[tabi] Re: article for tomorrow's Democrat: Sidewalk construction for Nova2010
- From: "Charles Atkins" <catkins@xxxxxxx>
- To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2011 21:20:07 -0500
Even with the remotest possibility of their, possibly, not finding a sidewalk
at a bus stop, stifles any notion they might have to just be creative and
venture out for the sake of just being a happier person and feeling more
independent as a blind person! Does anyone else feel almost like I do?
It would be fun to just get up and go, but, the fact of one realizing the
sidewalk project is millions of dollars short, impedes any such liberty for the
cane travelers.
Is there anything we cane travelers can do to help them come up with the rest
of the money that's needed to complete the project?
What a wonderful city it would be if we could just go a head on and be
guaranteed that no matter where we go we won't be bothered with such a scenario
as our not finding along the way, the sidewalk once we got to where they're
missing or hadn't been installed to allow us to just enjoy our trip!
Otherwise, it's just just a hendrance!
----- Original Message -----
From: Chip Orange
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 4:36 PM
Subject: [tabi] article for tomorrow's Democrat: Sidewalk construction for
Nova2010
Sidewalk construction for Nova2010 continues but 'woefully' short
By TaMaryn Waters
Being blind is a way of life for Bruce Weaver, and so is riding the bus.
Weaver, 48, who's been blind for 25 years as a result of a hereditary
disease, rides
a bus five to six times a day since he's the independent-living coordinator
for Ability
1st. His job is to teach those with disabilities how to use StarMetro's buses
as
well as he does.
With StarMetro's new Nova2010 bus system slated to launch this summer, city
crews
are tackling the tough job of correcting safety issues with sidewalks and
building
new ones in areas where no sidewalk exists so people like Weaver can get
better access
to bus stops.
"Without sidewalks, my level of independence would be significantly
hampered," said
Weaver, who also serves on the city's Transit Advisory Committee.
Even though he's pleased to see more sidewalks in the works, Weaver is
disappointed
all of the sidewalks needed for the massive decentralized bus system will not
be
done anytime soon. The city has $15 million carved out of its budget for
sidewalk
improvements related to Nova2010. But there's $37 million worth of need,
which is
roughly 25 miles of sidewalks, said Gabriel Menendez, the city's public works
director.
As a result, the city has to prioritize which sidewalks get done. Forty one
segments
in varied lengths, equal to $8 million of construction costs, are on land
where the
city has right-of-way. But 30 other segments needed for Nova2010 are not
owned by
the city. Menendez said it would cost an estimated $29 million obtain the
needed
right-of-way.
"We are going to be woefully short on sidewalks," Menendez said. "We are
doing everything
we can to make the process work."
It is also why we can travelers can't make more abundant use of the chirping
signals they have been installing!
It is fool's play to go out and chance it though, i'm sure many of us often,
would like to give it a shot from time to time.
That shot couldor could not work in random instances!
When will this constant threat to our lives end man?
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