Potential issues with a public transit road meet

[I-57/Route 66 Fan]

I want to have a public transit road meet, but in doing so I found 5 or 6 potential issues.
1. People depend on public transportation, so we would need to limit the number of attendees to single digits.
2. Public transit can be late sometimes, which could throw the entire road meet off.
3. It would need to be on a weekday.
4. No bathrooms.
5. It might be lengthy.
6. For a possible issue, rain soaked bus stops are no fun.
I think a public transit road meet would be fun, but lets talk about this like the highway fans we are.

[GaryV]

People depend on public transportation, so we would need to limit the number of attendees to single digits

Come to metro Detroit - I can't ever recall seeing a full bus.

Public transit can be late sometimes

Well yes, there is that, so maybe not Detroit.

[Max Rockatansky]

People depend on public transportation, so we would need to limit the number of attendees to single digits

Come to metro Detroit - I can't ever recall seeing a full bus.

Public transit can be late sometimes

Well yes, there is that, so maybe not Detroit.

The People Mover and QLINE both would be a relative snap to knock out in a short period of time.  Trouble is that there isn't exactly much beyond that to do in downtown Detroit if the list of things is limited only to transit. 

[kphoger]

1. People depend on public transportation, so we would need to limit the number of attendees to single digits.

This is especially true for buses.  Trains, not as much of a concern.

2. Public transit can be late sometimes, which could throw the entire road meet off.

Assuming a major city like Chicago, this would only affect bus routes out in the suburbs that don't run as often.  Metra is typically better at being on time.  And, anyway, you can factor delays into your itenerary.

3. It would need to be on a weekday.

This depends on location.  In some places, Saturday service is robust enough.  In others, nope.

4. No bathrooms.

Public restrooms can be factored into the itinerary but would require extra planning ahead of time.

5. It might be lengthy.

Yes, especially if the routes don't run frequently.  But, in a major city like Chicago, buses and trains in the core of the city run frequently enough that it shouldn't be too much of a concern.

6. For a possible issue, rain soaked bus stops are no fun.

True.  Of course, weather can affect regular roadmeets too, as people are going to be getting out and looking at stuff from the ground every so often.

[I-57/Route 66 Fan]

How many miles is the average road meet?

[Max Rockatansky]

How many miles is the average road meet?

Probably depends on who is doing them.  I would venture a guess mine out in California have been some of the longest in recent memory (100-200 miles).

[I-57/Route 66 Fan]

Is Aroma Park-Schaumberg too long?

[Max Rockatansky]

I wouldn't think so.  The bigger issue you'll encounter is if you plan on taking freeways with tolls.  People might get leery having to pay fees.

[I-57/Route 66 Fan]

By number of attendees what is the smallest road meet?

[jpi]

By number of attendees what is the smallest road meet?

I think 2, the largest was somewhere around 40, my recent Harrisburg\ Hershey meet had around 35 attendees

[kphoger]

Is Aroma Park-Schaumberg too long?

For a public transit meet?  If I were doing it, I'd have the starting location be near the Metra Electric line.  I'm not super familiar with that line, but maybe the University Park station.  And Schaumberg is kind of a weird random place to have at the other end, but it's reachable by Pace bus route 208, 600, or 606.  As someone who has used Pace bus a lot but never been to the Northwest Transportation Center, that actually sounds kind of interesting to me.

[oscar]

How many miles is the average road meet?

Probably depends on who is doing them.  I would venture a guess mine out in California have been some of the longest in recent memory (100-200 miles).

Not "average", but the 2018 Alaska meet started in Fairbanks and ended in Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse about 500 miles away.

IIRC, two of the three attendees flew back south, while the third had to get his vehicle repaired in Deadhorse before driving back south.

[I-57/Route 66 Fan]

Is Aroma Park-Schaumberg too long?

For a public transit meet?  If I were doing it, I'd have the starting location be near the Metra Electric line.  I'm not super familiar with that line, but maybe the University Park station.  And Schaumberg is kind of a weird random place to have at the other end, but it's reachable by Pace bus route 208, 600, or 606.  As someone who has used Pace bus a lot but never been to the Northwest Transportation Center, that actually sounds kind of interesting to me.

Actually I was thinking Aroma Park-Midway bus system, that way people can choose where they want to start

[Scott5114]

Paging @Bruce – your expertise would likely be of use here.

[Bruce]

I've organized a lot of meetups by transit (the goal being to ride transit or to do other things) and it really isn't that difficult if you know where to cut things off. Restroom breaks can be arranged alongside meal breaks, with a list of public restrooms along the route if needed. Stick to frequent routes/services so that folks can do spontaneous stops, or be really strict with the itinerary. A group can occupy a good portion of a bus without bothering too many folks as long as you're considerate.

I'm doing a group ride of sorts tomorrow, even. The plan is to have one person's car parked at an intermediate park-and-ride in case folks need to bail for any reason.

[Dirt Roads]

Note that there are security considerations related to large gatherings on public transit, particularly in the rail transit industry.  As such, most transit systems have internal policies that limit photography.  Back in the day, many of the transit systems that I worked on actually encouraged "railfans" to contact them and they would send a delegation of publicity officers and security officials/officers to escort a large group and also provide them with some of the photo-ops that they wanted.  Things are quite different nowadays, but it still wouldn't hurt to notify the transit agency of your plans.

[Bruce]

Note that there are security considerations related to large gatherings on public transit, particularly in the rail transit industry.  As such, most transit systems have internal policies that limit photography.  Back in the day, many of the transit systems that I worked on actually encouraged "railfans" to contact them and they would send a delegation of publicity officers and security officials/officers to escort a large group and also provide them with some of the photo-ops that they wanted.  Things are quite different nowadays, but it still wouldn't hurt to notify the transit agency of your plans.

This isn't the case at all for trips *on* transit that do no revolve around visiting garages and other back-house facilities. At least not in a major city where groups of people who know each other moving around on the same bus/train is normalized. I would only contact a transit agency if there were special accommodations needed (such as an unusual amount of people on an otherwise under-used route) and it's worked out fine.

[paulthemapguy]

Minor Things That Bother You: Potential Meet Idea Edition

Hopefully these criticisms are suggested with the intent to ensure a successful meet of this format by solving potential problems, rather than posed with the intent to shut the idea down altogether.