[Ct-nfb] TRANSPORTATION

Mon Jun 20 02:35:32 UTC 2011

To Trudy, et. al,

    If you want to make a change in your local public transportation system, I seriously encourage you to get people together in your area who use the system (or will use it if it improves).  If you can come up with simple solutions to the issues at hand, especially ones that incur zero or minor costs, you may find that your local systems are very receptive to the ideas.  It's important for them to hear from people who will actually be their customers.  For example, if Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the NFB, were to call a public transit system in a Connecticut town, the first thing that they're going to wonder is if he's ever going to use it.  If they have no proof that doing what he says is going to benefit them, they may not do it.  If they have ten people who live locally and want to use their transit system standing in front of them with a complaint, they might really think about making the change.  I'd be more than happy to help brainstorm specific solutions with you, but I live up in the northeast corner and can't claim to be a potential customer.

Advocacy is one of the things that the NFB is all about!

Good luck!

Justin

Justin M. Salisbury
Undergraduate Student
The University Honors Program
East Carolina University
salisburyj08 at students.ecu.edu

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”    —MARGARET MEAD

________________________________________
From: ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org [ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Trudy Swenson [trudyswenson at charter.net]
Sent: Saturday, June 18, 2011 8:45 AM
To: 'NFB of Connecticut Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] TRANSPORTATION

I’ve been following this thread closely. Over the years, my family has experienced many difficulties and frustrations with the dismal state of public transportation in our area.  I empathize with all of you regarding lousy and inadequate scheduling, delayed and canceled rides, and the often shoddy conditions found in the transit system.  I have a question for all participants on this listserv: why is there so much focus and enthusiasm on the effort to put blind people behind the wheel of a car and absolutely none on improving public transportation?

Driving a car despite blindness seems a very attractive goal. We all want the freedom and independence to go where we want to go when we want to go there. Nevertheless it will be years before a method is perfected. Huge dollar amounts will be expended for research and fabrication and manufacturing.  This doesn’t take into account a massive educational campaign to gain acceptance in the public arena.  If and when a blind person is put behind the wheel of a fast moving car in highway traffic that vehicle will surely be beyond the financial reach of most people I know, blind or sighted.

On the other hand public transportation, however lousy it is, exists to some degree almost everywhere. There are many simple things that could be done to make it better. As a group that depends on this mode of getting around, we have a collective voice.  Energy devoted to this issue might very well effectively improve our lives now.

Thank you for letting me air my opinion. I look forward to your comments.

Trudy

From: ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Richard McGaffin
Sent: Saturday, June 18, 2011 7:08 AM
To: NFB of Connecticut Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] TRANSPORTATION

Good morning folks:

about the transit thing I refuse to use it, I will walk take a city bus, or bug my family for rides if I have too, the para transit sucks to put it bluntly they're never on time and when I did use it. It made me late for work.

--- On Fri, 6/17/11, Suzanne Westhaver <swesthaver at comcast.net<mailto:swesthaver at comcast.net>> wrote:

From: Suzanne Westhaver <swesthaver at comcast.net<mailto:swesthaver at comcast.net>>
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] TRANSPORTATION
To: "NFB of Connecticut Mailing List" <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org<mailto:ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>>
Date: Friday, June 17, 2011, 10:41 PM
  Hi, Joyce.  I think working the two transits to coordinate is trickier too.  I have used the Waterbury/New Haven connection  to connect in New Haven on rare occasions when I need to get to a law office in New Haven and have had good luck, but New Haven si a very busy transit system.

Nice thing about Waterbury is they run later now.  You can get a ride up until 9 p.m. which it used to be 5 p.m. was the latest.  Now they are talking about extending service until 11 p.m. which is verynice for people that ork later or 2nd shift or just want to do stuff in the evening.

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