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Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission Reviews (4)

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved] Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because: I have tried several times to reach management regarding the parking matterIn fact, several other riders have complained as wellOMIN link and PRTC does not have the public safety and well being at the forefront of their busniess practiceThey are un ethical and I question their quality of serviceI will continue to reach out and work with discion makers of WHS and VA rail and bus service to support my efforts
I have repeated ask for the $refund for the towing of my truck, I ahve suggested alternate parking lots as well, I have volunteered to sit on committees to find solutions to problems they only "research"Living in VA one can only look to public transportation for ease in traffic congestionPRTC is NOT a compnay the government nor the public should look to for serviceI will continue to go out of my way to and will continue to press senior leadership, here in the ***, to find alternate transportationAvoid OMNI linkRegards,*** *** ccSenMark Warner, VA (DEM)

Drivers frequently fail to list their route on the bus signboard and do not speak enough english to explain their destination. This becomes a serious problem when multiple routes converge on or originate from a single stop.

Also: at least one of the buses, 308, is allowing exhaust to enter the cabin. It is thick enough that my coworkers have mentioned the smell after a half mile walk to my office. This bus also appears to run the heat in July.

October 9, 2014Dear [redacted],
The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) received an e-mail from the complainant on September 23, 2014 in which he expressed the same concerns directly to us. A response was sent to him on September 26, 2014 addressing those...

concerns (enclosedfor your reference). We will address the issues sent to you in the order he mentioned them so as not to overlook anything.Public transit is not a for-profit venture. Passenger fares cover only a portion of transit operating expenses and none of the capital expenses; the remainder is covered by funding that comes from the local, state, and Federal government sources. Taxpayer-supported transit is the nearly universal norm. PRTC provides transit services to anyone who wishes to use them. While a large portion of our OmniRide customers are Federal Government employees, our Services are not only for those who work for the government. We have many customers who are employed in the private sector as well.
We believe the route change he is referring to is the one which resulted in the stop he mentioned being suspended. See explanation regarding the route change and removal of the bus stop below.
 
Complaints concerning cleanliness are rare and, when we do get a report of a bus that has not been properly cleaned, we notify our maintenance department to remedy the problem before the bus goes back into service the next day.
Overcrowding is an issue that is not exclusive to the [redacted] route. There are trips that are periodically over capacity all across our service area. For the month of September (9/1 - 9/26), the [redacted] Omni Ride route experienced overcrowding on four (4) scheduled trips. Sometimes overcrowding is episodic meaning that it happened because of an unusual circumstance (e.g., a mechanical problem on the bus preceding it, an extraordinary traffic backup that caused scheduled buses to get bunched up, etc.) while at other times it is chronic.“Episodic” overcrowding is an unavoidable consequence of variable conditions that PRTC seeks to mitigate as much as possible by the use of a limited number of strategic buses and dispatching improvisation, but there’s no getting around the fact that it happens. Chronic overcrowding is a condition PRTC seeks to minimize by scheduling additional service, but resources to do so are also limited. In order for the complainant to get more of a sense of these resource limitations, he was provided a link to the presentation PRTC and [redacted] County management made to the [redacted] Board of Supervisors on September grd (accessible using this link -- [redacted]).The complainant states that the [redacted] stop was suspended as [redacted] closed their doors. We advised him that we believe the stop he is referring to is the one by the [redacted] store located at [redacted] Square, not the [redacted] store which is at [redacted] Mall. The stop at [redacted] Square was removed in part because, over the last three years, the cost to lease parking at that location had increased by 57 percent. In notifying customers about the removal of the stop, it was suggested that parking could be found at the [redacted] Commuter Lot, which is only a half mile or so from the former stop at the [redacted]. At the time the [redacted] stop was removed, there were approximately 550 unused spaces at the [redacted] Commuter Lot, which was more than enough to accommodate those who were parking at the [redacted]. We also suggested that parking could be found at the [redacted] Mall Commuter Lot located near the [redacted] store. This route change coincided with the implementation of the new OmniKide service between Gainesville and Washington, D.C., which took advantage of the newly opened Cushing Road Commuter Lot and reduced demand for parking in the Sudley Road corridor. wThe parking lots in the area of the Williamson and Stonehouse bus stop are private parking lots owned by the surrounding businesses that have the right to reserve the use of their lots for their customers. While the commuters’ use of their parking spaces was countenanced for a time, commuter parking in certain lots came to be viewed as a nuisance, and so certain businesses concluded that the commuter parking would have to cease. Commuters parking in their lots were informed that their vehicles would be towed before any towing started (we know this because PRTC received notification from riders that they were getting these notices on their vehicles), and we advised anyone who contacted us about this issue that commuters parking in private parking lots where commuter parking is not sanctioned are doing so at the commuter’s own risk. We also advised those commuters that parking was available at the commuter lots at [redacted] and [redacted] Mall. I should add that the complainant contacted PRTC in April 2014 to advise us he had received one those flyers on his vehicle. He received a reply from us on April 14, 2014 with the parking information above (enclosed for your reference).Contrary to the complainant's assertion, PRTC does not pay for the commuter parking spaces at [redacted] Mall. The spaces have been provided at no cost to PRTC on an informal basis, and that informal arrangement is in the process of being formalized by agreement, again without cost to PRTC or commuters who park there. It’s not unusual for routes to serve stops that do not feature commuter parking -- all but two OmniKide routes serve neighborhood stopsalong their routes. These neighborhood stops provide walk-up access for nearby residents and, in some cases, those neighborhoods have on-street parking nearby.The complainant also provided us with a service suggestion on April 11, 2014. The customer suggested moving the stop at Williamson and Stonehouse across the street or across I66 to the shopping center. Our Planning Department is currently researching those and other options, both for parking and for an alternate bus stop location. We have reached out to the property management company for the Parkridge Center (we believe this is the shopping center he referred to) and we are also looking at a location that has been suggested near Linden Lake Plaza. The complainant was provided this information and was asked to bear in mind that businesses are generally not amenable to providing parking for commuters, such that a solution may not be readily available.Regarding his desired outcome, PRTC will not reimburse the complainant $125.00 for towing expenses. As stated above, the complainant advised us in April 2014 that he had received a notice prohibiting commuter parking in the hotel parking lots. We advised him at that time that parking in private parking lots is done at the commuter’s own risk and that commuter parking space was available at the [redacted] and [redacted] Mall commuter parking lots.I’ll close by observing that PRTC is keenly aware of the importance of parking accommodations to serve the needs of transit commuters, and is doing what it can to address the issue. If the content of this reply prompts further questions, feel free to contact me directly at ###-###-#### or via email at [redacted]. When, and if new developments occur as a result of our ongoing efforts to address the parking need, riders will naturally be informed directly.
Sincerely,
Alfred H
Executive Director

Review: I have contacted WMATA's Metrobus customer service office quite a few times, via email, phone, over the past 9 years. As a loyal customer I value the American tax-payers money. I feel that your organization will require additional and continued oversight. Over the past 9 years I have taken the PRTC bus from [redacted] to the [redacted]. Then, several years ago, I learned that PRTC is paid, with tax payer money, to provide a service to those who work for the government. Within the past year, our bus route has changed for the worse, cleanliness issues have surfaced as well as overcrowded buses. It appears PRTC is overwhelmed, mis-managed and cannot adequately support and provide quality service. The one bus stop, [redacted], was suspended as [redacted] closed their doors. Therefore, several hundred bus riders had to find alternate bus stops. Of late, the last stop on the [redacted] route, the [redacted] & [redacted] stop has had additional issues. It appears the hotel managers have gotten together and are towing non-hotel guess. In years past, 9 years now, bus riders would be allowed to park in hotel parking lots but only in designated areas. I suspect the hotel owners now want to be reimbursed for allowing us to park in their lots but PRTC will not pay like they did for [redacted] and the [redacted] Mall. Several months ago [redacted] began towing and last week, the [redacted], towed approx. 30 bus riders. I was one of them. Without adequate notice, my car was towed and it cost $125 to retrieve from impound. $125 is excessive and I should be reimbursed. Now, there is NO parking for bus riders at this stop.Desired Settlement: I want a full $125 refund to cover the cost of my car being towed. I also want a place to park at the or near the bus stop. In fact, there are two bus stops near each other, however, there is NO parking.

I have suggested moving the bus stops to other plocations to accomidate riders and was told they would look into it.

Nothing happended.

Business

Response:

October 9, 2014Dear [redacted],The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) received an e-mail from the complainant on September 23, 2014 in which he expressed the same concerns directly to us. A response was sent to him on September 26, 2014 addressing those concerns (enclosedfor your reference). We will address the issues sent to you in the order he mentioned them so as not to overlook anything.Public transit is not a for-profit venture. Passenger fares cover only a portion of transit operating expenses and none of the capital expenses; the remainder is covered by funding that comes from the local, state, and Federal government sources. Taxpayer-supported transit is the nearly universal norm. PRTC provides transit services to anyone who wishes to use them. While a large portion of our OmniRide customers are Federal Government employees, our Services are not only for those who work for the government. We have many customers who are employed in the private sector as well.We believe the route change he is referring to is the one which resulted in the stop he mentioned being suspended. See explanation regarding the route change and removal of the bus stop below. Complaints concerning cleanliness are rare and, when we do get a report of a bus that has not been properly cleaned, we notify our maintenance department to remedy the problem before the bus goes back into service the next day.Overcrowding is an issue that is not exclusive to the [redacted] route. There are trips that are periodically over capacity all across our service area. For the month of September (9/1 - 9/26), the [redacted] Omni Ride route experienced overcrowding on four (4) scheduled trips. Sometimes overcrowding is episodic meaning that it happened because of an unusual circumstance (e.g., a mechanical problem on the bus preceding it, an extraordinary traffic backup that caused scheduled buses to get bunched up, etc.) while at other times it is chronic.“Episodic” overcrowding is an unavoidable consequence of variable conditions that PRTC seeks to mitigate as much as possible by the use of a limited number of strategic buses and dispatching improvisation, but there’s no getting around the fact that it happens. Chronic overcrowding is a condition PRTC seeks to minimize by scheduling additional service, but resources to do so are also limited. In order for the complainant to get more of a sense of these resource limitations, he was provided a link to the presentation PRTC and [redacted] County management made to the [redacted] Board of Supervisors on September grd (accessible using this link -- [redacted]).The complainant states that the [redacted] stop was suspended as [redacted] closed their doors. We advised him that we believe the stop he is referring to is the one by the [redacted] store located at [redacted] Square, not the [redacted] store which is at [redacted] Mall. The stop at [redacted] Square was removed in part because, over the last three years, the cost to lease parking at that location had increased by 57 percent. In notifying customers about the removal of the stop, it was suggested that parking could be found at the [redacted] Commuter Lot, which is only a half mile or so from the former stop at the [redacted]. At the time the [redacted] stop was removed, there were approximately 550 unused spaces at the [redacted] Commuter Lot, which was more than enough to accommodate those who were parking at the [redacted]. We also suggested that parking could be found at the [redacted] Mall Commuter Lot located near the [redacted] store. This route change coincided with the implementation of the new OmniKide service between Gainesville and Washington, D.C., which took advantage of the newly opened Cushing Road Commuter Lot and reduced demand for parking in the Sudley Road corridor. wThe parking lots in the area of the Williamson and Stonehouse bus stop are private parking lots owned by the surrounding businesses that have the right to reserve the use of their lots for their customers. While the commuters’ use of their parking spaces was countenanced for a time, commuter parking in certain lots came to be viewed as a nuisance, and so certain businesses concluded that the commuter parking would have to cease. Commuters parking in their lots were informed that their vehicles would be towed before any towing started (we know this because PRTC received notification from riders that they were getting these notices on their vehicles), and we advised anyone who contacted us about this issue that commuters parking in private parking lots where commuter parking is not sanctioned are doing so at the commuter’s own risk. We also advised those commuters that parking was available at the commuter lots at [redacted] and [redacted] Mall. I should add that the complainant contacted PRTC in April 2014 to advise us he had received one those flyers on his vehicle. He received a reply from us on April 14, 2014 with the parking information above (enclosed for your reference).Contrary to the complainant's assertion, PRTC does not pay for the commuter parking spaces at [redacted] Mall. The spaces have been provided at no cost to PRTC on an informal basis, and that informal arrangement is in the process of being formalized by agreement, again without cost to PRTC or commuters who park there. It’s not unusual for routes to serve stops that do not feature commuter parking -- all but two OmniKide routes serve neighborhood stopsalong their routes. These neighborhood stops provide walk-up access for nearby residents and, in some cases, those neighborhoods have on-street parking nearby.The complainant also provided us with a service suggestion on April 11, 2014. The customer suggested moving the stop at Williamson and Stonehouse across the street or across I66 to the shopping center. Our Planning Department is currently researching those and other options, both for parking and for an alternate bus stop location. We have reached out to the property management company for the Parkridge Center (we believe this is the shopping center he referred to) and we are also looking at a location that has been suggested near Linden Lake Plaza. The complainant was provided this information and was asked to bear in mind that businesses are generally not amenable to providing parking for commuters, such that a solution may not be readily available.Regarding his desired outcome, PRTC will not reimburse the complainant $125.00 for towing expenses. As stated above, the complainant advised us in April 2014 that he had received a notice prohibiting commuter parking in the hotel parking lots. We advised him at that time that parking in private parking lots is done at the commuter’s own risk and that commuter parking space was available at the [redacted] and [redacted] Mall commuter parking lots.I’ll close by observing that PRTC is keenly aware of the importance of parking accommodations to serve the needs of transit commuters, and is doing what it can to address the issue. If the content of this reply prompts further questions, feel free to contact me directly at ###-###-#### or via email at [redacted]. When, and if new developments occur as a result of our ongoing efforts to address the parking need, riders will naturally be informed directly.Sincerely,Alfred HExecutive Director

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved] Review: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because: I have tried several times to reach management regarding the parking matter. In fact, several other riders have complained as well. OMIN link and PRTC does not have the public safety and well being at the forefront of their busniess practice. They are un ethical and I question their quality of service. I will continue to reach out and work with discion makers of WHS and VA rail and bus service to support my efforts.

I have repeated ask for the $125 refund for the towing of my truck, I ahve suggested alternate parking lots as well, I have volunteered to sit on committees to find solutions to problems they only "research". Living in VA one can only look to public transportation for ease in traffic congestion. PRTC is NOT a compnay the government nor the public should look to for service. I will continue to go out of my way to and will continue to press senior leadership, here in the [redacted], to find alternate transportation. Avoid OMNI link.Regards,[redacted] cc. Sen. Mark Warner, VA (DEM)

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Description: Transportation Services

Address: 14700 Potomac Mills Rd, Woodbridge, Virginia, United States, 22192-6811

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