[tabi] Re: article for tomorrow's Democrat: Sidewalk construction for Nova2010
- From: "Darla J. Rogers" <djrogers0628@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 13:14:53 -0500
Dear William
Are there laws in place about new construction (business and residential) that
sidewalks must be included.
Also, I'm concerned about Dial-a-Ride making assumptions about blind people
being able to navigate certain stops thus assuming we can access all of them
and making us ineligible for service.
Darla
----- Original Message -----
From: blindwilly
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2011 7:57 PM
Subject: [tabi] Re: article for tomorrow's Democrat: Sidewalk construction
for Nova2010
Charles,
I am on your side buddy, but there is never going to be enough money. We
have a few million to work on high priority sidewalks now and perhaps when we
have finished them, we will get another grant to continue, but even then there
will be priorities.
It's like the pharmacy add says, this is not a perfect world. I wish it
were, and I am batting it out my friend so keep in there with the cause and we
will all get there in the end.
Willy
----- Original Message -----
From: Charles Atkins
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 9:20 PM
Subject: [tabi] Re: article for tomorrow's Democrat: Sidewalk construction
for Nova2010
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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