tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41746658161716446742024-02-06T19:25:09.398-08:00Getting There and Back Again...Mostly, riding the bus...and other thoughts on alternatives to one person in a car.Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-58321484491836337832011-01-20T09:23:00.000-08:002011-01-20T09:26:22.624-08:00pathetic!I have not posted anything to this blog in many months.<br /><br />That is pathetic.<br /><br />Kudos to Asheville Transit for finally putting bus stops on the section of Brevard Road that runs between Haywood Road and Interstate 240. This is a neighborhood of many city blocks, and bus stops should have been in my neighborhood long ago. <br /><br />Better late than never.Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17374691722674668757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-86662647989960330142010-06-28T15:18:00.000-07:002010-06-28T15:18:55.575-07:00Bus Buskers and Food Vendors...Bus Fun in Mexico<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgeVPfIUbBHj5u6y8prWCbFg0VZu1f1nTvoIy1ZUFsHemGZq87PhnWKEj6GOhI6PCN-Xtv9qW9fVt7KnoxUhb25EZDhOmvAINGTia22GDUnG8SvPnYvcZ0ovK-bd0lbX2rp1a4L-f15A/s1600/DSCN1687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgeVPfIUbBHj5u6y8prWCbFg0VZu1f1nTvoIy1ZUFsHemGZq87PhnWKEj6GOhI6PCN-Xtv9qW9fVt7KnoxUhb25EZDhOmvAINGTia22GDUnG8SvPnYvcZ0ovK-bd0lbX2rp1a4L-f15A/s200/DSCN1687.JPG" width="150" /></a>In May, Ken and I visited my daughter Kimzey in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. Zapopan is a city of a million people; it's right beside Guadalajara, a city of 1.5 million. Getting around in the area was very easy...partly thanks to Kimzey, who already knew the bus schedules, fares, etc., and how to negotiate with taxi drivers. But partly because there is a wonderful bus system there. For the week that we were there, we either walked, rode the bus, or occasionally took a taxi. There are so many buses in the area...city buses and privately run buses. You never have to wait long for a bus. I preferred riding the bus to taking a taxi. Those taxi drivers drove fast and no seat belts were required. I was usually terrified when I was in a cab. The drivers were nice enough--they just liked to get places fast. And there was so much traffic.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LgEXwJDFSND_X3KlLdAy7EeNLtg7YsUleqH3rdJvsvsH6ZaK5PGGNgHwOHo2bDpb2ItFnTedDJ359772K4YvfRhGbWF40bMfBIxOD4D_M7Ytwprw5Rwc2-KjiBdnCzNIS8sGfsTYnJc/s1600/DSCN1808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LgEXwJDFSND_X3KlLdAy7EeNLtg7YsUleqH3rdJvsvsH6ZaK5PGGNgHwOHo2bDpb2ItFnTedDJ359772K4YvfRhGbWF40bMfBIxOD4D_M7Ytwprw5Rwc2-KjiBdnCzNIS8sGfsTYnJc/s200/DSCN1808.JPG" width="200" /></a>Not only were there lots of buses within the city, but it was easy and cheap to travel by bus through the countryside, to outlying towns. We made three day trips by bus to Tequila, Teuchitlan and Chapala.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDBWvmPas1YuLnqcc8CSLs5OLseNfhiQu3UJnl6LgWlI_HTpj7o8B6ff18g1R43-4p8VWaImpEar7fo3xgJBTI0Wn5VLsqm1SjgZVvKBdhfUVRw14Yktp6AQYBxVCM-54512nVeOLQTw/s1600/DSCN1816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDBWvmPas1YuLnqcc8CSLs5OLseNfhiQu3UJnl6LgWlI_HTpj7o8B6ff18g1R43-4p8VWaImpEar7fo3xgJBTI0Wn5VLsqm1SjgZVvKBdhfUVRw14Yktp6AQYBxVCM-54512nVeOLQTw/s200/DSCN1816.JPG" width="200" /></a>We had some interesting bus experiences. It's common, we found out, on the bus trips out of town, for people to jump on the bus selling snacks. This happened at many of the stops. Sometimes they had candy bars and pre-packaged snack foods. Other times it was cut up fruit. And on one of the trips...I think it might have been to Teuchitlan, two little boys got on the bus. They stood up by the driver for awhile; then several miles down the road, they moved to midway in the bus and started singing! They sang three or four songs, then held out their hats for money as they exited the bus. Then a guy with a guitar got on and sang and played for a few miles. Then another couple of kids got on and sang for awhile! We seemed to be the only American tourists on the buses there. Everyone seemed quite used to these vendors and buskers.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwT1GxJSQ3zE-Oylb2zl4Qwwcxb5CkgBhTOi3XA0IQHokp0uosNv_F10V5JIENeKu-XFic3UFgoNz-9rSpMUvPbL55qDeaRdc_bSQMEoJgrIYBdtV0sG5CN5eEp_OM9rlVWy1kp_PeHcg/s1600/DSCN1716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwT1GxJSQ3zE-Oylb2zl4Qwwcxb5CkgBhTOi3XA0IQHokp0uosNv_F10V5JIENeKu-XFic3UFgoNz-9rSpMUvPbL55qDeaRdc_bSQMEoJgrIYBdtV0sG5CN5eEp_OM9rlVWy1kp_PeHcg/s200/DSCN1716.JPG" width="200" /></a>Coming back from Tequila, I noticed that it seemed like we were stuck in second gear...out in the middle of the countryside...We stayed in that straining mode for awhile, till the driver finally gave up and pulled off to the side of the road. We had a bus full of people, but no one seemed in the least bit annoyed. (And it was not because all these folks had been touring the Tequila factories, either! Like I said, I think we were the only tourists.) So we sat on the side of the road for 15 or 20 minutes, and another bus stopped for us. We climbed through the scrappy weeds to the new bus, which already had a fair amount of passengers on it. The driver helped the ladies, if we needed it, and we got on our way. No bitching and moaning. Very peaceful...I did not hear one complaint. I was pretty amazed.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXZ9WOnD5-0IZNyh3xyMt9NNpmQhm7OFrXAXDrVuT8Jnzor3cLM1SCjSKUXREO0S_TvvnFSQx_dgGezY7R0QTEPPqgMUd0FrPtG4LUtYa498Um4bKqzdthWp3RwA4bf3WzROVbivYmvQ/s1600/DSCN1715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXZ9WOnD5-0IZNyh3xyMt9NNpmQhm7OFrXAXDrVuT8Jnzor3cLM1SCjSKUXREO0S_TvvnFSQx_dgGezY7R0QTEPPqgMUd0FrPtG4LUtYa498Um4bKqzdthWp3RwA4bf3WzROVbivYmvQ/s200/DSCN1715.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Another time that I didn't hear any complaining was riding the MacroBus in Guadalajara. This is a special bus...it's faster and has its own lane has multiple doors, more like a subway design.You catch it from an elevated platform. Here's a link to an article about it: <a href="http://thecityfix.com/guadalajara-gets-greener-with-macrobus/">http://thecityfix.com/guadalajara-gets-greener-with-macrobus/</a> Anyway, there seems to be no limit to how many people can squeeze in. I have never been so jam-packed into any bus or subway. It was crazy. But no one was ill-tempered. I was a little worried when Kimzey and I got separated and I lost sight of her and didn't know where the stop was that we wanted. But it all worked out.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We did ride the subway once in Guadalajara as well. It was fine, but doesn't seem to go to very many places.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1jW9yoyoZc2gbGXEpsbiCXL8Q_bA2gdDg_TTItCJv9U_tlC3zNFj1ImRr8EeNq1SD2NjwNj96rA5GGyPIcR-v7OoPsoIJDVYSbyCydIb8VzfjgQvsXOi_XT-U_zTuMxnpRCACkNQ8r8/s1600/DSCN1713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1jW9yoyoZc2gbGXEpsbiCXL8Q_bA2gdDg_TTItCJv9U_tlC3zNFj1ImRr8EeNq1SD2NjwNj96rA5GGyPIcR-v7OoPsoIJDVYSbyCydIb8VzfjgQvsXOi_XT-U_zTuMxnpRCACkNQ8r8/s200/DSCN1713.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">All that bus riding for a week made me wish the Asheville buses went to more places and came more often! Let's keep telling the city that this is what we want!</div>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-90272345500588936092010-06-26T20:45:00.000-07:002010-06-26T20:45:39.039-07:00Mockingbird Entertainment at a Beautiful Bus Stop<div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div>I have ridden the bus only sporadically recently. A few weeks ago, my son and I rode it into town. A few memorable things about that ride (besides getting to hang out for a few minutes with my son): Riding a route that I had not taken before...I forget the number but it's the bus that goes down Montford. Nathan had left his vehicle at an apartment there and we were going to pick it up. We also had to get a transfer, which was the first time I had done that. Very simple. But, when we got to the transit center, we actually had to go inside to find out which bus we needed. Nathan wondered why there are no schedules posted outside. Good question! No schedules posted inside the buses either. Two suggestions for Asheville Transit...very cheap to do and would help riders.<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01EuXb_qJQ9nANIAOzS1iAdfNh-sFI2hyphenhyphenTHKcvlMV5sliTRClu3lyIgkAJXVCWarWgHo2W7tl2IJHR2sHF-N6R-tEMkmTV-E7vCqthC4lO9ETm82ONtcwQ1bCncqbGX-lLrmBF0GhuyA/s1600/DSCN2040.JPG" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487283642150906002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01EuXb_qJQ9nANIAOzS1iAdfNh-sFI2hyphenhyphenTHKcvlMV5sliTRClu3lyIgkAJXVCWarWgHo2W7tl2IJHR2sHF-N6R-tEMkmTV-E7vCqthC4lO9ETm82ONtcwQ1bCncqbGX-lLrmBF0GhuyA/s200/DSCN2040.JPG" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" width="150" /></a></div><div></div>I rode into town with Nathan today to Asheville Brewing on Coxe Ave. to hear his friend Jenna playing music. After an hour, we went our separate ways. I walked over to Amazing Savings to do some bargain hunting. I had planned to ride the bus home. So I had to be very careful at the store to get only enough groceries to fill up my two cloth bags, because I knew I could carry no more than that...and that there would be a half mile walk home once I got off the bus in West Asheville. So I really wanted a watermelon or canteloupe, but that was not going to happen! I filled up my two bags. They were a little heavy, but I'm in good shape and the bags were strong.<br />
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I wasn't sure where the nearest bus stop was, but didn't want <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_v8rxC4CtQ6SsumFHIwGMtkrpOUsxkW0rFzTfUzo7MFE1l9UuYyv1Jom9Ibdm13pSpK3f6wLVkS9LyHj6Wdu_QKeimMtp45DiShGrXpdt9pFPVvYad9Hv93racLNQlgCrZ585SPcZPq0/s1600/DSCN2038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_v8rxC4CtQ6SsumFHIwGMtkrpOUsxkW0rFzTfUzo7MFE1l9UuYyv1Jom9Ibdm13pSpK3f6wLVkS9LyHj6Wdu_QKeimMtp45DiShGrXpdt9pFPVvYad9Hv93racLNQlgCrZ585SPcZPq0/s200/DSCN2038.JPG" width="150" /></a>to stand around in the 90 degree weather in the hot sun to find out. I knew there were several stops on Clingman so I walked there. The first stop on Clingman was maybe a tenth of a mile away, but it was in the sun and the bus wasn't due for 15 minutes or more. So I walked another tenth of a mile or so down to the next stop where I knew there was shade. This spot might be the prettiest bus stop in Asheville. See what you think.<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBsxgtuwNuAYxM65FWwXkoXz00d1ZEt2Pr805Z3oe9MZWtdJptR8K-YKunVGUu0cLCZj5aYBjvH099Xk51ACscEaAH4VbRKXoeG10u1gADHagrxUGYLZ4xSCzOFPQqZ5DvLSXyGa_ZMk/s1600/DSCN2037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBsxgtuwNuAYxM65FWwXkoXz00d1ZEt2Pr805Z3oe9MZWtdJptR8K-YKunVGUu0cLCZj5aYBjvH099Xk51ACscEaAH4VbRKXoeG10u1gADHagrxUGYLZ4xSCzOFPQqZ5DvLSXyGa_ZMk/s200/DSCN2037.JPG" width="200" /></a>While waiting at the bus stop, I heard baby bird noises and started looking around. In a small oak tree nearby, two mockingbirds were feeding their babies. This was the definite highlight of my bus trip today! Didn't get a picture of the parents, but here is a fuzzy picture of the babies.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsPrK8Dcqpq6GPwy-x70NaMCCIoiK8g0CTuPUgpSlo9_mUtUPm5AN0a_nbXNSD276hLD98cKfGSD8UjM5bJNj_FrAyukd0kn4Pssj1AoQH4tSNN52cAVhKbUaDUog0_sOS6rBuC0e4Ks/s1600/DSCN2035.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487285708002285218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsPrK8Dcqpq6GPwy-x70NaMCCIoiK8g0CTuPUgpSlo9_mUtUPm5AN0a_nbXNSD276hLD98cKfGSD8UjM5bJNj_FrAyukd0kn4Pssj1AoQH4tSNN52cAVhKbUaDUog0_sOS6rBuC0e4Ks/s200/DSCN2035.JPG" style="float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" width="200" /></a>The ride was pretty routine. Nice to see that there were two bikes on the bike rack. It was a hot walk back to the house carrying groceries and I had already walked a bunch of miles today in the heat. But good exercise.</div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div></div></div></div></div></div>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-483298398165318282010-06-03T20:32:00.001-07:002010-06-03T21:01:13.027-07:00A Challenge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorkt-O4nr2rTP0gfxJ9nauqA0xr54N0_JOiJkRIj2Yv5wIBoLT9z7Bu55rciT1D5YFqVSZyBxPMFL3M0kCsodJuwG9fuzAaa9auefW-ZnAO-58EqzWqCONwNch5y5dtiCBzf0Ul8xBus/s1600/oil_spill.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 229px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478761763882211538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorkt-O4nr2rTP0gfxJ9nauqA0xr54N0_JOiJkRIj2Yv5wIBoLT9z7Bu55rciT1D5YFqVSZyBxPMFL3M0kCsodJuwG9fuzAaa9auefW-ZnAO-58EqzWqCONwNch5y5dtiCBzf0Ul8xBus/s320/oil_spill.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>I started this blog in September of 2008, when gas hit $4/gallon in Asheville, and lots of stations had no gas. I started riding the bus quite a bit then and enjoyed it. I became a little more conscious of my driving habits. Then I got a different job a year and a half ago, and the place where I work isn't on the bus route. I still walk places around West Asheville...but I jump in my car, alone, an awful lot. I got complacent. Gas got cheaper.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>With the crisis in the Gulf right now, seems like another good time to concentrate on how we get from here to there. I am feeling so sad and helpless about what is going on, but there is one thing that is somewhat under my control, and that is how often I get in my car, by myself, and drive somewhere. So I was just thinking, could we each one make a commitment -- just once a week, instead of hopping in our car for a trip, to try to take public transportation, walk or bike? Or, just not go on that particular run to the store, etc. Please let me know how this experiment goes for you...if you want to email me a paragraph or two about it, I'll post it here on the blog. Or if you want me to interview you about it, I'll do that, and write and post it. Please consider doing this...if you want to try this experiment more than once a week, more power to you!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/would-you-drive-less-to-end-drilling-in-gulf.php">http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/would-you-drive-less-to-end-drilling-in-gulf.php</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This particular link that I'm posting is more ambitious. It says that we need to cut our average daily driving miles by 5.4 miles. (It was written when the top-kill BP solution was thought to have a chance of working, so is a little out of date as far as dealing with the Gulf disaster goes.) The article says that only 20-30% of the average American's car miles are devoted to getting to work. The rest of those miles are for shopping, socializing, errands, etc.</div><br /><div></div><div>Doesn't it seem odd, that in spite of the devastation in the Gulf, gas prices have gone down? I think it is very important to oil companies that we consume, consume, consume. Until our habits change, we are never going to get funding for public transportation, green energy sources, etc. We have got to demand it, and learn to walk our talk. It will be very difficult. We haven't been asked, seriously, as a nation, to tighten our belts, conserve, since when? World War II? </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-35512701444927284082010-05-30T13:01:00.000-07:002010-05-30T14:41:58.129-07:00The Passenger by Art Brut<p>Be sure and check out the youtube video. There just aren't that many songs out there about public transportation! Have fun!</p><br /><p></p><br /><p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vxo9iDj5Hw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vxo9iDj5Hw</a></p><br /><p>The Passenger</p><br /><p>by Art Brut</p><br /><p>I'm a determined passenger</p><p>I never learnt to drive</p><p>But don't worry, I'm not asking for a ride.</p><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p>Some people hate the bus.</p><p>Not me, I can't get enough.</p><p>Some people live in the fast lane.</p><p>Not me, I take the train.</p><p>I love public transportation.</p><p>Train or bus, they're both amazing.</p><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p>I don't take a book</p><p>There's no time to read</p><p>It's a long journey but there's a lot to see.</p><p>Back left window, upstairs</p><p>The view alone is worth the fare.</p><br /><p>If I wanna sleep</p><p>Gonna miss my stop</p><p>I use my phone as an alarm clock.</p><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p>Some people hate the bus</p><p>Not me, I can't get enough.</p><p>Some people live in the fast lane.</p><p>Not me, I take the train.</p><p>I love public transporation</p><p>Train or bus, they're both amazing.</p><p></p><br /><p>I know there's somewhere I'm supposed to be</p><p>And I'm gonna get there eventually</p><p>But when I'm traveling from A to B</p><p>I'm avoid my responsibility</p><p>And I love the thrill of being last</p><p>Bus and trains don't go that fast.</p><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p>Some people hate the bus</p><p>Not me, I can't get enough.</p><p>Some people live in the fast lane.</p><p>Not me, I take the train.</p><p>I love public transportation.</p><p>Train or bus, they're both amazing.</p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-47244277336140645962010-04-20T13:03:00.000-07:002010-04-20T13:05:10.501-07:00Sad NewsOur sympathy goes out to all involved in the recent bus accident.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100418/NEWS01/100417021">http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100418/NEWS01/100417021</a><br /><br />I did learn something from this news article that I didn't know--that the drivers aren't city employees, but are from a company the city contracts with. Interesting.Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-59617370210164045872010-03-27T19:35:00.000-07:002010-03-27T19:50:42.695-07:00Two News Items of InterestAsheville Transit was in the news today...double. First, the good news: The new Art on Transit buses were unveiled this morning. The pictures look very cool. I have yet to see one of the buses but I'm looking forward to it. And congrats to the artists! Here's a link with photos:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mountainx.com/news/2007/021710buzz2/">http://www.mountainx.com/news/2007/021710buzz2/</a><br /><br />Now the bad new: The bus shelter near Fuddruckers, which had been built by volunteers, was dismantled at the restaurant's request. So all you folks who want to wait for the bus on Charlotte street and stay dry, you're just out of luck. But you'll probably be able to smell all that expensive cow cooking. Former councilman Carl Mumpower says "decapitating" the bus shelter is moving in the wrong direction for a city that claims it wants to increase bus ridership and, for once, I agree with Mumpower. The wonderful covered bus shelters throughout the city were his Top-A-Stop project, and a very nice one at that.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100327/NEWS/303270029">http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100327/NEWS/303270029</a>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-90786378043860087502010-03-06T11:37:00.000-08:002010-03-06T11:51:55.763-08:00Asheville Looks at Slashing Bus Wait Times<p><a href="http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100306/NEWS01/303060022">http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100306/NEWS01/303060022</a></p><p> </p><p>Here's a link to the Citizen-Times story. This is good news. It would cut wait times on the main roads from an hour to 30 minutes. Actually I have been kind of spoiled on Haywood Rd. because there are two lines that serve it and I could get them about 30 minutes apart. Even this small improvement will cost money though, so the city has to find a way to come up with the cash. Increasing costs for passes is one way. A car tax is another. I'm sure the out-of-town consulting firm that they hired to do the studying for the Transit Master plan had some ideas. Seems like one that one of the consultants talked to me about involved license plate fees. How about some cash from the new building downtown...the nice boutique hotel should have chipped in...all the condos should help out. </p><p>The article points out that ridership is up. But I'd like the city to come up with more creative ideas for increasing ridership even more. Only when there is a huge public demand for decent bus service will we ever get it. (Particularly a middle class demand I think). And we need the city to make a commitment to it. A shorter wait might help. But it's going to have to get to the point where riding the bus is convenient before most people are going to try it.</p>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-90714435145566755302010-03-03T20:13:00.000-08:002010-03-03T20:30:12.809-08:00What Happened to All the Great Things the Transit Master Plan was going to do for us?Ok. I'm getting really frustrated with transit in Asheville. And I'm getting cynical. Seems like nothing has been implemented from the Transit Master Plan. There is still no bus service down Long Shoals Road. There is still no Sunday bus service. Oh yeah. A few routes were eliminated. So we have gone backwards as far as I can tell.<br /><br />There are now two of us at work who would ride the bus if it went down Long Shoals Rd. We live in different parts of the county so we can't carpool with each other. He rides the bus sometimes anyway, but has to walk almost a mile from the bus stop to the library. Part of the walk has no sidewalk. When the weather warms up, I will do it, just so I can write and bitch about how inconvenient it is.<br /><br />What can we do? Let's start with City Council and ask them what happened to the Transit Master Plan.<br /><br />And really, some of the things I'd like to have in a transit system weren't even addressed in the plan. For example, it would be really nice to be able to ride the bus into downtown on weekend nights and be able to get a late bus out of town, say midnight or so. But no, if you're a bus rider, you have to call it a night at 9:30.Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-62343037333537372772010-03-03T20:08:00.000-08:002010-03-03T20:10:45.204-08:00<p> </p><p>Here is a link to a story from the Los Angeles Times: "Riding the Bus Changes Her View."</p><p><a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/27/local/la-me-bus-snob27-2010feb27">http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/27/local/la-me-bus-snob27-2010feb27</a></p><p>This link is for the Snob on a Bus blog mentioned in the article.</p><p><a href="http://snobonabus.blogspot.com/">http://snobonabus.blogspot.com/</a></p>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-89027276943472291172009-10-28T13:27:00.000-07:002009-10-28T13:31:19.905-07:00City Council Approves Transit Master PlanThe vote was 6-1. Changes will not happen all at once, but as funding and opportunity allow. Now is definitely the time to elect transit-friendly city council members...Have you voted?Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-41087846676530452002009-10-26T11:18:00.000-07:002009-10-26T11:22:29.564-07:00Get There Asheville Urges City Council to Approve Transit Master PlanI'm posting this from Get There Asheville in its entirety.<br /><br /><br /><br />Get There Asheville urges council to approve Transit Master Plan<br />Monday, October 26, 2009 By Hanna<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Asheville city council this Tuesday will review the eagerly-awaited Transit Master Plan, which calls for significant improvements to the transit system including Sunday service, more frequent runs on popular routes, the elimination of the day-evening service gap which currently strands workers downtown, a crosstown route linking West Asheville with the mall and Super WalMart and new service to places where our neighbors live, work and play, including the French Broad River Park and Biltmore Town Square.<br />Along with the Comprehensive Bicycle Plan and Downtown Master Plan, the TMP will provide an important foundation for Asheville’s multimodal transportation network. But the council needs to hear from you: Please plan to join us on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at City Hall to show your support for this critical document. (And stay tuned for details on a post-meeting party to celebrate the plan’s passage.) If you can’t make it to the meeting, consider sending an e-mail to our city’s leaders telling them why you believe in a smart transit system: Click <a href="http://www.ashevillenc.gov/government/mayor_city_council/city_council/default.aspx?id=1354">here</a> to send a message to council members.<br />Thank you for your support, and we’ll see you Tuesday!Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-74821876762928114182009-10-26T10:49:00.000-07:002009-10-26T10:54:47.514-07:00Asheville City Council to vote on Transit Master PlanAsheville City Council votes on the new Transit Master Plan tomorrow night. Here is a link from Asheville city council candidate Gordon Smith's newsletter regarding this news. I like his point that while the plan isn't perfect, it's a good start...will increase frequency on main routes and initiate Sunday service. Also I believe if I read the plan correctly, it calls for a new route on Long Shoals. I hope that happens sooner rather than later. There's a party after the vote, so come one come all.<br /><br />Here's the link:<a href="http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1410073751">http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1410073751</a>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-88239510235202419692009-10-25T08:12:00.000-07:002009-10-25T08:32:17.861-07:00Please Vote in City Council Election and Check Out Get There AshevilleThere is a new group in Asheville called Get There Asheville. Their mission as stated on their website:<br /><br />....To Amplify the Voice of those who support building a local transportation network for the 21st century...As Get There Asheville, a coalition of citizens involved in local transportation policy, we are dedicated to making this election a winning one for our city's many walkers, cyclists and bus riders...<br /><br /><br />They have already held two candidate forums. If you haven't voted yet I would encourage you to their website and read the City Council and Mayoral candidates' responses to transportation issues. The site has been a little difficult for me to navigate...but be persistent and you can get to the info you want:<br /><br /><a href="http://getthereasheville.com/?page_id=2">http://getthereasheville.com/?page_id=2</a>.<br /><br />Looks like they have one more meeting before the election on October 30, 5pm, Get There. We Vote. We Count. Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville.<br /><br />I'll add more about this group if I can find out more. Also to see if they plan to be active after the election. In the meantime, please vote for candidates that will help Asheville improve our transit system!Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-51030258844822346732009-10-24T18:07:00.000-07:002009-10-25T08:12:05.600-07:00First Ride in AwhileRode the bus today for the first time since Bele Chere in July. It was a beautiful windy fall day. A nice day to walk up to one of the Haywood Road bus stops. The ride into town was quite uneventful. Not very crowded. Mixture of quiet people including a cute baby in a baby carrier and a toddler sleeping in his Daddy's lap.<br /><br />Ride out of town was quiet and uneventful also, except for a short delay at PVA due to a potential rider standing at the door of the bus yelling to her friends to come on if they wanted to get on the bus...her friends didn't show up so she eventually waved the driver on. By the time we got back on Haywood Road I think there were only 4 of us on the bus. A shame.<br /><br />The most recent transit news is that the Weaverville-Asheville route is in danger of being terminated. City council is apparently considering if it can be saved. Here's the link:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091024/NEWS01/910240325">http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091024/NEWS01/910240325</a><br /><br />I don't want to see routes lost. I want to see routes added and more people riding!<br /><br />PS. Let me clarify. Ken rides the bus to work with some regularity. It's just me who has fallen off the bus wagon. I am still going to figure out how to ride it to work someday. In a new post I'll lay out the logistics of getting somewhere where the bus doesn't go.Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-24496161064270783302009-09-23T15:22:00.001-07:002009-09-23T15:48:36.650-07:00Wednesday's childAs the old saying goes, Wednesday's child is full of woe. Not me, not today. Nor does this Wednesday's child have far to go. Lately, I've been working every Wednesday, but I have been free of other duties which would require a car. So: to the bus stop. This morning I hoofed the .4mi up to the business district so that I could catch #1 bus headed downtown. The riders were a sorry and sullen lot. This was 10:30ish, after all. We should have been happy! After days and days and days of rain, our fair city was experiencing sunshine! But nothing could turn our frowns upside down. We weren't particularly happy, but we weren't fired up either. We were quite a contrast from the unhappy lot that rode a #9 bus one day last week. <br /><br />One day last week I hustled away from work a few seconds early so that I could be "on time" for #9 as it left the transit center headed west. Ha ha. "On time" in this case meant about twenty or twenty-five minutes late. What a joke. After waiting so long at the station, I boarded the bus. I reached for my county ID to show the driver. Oops-- a credit card. I held the line up for about <i>ten seconds</i> while I fished out the county ID. The bus driver asked me "how long you been waiting for the bus"? <br /><br />I said, "maybe twenty minutes".<br /><br />He snapped back with a near-automatic "In all that time, you could have already had your ID ready". Ouch. Snap. <br /><br />I could not help myself: "I don't suppose the bus could have been here twenty minutes ago, could it have?" <br /><br />Oh, but that's not his fault, he was quick to respond.<br /><br />I just walked away. No, I suppose that it was not his fault. But it's somebody's fault. Did anyone walk on the bus and apologize to the riders for the error? Of course not. Is anyone accountable? <br /><br />By contrast, I work in a public facility. Suppose it was a bright and sunny day. I'm not talking about a snowy day when the roads are bad. If, on such a bright and sunny day, our agency opened its doors twenty minutes late, inconveniencing dozens of people, we would find some way to apologize. We feel like we're accountable. <br /><br />It's not about me. I wasn't in a hurry. Ho-hum so what. But what about the people who are depending on this bus to get to work? To get to their children?<br /><br />I do feel sorry for those people. They deserve better.Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17374691722674668757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-80515448721947734242009-08-15T17:03:00.000-07:002009-08-15T17:22:42.450-07:00Inglés Market. (whoops!)I rode twice this week, in and out of town on Tuesday and Saturday. The rides were without incident and easy. Aside from the schedule delays, they were fine. <br /><br />Oddly enough, the Asheville Transit buses are now equipped with a speaker that pushes a computerized "female" voice into the bus at certain times. The "lady announcer" says "stop requested" after a person requests a stop. The same voice keeps riders informed about the bus location, with phrases such as "approaching Haywood and Michigan" and "Ingles Market". One announcement was quite funny, because "she" pronounced Ingles as "inglés". For those outside the general region of Southern Appalachia, Ingles is our leading regional supermarket chain. Ingles rhymes with jingles. I hope all the Latino riders realize that Ingles isn't your best stop for Mexican or Latin American foods. (because it's not). <br /><br />I wonder if the computerized voice utilizes GPS. After we exited Beecham's Curve and headed down the hill towards the river, the computer lady intoned "approaching Beckham's curve". The geographical and pronunciation errors aren't really a major problem, but they are funny. Don't get me wrong; I'm glad that the system exists. This system could be a big help to blind people. For the rest of us, it's just a big joke.<br /><br />Come to think of it, on the bus, I was the only one laughing.Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17374691722674668757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-61141140409608363712009-07-27T17:17:00.001-07:002009-07-27T17:53:39.679-07:00Round and Round Back to the Station We GoI'm sorry to say that my bus riding has been non-existent since I have started working out of the downtown. No bus route down Long Shoals Road even though it's an extremely busy area.<br /><br />But Friday night I was going to make an effort to ride again. I wanted to go into town for Bele Chere after work. I got home around 6:30 and figured I'd catch a 7pm bus on Brevard Road or a 7:35 bus on Haywood Rd. Well I waited awhile on Brevard Road and then walked on up to Haywood. There were no buses to be seen. I finally realized that after 6:30pm they don't run on the hour anymore. I had forgotten this little detail. And the bus stop signs were not helpful. They indicated that the buses ran every hour until 6:30, but didn't say what the schedule was after that. I decided to walk the 3 + miles and it's a good thing I did, because no bus passed me in the 45 minutes that I walked. No big deal I guess. I got into town by 8pm like I needed to; it was a beautiful evening to walk; I needed the exercise.<br /><br />After Bele Chere, we needed to catch the last bus out of town at 10:30pm. Yes, believe it or not, the last bus out of town is that early on a weekend night.<br /><br />There was a swarm of people wanting on that last bus. The most people I've ever seen trying to get on a bus in Asheville. So we started cramming ourselves in. I was lucky enough to get a seat, although I would have gladly stood up. Unfortunately, two drunk rednecks had to stand very close by. (They had immediately plopped down in the seats at the front reserved for the elderly and physically challenged, but the driver asked them to move.) The bus started filling up and the driver yelled to folks to move to the back. People started yelling and grumbling about how tightly we were packed. It wasn't really tight by big city standards, or even by college bus standards! But the bus riders of Asheville were wound tight that night. Continued grumbling, yelling at each other and at the driver. The drunk rednecks and some of the black riders were getting testy with each other. It seemed very possible and likely that a fight could break out. Finally everyone was packed in and we started up.<br /><br />We drove just a little ways and the Stop Request light came on and didn't go off. The driver asked who was pushing it. No one admitted they were. Before we knew it, the driver had turned around and taken us back to the bus station! We stayed parked there awhile until the light went off. Then we started again with double the grumbling. Again the light comes on and back we go to the bus station. This time when we get to the station, an Asheville police officer is there. Then an Asheville Transit worker yells "Everybody off the bus." More grumbling, but off we get. Lots of angry people<br /><br />This time Asheville Transit orders an additional bus. The Transit guy says 30 people can get on the first bus. He counts them. We wait for the second bus and leave around 11pm.<br /><br />It's a shame. Bad PR. Maybe a deal breaker for any middle class riders who happened to be trying out bus riding that night. I'll ride it again, for sure, but I'll bet I'm not typical of people who have a choice whether to ride or to drive. And lots of people with a choice want to stay in town later than 10:30pm on a weekend night. And not have near chaos when the bus gets a little crowded.Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-39013430556263273082009-07-11T05:35:00.000-07:002009-07-11T12:24:12.543-07:00the bus choiceIt's hardly news when everything at <a href="http://www.ashevillenc.gov/residents/transportation/city_bus/">Asheville Transit</a> works as it should, but that's what happened this morning. I got on trusty bus #9 on Brevard Road, we rode into town together, and I got to work on time. <br /><br />I haven't had much time for busriding lately. It does take more time than driving. (Example: this morning I intended to catch the #9 bus, because that requires less walking. I had to be ready at 8:05. Alternative: I could walk about half a mile up to Haywood Road with my heavy bag to catch bus #1; in that case, I would need to be ready at 8:20. If I drive my car, I need to get ready by 8:40). This is played out again and again. If I worked today and drove my car, I could be home by 5:15 or 5:20. Riding the next bus home would mean arriving at home closer to 6:00. It's frustrating. What is a five or ten minute trip by car becomes a half-hour or so trip by bus, and then you figure in the waiting. As Tom Petty sang, the waiting is the hardest part. <br /><br />I avoided riding the bus all week for one reason or another, mostly because I wanted to go to the Y or I had some other activity planned, and it all made the bus choice (at least in Asheville) impractical. Getting the boy out to his camp location in North Asheville and then whisking myself to work? I haven't tried it yet. Car scenario: leave the house at 8:30, drive him to camp, drive to work. Bus scenario: leave the house at 7:15 (ouch!), walk half a mile, hop a bus to downtown, transfer to a bus going north, kick the boy out of the bus at camp, then ride the bus back to downtown to the job. <br /><br />By contrast, today was easy. Easy like Saturday morning.Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17374691722674668757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-10276374179571801452009-06-22T16:15:00.001-07:002009-06-22T16:18:48.387-07:00Friday, SaturdayI managed to ride the bus Friday and Saturday of last week. I got good service both days. Saturday morning's bus is always uncrowded. It's nice, probably ten passengers on the way into town. Friday's is a different story, but it's good in a way. We're packed into the #1 bus along Haywood Road, into PVA, and back onto Haywood on the way to downtown. Either way, it's good. <br /><br />Asheville Transit is supposed to be testing out some new routes (no passenger service while they test how long it takes a bus to get from point A to points B, C, D, etc.). One of the proposed routes (I think) includes Bingham Heights, PVA, and Wal-Mart, but it doesn't go downtown. As every single route involves downtown now, this is a big change. I hope it works.Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17374691722674668757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-86115511154716704862009-05-12T05:42:00.001-07:002009-05-13T12:55:02.118-07:00Strive not to DriveIt is Strive not to Drive Week!<br /><br />Yesterday was Monday, and I drove my car due to a scheduled soccer game in the Enka area. <br /><br />Fortunately, I was able to ride the bus today.<br /><br />Overall, the ride in was fine, but there was one incident worth noting. A man rang the bell on Hilliard, and he wanted to get off at a stop on Hilliard. The bus driver drove right past the stop, and people started yelling "you missed the stop! and "you're supposed to stop back there!" The driver slowed down and stopped. The man got off without a word. <br /><br />Now everybody makes mistakes, and I guess this was a mistake. That's fine. But after the mistake, why not apologize? Why not say "my fault" or "sorry about that"? The driver said nothing. The same driver, earlier in the trip, was quick to point out a bus rider's mistake. The rider immediately apologized. <br /><br />Anyway, all in all, it was a good ride.Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17374691722674668757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-47430642404756127082009-04-24T10:03:00.000-07:002009-04-30T19:43:35.529-07:00#9 inThis morning I lined up for the #9 on Brevard Road, right near my house. Of course, students also catch a bus at the same spot. It's a school bus, and usually that bus scoops the kids up around, oh, 7:55 or so. <br /><br />For the first time, as I walked towards where I stand for the bus, I saw a group of high school and middle school kids waiting for the bus right there! They were waiting at <em>my</em> bus stop. Well I wasn't going to hang out with a bunch of teenagers who didn't know me. They would surely have me pegged as a creep. So I walked back home, sure that I had enough time to make the bus even after this detour. I then spun around and headed back towards the bus stop, thinking that maybe, just <em>maybe</em>, the school bus would be along shortly. <br /><br />Thankfully the yellow bus came along straight away, so I had the stop to myself. I usually expect the city bus around 8:08, but it ran a few minutes later than that this morning. When I boarded, I expected to see some reason for this delay, like a person in a wheelchair. I still don't know why the bus was a bit late. In fact, the bus was nearly empty. Then, one guy got off near the corner of Fairfax and Haywood, and three of us (driver included) rode on towards PVA. Of course, there were riders waiting in PVA. The bus takes a new course these days, omitting Michigan Avenue altogether, so it plunges into the neighborhood via State Street and it rises back out via Hanover Street, which makes for a change of scenery. <br /><br />To my surprise, the bus, travelling less than half full and in very light traffic, pulled into the station late. Mind you, it was just a few minutes late, but late it was. Luckily, #6 was waiting out on Asheland Ave. for a few transfer riders. <br /><br />As for other non-car travellers, I can add this: While I waited near the corner of my street and Brevard Road, I noticed three people biking to work. And, late in the bus trip, I spotted one of my neighbors biking up the hill on Clingman Avenue. Four cyclists!Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17374691722674668757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-55474036270699034172009-04-20T08:52:00.000-07:002009-04-24T10:14:29.080-07:00three days in a rowI managed to ride the bus (and avoid using a car) three days in a row last week: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. <br /><br />Mind you, my responsibility on Thursday amounted to child care only, and I only had to work on Friday and Saturday. Any day which involves child care AND work is very unlikely to be a bus day.Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17374691722674668757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-37130014841126933922009-03-28T10:40:00.000-07:002009-03-28T10:44:04.458-07:00Asheville Transit Master Plan Meeting: April 2Here is an update on the Asheville Transit site. Please attend the April 2nd meeting!<br /><br /><br />Transit Master Plan Preliminary Recommendations to be Presented to Public<br /><br />The consultants, HDR Engineering Inc. of the Carolinas, creating Asheville’s first-ever Transit Master Plan are presenting their preliminary recommendations to the public on Thursday, April 2, from 4pm to 7pm at the Civic Center Banquet Hall. Attendees will be able to view and comment on proposed bus routes, schedule changes, and potential new services. The event’s purpose is to receive feedback from the public before the plan is submitted to City Council.<br />According to city staff and steering committee members who have seen initial recommendations, the Asheville Transit System’s (ATS) new route structure will feature 30 minute service along parts of Patton Avenue, Haywood Road, and Tunnel Road. There may also be a cross-town route to connect Louisiana Avenue in West Asheville, with neighborhoods in east Asheville.<br /><br /> “The consultants will give multiple presentations to precisely lay out their recommendations,” said ATS Transit Manager, Mariate Echeverry. “The hope is that the public will point out shortfalls in the overall plan before the report is complete.”<br /><br />The City currently operates with 20 buses. The system is configured as a Hub-and-Spoke system, with service on each route originating and terminating at the downtown transit center. The vast majority of ATS customers are those for whom transit is their main if not only means of transportation. About 30% of all passenger trips made on the ATS are transfers made at the downtown transit center. The other 70% of users either terminate their trip at the transit center or are moving along the routes they originally boarded. About 10 to 14% of current customers say they have a vehicle which could have been used for the trip being taken on the bus.<br /><br />The final report is expected to be delivered in late summer of this year.<br /><br />from: <a href="http://www.ashevillenc.gov/news/news_releases/default.aspx?id=16414">http://www.ashevillenc.gov/news/news_releases/default.aspx?id=16414</a>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4174665816171644674.post-85986245740708993172009-03-28T10:05:00.000-07:002009-03-28T10:38:26.405-07:00When Will I Be Able to Ride the Bus to Work Again?I have been neglecting this blog because of shame!!!!! The bus doesn't go where I need it to go so I have been driving to work (off Long Shoals Rd.) I've been hitting road along with all those other drivers one to a car.<br /><br /><br />Okay. So enough for excuses. I do need to do some updating. I did attend the Transit Master plan meeting back in January. It seemed to be well-attended. More people than I expected. Of course, those attending were, in my opinion, those who ride the bus out of choice, not necessity. It was set up so that you could drop in, talk to members of the consulting group, write your suggestions down, etc. <br /><br />Before this meeting, there had been two surveys done. A paper survey that was given to riders on buses. I missed that one. Not sure how long the papers were given out, etc. And there was an online survey, which I took. An Asheville Transit Employee at the meeting told me that the priorities in the surveys were distinctly different. The #1 change people who took the paper survey wanted to see was bus service on Sunday. The #1 change people who took the online survey wanted to see was more frequency. This makes sense, considering that riders of the bus who took the paper survey were probably people who ride the bus mostly out of necessity and they need Sunday service as well as service all the other days of the week. Those of us who took the online survey can hop in our cars on Sunday...but would like for the bus to be more convenient during the week...running more often.<br /><br />As I recall from the meeting, one of the things we had the option to do was vote for our top 3 priorities for Asheville Bus Service. Things to choose from were: Sunday service, more frequency, more routes...and I can't remember the others. (A clue to which 3 I voted for!)<br /><br />At other tables, we wrote suggestions on post-it notes. I saw A LOT of suggestions that Long Shoals Road get a bus route. Of course, I would notice that, since that's what I want!<br /><br />Another question I have is if Asheville Transit will get any federal stimulus money?<br /><br />I guess I came away feeling that there is not enough money for all of us to get what we want. We need more riders to have more money to operate buses more and to get more riders, especially middle class riders, the bus needs to be more convenient, but it won't be convenient till there are more riders who buy more tickets...<br /><p>The notice about the findings of the consultants is on the Asheville Transit site. I will copy and paste it into a separate post. What I saw on the site didn't help me at all, but I am still staying hopeful.</p><br />Next Transit Master Plan meeting - at the Asheville Civic Center on Thursday - April 2nd from 4pm - 7pm.Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014679089124537044noreply@blogger.com0