot (there's no way to get 100% feeback). Overall, a lopsided positive response on Tuesday.

4. Wednesday I put out a big ugly green sign with more details about the proposed changes, which asked folks to go to Slug-Lines.com to see more details and provide input. The response on the website was pretty limited, with the "yeahs" and "nays" pretty evenly split. The "nay's" were focused primarily on the 2-line concept (it's nearly unanimous the line direction needs to be reversed). The "yeahs" suggested we at least try the 2-line proposal, and then go back to 1 line if it doesn't work. Since the majority of the overall responses from these 2 days was positive, the next step was to move from the "proposal" stage to the "plan" stage. KEY POINT: I didn't make a unilateral decision, but relied on the direct feedback I was given. I'm aware there were likely folks who kept quiet who disagreed with the proposals, but there were also likely folks who thought it was a good idea but didn't say so. At any rate, the available data after all this effort was still overwhelmingly positive.

5. Thursday I handed out 250 maps between 0530-0700, announcing the changes effective on Monday. Of the folks who told me it was either a "good idea" or "bad idea" (around 20 people), the "good ideas" were about a 3-to-1 majority. Most of the "bad idea" folks were against the 2-line change, with about half of them commenting that they're willing to go ahead and give it a try for a while and switch back to 1 line if it's not working. Feedback on the website was still limited, with the "good ideas" slightly outnumbering the "bad ideas". I had been prepared to pull the plug on the 2-line proposal if I had received a bunch of negative input that day, but it didn't happen.

6. Friday I put out another stack of about 150 maps, to ensure anyone who didn't receive one Thursday got one. There are probably about 30 of them that were not picked up.

Those are the facts of the process. In hindsight, I would have done a few things slightly different, but the good Lord knows I sure ain't perfect. I'm no authority figure or decision-maker, I'm just trying carry forward what a lot folks (the majority I've heard from) think are good proposals, and I'll take the heat for whatever goes wrong. I understand lines may be "temporairly" long due to gas prices or VRE problems, but we need to keep a long-term focus....Stafford is growing like crazy and our slug line will only get busier. Change will be easier now than later.

Monday may be a bit bumpy, but then let's see how it goes for a while, and then reevaluate. What have we got to lose?

Again, thanks for all the input received, sorry for the long post.

Wade

TJR,

Are you a driver?



NoSb

SOV because you can, HOV because you care!

I've been slugging since we originally formed the slug line at the Old 610 Lot and have been using the Mine Road Lot for nearly 2 years. I really don't see the problems you are attempting to address and are opposed to the changes you are about to make.

The direction of the line makes much more sense and generally works quite. Once in awhile people at the front of the line will walk the cars as they pull up and announce destinations, and this will muck up the system. It really is quite simple; the cars enter at the front of the line and continue toward the end of the line until they find riders. If they don't find any riders, they can wait at the end of the line until they find a rider. It is time consuming and creates confusion to make drivers drive from the back to the front of the line and call out their destination. Often the riders will need to walk up to the car from the middle or back of the line, and at the Old 610 lot, riders would jump into the car from the back or middle of the line leaving those who have waited longer at the front of the line frustrated.

The line at Mine Road has rarely been very long until recently, when VRE began experiencing delays due to CSX with track issues, and the most recent price gouging at the gas pumps. I have been “slugging” around 10 years in Stafford, and a number of years before that when I lived in Dale City. I have watched as the price of gas goes up, or there are issues with other forms of commuting, the lines will temporarily grow longer then eventually as riders return to driving or other methods of commuting the lines will return to their previous lengths.

I resent when someone decides for the rest of us that he should make major changes to the slug lines claiming to have surveyed the lines when I am there every day between 6-6:30am and was never asked. I also note there are only a few people responding on the message board - I did not realize that a requirement for input on decisions on how I slugged required I participate in this web site. It took me a while to find this topic, and only found it because I was diligent in searching for it. The first I heard of the changes was a sign followed by the handouts announcing that it was going to happen. As flyers were handed out, most of the people quietly received the flyers without comment and this does not necessarily define a positive response. Many folks may not have had time to digest the information determine what it means.

That’s about all I have to say on the subject right now, because I have to get back to work.

The map showed a layout not unlike the Pentagon, with 2 lines. 1 for DC and 1 for VA.

If you have slugged from the Pentagon, you have seen incredible amounts of people move thru the line in record times. Granted the driver traffic is high too, but it is incredibly efficient.

I wasn't to keen on the 2 line deal until it was explained in detail.

But I liked what I read on this board last night and the map this morning. I think it will help the situation. And like N or S Bound stated, if it doesn't, we have lost nothing. and we can change it back. But at least give it a try.

I've been using that lot for 13 months straight now, and haven't seen a problem. Count me among those opposed to both changes and I'll state my reasons.

Why NOT to change the line direction? Because cars will stop short of the head of the line to pick up folks they know/recognize, therefore causing the folks who have been in line longer to wait longer for a ride. Don't say it won't happen because it did happen at the other 610 lot. Tempers among the riders will start flaring up and we won't have the quiet civilized line that Mine road has enjoyed up this point.

Why NOT make TWO separate lines? Because before 6:30 there is not enough Downtown traffic to establish a downtown line. Currently, the downtown folks can wait in the one line with everyone else, and if by exception a DC car comes along they can step out of the line and get in that car. Otherwise, they get a ride to the Pentagon when their turn comes up. It has worked just fine. Since the predominance of traffic later in the morning goes downtown, then there should still be no problem with just one line. It simply means that the folks in the line need to cooperate by passing the destination of the driver down the line. THAT has never been a big deal.

[:(!]