So if you're interested in potential changes to the 100 Oaks #1 route check out my guest post at the awesome South Nashville Life blog!

But I will mention here that changes are proposed for other routes too: the 2, 3, 12, and 23, and some minor tweaks to others as well. (Personally I think the changes to the West End #3 are pretty cool). If you missed the public hearings you have until the 12th to send MTA your comments.

See the proposal here, and make sure to go to the last page for MTA contact information.

To cut down on spam, I've changed the rules on our Twitter 'bot  just a little bit. To post information about MTA bus detours or delays, send a Direct Message to @nashtransit. Your message will automatically get reposted to all our followers.

This means that before your tweet can get reposted, @nashtransit must be following you. I'll try to follow back any followers likely to use this service as quickly as possible.

Most smartphone clients and Twitter apps have a user interface for Direct Messages. If you're texting your message from a plain 'ol cell phone, just start a tweet with d nashtransit to turn it into a DM.

Under state fuel-hedging legislation that passed in spring 2009, prices could be locked in for 24 months forward. In May 2009, Metro and its partners locked in diesel prices for two years at $1.88 per gallon and proceeded to save a combined total of $632,811 in fiscal year 2009-10.

During the current 2010-11 fiscal year that began July 1, Metro and its partners already have saved $1.1 million. As fuel prices continue to increase, the partners project to save even more in the second half of the fiscal year.

MTA press release

Some of you may be familiar with the Twitter feed @nashtraffic. It's a pretty cool service - follow it, and you'll get reports on traffic and driving conditions from other users all over the city. When you tweet a message that starts with '@nashtraffic', it gets repeated automatically to everyone else who follows @nashtraffic. The result: live, real-time traffic updates from users.

That's what's about to happen to @NashTransit. Except, naturally, it will be for MTA bus and Music City Star updates, provided by transit riders like you.

@nashtraffic and the new @NashTransit are powered by the Twitfinite bot, automation software which is developed right here in Nashville. You can read more about it at the Twitfinite site, but here's a quick rundown:

Say you're on the #7 Hillsboro bus, and it's stuck in traffic. You might tweet:

@nashtransit 7 Hillsboro inbound stuck in traffic near Green Hills Mall

Your message will instantly get reposted to everyone following @nashtransit. Easy as that. Follow @nashtransit and you'll get live updates posted from other MTA riders. Take a peek at @nashtraffic to get a sense of the kinds of messages that people post.

Note, if you put "@nashtransit" anywhere other than the start of your tweet, it will not get reposted.

If you're following @nashtransit and @nashtransit is following you, you can also send a Direct Message, without having to add '@nashtransit' to the start.

This is surely going to start slowly. We need enough followers reporting to make @nashtransit a useful source of information. So please help spread the word to your Nashville transit-riding friends. The more people participate, the better it gets. (And by the way, spammers and other assorted jerks misusing the system or causing trouble will be blocked at our discretion. Fair notice.)

Some of you already following @NashTransit aren't going to be interested in this, especially those of you not actually living in Nashville. I'm sure eventually there will be some unfollows, and I totally understand that. I'm opening up another Twitter account @NashTransitTalk if you want to keep up with my (very, very) occasional musings on mass transit in Middle Tennessee. Follow that account without fear of being overrun with status updates.

Every kiosk I tried invited me to use my credit or debit bank card, and once inserted, it sat and waited for a minute or two until finally telling me it failed to authorize. (There's nothing wrong with my card, and in fact I tried my debit card too, with no luck.) I tried upstairs, and tried downstairs. Perhaps fortunately not all of the kiosks were even turned on, otherwise I might have spent even more time hunting around.

When the next bus came around, I paid with the cash I had on hand, a $20 bill.

The kiosks aren't working today, either. This time, since it's not Sunday, there was someone at the ticket booth to sell me a fare card. She said the kiosks had been disabled because of 'theft'. Fair enough, but a simple sign on the kiosks to that effect would be useful. Five minutes in Word, a printer, and a piece of tape or two per machine. Will the kiosks return to full functionality soon? No idea.

I try to not be too hard on MTA because I really believe in their mission, and I know that they're still reeling from the floods in May. They have big plans and a lot to do. But while we talk big picture stuff like BRT, streetcars, and trains, it's really important not to forget the little stuff that riders deal with every day. Just a little simple communication can do wonders.

I see that @Nashville_MTA is now on Twitter. No posts yet, but maybe that's a good sign!

[update] It took a little while, but the problem did get fixed. Still think a sign would have been a good idea in the meantime!

Funding for public transportation must be dependable: Paul Ballard, MTA CEO

Future transportation needs can be met: Mark Arnold, Gray Line of Tennessee

Are you interested in learning more about getting sidewalks in your neighborhood?

Do you want to know the plan for regional mass transit for the next 25 years?

Do you know what transit-oriented development means?

Would you like to learn about all the changes that alternative fuels will bring?

Would you like to have input into the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan?

Do you want to talk to MTA about bus routes in your neighborhood?

To learn about these things and a whole lot more, don’t miss our conference!

RSVP is required - take a look at their flyer [pdf] for details.