Graduation 2010

Graduation buses in suicide lane, 63 is in the lead bus. 62 takes advantage of 63's slipstream to get to Lot 62 more quickly.

Proof that 78 eats healthily.

MCT taking care of buisness

(91) striking a pose while on duty

(124) one of our own gets out of work in the best way... Lucky Duck

Bus Rapid Transit comes to NAU

New to NAU on a year-round basis, the University has implemented its first ever stretch of one critical element of Bus Rapid Transit.

Bus Rapid Transit is a transit modality using buses as the transport vehicle but incorporating many of the advantages of a Light Rail transit system.

The feature most often associated with Bus Rapid Transit is either a busway completely segregated from and having little contact with other roadways, or a lane on existing roadway dedicated only to buses.

Today, NAU got the latter.

Open for the first time is a dedicated Bus Lane running westbound on Pine Knoll from the Forestry entrance driveway to McConnell drive.

Now when traffic congests along this stretch, our transit bus schedule will not be impinged. Riders upstream will get to their destinations faster; those downstream will see a bus arrive at their bus stop sooner.

These Bus Rapid Transit features, in combination with traffic police at key intersections, the implementation of Bus Staging at key bus stops, and the additional buses and vans now in service, will hopefully translate into greater service levels for our customers.

If this Bus Lane proves to be an asset to transit and NAU in general, a goal after traffic patterns and demographic futures can be assessed might be sectional expansion of Bus Rapid Transit in other areas of campus where needed.

MCT recognizes and thanks Project Manager D.H., the Grounds Crew who erected the signage, the Paint Crew who striped the roadway, and all others who contributed to this exciting development for University transit.

If you are interested in learning more about Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), please click on the appropriate links in the right column under "Connections."

We sure were busy!

Our transit came prepared. We were set up for the Cardinals fans. For awhile, anyway.

We knew there would be thousands. But it became, um, interesting, when every parking spot on South Campus filled. Then we had to scramble. Sure made the day go fast.

Now here's something you don't see everyday.

For Monday

PAINTING OF THE OFFICE

Hopefully, on Monday morning the paint crew from Capital Assets will come in and begin painting the lounge and office. The remaining furniture will have to be removed before that. Conducting business during this time will be difficult at best, please be patient. After the first coat of paint is finished, tile will be laid, then a final touch-up of paint will be completed. When after all that dries (usually in a day) we will begin putting everything back.

OUR PAINT CREW
For those who will be on one of our paint groups, we will begin collecting supplies and will probably start our first job painting the yellow poles on Monday or Tuesday. Dress appropriately: Your clothes and shoes will act like a paint magnet!

BUS LANE SOON!
Soon we will have a dedicated, Bus Rapid Transit bus lane, our first for the campus at large.

At an unspecified date in the not-too-distant future, Pine Knoll drive going westbound between the Forestry driveway and almost up to McConnell drive will be re-striped in order to set aside a bus lane for MCT.

Late last April, Grounds installed signage that will inform vehicle operators of the prohibition of operating in the lane on the north side of the street. This north-side lane will permit occupation only by buses and bicycles; all other traffic (including MCT vans and office cars) will travel westbound in the center lane. The exception will be for vehicles traveling west along Pine Knoll that will be making an immediate right turn into Huffer lane where Mountain Line bus barn is located. It will be important for our drivers operating in the bus lane there to watch carefully for vehicles turning right into Huffer, as well as bicycles using the bus lane.

When the bus-lane project is completed, it will help MCT buses avoid the heavy traffic that occurs during class changes there and will cut three or more minutes from our running times.

CDL TRAINING
CDL training will continue this week, including pre-trip, engine, and undercarriage. If you will be learning the undercarriage systems, please wear grubby clothes and inform the trainer if you would like a hair cover and/or eye goggles (recommended).
VAN TRAINING
Van training is also to continue once we get 123 back from the shop. If you haven't done the Extreme Skillz for Van training yet, we'll set something up soon. Relax. It's easy.
OUR FIRST BBQ
Thanks to everyone for a very nice outdoor bbq last Friday. If you have any ideas for future bbqs on Fridays, let us know.

A POINT OF OUR POLICY
Just to remind all our MCT drivers, regardless of university vehicle, that talking or texting on a cellphone is prohibited. Boston's WCVB-TV 5 reports that a trolley operator who was texting his girlfriend last week did not see another trolley stopped in front of him and crashed, injuring 46 people. Let's not make that horrible mistake.

NEW ENTRANCE
A new entrance is being constructed on Knoles not more than 20 feet north of the University Union bus stop. It will allow vehicles earlier access into the parking lot between Cline Library and the Field House. Once it is open, Route 1 drivers will need to exercise caution for vehicles slowing to turn right into the lot. The driveway into the lot will be one-way eastbound only. This should ease up a significant amount of traffic snarling that normally occurs during class changes at the Library stop sign, and help improve the timeliness of our service a bit.

THANKS
... to everyone for doing such a great job the first week of summer! And don't hesitate to make use of the links on this page, or to submit your own ideas for this Slack Adjuster blog.

What a relief!

The busiest and most hectic week is over, not just for students who have to deal with finals and papers, but for staff of MCT as well.

Graduation in the spring represents two days of frenzy accompanied by hours of baking in the sun. Nevertheless, it went generally well. This is saying something, considering that we transport several thousand people to and fro for each of the four ceremonies.

Now, the hard workers of that weekend (and I apologize if anyone is left out, it is unintentional) --