I have written both the Mayor and Commissioners and StarMetro folks. I have also relayed the info to many of my co-workers who use the R and T routes. I hope people will let their voices and opinions be heard. ----- Original Message ----- From: Chip and Allie Orange To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 6:12 PM Subject: [tabi] Re: how to email all city commissioners Yes, I appreciate you telling me this. The press release made it sound like people’s wishes should be communicated … it certainly sounds to me like they wanted to hear from riders about this proposed changed; after all, it’s phrased as a proposal, not as a “we’ve decided this.” As you say, and because of an email I received from StarMetro, I urge anyone who believes that service to CCOC is important to communicate directly with the commissioners, as the commissioners must approve this change, and StarMetro made it quite clear to me in their response that as far as they are concerned, this is a “done deal”. I tried to suggest that many workers in CCOC, Koger, etc. live in the NE and with some effort on StarMetro’s part, NE residents can often be talked into doing “the green thing” (Allison says it’s hard to find anyone in a NE grocery store who isn’t bringing their own reusable grocery bags just as a for instance). I thought they could work to raise the ridership from the NE to CCOC (offer one of the newer electric buses with WIFI, along with a little campaigned that this lets you read your I-pad or whatever and someone else will drive). I hoped they would try to raise ridership rather than cutting routes, as that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. As they don’t seem interested in comments after all, we can only write the commissioners. Thanks for the info. Chip From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of blindwilly Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 4:28 PM To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [tabi] Re: how to email all city commissioners Chip, I was at the TD meeting yesterday and even though it is not directly the fixed rout system, we did take time to talk about it. The change in South Wood was based strictly on the numbers. Anyone can complain, but, you know numbers and that is all that they have to go on and not people's personal wishes. ----- Original Message ----- From: Chip Orange To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 3:41 PM Subject: [tabi] how to email all city commissioners Thanks Robert I have changed the subject on this thread in order to draw people’s attention to the valuable information. (I can’t really blame them if they tune-out of the discussion on StarMetro by now). From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Easy Talk Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 6:05 AM To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [tabi] Re: Fwd: City of Tallahassee News Release - StarMetro Proposes New Express Service to SouthWood Also if you send your messages to commissioners@xxxxxxxxxx all the city commissioners and the mayor will get your message. Robert ----- Original Message ----- From: Erica To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: jplescow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 2:12 PM Subject: [tabi] Re: Fwd: City of Tallahassee News Release - StarMetro Proposes New Express Service to SouthWood I will once again encourage TABI subscribers-- just as I'd encourage ALL citizens-- to not just voice your dissatisfaction to your friends and cohorts, but MORE importantly to your politicians. Bring your well thought out concerns and suggestions to City Commission meetings and/or meetings with individual Commissioners. This is exactly the process John Plescow used so successfully to secure Braille placards for our bus system... The first IN the U.S. To have Braille signage!! Erica Sent from AOL Mobile Mail -----Original Message----- From: Charles Atkins <catkins@xxxxxxx> To: tabi <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tue, Oct 15, 2013 11:20 AM Subject: [tabi] Re: Fwd: City of Tallahassee News Release - StarMetro Proposes New Express Service to SouthWood Chip I know you're right the things you tell us because I know several people using the bus and complaining that they wished things could return to the old days; rides used to take fifteen minutes take much longer now! ----- Original Message ----- From: Chip Orange To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 9:08 AM Subject: [tabi] Re: Fwd: City of Tallahassee News Release - StarMetro Proposes New Express Service to SouthWood · Thanks Lynn for this, and thanks Sila for further info. It’s unbelievable to me that the city is promoting this as being done because they want to get the residents of Southwood to downtown. While they’re trying to do this, they are making it much harder on those who work at Southwood but generally live in North-East Tallahassee. Who do they think is riding the bus? Someone living in Southwood who wants to go downtown some afternoon? Or someone trying to get to work each and every day? This makes no sense from a transit point of view. Instead, it looks like more of the city’s plan to try and do something with the downtown (no matter how much money is spent, and no matter who is inconvenienced), and which includes the wonderfully successful “party bus”, and the 2 million dollar pub the city is about to own. Obviously you can see how I feel about the downtown issues, and while it’s one thing to spend tax dollars there, it’s another to begin disassembling our bearly function transit system to also try and promote this at the expense of those who need to get to work every day. Chip From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Lynn Evans Sent: Monday, October 14, 2013 2:10 PM To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [tabi] Fwd: City of Tallahassee News Release - StarMetro Proposes New Express Service to SouthWood Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: From: "City of Tallahassee" <City_of_Tallahassee@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: October 14, 2013 at 11:51:42 AM EDT To: <austin.evans60@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: City of Tallahassee News Release - StarMetro Proposes New Express Service to SouthWood City of Tallahassee News Release Communications / City Hall / Tallahassee FL 32301 / 850.891.8533 StarMetro Proposes New Express Service to SouthWood Red Hills Express Would Offer Greater Convenience to Commuters - Residents in SouthWood may soon have a quicker and more direct way to travel between home and downtown via StarMetro. Today, the transit agency announced plans to combine portions of two of its existing routes serving the SouthWood area into one direct route called the Red Hills Express. The proposed service change, which goes before the City Commission on Oct. 23, would allow customers to travel between the two major destinations in as little as 30 minutes with no transfer. In order to gain feedback from area residents and commuters on the proposed express service, StarMetro planners will hold a public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 12 to 3 p.m. at Shuster's Café, located at 4055 Esplanade Way. If approved by the City Commission, the new Red Hills Express, which includes a stop on Magnolia Dr. near Governor's Square Mall, would begin on Monday, Nov. 4. 'By combining the SouthWood portions of the Red Hills and Tall Timbers routes that overlap, we can distribute our resources more efficiently,' said Ivan Maldonado, director of StarMetro. 'As a result, we can provide a direct, express route from SouthWood to downtown -- giving residents and commuters a faster and more convenient service.' The Red Hills Express would offer a high level of service during the typical travel times of commuters. The service would provide eight trips during the day -- four trips during the morning and four trips during afternoon peak travel times. With the proposed express service serving the SouthWood area, the existing Red Hills and Tall Timbers routes would be combined into a single Tall Timbers route. Proposed changes are available for viewing on the proposed system map (PDF). For more information about StarMetro services, please call 891-5200 or visit Talgov.com/starmetro. Other ways to view information include liking StarMetro's official Facebook page at Facebook.com/starmetrotransit or following the organization on Twitter at Twitter.com/ridestarmetro. Contact: Brian Waterman, StarMetro Planning, 891-5564; Sandra Manning, Utility Marketing, 891-6175; or Heather Teter, Department of Communications, 891-8533