MetroRiderLA

Pam from Santa Monica took a break from chatting with us last month as Metro’s software gurus worked on improving the
chat interface.  It seems the work is done and Pam is returning tomorrow to chat about toll roads, congestion pricing, taxes, and public transportation.

Also returning is the ill-fated Anti-Pam Chat held by none other than MetroRiderLA.  The APC started last month, but failed to attract many chatters, most likely because there was no actually Pam Chat held.  Hopefully if you’re tuning into Pam’s chat tomorrow over at Metro Interactive you’ll open up the MetroRiderLA Forum in another tab or window and chat with us concurrently.  The plan is to critique the questions asked and Pam’s answers to those questions, and perhaps come up with some good questions of our own.  In addition to the Shout Box located on the sidebar, I’ve started a new thread on the forum where you can share your thoughts for the Anti-Pam Chat.

So tomorrow at noon make sure to load up your browsers and head to both the Pam and Anit-Pam Chat for some chatteriffic Metro chatting.

I’m feeling good about the MetroRiderLA Forum.  It’s not sitting dormant as I had feared, in fact it’s pretty darn active for a transit forum in the capital of car culture!  There’s a lot of cool conversations going on right now, let’s check ‘em out:

• My personal favorite is the discussion about Metro accessible food joints. Rogedog92 started this topic and it’s already 19 comments deep, and I’ve already discovered a new tasty restaurant thanks to it.
• A couple from Washington D.C. has joined the forum and asked for asked for the best places to live without a car in Los Angeles, since they will be moving here soon.
• Where would you take a visitor or tourist on Metro to show of your city, public transit style?
• We’re coming up with a list of L.A. transit appearances in television and film.
• Here’s a hot thread, 36 comments deep, about Metrolink’s plan to take away the free EZ Pass transfer.

So there’s a whole lot going on, if you haven’t done it yet, head over to the MetroRiderLA forum and take part in the conversation!

Well, the new forum has been kickin’ it for a few days now. So far 18 readers have signed up to take part in the discussions, and over 260 unique visitors have checked it out. We want more of both, especially active users! There’s some interesting conversations going on:

• We’re compiling a list of LA’s transit system in film and television
• A discussion about how you are treated by your non-transit friendly peers
• At least 17 comments about how Metrolink is considering doing away with the EZ-Pass transfer
• A thread all about biking in Los Angeles
• And a new post about love on the subway

So as you can see, things are pretty laid back, the conversations are varied, and everyone is welcome to participate. If you haven’t done so already, I recommend you check it out and if you like what you see, register to become a member and join the discussions! The more people who are talking, the more interesting it will get.

In an attempt to further the discussions started on the blog, and enable MetroRider’s to share their thoughts in a public forum, MetroRiderLA is proud to introduce the MetroRiderLA Forum for Transit Oriented Discussions!

While blog posts often spur heated discussions, the topics are limited by the choices of the blog author and the time constraints he may face. The forum offers every reader the opportunity to spark discussion on whatever topic may be on his or her mind, whether it has been written about on the blog or not.

Read a news article that you think people should be talking about? Post it here and get the ball rolling. Had an experience on a bus that just blew your mind? Tell your story here, and find out if others have shared a similar experience. Got an idea you think could revolutionize transportation in LA but don’t know who to tell? Tell us!

For example, as I’m sure you’ve noticed we haven’t had a blog post on a pretty major topic in LA transit that came about recently… Metro’s 2008 Long Range Plan. To be honest, it’s a pretty huge topic and I just haven’t had the time to put together what I would consider a legitimate blog posting for it. But people want to talk about it, as seen in the comments of the March 10th Morning Commute post. With the forum, discussions that you may want to have that aren’t represented by a full fledged blog post can now happen in someplace other than an unrelated blog comment thread. Right here, for example.

Six categories have been created in order to help narrow the discussions:

• Transit Talk: general discussions about mass transit in Los Angeles and elsewhere.
• Other Modes: the Transit Oriented Lifestyle is about a lot more than just mass transit. Bicycling, walking, and other modes should all be discussed here.
• Uncar Los Angeles: LA without a car is pretty of unheard, but it’s totally doable. This is the place to talk about all aspects of a car-free LA.
• Tips, Tricks, Cheats and Resources: long time transit riders have all kinds of tricks up their sleeves or special resources they use to help make the ride easier… share those things in this category.
• MetroRiderLA: for discussions relating to the blog and this forum. Suggestions, compliments, and even criticisms are welcome.
• Whatever: This is the place to talk about anything and everything that’s not necessarily transit related.

So that’s it. I encourage everyone to take advantage of this little forum experiment. If it’s successful I think it will be a great addition to the LA transit community, and a nice extension of the discussions on the MetroRiderLA blog. But the thing with these forums is, they only work if people actively participate in them, so don’t be shy.  Apply for a membership account and start posting today!