Vienna says “sorry, not sorry” for service disruptions
From Vienna to Sacramento the best networks are always improving and expanding
This week on the podcast Alexandra Reinagl, CEO of Vienna’s Wiener Linien, talks with Paul about what it takes to support a city of 2 million people with world-class transit. An already robust system with transit stops close to almost everyone and frequent bus, tram, and subway service, they never rest on their laurels and say, “That’s good enough.” From improving the tram networks to a whole new underground subway line, Wiener Linien is always working on making the system better and better for riders.
This is not unlike the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT). SacRT has a massive light rail expansion going on right now with new stops, new trains, and new connections to transit oriented development (TOD). You can see it all for yourself in this month’s Transit Unplugged TV episode featuring SacRT, Sacramento, and the people who make it happen.
While both world-class transit agencies are building for the future—and keeping their systems in top shape—Vienna takes the cake for frank signage about disruptions.
No agency, no transit system, wants to disrupt people’s lives. We know transit is essential to millions of people everyday, but to make repairs and improvements, sometimes service just has to be disrupted.
Most of the time, you’ll see some version of the standard, “We’re sorry for the inconvenience, we’ll be back to normal soon” message, but not in Vienna. At Wiener Linien their message is “sorry, not sorry.”
Sure, they’re sorry about the inconvenience and disruption, but they aren’t sorry about improving or repairing the network.
You have to break a few eggs to make an omelette, and when you need to fix a piece of track, upgrade a stop, or build bus rapid transit (BRT) lines through major arteries, there will be disruptions, but disruptions that will be worth it in the end.
So to the folks in Vienna and Sacramento, we’re sorry your commute might be a little bumpy, but maybe not all that sorry since you’re getting something amazing when the work is done.
Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged: Deep dive into the OEM bus crisis with New Flyer
As the OEM bus shortage and manufacturing crisis continues in the U.S., we bring you a deep dive into the issue with former FTA Administrator Sherry Little, plus Jennifer McNeill and Stephanie Laubenstein of New Flyer. Sherry, Jennifer, and Stephanie talk about the tremendous strides the entire industry is making to dig out of this crisis and build a strong future for OEM bus manufacturers in the U.S.
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