[Chat] Re: [Discussion] Location correction for Transportation issues paneldiscussion -- May 28th at 7:30 pm at First English Lutheran

[william.schlegel at us.army.mil]

Ward and others,

I wish I could be there to voice my opinions about the MTA changes.  I have no problem in seeing fares raised a bit, but to double the fare of the Shuttlebug and also double the wait time will only lead to its demise, in my opinion.  The MTA should do everything it can to encourage ridership and to make switching from one mode of transit to another easy!  Shuttlebug times should coincide with the arrival of Light Rail at Woodberry station and with busses along Falls road and Roland Avenue.  Service should be extended to Remington and a new Shuttle route put in for CV which encompasses the area between Penn station and Hopkins Campus.   

Anyway, anything is better than nothing, but a 30 minute schedule is essentially nothing!!

BTW, i had the opportunity to ride through downtown Baghdad yesterday.  That is an experience i would not really want to repeat, but it was unique.  There were no traffic lights, a few un-uniformed police attempted to keep traffic moving through intersections.  Cars and buses competed for lanes - yet pedestrians seemed to make better time!  Here horse or mule drawn carts share the expressways with cars and trucks.  For those not willing to wait hours in a line for gas at a station, vendors with 5-gallon cans and a hose for siphoning into liter jugs line the shoulders.  Their price is about 10 times the price at the pumps!!

Brad, who is currently cool in the Palace!! 
----- Original Message -----
From: Ward Eisinger <sweisinger at jhmi.edu>
Date: Monday, May 19, 2003 10:52 pm
Subject: Re: [Discussion] Location correction for Transportation issues paneldiscussion -- May 28th at 7:30 pm at First English	Lutheran

> Matthew:
> 
> What of the proposed changes to fares and service that are being 
> bandiedabout by the MTA?  Is this something that you are 
> following, and if so
> what are your thoughts?
> 
> The Shuttlebug that serves Hampden and runs through Remington is 
> due to
> see a 100% fare hike with a 50% reduction in service.  This seems 
> likelyto decrease ridership and not increase it, especially for a 
> family that
> might currently choose to ride the Shuttle Bug into Hampden.  If 
> you are
> only ever likely to have to wait 15 minutes for the next bus it seems
> worth the $.50, but if you risk having to wait over 30 minutes for
> $1.00, each way, then it seems less attractive.
> 
> I would appreciate your thoughts since the RNA is trying to figure 
> out a
> position on this.  None of us have a particular expertise in this 
> field. Are you still with the CPHA and if so does the CPHA have a 
> position on
> this topic?  Don't they have some transit rider group?
> 
> Another consideration for the RNA, is that we worked hard to get the
> ShuttleBug into Remington, it is successful, we think that it is a
> community asset, and we would hate to see it lose riders and/or 
> fail.  
> 
> Thanks,
> Ward
>