[tabi] Re: City Commission approves Nova 2010... but not a complete loss

  • From: "Lynn Evans" <evans-lynn@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:48:22 -0400

We can say what we want to say and vote the way we want to vote.
After all we live in the good ol US of A.


----- Original Message ----- From: "djrogers0628" <djrogers0628@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 4:34 PM
Subject: [tabi] Re: City Commission approves Nova 2010... but not a complete loss


But, Lynn; do we want the same kind of person she is to replace her? Just because she's leaving the City Commission, doesn't mean she still won't have a sphere of influence.

Darla



Darla J. Rogers, B.A. Social Science; M.S. Rehabilitation Counselor Education

djrogers0628@xxxxxxxxxxx

Home phone #:  850-329-7437
Cell #:  850-443-3571

Skype ID: wildflower0628
I suited up for the long walk back to myself...
....Ani DiFranco

----- Original Message ----- From: "Easy Talk" <easytalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 5:17 AM
Subject: [tabi] Re: City Commission approves Nova 2010... but not a complete loss


So does that give her the right to say stupid things?
Robert

----- Original Message ----- From: "Lynn Evans" <evans-lynn@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 7:43 PM
Subject: [tabi] Re: City Commission approves Nova 2010... but not a complete loss


commissioner Lightsey is out of there at the end of her term. She has already said she will not run again.



----- Original Message ----- From: "Chip Orange" <Corange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 3:17 PM
Subject: [tabi] Re: City Commission approves Nova 2010... but not a complete loss


Thanks so much Erica for the wonderful reporting!!!

I'd say everyone was influenced (all the commissioners and Mr. Garrison)
in a very positive manor, and for the betterment of blind individuals
and the public, with the exception of commissioner Lightsey!  Her
comments smack of "separate but equal" mentality that I find
unbelievable today!  If we're going to concentrate our voting efforts,
well, here's an opportunity I'd say to tighten our focus.






------------------------------

Chip Orange
Database Administrator
Florida Public Service Commission

Chip.Orange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(850) 413-6314

(Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not
necessarily reflect those of the Florida Public Service Commission.)


-----Original Message-----
From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
ericamccaul@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 1:49 PM
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tabi] City Commission approves Nova 2010... but not
a complete loss

TABI and others:
First, Owen and I would like to thank all of you who wrote
to, phoned,
or met with StarMetro staff and/or especially the City Commissioners.
Also, those of you who contributed ideas enhanced the process.
    Of course you all know that "we lost", and I know many of
you feel-and
have now publicly expressed-that this was a "done deal" long
before the
public got involved. I don't disagree with any of this, and I
personally am displeased with this incomplete plan passing. However,
please do not fall prey to the idea that this is over, or that either
we have done no good, or that there is no further opportunity to have
influence. (more on these topics below)
    For those of you who did not attend, or had to leave
before the voting
(around 8:20pm) here is a record of the Commissioners' votes and my
interpretation of their comments:
Gillum: Approve, for the following reasons: 1. Like to see what could
be added to the system if the "budget neutral" restriction
was removed
(more night/Sunday service, greater frequency, etc.). 2. What
could we
do to provide information/allay riders' fears about whether
the bus is
on time, or if they've just missed it (at transfer points). [Sila's
point] 3. Suggest that it would be bad to put a half-baked plan into
effect, with hopes of improving it later. New riders will not be
attracted, for example, if the frequencies are too low. Let's try to
get a really solid plan from the start.
Ziffer: For. 1. Need to get those sidewalks in. 2. Need to look at
improving night/Sunday service as soon as fiscally possible.
Mustian: Approve. 1. Change is difficult, but needed.
Marks: Approve. 1. Need to get those sidewalks in. They will help the
whole community, not just the bus riders. I never realized
before that
sidewalks are not merely a luxury. 2. We will at the least make this
ADA compliant; meeting a higher standard would be great.
Lightsey: Approve. 1. Rather than configuring the bus system,
which is
meant for all riders, to the needs of the few [disabled], we need to
find out what alternatives they [the disabled] have. 2. I
preferred an
earlier version of the map, which provided better overall
service, and
had been less tailored by citizen input. 3. I would like to see night
and Sunday service expanded.

At least 4 of the Commissioners stressed that transfers need
to be free
under Nova, both to prevent a barrier for current riders and to not
dissuade new ones. This was, by the way, the cost model
StarMetro used
when calculating its revenue for Nova.

Also of note: Matt Brown of the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce spoke
in favor of the plan, along the lines that change is needed
in general,
and that Nova would move workers to employment sites better. The
Chamber's address is: 100 North Duval Street, Tallahassee, Florida
32301, phone 224-8116.

Mr. Garrison said that they are now shooting for
implementation by the
end of 2011. His "hope" is that seating at stops would be doubled
within the first 14 months of Nova implementation.

Attendees of note:
Proponents: Kevin Davis, William and Sally Benjamin, Bruce Weaver
(though not a strong message), Tom Osteen (professional transit
planner), Greg Thompson (Chair of the TAC), Ed Osburn, Joanna Price
(CCOC), a representative from the Senior Center (sorry, I didn't get
her name)
Opponents: Robert and Sila Miller, John Plescow, Lynn Evans, Linda
Pulliam, Owen & Erica McCaul, Charles Gainy, Amanda Bernath
(Lighthouse), Sue Ellen Smith, Carol Travis Rountree, Michael Banyas
(lives on Thomasville Rd. in an area that will lose service),

Some of you may have seen in yesterdays' Democrat an article about a
schoolchild being hit while presumably walking to a city bus stop
before school. Here is the link.
Link to article on Tallahassee.com re: Nims 6th Grader hit by car:
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20100324/NEWS01/3240317/101
0/Nims-sixth-grader-hit-by-car-in-critical-condition
Owen sent a copy of the story to Mr. Garrison and the City
Commissioners.

This is relevant to the following:
After the hearing, Mr. Garrison came up to Owen and encouraged him to
stay involved with the project as it evolves.
Owen said that he'd surely contact Garrison when the first bus rider
was hit by a car.
Mr. Garrison replied, "I sure hope no one is hit by a car."
Owen said,
"Well, under the new system, it's inevitable."
Ironically, at the time, Owen didn't know about the Nims
schoolgirl (or
the pedestrian who was hit on Tennessee Street within the last week).

I will end on a positive note, however. Lest you only think
of this as
a loss, here are some areas in which our input CLEARLY made a
positive
difference:
1. Sidewalk construction and repair has become a major focus, and the
emphasis is on getting them complete before Nova is
implemented. Usable
condition of complete sidewalks has been brought to the forefront of
the Commissioners'/Mayor's thinking.
2. Transfers will continue to be free.
3. Implementation has been pushed back to April 2011 at the earliest.
The approved plan calls for implementation by the end of 2011.
4. Service into Governor's Square Mall (not during peak hours, but at
least non-peak and weekends)
5. Service to the Senior Center on 7th Avenue (not just
Monroe Street).
6. Service to John Knox Rd.

So please, continue to stay informed and involved, and be vocal,
because it does pay off.
Thank you,
Erica


Check out the TABI resource web page at
http://acorange.home.comcast.net/TABI
and please make suggestions for new material.



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Check out the TABI resource web page at http://acorange.home.comcast.net/TABI
and please make suggestions for new material.



if you'd like to unsubscribe you can do so through the freelists.org web interface, or by sending an email to the address tabi-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject.

Check out the TABI resource web page at http://acorange.home.comcast.net/TABI
and please make suggestions for new material.



if you'd like to unsubscribe you can do so through the freelists.org web interface, or by sending an email to the address tabi-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject.

Check out the TABI resource web page at http://acorange.home.comcast.net/TABI
and please make suggestions for new material.



if you'd like to unsubscribe you can do so through the freelists.org web interface, or by sending an email to the address tabi-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject.

Check out the TABI resource web page at http://acorange.home.comcast.net/TABI
and please make suggestions for new material.



if you'd like to unsubscribe you can do so through the freelists.org web interface, or by sending an email to the address tabi-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject.

Check out the TABI resource web page at http://acorange.home.comcast.net/TABI
and please make suggestions for new material.



if you'd like to unsubscribe you can do so through the freelists.org web interface, or by 
sending an email to the address tabi-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word 
"unsubscribe" in the subject.

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