local osider wrote on May 20, 2008 3:27 PM:This reminds me of all those that said the coaster was a waste of tax payer money and that nobody would use it because it didnt run often enough, or take you to where you needed to go...Its a good thing NCTD had enough vision to see past the naysayers and to build this Coaster before gas got to be so high...This also reminds me of the dumas's who say the same thing about the sprinter...Anyone who has lived elsewhere knows that public transportation is essential to sustaining a regional community..Thank you NCTD for being able to see so clearly!

mis-management wrote on May 20, 2008 4:13 PM:If ridership is at an all-time high, shouldn't the public transportation revenues be an an all-time high too? It seems that they should be adding routes, not eliminating them. Where is the inflow of the record breaking ridership fees (revenue) going?

Nother Osider wrote on May 20, 2008 4:16 PM:The naysayers are living in the past, the proverbial good old days. The days of 99 cent gas, big cars, and hardly a care in the world. The sun has risen on a new day, a day which will have us atoning for our sins and excesses of the past. Our children will be paying, as will their children and grand children. Thank god for some foresight on the part of transit planners. To hell with the special interests that blocked a rail on the I-15 corridor, you know who you are.

What county are we wrote on May 20, 2008 4:20 PM:talking about North County seems to have less riders, before the buses were packed.

Oh sorry I thought wrote on May 20, 2008 4:23 PM:you were talking about the $printer, then I saw your picture you are talking about the Coaster, sorry my mistake. I guess the Coaster is making money, now if we could just do the same with the $printer.

great service wrote on May 20, 2008 4:28 PM:If I want to get to my job (from Poway to Del Mar - 14 miles) using public transportation I have to catch a bus at 5:30 in the morning, transfer three times and walk the final two miles to get to my work by 9:30. So lets see, should I drive 20 minutes or ride a bus for four hours? Not a tough choice, even if gas was $10 per gallon. If the people in charge would build trains working people would actually use (like down the I15 corridor, or across the 56) rather then the Sprinter boondoggle life would be good.

Hundreds of years wrote on May 20, 2008 4:35 PM:from now, people will realize what a great form of transportation the $ploser was. A ride ahead of its time:(

Nice try with wrote on May 20, 2008 4:36 PM:the infocommercial NCTD, but nobody is buying it. A cute way of bracing the public for another fare hike?

BD wrote on May 20, 2008 4:54 PM:Who cares about the price of gas? They serve beer on the coaster! That's reason enough.

prof wrote on May 20, 2008 8:37 PM:See, government funded public transportation = HUGE BOONDOGGLE!!!

Alex wrote on May 20, 2008 10:24 PM:There's a bus that travels from Murrieta, passes Escondido altogether and turns west to Oceanside. Shouldn't there be a stop in Escondido for passengers who need to travel south on the 15 to San Diego? Go figure!

Nick wrote on May 20, 2008 10:29 PM:Okay, ENOUGH who the heck is a sleep at the wheel here? Where are all the politicians now? Usually about this time we start to have "Commitees" looking into price gouging and the Oil "Dicks" back off for a few months and try again later. Who's a sleep at the wheel ? I want answers for my taxes.

To you complainers... wrote on May 21, 2008 6:16 AM:Of those complainers here in the comment section, how many of you actually use mass transit?

I've been riding the Metrolink from O'side to Irvine for several years and yes, my commute takes about 30 additional minutes, but it's worth it. Not only do I save about $400 a month from gas and maintenance costs, but I also save my sanity.

Also, to "Oh sorry I thought," the transit district like many other businesses do run money losing lines that are offset by the money winning lines of business. It may not be a money maker immediately, but in time they forecast that it will.

With that, if you think you can start a business that will be a winning line money maker from the get-go, I'd like to see that. All business start out as money losers that really serve as an investment in the future -- much like investing in new technology.

wrote on May 21, 2008 7:51 AM:so let me see if i got this straight...the number of riders on the coaster has increased over 9% from last year and they're still going to raise prices on us? nice...

Resident wrote on May 21, 2008 8:10 AM:My husband commutes to Del Mar From Temecula and just bought a third car for commuting to the Oceanside Train Station where he takes the coaster. He had been taking the RTA commuter Bus for over 5 years but after rumors of the route going away thanks to a buyout that will do away with the route altogether and constant overcrowding on the buses forcing him and others to wait for the next bus he was not getting home sometimes till 7:30 PM. That was a 13.5 hr day. We do not know a soul back east that has that long of a commute. Now since he bought the car he is getting home by 6 with good traffic. The car gets 37 mpg. So he feels he is less stressed than dealing with the limited bus schedule if he leaves work early now he can get home at a reasonable time and does not have to encounter some of the crazies that he did on the bus everyday.
Someone should start a service that is flexible for schedules and only for folks going to school and work period.

NCT raising wrote on May 21, 2008 8:43 AM:fees in July? Sounds typical, they will raise it more then you can drive it and will wonder why ridership will drop again. How come NCT didn't compare times? Since more are riding the train I drive to work much faster. Thank you!

Larry wrote on May 21, 2008 9:32 AM:Of course many are beginning to use mass transit. That has been the plan all along. Liberals have said for years that gas prices need to be higher (like in other countries) to force people into tiny little cars and mass transit so they can "save the planet." Now that they have gas prices skyrocketing, the Liberal Democrats in Congress have proposed an additional fifty cents per gallon gas tax. They also want to add additional taxes to oil companies. How will that lower prices at the pump? Or course they will continue the policy of not drilling for the abundant oil available in the United States leaving us ever more dependent on hostile foreign sources. All these policies ensure constantly increasing fuel prices. These people are either really stupid or really smart and their plan to manipulate the masses is working to perfection. To paraphrase the 1992 Clinton slogan, "It's the politicians stupid, not the oil companies."

Larry wrote on May 21, 2008 10:27 AM:Hello... Even if they opened up the preserves for drilling, it will barely impact the global demand for fossil fuels. Prices will still be high even if the oil is sourced locally because it is bought and sold in a GLOBAL MARKET.

Matt wrote on May 21, 2008 11:20 AM:I see me in the first picture!

Osider wrote on May 21, 2008 11:20 AM:Hey larry, raising the fleet average MPG (Cafe standard) could eliminate our dependence on foreign oil. Sadly the Big 3 have blocked that so they could make the easy money on SUVs. Look where that has gotten us. Do not blame the enviromentalists, they will just reply, TOLD YOU SO!

Walt wrote on May 21, 2008 12:51 PM:As ultra-mass transit advocate columnist Paul Krugman belatedly discovered even a 10% "surge" in mass transit use reduces driving a fraction of a percent on fuel wasting inadequate roads. That fraction for San Diego is a breathtaking 0.18%. Texas Transportation Institute estimates San Diego wastes about 195,000 gallons of fuel daily due to congestion. If the entire mass transportation system, not just a few long distance commuters used as examples, "surged" 10%, about 7,500 gallons, (3.8%) would be saved assuming 22 mpg average for current cars. Boosting mpg to 22.8 does as well. Hopefully those now shifting to mass transit,if they find they save after accounting for getting to and from the bus or train, will say a small prayer to thank taxpayers who are making their half price journeys possible through subsidy. Let's see what happens when transit costs increase for energy, and reduced subsidy. Leading the pack; NCTD's $2/trip w/o free transfers costs more for a typical 10 mile commute than gas for even a 22 mpg car.

To Great Service wrote on May 21, 2008 1:45 PM:Quit complaining about the Sprinter already. Those of us who live along the 78 corridor are using the Sprinter happily! My family alone is about to start saving over $200 a month just by using the Sprinter/Coaster combo to get one of us to work downtown!
If you're not happy about what public transportation is available for your area, then maybe you should move.

Ron wrote on May 21, 2008 2:29 PM:As one of those thousands that commutes to San Diego from Oceanside everyday is the hours. If you work any earlier that 7 a.m. or later than 6 p.m. then you do not have an oppurtunity to use the train. I woiuld love to use it but when you have to be there at 430 a.m. or don't get off until 11 p.m. then there isn't much choice. I think that San Diego County needs to use some of this money they are using to widen the freeways to add more trains. Mass transit is the future of this county...not more lanes. More lanes is just a bandaid to a wound that will never heal.

John E wrote on May 21, 2008 3:22 PM:Over the years, I have commuted via various combinations of bicycling, jogging, carpooling, and mass transit. It is most unfortunate that NCTD is short on funding right when transit ridership is increasing.

Trucks are great for those who really need them, but it is hard to sympathize with those who commute solo or haul groceries in a large SUV. We were warned in 1973 and again in 1979 that our supplies of fossil fuel are fragile and limited -- when will we ever learn? BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) is hungry for oil, and the world's reserves of cheap-to-extract oil are running low. This has nothing whatsoever to do with any liberal (or conservative) political conspiracy.

Umm.. wrote on May 21, 2008 3:55 PM:I'm in Oceanside, near the Sprinter. I need to get to the Chart House, Cardiff- tomorrow at 6PM. The Coaster stops at Solana Beach at 05:17 and 05:50. Leaves Oceanside about 20 minutes earlier. If I take the Sprinter to the Coaster, I have to leave at 04:30. I can drive to the Chart house in 20 minutes.

Hmmmmm..

But here's the real twist.

If I ride the Coaster first, I can transfer to the Sprinter for free. But if I ride Sprinter first, my ticket does not go towards an upgrade.

Who thought this weird plan out?

The same distance covered costs $2 more if you use the small train first.

Sammy wrote on May 21, 2008 5:14 PM:No one said the sprinter or coaster would meet everyones needs for all occasions. Doesn't work for me, yet. If and when they bring it out towards East Escondido, I am on it! Why not save the gas money, wear and tear on your car, and heck maybe some filthy fossil fuel too! (can't hurt the environment) My son is riding it now, saving about $200 month in gas, and actually likes it.

sallovernow wrote on May 21, 2008 5:47 PM:I bought my sprinter pass today. Cleaned up the bike and I'm getting a new gas cap to prevent siphoning of the full tank of sweet $4 a gallon gas. I'm taking the multi-modal-trans-option approach. I'm going for 1 week with no car use and realize I'm lucky I can do such a thing. People I know, who have commutes from downtown, are car pooling. People, gas will be $6-$7 by September. I wish everyone the very best in dealing with these troubling times. We can get through it folks!!!

Karen wrote on Jun 16, 2008 11:23 AM:I ride the coaster every day from Oceanside to Sorrento Valley, and have been for three months. y car is a sall SUV which averages about 16 MPG. When I drove to work, it took about 30 minutes in the morning, but in the evening it was anywhere fom 1-3 hours to get home. The traffic was ruining my quality of life. When gas prices got to over 4$ per gallon it was a no brainer. The coaster may take a few extra inutes, but I a not sitting in y car wasting gas, I am relaxing, listenining to music and enjoying the view of the coastline.
The reason our fares are going up is that the Governor of California took away 60% of the funding for Mass transit and put it in the general fund because he couldn't balance the budget. Where else do you think the transit system is going to make up for that? Even with the fare increase, which is only $14, I will continue to ride the coaster. I would be spending way more on gas, and then what price do you put on sanity?
Also to the other writer, there is no snack bar or beer on the coaster. You are allowed to drink on the train if you bring your own, just remember that when the train stops you are going to get behind the wheel of a car, so drinking is probably not advisable.