The Drive: Rider alerts used for long-term disruptions, Metro Transit says

A motor vehicle collided with a Green Line train on the University of Minnesota campus Wednesday and it barely got attention from the press. The crash didn't need it. The mishap amounted to nothing more than a fender bender.

It took about 30 minutes to clear the scene at Ontario Street and Washington Avenue SE. and get the westbound train rolling again. During that time, other trains — both eastbound and westbound — were forced to share a track to get through the area, and that caused "some delays," said Metro Transit spokesman Drew Kerr.

The agency put word of the collision out on Twitter but didn't post anything on its Facebook page or send out a rider alert. In the world of transit, where minutes often spell the difference between making a connection and missing one, delays of any length are newsworthy. So why no rider alert?

Rider Alerts, posted to Metro Transit's website and texted or e-mailed to those who subscribe to receive such notices, are reserved for major service changes that are usually long-lasting, Kerr said. That includes cases such as when buses are placed on detours when roads are closed due to construction or special events, or like when portions of both light-rail trains are offline as they were from Sunday night to early Monday morning.

It's trickier with short-term disruptions because "often by the time they [rider alerts] get out, the situation has cleared," Kerr said. For immediacy, such as with Wednesday's crash (caused by a motorist attempting an illegal left turn, I'm told), the agency used Twitter and audio announcements made on rail platforms.

Like its counterpart, the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority also faces challenges in getting word to riders when buses get stuck in a traffic jam or, say, one has a flat tire and is running behind schedule. Along with using social media, the agency relies on a program that allows riders to log in and use the agency's website or smartphone app to get real-time information about the status of their bus.

Executive Director Luther Wynder said the agency is trying to improve how it gets real-time information to riders. It's working on a text and e-mail system, and in the near future, real-time information boards will be going up in transit stations in Burnsville, Eagan and Apple Valley.

The goal, he says, "is to get information into the rider's palm and their smartphone, save frustration and calls to customer service. There is a real benefit with that."

You may have noticed new sleek white card readers showing up on Metro Transit buses. This spring and summer, the agency started swapping out the old clunky football-shaped readers and replacing them with the new devices supplied by Cubic Transportation Systems. Metro Transit tried out the validators on dial-a-ride vehicles in 2014, marking the first time smart card capability was available on paratransit services. The results led Metro Transit to put them on all 1,400 vehicles in its fleet. The cost is $5 million.

Other than being quieter than the old card readers, customers who swipe and ride won't notice a change. In the future, the devices may allow riders to pay with their smartphones, and since the readers communicate in real time, customers who add value to their Go-To cards could be able to use the money more quickly. Right now, transactions can take up to a day to post, Kerr said.

Follow news about traffic and commuting at The Drive on startribune.com. Got traffic or transportation questions, or story ideas? E-mail drive@startribune.com, tweet@stribdrive or call Tim Harlow at 612-673-7768.