[Blindtlk] Para transit Vs. fixed Routes

Thu May 12 19:00:42 UTC 2011

Dear Nikke,

I too am a good traveler,  I, in fact, do some travel training for our 
transit system.
If I access my local bus route from one direction, I must cross a 6 lane 
highway twice and an intersecting road, of 6 lanes, to get to the bus stop.
This is the intersection of Glades Road and State Road 7 in west Boca Raton, 
Florida.  There are meridians in the middle, duel left hand turn lanes at 
all 4 sides and right on red lanes on all 4 corners too.
I don't like to cross there , but that is what I have to do to access the 
bus.
To access the same bus route the other way, I have to walk about the same 
distance and cross a 6 lane road and a 4 lane road that sits right at the 
gate of a major adult community with the right on red lanes and single left 
hand turn lanes.  The drivers coming out here are old, crazy, can not see or 
hear, can not turn their heads or sometime even see over the dashboard and 
got their license in a bingo game at the community clubhouse.
It gets very hot and humid here too.  You can get a third degree burn by 
sitting on a hot metal or plastic bus bench if you are not careful.
Some of the communities are walled and the fixed route bus can not get in 
and the people can not get out.  It can be a mile from the nearest building 
to the gate in some of them.  You can see the evidence of their driving 
habits by the number of bent bumpers, dented doors and trucks, broken 
headlights and taillights and the stop sign post that are bent to 90 
degrees.
They would rather blow their horn than step on the brake pedal, if they even 
know where it is.
The police can not even get them a breathalyzer test , when they pull them 
over, as their Assam is too bad or they pass out from the lack of oxygen.

This one of the only places I have ever lived where you could be eaten just 
walking down the street or through a parking lot.
With the canals running next to many of the roads and streets, the gators 
like to take advantage of any shade they can get including crawling under 
stopped cars.  I saw a vw beetle walk away on the back of a 10 foot gater in 
a parking lot once.

I use what transportation I need to get where I need to go and I don't look 
down my nose at anyone, not even the holier than thou people with a too much 
mucho complex.
 Do what you have to and what you feel is best for you and the heck with the 
rest of them.  That is my advice.

David Evans, NFBF and GD Jack
MV Transit  Consumer Advocate
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jessica Kostiw" <jessicac.kostiw at gmail.com>
To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 2:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Para transit Vs. fixed Routes

> Hello all,
> Must chime in here.  I live in Fairfax county Virginia.  I had to laugh
> while reading one of the other messages that listed D.C as one of the 
> great
> transportation places.  I believe the person was saying that someone who
> lived in D.C for example wouldn't be as interested in driving because the
> transportation is so good.  I live about 20 minutes from the city, do not
> live on the metro line, and the nearest bus stop is at least 3 miles away.
> I completely depend on family and friends.  As far as Para transportation,
> Metro Access requires a week in advance notice.  I have heard they require
> an hour window.  I have never used them because I have heard too many 
> horror
> stories, and now do to budget cuts I am now out of their area.  This 
> message
> is not to sit and complain, which admittedly so far that is what it sounds
> like.  Instead, I am trying to illustrate how narrow of a window D.C
> actually is.  I am currently in a serious relationship with a guy who owns
> his own home in Fredericksburg, which is a little over an hour south of 
> D.C.
> We are seriously discussing marriage and our future.  If I could see we
> would just keep the house, but since I cannot drive and there are no
> transportation options what so ever in Spotsylvania county, we are forced 
> to
> sell the house and move into something smaller with no yard in the city of
> Fredericksburg.  I apologize for the extreme negativity of this message,
> this has just been a very hot issue.  I think it is naive to recognize how
> limiting not having a car is.  To be fully mobile, it really seems like 
> you
> have to live in a city... not even in suburbs of a city.
>
> I would love to know, where those of you who do not seem to find this a 
> bone
> of contention live.  I don't mean that question to sound rude, again I am
> just frustrated.  Jon and I are willing to move, but I am just wondering.
>
> Thanks for reading my rants.
> Jessica
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of nikki Wunderlich
> Sent: Monday, May 02, 2011 1:37 PM
> To: davidb521 at gmail.com; 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Paratransit Vs. fixed Routes
>
> Hello David,
>
> I think if you don't have to use parra transit because you can use fixed
> routes with confidence, then I would use the fixed routes. But as I said 
> in
> my last email to the list I do not live with in walking distance of a bus
> stop, and have no way to get to it. Also even if I did live with in 
> walking
> distance of the bus stop there's a busy high way between where I live and
> the bus stop. I believe it's 4 laines either direction. SSo in total I'd
> have to cross 8 lanes of traffic, some of which are turning lanes. 
> Crossing
> 2 or four lanes of traffic doesn't bother me, but any more than that is
> really daunting to me. I mean I could probably do it if I had to, but if I
> don't have to I'm not going to. I used to live with my sister in the same
> apartment complex that I'm living in now, and back then I qualified for
> Metro Mobility, so I don't see why I wouldn't qualify for it now, but 
> we'll
> have to see. Personally if I could use fixed routes I would, because it's
> less expencive, but I can't. It's not because of my travel skills either.
> They're pretty good. My vision is my only disability too. Well I think 
> this
> email is long enough, so I will end it and say to all I hope you have a
> great day!
>
> Nikki
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of David
> Sent: Monday, May 02, 2011 12:17 PM
> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
> Subject: [Blindtlk] Paratransit Vs. fixed Routes
>
> Hello. I was reading the thread discussing the pros and cons of blind
> driving, and noticed some discussion regarding paratransit versus fixed
> routes. What I am wondering is this. Does paratransit in most cities 
> closely
> follow fixed routes within a certain radius as I assume it does in Palm
> Beach County? From what I read from the list, paratransit is neither
> superior or inferior to fixed routes, hence it's name. Therefore, if
> blindness is your only disability, and your travel skills enable you to
> travel anywhere you please with confidence, as is the case with me, what 
> are
> the advantages of paratransit, if any? I am interested in hearing your
> thoughts on this.
>
> David
>
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