A few days ago, I was on board the nortbound #15 bus, sitting in the back as I usually do, and devoted the time I would have otherwise spent on driving to actually reading for one of my classes. (It’s amazing how much you can get done when you don’t have to drive!) The otherwise pleasant ride was interrupted by a snapping sound to my right. The yellow stop-request cord that you pull when you want to get off the bus had completely broken off the wall of the bus!
After pulling the cord on my side of the bus so that the poor fellow could actually get off the bus and go to work, I informed the bus driver of what happened and pulled the cord in the front of the bus. The stop request bell dinged, but the “Stop Requested” sign flickered out a moment later! The driver told me that she’s already made a ticket for that, implying that she wasn’t happy about having another part of the bus falling apart on her shift.
This is the state that the County transit has gotten into over the past eight years. A full third of the bus fleet direly needs replacing. Without President Obama’s stimulus money, that almost certainly would not have happened under the current county governance. And until the stimulus and the new buses it will help us get come in, we will still have a fleet of frequently failing buses. I remember two other occasions, riding the #11 and #30 lines, when the bus was pulled over to the side of the road, and the driver announced that the bus had died. Fortunately, a second bus was just moments behind. But imagine if this happened on a cold winter night. Or in the torrential rains we had last week. Chances are that it has happened.
We need better transit, now.
I agree we need better transit. But we can’t keep going around with this “we need new buses” battle cry thinking that will be the ultimate solution.
How about: http://thedavecasperexperience.blogspot.com/2009/09/lets-make-some-meaningful-changes-to.html
I’m glad we agree on the first point. And the latter to a certain extent. After a quick glance at your page, it seems like we may have even more ground for agreement. (Shock! Shock!!) But, I am arguing for maintenance of the bus fleet, which includes replacing the dozens of failing buses in the fleet. Fortunately, those are on the way. But the fact remains that inadequate maintenance funding led to this problem. And that’s one thing that we are here to help turn around.