Getting There and Back Again

pathetic!

2011-01-20T09:23:00.000-08:00

I have not posted anything to this blog in many months.

That is pathetic.

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.

Better late than never.

Bus Buskers and Food Vendors...Bus Fun in Mexico

2010-06-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: http://thecityfix.com/guadalajara-gets-greener-with-macrobus/ 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.

We did ride the subway once in Guadalajara as well. It was fine, but doesn't seem to go to very many places.

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!

Mockingbird Entertainment at a Beautiful Bus Stop

2010-06-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

I wasn't sure where the nearest bus stop was, but didn't want 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.

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.

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.

A Challenge

2010-06-03T20:32:00.001-07:00

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.

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!

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/would-you-drive-less-to-end-drilling-in-gulf.php

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.

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?

The Passenger by Art Brut

2010-05-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Be sure and check out the youtube video. There just aren't that many songs out there about public transportation! Have fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vxo9iDj5Hw

The Passenger

by Art Brut

I'm a determined passenger

I never learnt to drive

But don't worry, I'm not asking for a ride.

Some people hate the bus.

Not me, I can't get enough.

Some people live in the fast lane.

Not me, I take the train.

I love public transportation.

Train or bus, they're both amazing.

I don't take a book

There's no time to read

It's a long journey but there's a lot to see.

Back left window, upstairs

The view alone is worth the fare.

If I wanna sleep

Gonna miss my stop

I use my phone as an alarm clock.

Some people hate the bus

Not me, I can't get enough.

Some people live in the fast lane.

Not me, I take the train.

I love public transporation

Train or bus, they're both amazing.

I know there's somewhere I'm supposed to be

And I'm gonna get there eventually

But when I'm traveling from A to B

I'm avoid my responsibility

And I love the thrill of being last

Bus and trains don't go that fast.

Some people hate the bus

Not me, I can't get enough.

Some people live in the fast lane.

Not me, I take the train.

I love public transportation.

Train or bus, they're both amazing.

Sad News

2010-04-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

Our sympathy goes out to all involved in the recent bus accident.

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100418/NEWS01/100417021

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.

Two News Items of Interest

2010-03-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

Asheville 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:

http://www.mountainx.com/news/2007/021710buzz2/

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.

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100327/NEWS/303270029

Asheville Looks at Slashing Bus Wait Times

2010-03-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100306/NEWS01/303060022

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.

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.

What Happened to All the Great Things the Transit Master Plan was going to do for us?

2010-03-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

What can we do? Let's start with City Council and ask them what happened to the Transit Master Plan.

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.

2010-03-03T20:08:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to a story from the Los Angeles Times: "Riding the Bus Changes Her View."

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/27/local/la-me-bus-snob27-2010feb27

This link is for the Snob on a Bus blog mentioned in the article.

http://snobonabus.blogspot.com/

City Council Approves Transit Master Plan

2009-10-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

The 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?

Get There Asheville Urges City Council to Approve Transit Master Plan

2009-10-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this from Get There Asheville in its entirety.

Get There Asheville urges council to approve Transit Master Plan
Monday, October 26, 2009 By Hanna

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.
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 here to send a message to council members.
Thank you for your support, and we’ll see you Tuesday!

Asheville City Council to vote on Transit Master Plan

2009-10-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

Asheville 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.

Here's the link:http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1410073751

Please Vote in City Council Election and Check Out Get There Asheville

2009-10-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

There is a new group in Asheville called Get There Asheville. Their mission as stated on their website:

....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...

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:

http://getthereasheville.com/?page_id=2.

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.

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!

First Ride in Awhile

2009-10-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

Rode 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.

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.

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:

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091024/NEWS01/910240325

I don't want to see routes lost. I want to see routes added and more people riding!

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.

Wednesday's child

2009-09-23T15:22:00.001-07:00

As 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.

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 ten seconds while I fished out the county ID. The bus driver asked me "how long you been waiting for the bus"?

I said, "maybe twenty minutes".

He snapped back with a near-automatic "In all that time, you could have already had your ID ready". Ouch. Snap.

I could not help myself: "I don't suppose the bus could have been here twenty minutes ago, could it have?"

Oh, but that's not his fault, he was quick to respond.

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?

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.

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?

I do feel sorry for those people. They deserve better.

Inglés Market. (whoops!)

2009-08-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

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.

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).

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.

Come to think of it, on the bus, I was the only one laughing.

Round and Round Back to the Station We Go

2009-07-27T17:17:00.001-07:00

I'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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

the bus choice

2009-07-11T05:35:00.000-07:00

It's hardly news when everything at Asheville Transit 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.

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.

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.

By contrast, today was easy. Easy like Saturday morning.

Friday, Saturday

2009-06-22T16:15:00.001-07:00

I 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.

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.

Strive not to Drive

2009-05-12T05:42:00.001-07:00

It is Strive not to Drive Week!

Yesterday was Monday, and I drove my car due to a scheduled soccer game in the Enka area.

Fortunately, I was able to ride the bus today.

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.

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.

Anyway, all in all, it was a good ride.

#9 in

2009-04-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

This 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.

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 my 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 maybe, the school bus would be along shortly.

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.

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.

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!

three days in a row

2009-04-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

I managed to ride the bus (and avoid using a car) three days in a row last week: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

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.

Asheville Transit Master Plan Meeting: April 2

2009-03-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Here is an update on the Asheville Transit site. Please attend the April 2nd meeting!

Transit Master Plan Preliminary Recommendations to be Presented to Public

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.
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.

“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.”

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.

The final report is expected to be delivered in late summer of this year.

from: http://www.ashevillenc.gov/news/news_releases/default.aspx?id=16414

When Will I Be Able to Ride the Bus to Work Again?

2009-03-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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!)

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!

Another question I have is if Asheville Transit will get any federal stimulus money?

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...

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.

Next Transit Master Plan meeting - at the Asheville Civic Center on Thursday - April 2nd from 4pm - 7pm.

A Walk in the Reeds

2009-03-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

I would completely leave this one to the rats, but my co-blogger insists that I write up this particular experience, so here goes. My memory of it is hazy.

Four weeks ago today, I attended an event on the A-B Tech campus, and sheer stubbornness compelled me to ride the bus to work, then take #8 (I would have had to wait another 30 minutes for a better bus) down Biltmore Avenue. As it was, I had to walk about a mile to get from Biltmore Avenue to Ferguson Auditorium on the A-B Tech campus, then I enjoyed a prrogram with Indian Masters.

I totally underestimated the walk home. I could have walked back to downtown (this was after 6:30 PM, and dark), but I aimed to save time by walking home along Victoria, Meadow and Amboy Roads, then State Street. After all, I could have walked back to the transit station (which is probably a twenty or thirty minute walk from Ferguson), then waited for the 7:30 bus, but I thought I could walk home and arrive before 8:10, which would have been my ETA, had I walked to downtown and ridden the bus to Haywood Road.

I was probably correct about the time savings, but this route was far too dangerous. First of all, there is no sidewalk along part of Victoria Road. In fact, I had to huddle against a guard rail with oncoming cars swishing by me. Then, on Meadow Road, where there is again no sidewalk, I chose to walk outside the guard rail for part of the distance (again, it was dark), stomping down on waist-high reedy plants. Much of the time I could not see where I was putting my feet. Scary. Walking in the grass along Amboy Road was a bit safer, though I could see very little, due to the combination of darkness and headlights shining directly in my eyes. At least, along Amboy Road, I did not have tall plants in my path. The walk up State Street was safer still (there is a sidewalk on State Street, and there are street lights). I can't remember exactly, but I think perhaps it took me an hour and twenty minutes to walk home that night.

Of course, if there had been a city bus coming through the A-B Tech campus at 7:00 (or even if there had been a bus travelling along Biltmore Avenue at 7:00), I would have surely chosen to use it. But no.

Oh, and even though it was cold, I walked with my jacket open, so that drivers might see my white shirt rather than crash into me. When I got home, I was tired.

chill out, bro.

2009-02-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

One day last week I was riding the bus. I sat about halfway back. The bus started to fill up in PVA, as it usually does. One man got on, and I swear he had the loudest speaking voice I have ever heard. This was morning. The guy was giving a shout out to everybody he knew on the bus. Then he started greeting everyone he knew as they boarded the bus. This included slapboxing matches with young children, hugs, etc. People all over the bus were rolling eyes. Some people were yukking it up with the loud man, but not many.

Eventually, with the bus on Clingman, the driver let out a solid "you better chill out, bro." At least, that's what I thought the driver said. One of the loud man's companions told him that the driver said "you better calm down, bro." Either way, the message was the same, and from that point on I heard only muted grumblings from the rear of the bus as The Loud Man contemplated (aloud, of course) his fate during the driver's newly instituted reign of control.

The driver impressed me. He only said what was needed.

When I got to the station, I hastily exited the bus lest I witness some sort of fracas.

The Loud Man may be The Paterfamilias, but I am not sure.

If you’ve ever wanted greater bus frequency, Sunday service, longer hours of operation, or new routes – now is the time to make your voice heard.

2009-01-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

Please come to this meeting!

(ASHEVILLE, NC) – There will be a Transit Master Plan public forum on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009 from 4pm-7pm, in the Asheville Civic Center’s banquet hall. The meeting will be held in an “open house” format with no formal presentation. Instead, attendees will be able to offer in-person feedback to consultants, ask questions of staff, and see preliminary data first-hand.

Interim Transit Manager Mariate Echeverry believes the forum will help determine what kind of public transit system the community wants. “The public’s input will help craft a transit plan that will be responsive to the city’s needs, and suggest sustainable transportation options.”

In 2008 the City of Asheville hired Nebraska-based consulting firm HDR to perform a thorough scientific analysis of the Asheville Transit System and create a comprehensive Transit Master Plan.

A Transit Master Plan is a document that analyzes existing transit services and develops data to support planning and decision making. In the case of Asheville, this will mean studying Asheville’s 24 bus routes and comparing them to long-term trends. The study should be completed by July 2009, and will offer short and long term recommendations on how the city could improve public transit.

To supplement the information for the Transit Master Plan, ATS staff created an online survey to get feedback and suggestions.

Dodging Fumes and Doggy Bombs

2009-01-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

It's my day off and I'm going to strive not to drive. I've already ridden the bus to West End Bakery. I walked back down Brevard Road to come home. It's a beautiful sunny day, although still cold, but not frigid like it has been. There were two notable negative things, however, that afflicted my walk: a lot of noxious fumes from vehicles...I mean dark smoke that you could actually see. At one point I stopped and just stood for awhile, waiting for the air to clear so I could walk through it. Also, there were lots of doggy bombs all over the sidewalk. People, please, can't you carry little baggies with you and clean up after your little darlings? Give a thought to other people!!

Oh, by the way: one more positive thing. A driver actually stopped for me to cross at the crosswalk on Haywood Road. This is the crosswalk near the bakery where there is no traffic light. Many, many many thanks to you drivers who pay attention to random crosswalks!

Will go to the Asheville Transit Public Hearing for Transit Master Plan meeting today! Please come! It's 4-7 at the Civic Center and is drop in so you don't have to sit through 3 hours of meeting! Come make your wants and needs known!

MLK holiday

2009-01-17T13:41:00.000-08:00

Monday is the holiday honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Will the Asheville Transit buses be on a regular schedule?

milk to the airport

2009-01-13T12:50:00.001-08:00

A woman with a bulging backpack asks me when the last bus leaves the transit center for the airport. Yikes! It's 3:45, and I tell her the next one leaves at 4:00. I verify that the bus is indeed number six. It will leave at 4:00.

She asks me when number six leaves after 4:00. I tell her 5:30. She explains: "I don't think I'm going to make that first bus, not with a backpack full of milk!"

Why Don't the Buses Go Everywhere, All the Time?

2009-01-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

So I got a promotion and am now working in a different part of town. There is no bus service near where I work. The closest stop is nearly a mile away and the road I'd have to walk up to get to work from the bus stop has no sidewalks. Also the times, even if I decided to walk the mile, would be pretty inconvenient.

So I'm wondering why the bus doesn't go down Long Shoals Road. Someone came into the library yesterday and said that her friends had told her that it did indeed stop at the Ingles on Long Shoals, but looking on the route maps, I couldn't find any evidence of that. The library is at the convergence of an elementary school, a middle school and a high school (I'm thinking staff here--teachers, cafeteria workers, custodians.) Long Shoals is a busy, busy road. A hotbed of activity and people going to jobs. All the new businesses in Biltmore Park, also the YMCA is out there. The Waffle House, Ingles...Surely it's just a matter of time...On the other hand, it's quite upper middle class out there...

If I'm wrong and a route has been added I will be very very happy. I'd still have to walk a little ways from the corner of Overlook and Longshoals, but it wouldn't be bad. If I'm wrong, someone out there let me know!

I want to go downtown today. I would ride the bus today if I could, but, alas, it's Sunday and there is no service. Do buses run on Sundays in other cities the size of Asheville?

Asheville Bus Riding Survey

2009-01-09T19:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=IbMVkOkYW4uWw8K0C5cHFQ_3d_3d

This is the link to a survey that the Asheville Transit System is doing. Please take it and tell your friends to take it. Especially if you think you might ride the bus if it went where you wanted to go and when you wanted to go.

Also, please remember to go to the meeting mentioned in the previous post.

A Meeting of Interest and Importance

2009-01-04T06:25:00.000-08:00

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009901040352

This is a link to a Citizen-Times article in today's paper reporting on a meeting yesterday at the West Asheville library. The meeting was called a "car-free conclave" and in it, people discussed improvements needed for biking, walking and riding the bus in Asheville. Unfortunately, the meeting was not publicized. I work for the libray system and didn't know about it even though it was at a library.

A bigger meeting is coming up though that I would encourage everyone who is concerned about getting around in the Asheville area to attend. That meeting is January 22nd, 4-7pm at the Civic Center. They must have really wanted a lot of people to come since they chose 4 in the afternoon when most of us work. Unfortunate. But I'm going to try to get time off to go.

Here is the meeting info from the Asheville Citizen:

A public meeting to discuss a master plan for the Asheville Transit System will be held 4-7 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Asheville Civic Center. For information, call the transit system office at 253-5691 or e-mail iride@ashevillenc.gov.

two buses and one drunk

2009-01-03T13:25:00.001-08:00

Monday I drove because I had to get Walter over to his Mom's house, then I had to go to work. The bus is simply not the right tool for that job. Then after work I went for a run, then we went up Merrimon for dinner and a movie. More driving. We did, however, leave the van downtown Monday night. On Tuesday we rode the bus into town, and then at the end of the day I rode the bus home directly, but Sherry drove to Earth Fare on her way home.

On Wednesday, we missed the outgoing #9 from downtown at 5:30. Usually that bus is late, and I had come to count on it being late-- big mistake. We arrived at the bus station at 5:33, just as the bus was leaving. I saw it, waiting at the edge of Coxe, but I didn't realize that it was #9. We surely could have made it, but we didn't know it was #9 so we didn't run for it. Anyway, #1 was along at 6:00. We spent the interim in a packed waiting area.

One of those days there was a drunk on the bus on the way home. I guess that was Tuesday. So transit drivers allow drunks on the bus? I mean drunk. I don't mean buzzed or tipsy. This guy was staggering, slurred speech, the works. If someone comes in my workplace drunk like that, we insist that he (and it's always a he) find his way to an exit. Why are they allowed on the bus? He wasn't causing any particular problems, I suppose. He stayed in his seat. He didn't challenge anybody to a duel or anything. I guess that policy amounts to waiting until a drunk causes a problem, then telling the drunk to get off the bus.

Thursday was New Year's Day.

Friday was another driving day, because one stop was Walter's mom's house, where he spent the day while I worked. I wonder if my busriding days are more limited in the future. It's hard to hold down a full-time job and get a child back and forth all while on the bus schedule. I'll do it when I can.

2008-12-18T13:07:00.001-08:00

I rode the bus yesterday... the 12:08 #9 fronm West Asheville. It was on time (or reasonably close) as it arrived near the end of my street on Brevard Road. The bus was nearly empty on the way into town. I think I was the third on, and there were eight by the time we crossed the river. That was fine by me. Some lady had a big plastic bag with a singing toy inside. Ooh, I hate singing toys. I hate toys that make noise. I like musical instruments, and I like some videogames, pinball machines, etc. But talking dolls and junk like that, uh. That just gets under my skin and makes me want to leave the area. Thankfully, I had the iPod.

The return trip was a different story, though. Shortly after three, Walter and I hailed the #9 as it arrived on Clingman Ave. The bus so full that we sat apart. That's fine by me; I'm glad that people are riding the bus. Does Asheville Transit keep statistics on ridership, broken down by hour? I'd be curious to see those. Sherry rode the bus yesterday also, to and from work, and described a full bus on the morning ride.

Walter, Sherry, and I all managed a carfree day yesterday. Hooray!

Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette

2008-12-17T06:42:00.001-08:00

I have noticed a curious habit of one of the bus drivers. This is on the 8:30pm route that goes down Haywood Rd. toward Deaverview. The first time it happened, we left the station on time, then when we got to the Ingles stop a few people got off, including the driver. I thought, hmm, what's up? Then I smelled cigarette smoke and I caught on that the driver was taking a cigarette break. I waited for a few more minutes, got tired of waiting, and especially got tired of breathing cigarette smoke, and got out and walked the rest of the way. My normal stop was a block or so up at the corner of Brevard Rd.

I had almost forgotten this anomaly when I rode the night bus this week. But sure enough, when we got to Ingles, no one got on or off, but the driver stopped the bus, got out, and started his cigarette break. This time I was fast on the uptake and hopped right out and walked the rest of the way.

I guess the driver has time to kill because he is ahead of schedule, but this cigarette break seems weird. It's really the only unprofessional behavior I've seen since I've been riding the bus. (Behavior on the part of the drivers I mean!)

bridge open again

2008-12-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

News item, per the Citizen-Times: the Brevard Road bridge over I-240 is open.

contain yourself

2008-12-04T08:10:00.001-08:00

I rode the 10:35 #1 in from Ffax/Hay. today, and if the ride was uneventful from a logistical standpoint, it was made interesting through a nice conversation I had with Ron. Thanks, Ron. I'm glad you were on the bus today.

Otherwise we just were a metal box full of people, shoulder to shoulder, jerking and bumping our way into downtown.

Word on the streets is that Asheville Transit buses stopped running early on the day before Thanksgiving, with no posting. Some riders reported that drivers told them on the way into town that service would end early. Another rider told Sherry that he had no idea that service would end early, and he arrived at the bus station late Wednesday and had to call someone for a ride. That is messed up.

Here's a rip-- the Brevard Road bridge over I-240 is closed. Yep, closed. It's been half-closed for two weeks now, and the A C-T reports that the bridge is completely closed but will reopen soon. This is my usual bridge for car access to I-240. While I don't travel over the bridge on a bus route, likely #9 will avoid my neighborhood entirely (both incoming and outgoing) because the bridge is part of the quickest route between my area and the Biltmore Square Mall. That means I will ride #1, and walk half a mile to get to a bus stop. So be it.

A great day for a drive

2008-11-21T05:42:00.000-08:00

We walked outside to meet the bus this morning, in the snow and cold. Cars were creeping along Brevard Road. That was for the best-- the road was almost covered with ice. When we reached the stop, a nice pedestrian woman asked us if we were planning to catch the bus. We admitted to that, and she told us that she called Asheville Transit to find out that the buses were not running. We went back to the house. I phoned them twice (busy signals both times). We got into my car, and I drove downtown.

The roads were indeed slippery, particularly Brevard and Haywood Roads. I-240 was not so bad. I expected the streets downtown to be worse, but the few that I used were safe. I did not see any wrecks.

Oh, and I saw an older guy standing near the corner of Haywood and Brevard Road. He was hoping to go south on Bre., which was not my direction. This fellow put out a hitchhiker's thumb when he saw a Mountain Mobility van coming his way. The van just kept going.

To quote the Mountain Mobility website: "Our mission is to provide transportation services responsive to the needs of Buncombe County residents."

Ouch.

All this leaves me wondering about Asheville Transit's inclement weather policy.

Packed Like Sardines and Rambling About Owls

2008-11-18T13:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we were packed like sardines into the #1 10:35a.m. bus. People were standing in the aisles and those of us who were sitting were touching, whether we liked it or not. It strikes me that there are very few public situations where we are this close to strangers. It's especially rare for us small-town people...crowds are few and far between.

Before I got on the bus, there was one young man at my bus stop. He kept me informed about when the bus should get there. "5 minutes till the bus; 4 minutes till the bus; 3 minutes till the bus..." You get the idea. Just before the bus came, he got a new idea for a conversation topic and showed me a dollar bill. He said there was an owl in the corner and that symbolized some evil something or other...it involved secret societies and satan and sacrifices and what not. When the bus came, this guy got on first and sat in the front. Mercifully, the bus hadn't filled up yet and there were seats in the back, which is where I gratefully headed.

Today it is so cold, I was glad to carpool in rather than standing outside in 20 degree weather. I will ride the bus home, though. If I catch the 5:30 I won't have to walk all the way down Brevard Rd. I can already see that riding in the winter is going to take some gritty determination.

rain, on top of it all

2008-11-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

We waited for the 8:08 #9 this morning in a steady rain. Nearby there was a huge puddle in the road. Each car would drive through the puddle, which would spray water up onto someone's front yard. It would drench that entire front yard, over and over again. I am so lucky that the bus stop is not beside that puddle.

News From the Asheville Transit Authority

2008-11-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

This looks like it is new news on the Asheville Transit website, although there is no date on it.

NEWS
Asheville Transit Receives Green Training
The Asheville Transit System (ATS) has been selected by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to receive special training to green operations. The FTA hired Virginia Tech faculty to work with ATS staff in developing a complete Environmental Management System (EMS) using the 14001 Standard of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
The 14001 Standard is a toolbox of management techniques to minimize harm to the environment. “This training will lay the foundation to make ATS one of the greenest transit operations of its size,” said Mariate Echeverry, Interim Transit Manager for ATS. “We are going to look at every aspect of the way we conduct our operations to minimize the impact on the environment, and run more efficiently.”
Asheville is one of 7 transit systems to be included in the FTA-funded training. The other seven are the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Maryland Transit Administration, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Miami-Dade Transit, and, the Worcester Regional Transit Authority.

Whatever Float They Boat

2008-11-07T08:31:00.000-08:00

Overheard on the bus ride home last night:

A young man and (I'm guessing) his younger brother. There was a mention of some clubs we had passed.
Little brother: "They like to be bit!!!??"
Older brother: "Whatever float they boat!"
The next phrase I heard was "massacre-ist"!

Then the guy sitting across from us, who had been laughing randomly on and off for quite awhile, was trying very hard to make friends with a pretty young woman...he told her how beautiful she was...how wonderful her skin was. He found out all about where she worked. He asked if she'd had a good day at work. She at first said yes. Then she remembered she had fallen and chipped a tooth. Somehow she did this while trying to photograph a baby. (Personally, if I had fallen and chipped a tooth at work, baby or no baby, there would have been no way it would have slipped my mind and I definitely would not have said I'd had a good day!!) He finally told her his stop was coming up. He got up and stood up in the doorway well ahead of time and did a silent dance to the beat of his own drummer.

stretching out

2008-11-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

#1 bus this morning, arriving downtown at 10:55. I got on near the corner of Fairfax and Haywood. Near the back of the bus, there was a bum-looking old guy sleeping one off. He was lying across two seats, and his belongings covered a third. I was the last one off the bus. Nobody woke him up. A few people tried.

I wonder if the driver woke the guy up, or what.

Later, I saw him in the bank. He was counting his money.

Kudos to Asheville Transit Drivers

2008-10-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hail to the Bus Driver
The passengers applauded as the aeroplane touched down,
But no-one claps the driver of the bus to Blanchardstown.
He pulls up to the bus-stop, but there’s no-one there reacts,
He doesn’t get the kudos that the airline man attracts.
So next time that the fifty five pulls into Heuston Station,
Let’s give the poor old driver a magnificent ovation.

by Peter Goulding
http://petesholidaypoems.blogspot.com/2007/08/hail-to-bus-driver.html

I was trying to find a little ditty to celebrate the bus driver and found this one with an Irish flavor.

I realized I hadn't really said anything in praise of the Asheville Transit drivers yet in my blog. But since I've been riding the bus, the drivers have been great. Always professional, competent, calm...

So thanks, Asheville transit drivers! Kudos and a "magnificient ovation" to ya!

the credit crisis

2008-10-25T08:11:00.001-07:00

There is bad news for public transit in the most recent edition of USA Today.

You can read the whole article here.

After you've read that, I highly recommend that you take a look at Bus Chick's angle on the subject. Be sure to read Bus Chick's October 24 post.

A Quiet Rainy Friday on the Bus

2008-10-24T12:12:00.001-07:00

Very quiet on this bus this morning. I wasn't ready til 8:15, so I dashed out the door in the drizzle. I took an umbrella, but still felt surprisingly light. I was sure the Brevard Rd. bus had already gone by, since it was so late. Just as well. I wanted to walk up to West End Bakery and get a muffin anyway. I can then catch the #1 bus right across the street. As I was walking, at 8:18, the Brevard Rd. bus passed me. Told ya before, it's really variable!

So the rain had all of us quiet this morning. The only flurry of sound was when we started into Pisgah View, I saw someone running for the bus. No one else saw her, not even the driver!! This was so exciting for me...I pointed and said, "Hey, (sputter, sputter)"...or something like that. Fortunately a young man looked, and then yelled: "Someone's trying to catch the bus." So an older lady in a green raincoat and carrying a red umbrella caught up with us. And all was quiet again.

After I got to work I realized why I had felt so light this morning. I didn't bring the leftovers that I had intended to eat for lunch! Fortunately, Ken (it's his day off) and Walter were coming into town, so they brought them to me!

Who Says Americans Won't Ride Mass Transit? (article)

2008-10-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

I saw this article from Salon posted on a bus-riding blog that I just found. Here's the link:

http://www.salon.com/env/feature/2008/10/23/mass_transit_america/index.html

The blog I found it on is called Bus Chick, Transit Authority. Isn't that a great name! The link to that blog is in the list of blogs at right. (She's in Seattle).

Blizzard Tech Guy, Loud Pater Familias and a Soggy-Bottomed Purse

2008-10-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

This is Thursday and I haven't driven my car at all this week. Monday was the first time that I rode the bus at 8:30 at night and walked down Brevard road by myself in the dark. But it was okay. It looks like I can also ride the bus tomorrow. So, a full week of bus riding. Woo-hoo!

We missed the Brevard Road bus on Tuesday. We got out there around 8:08 I think. We always shoot for 8:00. We saw it going past just as we got out of the house. This bus is really variable. Sometimes it is there by 8:08. But sometimes, like Wednesday morning, it was 8:18! Anyway, missing it isn't such a big deal, because we still have plenty of time to walk up to Haywood Rd. and catch the #1 at 8:35. The only drawback, when we do that, is that we are a few minutes late to work.

Each group of passengers gives the day's bus ride a different flavor. Tuesday evening's ride was loud, mainly due to BlizzardTech guy. He is a regular rider and has a very sonorous voice. It's really quite a beautiful voice. Unfortunately, what he chooses to talk about is usually pretty annoying. Tuesday he spent most of the ride complaining that his nipples were sore because someone had twisted them. (His off button needed to be twisted!) Anyway, I wish someday he would break out into an uplifting speech (or an a cappella solo) of some sort. He was rapping one time, but again, the subject matter left a lot to be desired.

The other morning we were regaled by a loud Pater Familias. We learned that he has 8 kids. The youngest, who is 18, goes to Asheville High, where Pater Familias had been called in recently to take care of something. He also has 8 grandkids. One of the little kids on the bus came and sat by him and Paterfamilias kept insisting: "Get yo thumb out yo mouth."

The same morning of the Paterfamilias, one of the young women hauled her toddler onto the bus, carrying him by one arm.

A few of the rides this week have been totally quiet. I still haven't gotten to the point where I read during the commute. Maybe the novelty will wear off soon, but so far it is fun to people watch and to overhear (otherwise known as eavesdropping--but when people are yelling is it really eavesdropping?)

And finally, this morning, I was walking down the street. My leg started feeling a little damp. It turns out that my water bottle was leaking inside my cloth purse and dripping out onto the sidewalk. It's the middle of the day and my pants are still damp. My purse is still wet. All the junk inside my purse is damp. All the little receipts and papers that litter my purse are wet beyond recognition!

Purple Transit: LaZoom at LEAF

2008-10-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well, even though we aren't taking public transportation to get to LEAF there are at least two of us in the car and once we get there we are riding the shuttle from the Owen Middle School parking lot on out to LEAF...not exactly mass transit...nor is it public transit, but better than a bunch of cars with one or two people in them all converging out at LEAF. Their shuttle is none other than our own LaZoom, the big purple bus (biodiesel!) that we see downtown all the time. We watched LaZoom being conceived and researched at the library so feel sort of like godparents or maybe aunts and uncles! It's like a festive lounge inside.

Almost Off the Wagon, Into the Car

2008-10-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

Oh boy. This week has not been much of an alternative transportation week for me. On Monday, I felt rotten and it was my late day at work, plus I went in even later because of feeling bad. So I drove. This was the first time I had driven alone to work since I started this experiment!

Tuesday we both rode the bus. Wednesday, we did carpool in together, but I had to shop after work for my job this year at LEAF. So Ken took the bus home, while I burned gas. Thursday I was off work to spend the day with my daughter, Kimzey! That was wonderful, but we did have some places to go by car that weren't on the bus route. Animal Haven, to see the pigs, for one thing! (That's Kimzey in the picture!) Then, to burn the final few gallons of gas, I drove to Marion to pick up my son, Nathan. This morning, Ken and I drove in together, but I'll be leaving at 1:30. To use more gas.

Speaking of driving, I really hadn't been used to driving much in town for a month or so, and it seemed crazy yesterday being behind the wheel in what seemed like lots of traffic. Stopping, starting...where did all that traffic come from!?

I have high hopes that next week will be more normal and that I will be back to bus riding most of the days.

bus for LEAF?

2008-10-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

The LEAF festival is this coming weekend, near Black Mountain. Will The Asheville Transit buses be making trips to the shuttle stops for LEAF?

LEAF can be a fun weekend, but as day visitors know, parking at LEAF can be very difficult. I bet there will be hundreds if not more than a thousand Ashevillians making a day trip to LEAF.

So, what's the plan? Drive to LEAF and use the shuttle? Or take a city bus out to the shuttle point, then pick up the (free) LEAF shuttle? I think a bus trip out to LEAF would be nice.

Bit of Biker News from The New York Times

2008-10-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

Buried in the Bailout Bill is a teeny benefit meant to encourage people to ride their bikes to work:

"Starting next year, employers who provide bike parking, bathing facilities, tune-ups, or other support for bicycle commuting, can deduct up to $20 a month per participating employee from their own taxable income..." http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/buried-in-the-bailout-the-bicycle-commuter-act/

It ain't much. It's really tiny. Maybe even trivial? But as the writer says, it's an acknowledgement and a step in the right direction.

Now for more bike lanes and more careful, responsible, non-hostile automobile drivers!

A Rainy Day on the Bus

2008-10-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening's ride home was interesting. It was rainy and messy. I couldn't leave work early, but I wanted to try to get the 5:30 bus so I wouldn't have to wait half an hour for the next one. At 5:30, I hurriedly scrounged an umbrella from Lost and Found. When I got out to the street, I discovered that the one I had grabbed was in tatters. I ran back in with it, dropped it in a trash can and tried again. The second one had a big hole in it, but even though it too was trash can fodder, I was determined to make it work. I saw the bus pulling in just as I got to the station. I was relieved, but a bit wet, especially the bottoms of my pant legs and this dampened my mood.

When the moms and kids got on from the daycare center, there was at least one young mom in a very bad mood. There were a lot of loud, sharp reprimands to the little ones. I can certainly identify, because when my kids were little, I had my frazzled moments. I probably never yelled this at my 3-year-old, however: "Wipe yo' damn face." I might have thought it, but never yelled it. When they got to their stop, the mom hoisted her son up by the neck of his jacket (scruff of the neck springs to mind) and yanked him off the bus. She told her other little one to jump.

We zoomed on down Haywood Rd. Suddenly, I was knocked in the head. "Sorry lady," the young woman behind me said, lurching over me to hit the yellow "next stop" strip. I said, "You could have asked me to hit it for you." I doubt she heard.

I wonder if all rainy days on the bus are like this?

cars and buses

2008-10-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I drove the car. I saw no way around it; the boy had a scouts meeting at 6:00. I picked him up at 5:45, and whisked him straight to the meeting. Whilst he met, I ran in North Asheville. After that, we went straight home.

Today's another story. After putting the boy on the school bus at 7:30ish, I walked home, got my act together, and made it to the bus stop at 8:10. The bus was late! I wish I could have known! In my haste to leave, I may have left some unfinished bidness in the house. Today was my first day to flash my County ID. I stepped up onto the bus and showed the ID. The Asheville Transit bus driver knew exactly what was up. He waved me onto the bus without even a pause.

Sherry is catching a ride home.

I'm happy about this: I will get my sports fix tonight. Then I will either bum a ride or run back to the west side.

Weather has been so nice lately. I wonder if our busriding habits will fall off during the winter. I hope not, but I expect that the prospect of standing outside in 20/30/40 F weather sounds a lot more pleasant than it is.

I heard about this nonprofit on NPR today. See what you think.

Three Weeks and How's It Going?

2008-10-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

It's been 3 weeks now, so I think it is time for some reflection about how my experiment is progressing. I'm pleased to say that, as far as work goes, I have succeeded so far. I've managed to ride the bus or carpool every day. Adapting to the bus schedule has become much less chaotic!

Leisure activities on weekends are harder. For instance, I wanted to see Obama in Asheville this Sunday. I would gladly have ridden the bus, but there is no bus service on Sunday. So I did drive to that. I parked a mile away, but still, I drove my car into town. I also combined two shopping trips with it. I would have combined one more, but Amazing Savings is not open on Sunday. I am having serious Amazing Savings withdrawal, but I'm probably saving money by not rushing out every few days to Amazing Savings to see what I can buy to save money!

Having my consciousness raised about how much I use a car is a real drag. I really don't like to think about it. At the same time, I am happy to be using public transportation. I just wish it were a little more convenient. For me, it couldn't be cheaper, now that I can flash my county ID and get a free bus ride! So that's great!

Here is a link to an Asheville bus entry on a blog that Ken found: http://hightechsurvivor.blogspot.com/2007/06/better-than-no-bus-at-all.html

relaxed Friday

2008-10-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

It's been a good week for getting around. The van has been idle in the driveway since Sunday (Desperate Housewives airs on Sundays).

First, the bus riding: Tuesday and Wednesday were bus-riding days. I'm getting the hang of riding #9 from Brevard Road. It's a shame there's not a bus stop near the house, but the drivers are always very nice, and they stop for us.

I've used the Corolla a bit, but not to get to work. Tuesday I drove it a few miles to a ride-share. We meet at a spot, then carpool down to Fletcher to play some volleyball. We would play in Asheville, but Asheville Parks and Recreation saw fit to cancel the league games here. On the one hand, driving to Fletcher burns a lot of gas. On the other hand, we managed to pack nine adults into two vehicles. I put about six more miles on the Corolla just going back and forth to the carpool spot.

Oh yes, here's another 100+ miles I had forgotten about... Sherry and Nathan went to Franklin yesterday. They took the Corolla. Well, it's better than driving the van.

I'm happy to have the day off today.

I put perhaps another six miles (I'm guessing) on the Corolla today. I was invited for a panel discussion at Erwin Middle School. Surely there's no way to get to EMS without driving (I've never seen a runner on New Leicester Highway. I value my health and life too much to run that road). I drove out there and back. It was a lot of fun.

Speaking of running, I went out for a run in West Asheville around noon. I usually run early in the morning, but today looked like a good day for a later run (temp this morning was 37 F). The temperature at 11:30 was fine, but the traffic, geez. I did not remember the traffic being so bad in WA that time of day. Please, if you see a runner in the road, treat him like a cyclist. Give him a wide berth. If he's on the sidewalk or in a crosswalk, realize that he's a pedestrian.

Drivers usually ignore the crosswalks on Haywood Road, particularly the one near Burgermeister. Folks, this is a state law. Drivers must stop for a pedestrian in the crosswalk. Having said that, Pedestrians, hear me: don't plan on ANY drivers stopping at the Burgermeister crosswalk for you-- for practical purposes, it may as well not exist.

I walked up to Haywood Road (I am blogging this from the West End Bakery--the Chocolate/Ginger muffin is tasty), where I can combine a lot of errands. It's a crisp, sunny day--ideal for a walk, a perfect fall day. It's sunny and cool. The trees on Vermont Ave. still have their leaves, but not for long. All in all, it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Do you live in a neighborhood? I recommend you take a walk through it.

Be careful in the crosswalks.

Thanks, Buncombe County!

2008-10-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

Good news for Buncombe County employees! Starting next week we can ride the bus for free. I'm like a kid at Christmas, even though I just spent $15 for an October bus pass. I'll consider that $15 a donation for a good cause.

So if any Buncombe County employee on a bus route reads this blog, I challenge you to try riding the bus a few times and see what you think. Have a positive attitude and give it a chance! Also, if you're not a Buncombe County employee, why not start asking your employer if he/she will provide you with a bus pass! A nice, relatively inexpensive perk that is socially responsible!

I am leaving carbon footprints all over the place today, as I am driving for the first time in awhile. I am off work and am going to visit my Mom in Franklin. I hope I can find gas. I tried at Sams, which had regular, but when I got to the pump, I found out my membership is out of date and I don't really want to renew. I'll get back on the bus tomorrow.

burning that gas

2008-09-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday:

Yesterday, we set out to buy groceries. We really tried to see if it could be done via bus. Amazing Savings? Only if you're willing to walk 1/2 mile to the store, and 1/2 mile back to the bus stop with your groceries. For us, that would have meant three bus passes to get there, and three bus passes to return home (I bought eleven passes for seven dollars). Mind you, we would also have to take a bus to downtown (a twenty or thirty minute trip that would take ten minutes in the car), and another bus to Sweeten Creek Road. Needless to say, any savings that we might realize at the store would be offset by the cost of the bus tickets @ 6(7/11)= $3.82. I know that tickets for children are available at reduced cost, but I had none on hand. I'm not about to estimate the time required for such a trip. Three hours? Four hours or more, probably.

We swung by Earth Fare next, but the best path happens to be via the river and then up Craven Street. Luckily we were in no hurry. We stopped for at least five minutes, probably ten minutes, for a train. I enjoyed looking at all the boxcar graffiti, but honestly it would have been very annoying had we been in a hurry.

Sunday:

For entertainment in the morning and early afternoon, we walked over to Vermont Avenue for their annual (?) block party. We don't live on Vermont, which is one of the prettiest streets in West Asheville, but we live close enough that we could sneak in. I highly recommend the annual block party. If your neighborhood doesn't have one, start one. Cakewalk! Bag toss! Ping pong! Live music and a bicycle parade! I laughed; I cried. Well, I actually didn't cry.

The Asheville Transit Authority does not run buses on Sundays. So, with a child due to return to his mother's house at 4 PM Sunday, what's a man to do? I cranked up the Toyota and headed over to Montford.

I'm blogging from Asheville Pizza and Brewing on Merrimon Avenue; after the evening here, I will drive home.

After all, while most of the Asheville gas stations are out of gas, I still have half a tank. For the time being.

Watching the Hummers

2008-09-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

We walked in the rain a lot yesterday. But it was warm and we had an umbrella, so I loved it. While walking down Brevard Rd. a man in a huge RV stopped us and asked for directions. During this gas crisis I wonder if he was even getting 10 miles to the gallon. Then when we were waiting at the bus stop we watched a Hummer go past. A wonderful car to have when gas is scarce!

We didn't go totally carless yesterday. Ken did get in his car last night and go a few miles to buy a tv antenna so we could watch the Obama/McCain debate. We had walked to the thrift store earlier to try to get an antenna there, but no luck!

We are driving some today but consolidating several trips into one. My car hasn't been driven since at least last Saturday. Not sure we even drove it then.

Workless and Carless

2008-09-26T08:05:00.001-07:00

No work today but we are still going to try for a carless day. We have walked up to the bakery. Will ride the bus to pick up Walter from school.

Yesterday for the first time I walked home from work. I had to stay till 6 and didn't want to wait for the 7:30 bus. The walk was 3 1/2 miles, and I got home before the bus would have gotten me there.

Why Don't "Conservatives" Conserve?

2008-09-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

Lean times at work today. Only those staff who could get to work without driving were supposed to come in. So there are just 3 of us in the department today. (One person did use a car, but rode in with someone who worked downtown.) Then, we are closed for the rest of the week, at least through Monday.

We discovered that the bus will stop for us on Brevard Rd. even though there are no official bus stops. Very good to know!

Walter actually rode the school bus this morning. When he's with his mom he has been walking with her to school. (I have asked him to write a guest blog for me...don't know if that will happen, but I'm hoping!)

I bought an October bus pass this morning when I got to the transit station. My ticket to unlimited comings and goings for the month. I will flash it proudly.

On the way in I was thinking back to the beginnings of the Bush presidency when Dick Cheney had those secret energy task force/ policy meetings where the public was not allowed to know who was there...and of course we assumed there were no alternative energy people there, just oil company cheerleaders...It was also around the same time period that Cheney said that conservation is fine as a personal virtue, but shouldn't be the basis for an energy policy. But you know what, I do think it should be one of the foundations of an energy policy. Sustainability should be another foundation.

As to conservation: I really don't care if you are virtuous or not, we all need to conserve energy and not act like we are the only people on this Earth. If we develop habits to conserve, then we conserve...We might not like it, but the right and moral thing gets done. The way things are now, what got done from the Bush/Cheney policy is that oil industry tycoons and stockholders got richer and richer and richer. For years and years I didn't think much about conserving. I drove too many miles...I just didn't think about any alternatives to jumping in the car. Finally the price of gas and a shortage of gas has made me try to conserve. Habits are hard to break.

Why are conservatives called conservatives if they don't believe in conservation?

Counting Cars

2008-09-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

This morning was CALM getting ready to catch the bus. And I hadn't planned the night before. I just got up earlier! I'm learning, slowly.

We were early to catch the bus this morning and the bus was about 10 minutes late. The paper finally ran an article (of sorts) about riding the bus. It was a little blurb reporting that buses were late today because lines of cars filled with people trying to buy gas are blocking the streets. I believe it, because that's what I saw when we were riding home last night. Cars were even blocking an intersection near one of the gas stations.

Since we were early, I counted cars while I waited at the bus stop. I stopped when I got to 120. In my unscientific count, there were 100 cars with just 1 adult in them; there were 20 cars with more than 1 adult. I have to say that two weeks ago, I was in a car with just 1 adult. But I am trying to change my habits. I really thought, with everyone panicking about a gas shortage, that I would have seen more carpoolers. I did see more people on bicycles. And there was actually another person at the bus stop with us.

Here are some things on my wish list for Asheville:

A transit system with more options--longer hours, buses more frequently, more bus stops.
Buses that use alternative fuel
A county-wide transit system
More sidewalks
More bike lanes and bike paths
Citizens and leaders who believe in making alternative public transportation a priority.

To Panic or Not to Panic

2008-09-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

To follow up from Friday.

I have a wonderful boss and a wonderful co-worker and they both said, "Leave 10 minutes early to catch your bus." So I did! Everyone I emailed regarding a ride at the last minute responded, but none were going my way at the right time.

Back to carpooling Monday morning. I planned, planned, planned the night before. Ironed my clothes. Made my lunch. Put some items in the car already. Still, I had to put my contacts in at the Y and bring my breakfast with me...Sigh...a sad scramble.

The gas situation seems to be worse instead of better. Long lines at the stations that do have gas. Many do not have gas in the Asheville area. Waynesville and Franklin had gas this weekend at much lower prices than Asheville.

Today's carpooling was a little calmer. Partly because I planned the night before...partly because the clock in the living room that I thought was 5 minutes fast had been set to the correct time and I didn't realize that I needed to be panicking!

Speaking of panicking: Panicking seems to be the order of the day. Many stations are out of gas; there have been fights at at least one station; otherwise calm people are scrambling to top off their gas tanks...Our local paper runs articles about all this panicking, but has yet to run an article about conserving, carpooling, riding the bus, bicycling or walking to work. (Or if they have run this article it hasn't been on the front page and/or I haven't seen it.)

It is scary to think of not being able to get to where you want/need to go. We need "green" alternative transportation methods so badly. Does anyone really believe that gasoline supplies are going to last forever...that "drill, drill, drill" is what our energy policy should be? (Actually I'm afraid lots of people believe this.)

Spilt Milk Angst and Flexibility Woes

2008-09-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

So, if you were driving down Brevard Road this morning at 8:21 am, you might have seen me trotting to the bus stop, piece of apple pie in one hand, travel coffee mug in the other, trying to have breakfast on the run. My hair was NOT brushed and my contacts were NOT in and the food didn't taste as good as it does when I'm sitting down! I was afraid I might not make it to the bus stop in time, but turns out I had 4 minutes to spare! I brushed my hair when I got there. Couldn't quite get my contacts in though.

As the bus started pulling away, a young woman came running from the grocery store with a bunch of filled grocery bags. The driver picked her up. She scrambled onto the bus and said, "You could have helped me." I wasn't sure who she was talking to. I thought maybe someone she knew on the bus. After she got off at her stop, her milk had leaked onto the next seat. (A nice person helped with her bags getting off the bus.) Then I started feeling guilty. Had she been talking to me in particular? Of course any of us should have jumped to help her. But she didn't seem to be struggling...she seemed to be managing...but then I thought, man she had already bought groceries this morning before I had even brushed my hair. I will be more aware next time. (She had eggs in the bags too. I hope they made it home.)

The bus filled up again.

Now for the flexibility problem: I need to stay at work till 6pm this evening. A bus going my way leaves at 6pm. It would take me 10 minutes to get to the bus stop. The next one does not leave until 7:30. Sometimes I wouldn't mind hanging out in town for 1 1/2 hours, but since this time I didn't arrange to have anyone to hang out with, I'm not too thrilled with the idea. I emailed some folks from the Share the Ride site to see if it would be possible to get last minute rides out of town...so far no luck, but hey, I still have an hour or so before the hour of reckoning!

It's the end of the work week and I have met my goal for the week...through carpooling and Asheville Transit. It took some adjustment...but I am looking forward to next week!

Still Striving...

2008-09-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

Today was a carpooling day. This getting up earlier and planning has not gotten easier yet, but I am trying not to whine about it! I have to try to actually PLAN at night. Like make the lunch I'm taking to work. I should pick out and iron my clothes the night before, but I am not organized enough to think about what I'm wearing the next day. What if I pick something out at night and then am not in the mood for it the next morning?!

I didn't have time to put my contacts in this morning, so I ran out the door with the case in my hands. By the time we got to the Y, I thought I had lost them but found them in the back seat. I only had 15 minutes at the Y to actually do anything, but, hey, I got a great shower!

Our parking deck is awful right now. All the workers on it are wearing masks. I did not have a mask. Riding the bus is nice this week so we don't have to deal with the parking deck construction.

I put two new links on the blog. Strive Not to Drive NC and Blue Ridge Commuter Connections. I'm curious if carpoolers really are able to connect on the Strive Not to Drive site.

Carless Day

2008-09-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

No live chickens or goats on the bus ride in today. But there was a live cat in a carrier. On the ride home from work I learned that if a guy yells out the window to his brother that he is visiting his PO today, that probably means parole officer, not post office!

Seriously, though, another quite pleasant experience riding the Asheville bus. I almost missed it getting home from work but caught it in the nick of time. Riding the bus involves a lot of walking, I'm finding out. And a heck of a lot of planning, which is not my strong suit. I didn't go straight home and will have a mile and half walk back home, unless I pay another dollar (which I won't). The walking is good for me and it's a beautiful day.

The bus was full both ways today. I had to stand part of the way. I am celebrating this, as it shows that the buses are well-used!!

Here is the link for the Asheville Transit Authority in case anyone is interested.
http://www.ashevillenc.gov/residents/transportation/city_bus/

Here you can see fares, schedules, etc. I learned that some employers participate in a Passport Program so their employees ride for free. I don't believe Buncombe County does this yet, but maybe we could rally Buncombe County employees to persuade them to join.

Beginning

2008-09-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

Because of the latest gas crisis (Hurricane Ike, prices in Asheville going way over $4/gallon and many stations with no gas at all) I've decided to make a more conscious effort to conserve gas and to think about how I get from here to there. I'm starting this blog to record my efforts and thoughts.

So, yesterday, Monday, September 15, 2008 I resolved to try to avoid going to work with just one person (me) in the car. That narrowed my options to carpooling, riding the bus, walking or riding my bike. I got a jump start on my resolution on Sunday, when I worked at the West Asheville Branch library, and was able to walk there. (1 1/2 miles). Walking downtown to my normal job, however, would be a bit trickier. So Monday was my late day at work. I decided to ride the bus. I caught it at around 10:30 and got into town at 11. The bus stop is right beside a gas station; this station had no gas at all. I was the only one at the bus stop.

The bus was almost full, which made me happy! Some cute little kids on it. One older black man who had 4 bags of groceries from Ingles. Some people who obviously knew each other yelling back and forth. A basically pleasant experience.

After work, I walked to Asheville Pizza and met Ken and Walter. We ate and all rode home together. My other option, of course, was to ride the bus home. Then I would have had to walk home in the dark (approximately 10 minute walk). Not sure how I feel about this possibility.

I have to confess that this is only my third time riding the bus in Asheville and I've lived in Buncombe County a long time. I'm not proud of my lack of public transport use. One of my excuses is that for a long time I lived where there was no bus service. Another excuse is that I am a pretty typical middle class American in that I like to have the freedom to jump in my car and go wherever I want without thinking about it. So now I'm thinking about it...

Today Ken and I rode in to work together, dropping Walter off at school on the way. The only extra effort on my part was getting up a little earlier. All for a good cause! After work, we'll ride to the Y together, then I'll drop Ken at volleyball and he'll get a ride home later. Then I'll go to some grocery stores that are on the way home...

Tomorrow has the potential to be a carless day. We'll see...