[tabi] Re: from today's Democrat: piece on Nova2010
- From: "Daniel ben Moshe" <danielbenmoshe1@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 18:29:49 -0500
Man this is rough! If I were living there now I would ask that the
commission chambers be full on that night. Because the way this is set up,
things will be worse after the change then I ever knew when I lived in
Tallahassee. This is very scary because of the lack of care for safety
issues. And now that I can see the plan some what layed out, this is very
bad. I would encourage each and every one of you to get involved, and be
down there ready to voice your opposition to this change. This is dirty, and
can only bring no good down on our community.
-----Original Message-----
From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Allison and Chip Orange
Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 10:30 AM
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tabi] from today's Democrat: piece on Nova2010
February 6, 2010
Sue Ellen Smith: One rider would put brakes on StarMetro's Nova2010
Sue Ellen Smith
My View
StarMetro's bus system is broken and must be fixed, according to
Tallahassee's transit
planning staff. They say the 32-route, downtown-centric bus system is slow
and doesn't
go where people want to go. More importantly, the city wants the bus system
to pay
more of its own way by bringing in more revenue from riders.
But I disagree that the city's bus system doesn't work well now.
Furthermore, the
Nova2010 plan being proposed by StarMetro threatens to make the bus system
much worse
for many existing riders while discouraging new ridership that the city
needs to
prevent traffic gridlock as it grows in the future.
Nova2010 will cut the number of bus routes by more than half and pick up and
drop
off riders along arterial roads rather than in residential areas and
downtown at
the C.K. Steele bus plaza. This decentralized system, we are told, will
attract new
riders by getting them to their destinations more quickly and efficiently
than the
current system. Even better, all of this change will come at no additional
cost to
the city.
However, this budget-stingy request to attract new riders and revenue comes
at a
cost to current riders and may chill any enthusiasm new riders have for the
plan.
Most residential area bus stops will disappear, meaning longer walks and
travel times
for patrons to stops along major roads such as Monroe Street, Capital Circle
Northeast
and Orange Avenue. Walking distances to their destinations from dropoff
stops will
increase. For example, riders traveling to Governors Square mall will get
only as
close as Governors Square Boulevard or Blair Stone Road and will likely have
to cross
those roads and the mall's huge parking area on foot and in traffic to reach
a door.
Better rethink buying that new comforter from Macy's - it's a haul back to
the bus
stop.
As for the newfound "convenience" for riders who no longer will have to go
downtown
to change buses at Steele plaza, be careful what you ask for. Most "transfer
points"
for these new routes are simply road shoulders or sidewalks at major
intersections
such as Orange Avenue and South Monroe Streets, Mahan Drive and Capital
Circle Northeast,
and Apalachee Parkway and Capital Circle Southeast, and will require riders
to cross
multi-lane intersections to reach them. Prepare for standing in the rain,
because
new shelters for these streetside transfer points are not in the
"budget-neutral"
plan. Your wait could be as long as 40 minutes if you just missed your
transfer bus.
Decentralizing the bus system means that the buses won't be in the same
place at
the same time, so your chances of missing a connection are quite good. As
for the
Nova2010 plan resulting in shorter commutes overall, it's likely most riders
will
find their total commute takes more time when multiple bus transfers, missed
connections
and longer walks from residential areas to stops along highways are factored
in.
All of this is not to say that Tallahassee's bus system should be left as it
is.
Rather it is more critical to ensure that plans to improve the system are
set up
for success. A troubled plan that allows only minor tweaking because of
unrealistic
budget constraints is one destined for conflict and ultimate failure.
Current bus
riders with the financial means will go back to driving cars, new riders
will not
materialize, and the city will be faced with an even greater budget issue.
The continued
existence of the bus system itself will be at stake.
StarMetro staff will be asking the Tallahassee City Commission to approve
Nova2010
on March 10. It is in the city's best interest to reconsider its
"budget-neutral"
stance for Nova2010 and send the plan back to StarMetro with a realistic and
positive
budget so that staff can effectively address and plan for legitimate issues
of convenience,
safety and future expansion.
In turn, StarMetro should lose its defensive stance against Nova2010
detractors and
realize that what they most want is for StarMetro and Tallahassee to succeed
by creating
a mass transit system that becomes a model for the Southeast. The current
Nova2010
plan isn't there yet, but with more effort and funding it can be.
Additional Facts
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
d Sue Ellen Smith lives in Tallahassee and takes the bus to work and other
locations.
She participated in the Nova2010 working group, which made recommendations
to the
Transit Advisory Committee about the plan and presented comments and
concerns at
Nova2010 "listening sessions." Contact her at sue_ellensmith@xxxxxxxxxx
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