RTD’s Jammed Spare-Parts System Fixed

After months of major computer failures, a breakthrough has been made in debugging an ultramodern parts-handling system at the RTD’s new central warehouse, officials said Friday.

That should be good news for transit commuters, who have been frustrated recently by record numbers of buses not showing up as scheduled because of a parts shortage caused by the warehouse problems.

This week marked the first time the high-tech warehouse--which uses computer-controlled robots to store, retrieve and distribute bus parts--has worked as advertised since the Southern California Rapid Transit District moved into its new, $88-million downtown bus maintenance center last summer.

It’s a First

“I’m very optimistic,” said Maynard Walters, an RTD manager who oversees warehouse operations. “This is the first time it has operated to specifications. We’ve never had a period since we took over the operation of the system last July that we went four or five days without (the computer system) crashing.”

Walters said the manufacturer of the $7-million automated warehouse system, Eaton-Kenway Inc. of Salt Lake City, recently reprogrammed the computers. Eaton-Kenway and the RTD are suing each other over a variety of contract disputes related to the warehouse project.

When the system was not operating properly, RTD mechanics could not get parts needed to repair buses--leading in October to as many as 100 bus runs a day being canceled across the county. In recent weeks, the number of canceled bus runs has been between 20 and 60 per day, records show. Normally, no bus runs are canceled for lack of parts, officials have said.

Rider complaints about no-show buses soared more than 50% in October--and remained relatively high again last month as a result of the parts shortage.

Walters said Friday that while progress now is being made to clear up a backlog of parts orders, it may be a month or more before operations return to normal.