When 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.


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.

Asheville Bus Riding Survey

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

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.

News From the Asheville Transit Authority

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.

Kudos to Asheville Transit Drivers

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!