Thanks Robert!We, our families, friends are all taxpayers and have rights to be considered in the money deals where the city's transpotation services are concerned!
----- Original Message ----- From: "Easy Talk" <easytalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 12:25 PMSubject: [tabi] Re: from today's Democrat: Lack of quorum stalls vote on bus changes
This is pretty interesting and I would like to thank Kevin and Owen for there efforts. in fact I would like to thank all who have been involved with this issue. During the 20 years I have lived in Tallahassee I think this has been the most involvement I have seen from the blind community. With all that said, I think we need to put our concerns aside and take a look at the bill of goods the city is trying to push on us and personally I don't think safety and our concerns as disabled citizens is going to be enough to stop the change.Now that we have put our concerns aside, let's look at what we are getting. Do you remember the 50 pounds of dog food that are now 44 pounds and the 5 pound bags of sugar that are now 4 pound bags? but the price is the same or more. Well that is the way I see this bill of goods. Less coverage but more frequent service, no safe or weather proof transfer points just to mention a few are what you will get for the same price of the current service. How many of you will ride the new bus system in weather like we had last Thursday or walk a mile in 100 degree weather?Star Metro is selling the plan based on more frequent buses and longer hours of service and they admit the coverage area is less. More frequent bus service isn't going to benefit people who can't get to the bus in the first place. Star Metro might be able to show where extended hours benefit some people but just to give an example of how this is a bunch of bunk, let me tell you how it works on my route. During the week days I could catch a buss about every 15 or 20 minutes to Wal-Mart or target but not at all during evenings or weekends. Most people work during the week and most likely won't be going to Wal-Mart or target unless they are state workers!!smile. So my question is are we getting any benefit from this proposed bill of goods and have we let our concerns become our main objection to the plan.If you notice in the article, Sam Scheib says As for a route into Governor's Square mall, Scheib said it would costthis basically tells me the city had said we could do this as long as It doesn't cost more than the current budget. We all know government doesn't provide increased service with out it costing more.$46,000 per year. He said the plan must remain "cost neutral." "If we can get Governor's Square mall to pay for it, then we can do it,"I think the advisory board should ask Star Metro If the plan is implemented and is a failure, how long do we have to put up with it and is there a plan in place to go back to the old system.I also think the plan is not ready to be implemented based on the current proposals. I am not saying it is impossible but needs more work and commitment from the city and taltran and should be delayed until all problems are addressed and ready to implement with the roll out as apposed to making promises that may never come to light.Kevin, please feel free to bring my concerns to the TAC board. Robert----- Original Message ----- From: "Chip Orange" <Corange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, January 22, 2010 1:53 PMSubject: [tabi] from today's Democrat: Lack of quorum stalls vote on bus changesJanuary 22, 2010 Lack of quorum stalls vote on bus changes By TaMaryn Waters DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER The city of Tallahassee's Transit Advisory Committee, a citizen-advisory board, couldn't vote on StarMetro's proposed Nova 2010 plan Thursday night since it didn't have a quorum. A special meeting is now set for Thursday so the committee can vote on whether to support the plan, which includes changes in how the city's bus system operates. StarMetro planners will use the vote as a guide for finishing a draft report and map, which has had eight revisions since August. It's slated to go before the City Commission in March. During Thursday's meeting, several concerns were brought up by committee members and riders. Those include safety, particularly when crossing busy intersections, the elimination of a route into Governor's Square mall and a need for more audible signals. "The safety concerns are riding over everything," Kevin Davis, a committee member and StarMetro rider, said. Davis said he supports some of the proposals, but he said the safety concerns are "overwhelming" compared to the plan's benefits. Owen McCaul, a bus rider, agreed, especially since the new plan has 39 transfer points but only two audible signals, which he says are helpful for people with disabilities. "I really feel like they are not giving adequate attention to the safety concerns," McCaul said. Sam Scheib, a senior StarMetro planner, said the plan, which is designed to decentralize the bus system, would create bus-transfer spots across town rather than run all routes through the C.K. Steele Plaza. It would increase the number of buses coming to a bus stop during peak hours, and it would reduce routes in some areas. He said planners are looking into safety and logistical issues. The draft has been changed several times as a result of input from riders. For example, service to Trojan Trail was added instead of backtracking on Conner Boulevard, and a "loop route" was divided into two different routes in an effort to increase connectivity between the south side and Lake Jackson areas. Some riders were worried about the lack of sidewalks at some of transfer points. Scheib said the city is working on that, although he couldn't guarantee they'd be complete by nova2010's target launch in December. As for a route into Governor's Square mall, Scheib said it would cost $46,000 per year. He said the plan must remain "cost neutral." "If we can get Governor's Square mall to pay for it, then we can do it," he said. Or, Scheib said, some other service will be affected.Check out the TABI resource web page at http://acorange.home.comcast.net/TABIand 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/TABIand 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.
