[tabi] my object to Nova 2010
- From: "Chip Orange" <Corange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 11:54:21 -0500
hi all,
I spoke with a StarMetro planner yesterday, and he said only 2
intersections of the possible 41 proposed for transfer points, currently
have audible signals. (I think Lynn did tell us that).
perhaps, just perhaps, they'll be able to add 10, even 20, in the next
year, but by no means all of them will get audible signals.
the point I made to him, and the one I intend to make to the city
commission unless there is a dramatic change in the plan, is that no
intersection, even with an audible signal, is safe for a blind person to
cross. audible signals only make it somewhat safer, but many of our
local blind residents can testify about being hit. I don't think even
our best, most skillful, independent travelers, can say that crossing an
intersection such as many of those proposed by StarMetro is safe; and, a
number of our blind residents do not fall into the class of our "most
skillful" independent travelers.
I intend to urge the city commission to deny the entire plan until the
safety of disable riders can be assured by never requiring a transfer
through an intersection; StarMetro has got to be forced to come up with
another way to handle transfers.
I know others of you have other objections to the plan, and I've heard
and agree with a lot of them, but this is to me, the single really good
one, which is good enough to warrant the city commission stopping
implementation until it is worked out.
I do support other objections which have been raised, including the one
I just mentioned that with all the bus stops moving to new locations,
they are going to be hard to find, and that the routes and the location
of stops require a lot of walking at times, which itself is also unsafe.
but when I write the commission after the plan is submitted to them, I
am only going to focus on the safety issue, as I think it's the most
important, and I don't want to overwhelm them in my letter with les
important objections.
I hope all of you will consider writing to the city commission, but not
until the plan has been submitted to them. any letters before then are
evidently just forwarded to StarMetro, without engaging the
commissioners' attention.
thanks.
Chip
------------------------------
Chip Orange
Database Administrator
Florida Public Service Commission
Chip.Orange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(850) 413-6314
(Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not
necessarily reflect those of the Florida Public Service Commission.)
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