Monterey-Salinas Transit

Awful, awful bus service.
I took MST for 3 years and recently became increasingly frustrated with them. When I first moved to Monterey in summer of 2010, they were a great bus system. Now, their service’s quality is rapidly declining. They have gone from one of the best I’ve experienced to one of the worst I’ve experienced. Of course this is due to them darn budget cuts, but it is also due to their poor planning. Allow me to provide some examples:
–You cannot go out at night without having some confusion with the bus schedules. Understandably, the busses run less frequently on the weekends, but this is also a time when people like to go out at night. It kinda ruins the fun if it takes you an hour or more to get home (when it would normally be a 15 – 20 minute drive) because their schedules are inconsistent.
–Busses are almost always late
–Irregular bus schedules
–Jazz busses to Cannery Row stop early on the weekends. Understandable, but Cannery Row is a popular destination.
As I mentioned before, this was a quality bus service back when I first moved to Monterey. The busses ran often, were clean, were uncrowded most of the time, and made it very easy to get places. Now, the busses are cramped and stuffy, sometimes with standing room only. Normally, I wouldn’t mind standing, but the bus rides can still be very jerky, even when people are standing (NOT fun). I have almost fallen out of my seat a few times, so it’s essential to HOLD ON when you’re in an aisle seat
By far, the absolute worst part of this bus service is the clientele. This bus service has some very rude rude riders and other riders are just unpleasant to be around, whether it be not sharing space with fellow passengers to yelling at other passengers to simply looking grumpy (the bus system itself presents a very unpleasant atmosphere that makes everyone unhappy, so not necessarily the fault of the riders). MST could really benefit from some posters reminding passengers to be polite to one another. I like to think of public transit as a community activity, but it doesn’t feel like a community when many of the other passengers are rude.
One of the only only redeeming qualities are the bus drivers, who have to endure everything from weirdos to screaming kids to loud teenagers to the occasional fight AND drive a large vehicle all over Monterey and still manage to be somewhat friendly. Well, most of them at least. There are also considerably less weirdos riding this bus service, so I’ve always felt safe when riding it. MST also has lines going to both MPC and CSUMB and CSUMB students get to ride it free with their student ID. They also have free trolly lines on the CSUMB campus (to help students get around the fairly spread out area) and to Cannery row (brings customers to local businesses! Yay!) The website’s also pretty well set up too and has bus schedules by line and an online store for purchasing tickets (they come fairly quickly if you live in the area!)
You’re probably better off driving, though taking the bus might be useful when going to high traffic areas with little parking, such as Cannery Row and MPC.
But since some of you many be unable to drive for whatever reason, here are a few tips to help you survive taking the bus.
–Greet the bus driver when you enter and say «Thank you» when you exit. Not many people thank the bus drivers, so they’ll appreciate it.
–When standing, bend your knees a bit. This will absorb the movement from the bus and keep you standing up.
–Listen to music! But not very loud. Books are also a nice thing to have.
–Prepare for lots of walking.

On10/​31/​2012 the MOnterey Herald did a story on the local taxi industry, here is what I know.
Do we need the RTA:
The RTA was formed to consolidate permitting for taxi
«DRIVERS». Once a taxi & driver is permitted through the RTA they are then allowed to pick up in all county cities. Along with the creation of the RTA «DRIVER» fee’s have more than doubled. Once the RTA collects «DRIVER» fee’s they are to then distribute portions of the monies to all cities that have joined the RTA. From what I understand Marina is the only city that did not sign on to the RTA.
MST — How is there NOT a conflict of interest? MST says that bus passengers and
taxi passengers are two separate types of clients. Both taxis & busses are
trying to take passengers from «Point A to B». So in my mind, they are both competing for
any & all types of passengers. MST also host the RTA meetings at the MST
facility and MST is to collect $ 1,000.00 for each cab, from each taxi company,
HOW is this not a conflict. Another question, how can a Federal Funded transit Company regulate privately owned Taxi Companies?
Community:
Is the community better served because of the RTA? Taxi insiders say «NO».
Example: The City of Monterey had one operator to serve the entire city. They
were obligated to pick up every passenger in the city. Now that there are several operators
in the area, better paying riders (in any city & or hotel) are now first picked up
because of the higher fee’s drivers have to pay the RTA. None of the cities thought of their
elderly passengers during this process. Since the RTA there is less script
coupons available for seniors. Monterey Checker Inc. dba Yellow Cab would absorb
between 25 & 50% of the meter for seniors & the cites would cover the rest. Don’t
forget the airport surcharge, all passengers have to pay more going & coming.
Buy Local:
Every politician «Say’s, buy local», then why in the HELL did the RTA allow
taxi’s companies from Orange County & South San Francisco to enter into the Monterey County market. Do these outside companies really care about MRY County residents. Profits from these out of town companies leave
our area & never return. Coincidentally when the RTA was selling the cites of
this new agency, RTA & MST Representative’s used an impact report from Orange
County on how a RTA should function, now we have a taxi company from Orange
County, that makes me scratch my head. The RTA did not even protect Salinas Yellow Cab’s color scheme. You can hardly tell the difference between Salinas Yellow Cab or the new Orange County taxi company, surprisingly the RTA approved there color scheme.
Additional RTA/​MST:
MST board members are made up by elected Council people from local cities & districts. Who’s
interest did these Council members have in mind when they voted on the RTA, was
it local residents or MST? Our tax dollars fund the RTA, HOW WAS THERE NOT A
PUBLIC VOTE TO CREATE THE RTA? In your article Mr. Sedoryk had the nerve
to say smaller taxi companies are having trouble competing, then WHY in hell did
they let GIANT companies from Orange County & South San Francisco into our market.
Since the formation of the RTA Monterey Checker Inc. had to file bankruptcy because they could not afford the
increased fee’s, this was a 30-​year old locally owned & operated family company that is no
longer in business. It safe to say Mr. Sedorky is correct, smaller companies can’t compete with larger out of town companies.
RTA out of money:
When will our politicians realizes we live in a small community. I can see in
major cities with several hundred or thousand’s of taxis a RTA board type of system maybe
needed. With lots of taxis in big cities it can be funded of course on the
shoulders of drivers & passenger. But, here we are with 151-​taxis trying to
support our RTA, its NOT GOING TO WORK. Now if the RTA is already out of money how will it fund itself. I have an idea; maybe
increase the fee’s on taxis drivers even higher, then the drivers will have to increase meter
rates, which would then make it to expensive for passengers to ride in a taxi and if the «LOCAL» taxi industry
is to dramatically shrink because of higher Government fee’s who will save the community.
LOOK NO FURTHER… Monterey Salinas Transit, they will save us!
Kind regards,
A VERY CONCERNED LOCAL CITIZEN