Love them both Very much! ----- Original Message ----- From: Barbara Lineberry To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Sunday, September 20, 2009 2:31 PM Subject: [tabi] Re: nova2010 plan Robert, What a great piece you posted. It all makes sense to me. For four years, during the time I was working at IB (which has changed its name twice since then), I was the disabled person's rep on the TD council for both Madison and Hamilton Counties. I also, after retiring from IB, was on the Mayor's Committee for the Disabled (it may have been called differently then). But in all instances it didn't make a difference in what was eventually decided. I did speak up. And I'd been in the Commissioner's Chambers in City Hall several times. Not recently. And I was on the 22nd floor of the Capital when the ADA was passed, and knew immediately that it would be at least 25 years before "temporarily-abled" people would start to understand what was the law and would fight it with all they had. I agree completely that "mobility not accessibility" is an outrageously stupid thing to say. Mobility is getting harder for me so I opt out of more things. But my heart is there for all of us. Thank you and William and Chip and so many others who have continued the fight. The words of two songs come to mind for our situation. They had different original meanings but are good for this. "We Shall Overcome" and "When will they ever learn?" Barbara ----- Original Message ----- From: Easy Talk To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Sunday, September 20, 2009 9:58 AM Subject: [tabi] nova2010 plan After reading all the post on this list about the nova2010 plan, I want to say the following and then I am going to keep my mouth shut since some people think I am attacking Star Metro and not acting with a level head and I run my mouth and don't go to meetings. I have been involved in advocacy for over 20 years and have served on the Governors accessible voting task force and followed the AEIT task force around the state. I was also at all the legislative hearings on the AEIT bill which looked good up until the last two days of the session when it was stripped down so bad to the point it had no enforcement clauses. I was on the first committee that dealt with the guide lines for Para transit service in Leon county. At the time Carol Keo-green was the chair of the TD board and she was never at the committee meetings but at board meetings she would just say no we aren't going to do that and that is that. In politics actions like this are referred to as the political sausage meal and you might not believe it but I have seen it first hand. One thing I have learned over the years is that politicians are going to do what is best to protect there careers. Nice guys finish last. For those of you who went to the two TDC board meetings that dealt with prioritization of rides will remember when I ask the board to establish a committee to look at the impact this would have on the rider ship at the first meeting, I was told they had a committee that did that. Calvert Durden ask who was on the committee and was told the committee consisted of Donna Peacock and Colleen Roland who ironically aren't voting members of the board. It was apparent none of the other members seemed to know about the committee. When this question was brought up at the second meeting the members were different but neither William or Carl who are the only disabled people on the board were on the committee. Also the cost per trip prices were different from the first meeting to the second, it went from around 76 dollars to 38. My point here is to show you that government will say what ever is necessary to support there actions. These are just a few things I have seen over the years and is why I am so skeptical of politicians. It should be apparent to all of you that the disabled community was not considered during the Nova2010 plan. If they had been considered then Star Metro would have stated that service to the disabled would not be affected in regards to Para Transit. Under the current information we have, if a particular bus has to pick up say just 2 wheel chairs that particular route will definitely not be able to keep its schedule. If there is a third wheel chair then that person will have to wait for the next bus because the other bus wouldn't have room for the third wheel chair. There will also be delays when one wheel chair has to be transferred to a connecting bus. I can assure you there will be some ADA complaints filed by wheel chair users. Also remember wheel chairs when I post below some direct information from a message posted by William a few days ago. We all need to remember that each person has there own needs and as citizens of Tallahassee have the right to advocate for themselves. They may choose to speak through TCB or NFB or as an individual. The only way we are going to have any affect is if people get involved and in this case I think there will be a lot of concerns from the community and not just people with disabilities. If we really want to be affective on this issue, we need to get other people involved who aren't disabled because we are considered a small group and the attitude the city has about the disabled community isn't good. Some of you will remember when the lieutenant of operations for TPD came to one of the TCB meetings to talk about the enforcement of the White Cane law. He stated that he didn't know about the White Cane law until just before our meeting when he was preparing his presentation. He admitted to using his Black Berry While driving and said the city had more important things to deal with such as face slapping instead of enforcing the White Cane law. As Mr.. Scheib stated the Nova2010 plan is about mobility not accessibility is the most stupid thing I have ever heard. If the system is not accessible who cares about mobility. Am I skeptical, you better believe I am. Now, here is what should be of major concern to all of you. It is key points of the plan and unless a miracle happens most likely isn't going to be changed. q Routes would no longer circulate within neighborhoods. This will, however, allow StarMetro to serve a larger population by providing higher frequency and better service to the most popular destinations. This is just totally ridiculous logic. How do you serve a larger population to get to there destinations if you don't go where they live. A trip consist of a starting point and destination not just a destination. q Related to the above, walking distances to StarStops are anticipated to increase. On the other hand, this will lead to fewer stops, increased mobility, a more pleasurable riding experience and a healthier community. The benefits, however, would far outweigh the few discrete disadvantages, which are better communicated in a longer visual presentation. Star Metro would have a more dependable system going where our patrons want to go doing so in a timely, efficient fashion. This will basically mean the system will not be accessible to a large majority of visually impaired, wheel chair users and elderly. in fact I see some reference to changing the type/class of people the system is trying to target and it isn't us. Personally the new system won't affect me that much since it goes up and down capital circle and I am with in 3 quarters of a mile from it. The only affect it will have on me is that I might not be able to visit a friend that lives in a neighbor hood which most of us do. I haven't heard anything about a bunch of tents along capital circle or the parkway. I have posted on this list because I care about transportation and think it is vital to have a good system especially for the disabled and the linkage between the fixed route system and Dial A Ride. Personally I am in favor of a decentralized system as long as it has feeder buses or vans that can get you to the main routes. As stated on the web site, the current plan shouldn't cost more but will give more frequent service. There is no way you can make a system better and decentralize it with out spending more money. Personally based on the current information, I think the city is doing this to save money not provide a better service. If people can not get to the bus, they will be empty then the city can say no one uses the busses so we are going to stop that service and believe me people this is starting to happen all over the u.s. Reduce and then eliminate. Robert