[Ct-nfb] [FWD: [CTTransitHartfordAlerts] NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULE FOR FARE INCREASES AND SERVICE REDUCTIONS]

Thu Sep 1 02:15:41 UTC 2011

About the Blind Driver Challenge:

    I want to make sure that you all understand the point of the Blind Driver Challenge.  I'll do my best to articulate it.  We, the National Federation of the Blind, did not work to create a car that a blind person can drive with a completely non-visual interface so that every blind person can become an automobile owner and driver.  We did it to break a boundary.  For many years, we were told that it was impossible for a blind person to drive a car.  Today, we know that it is no longer true.  When people ask me if I can see well enough to drive, I used to say "no."  Thanks to our efforts with the Blind Driver Challenge, I now tell people that there is no level of vision required for driving.  We have expanded the possibilities frontier.  A byproduct of this effort is that there will be many offshoot technologies that we will be able to incorporate into our everyday lives.  As Dr. Dennis Hong, a leader in the Blind Driver Challenge, told us all, we chose to solve the most difficult engineering problem we could find, and we solved many simpler engineering problems in the process.  

The Blind Driver Challenge was about making driving possible for blind people, not putting a car in every blind person's driveway.

Yours truly,

Justin Salisbury

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 Elizabeth Rival [erival at comcast.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 5:56 PM
To: 'NFB of Connecticut Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] [FWD: [CTTransitHartfordAlerts] NOTICE OF PUBLIC  HEARING SCHEDULE FOR FARE INCREASES AND SERVICE REDUCTIONS]

Hi, you bring up allot of good points. Yes we try to have representatives at all transit meetings and question and answer sessions. However, not enough people from nfB volunteer to make these meetings., because of work etc. I would very much like it if you would take a 30 minute discussion at our state convention on these issues and what's more is Dr. Maurer is our representative this year at our state convention. What do you think/ You could have a panel or any other idea.? Beth
From: ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Trevor Attenberg
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 5:12 PM
To: 'NFB of Connecticut Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] [FWD: [CTTransitHartfordAlerts] NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULE FOR FARE INCREASES AND SERVICE REDUCTIONS]

Dear NFB of CT,
I am interested to know how discussions regarding public transit (see email below) have gone. I’d also like to know how the NFB of CT has stood regarding these issues. It is my opinion that we are not doing enough to support mass transit across the state, and within individual town. Don’t get me wrong, paratranset is important; but it is either not convenient, or not available to many of us. Mass transit is an issue that effects not only the blind. I think it effects the quality of life for people throughout and beyond the borders of the state. The hassles of getting from place to place freely here are indescribably bad, especially for those not living on the coast. I frankly would not recommend a blind person to relocate to Connecticut.
                It is no time to be jacking up prices of tickets and cutting routes, especially as many folks may be considering taking the bus or train rather than the usual car during these times of high gas prices and everything else au courant with the economy. It is discrimination to those who do not drive to leave the mass transit system in ruins. Think of the money that is spent fixing up facilities for cars; think of the bail out of the car industry if you will. In case you don’t know, we the blind are not about to be driving automobiles ourselves to our markets and family homes. Maybe decades from now, but not so soon as to make our needs obsolete.
                Perhaps we should think of others that are effected by poor transportation: those that cannot afford or are not of age to drive. Why don’t we think of the environmental damage caused by excess cars on the roads. Trains and busses are far more fuel efficient than cars will be in a long long time. Each time I hear about this blind driver challenge, I think of the oil drillings, spills, pipelines, and mountain top removal that takes place so that we may even drive a battery powered car. And think of the jobs that can come with improved public transportation. In my view, the most dynamic places in the World, including the U.S. right now, are those where people almost never step into a normal car.
                Do any of you guys use Peter Pan bus? Now this is not a state owned company; but it’s definitely something we should be working on. Any of you guys familiar with the dehumanizing way that the staff treat their customers? Ever get stranded in a station because the announcer decided not to call out your bus, or because the next connecting bus decided to leave early? Have you seen your local station or travel center close down, or your most convenient bus cut? Do you ever wonder why you are paying over $80 for a round trip to say, Worcester MA, and you think to yourself how much more you would travel, and how so many more of your friends would be riding the bus as well if the ticket prices were lower?
                All I am saying is that we have a big potential Connecticut-wide movement before us, and I think the whole NFB of CT needs to play a far far bigger roll. We don’t have to take this second class biz. I did talk to Dr. Maurer about this a while back, and he agreed that there should be a movement within the NFB focused on better transit. So let’s think of this as a matter of justice, the same way we think towards all the other pressing issues that come upon blind folk.
Thanks for reading/listening,
Trevor

From: ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of llee at nfbct.org
Sent: Friday, August 05, 2011 2:24 PM
To: NFB of CT list serve
Subject: [Ct-nfb] [FWD: [CTTransitHartfordAlerts] NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULE FOR FARE INCREASES AND SERVICE REDUCTIONS]

From: "Sigman, Brian" <Brian.Sigman at ct.gov<http://Brian.Sigman@ct.gov>>
Date: Fri, August 05, 2011 1:36 pm

From: Sylvestre, Alan
Sent: Friday, August 05, 2011 12:29 PM

Please see the public hearing schedule shown below.

Al
Al Sylvestre, AICP
Research Analyst
CT State Department of Labor
200 Folly Brook Boulevard
Wethersfield, CT  06109-1153

alan.sylvestre at ct.gov<mailto:alan.sylvestre at ct.gov>
From: cttransithartfordalerts-bounces at lists.recol.net<mailto:cttransithartfordalerts-bounces at lists.recol.net> [mailto:cttransithartfordalerts-bounces at lists.recol.net]On Behalf Of cttransithartfordalerts at lists.recol.net<mailto:cttransithartfordalerts at lists.recol.net>
Sent: Friday, August 05, 2011 10:31 AM
The Connecticut Department of Transportation will hold public hearings to receive comments on proposed rail, public transit bus, express commuter bus & ADA paratransit fare increases (effective on or after November 1, 2011) and proposed reductions in bus and rail service.
The proposed new bus fares would affect local bus systems serving the areas of Hartford, New Haven, Stamford, Waterbury, New Britain, Meriden, Bristol and Wallingford. ADA paratransit fares for these same areas would also be increased by approximately 10 percent, as would fares on express commuter bus services to the Hartford area and for the I-BUS Stamford to White Plains express. Combined, these bus systems serve over 29 million passengers per year.

HEARING SCHEDULE
New Britain
Mon., August 22
12:00 noon-2:00pm
New Britain City Hall, Room 504
27 West Main Street
New Britain CT

Stamford
Tues., August 23
4:00pm-6:00pm & 7:00pm-9:00pm
UConn Stamford
General Re Conference Room, 1st Floor
One University Place (Corner Washington & Broad)
Stamford CT

New Haven
Wed., August 24
4:00pm-6:00pm & 7:00pm-9:00pm
Hall of Records, 200 Orange Street
Room G-2
New Haven CT

Hartford
Thurs., August 25
12:00 noon-2:00pm & 4:30pm-6:30pm
Hartford Public Library
"X" Room
500 Main Street
Hartford CT

Meriden
Fri., August 26
2:00pm-4:00pm
Meriden Senior Center
Willene's Place
22 West Main Street
Meriden CT

Waterbury
Tues., August 30
2:00pm-4:00pm & 5:00pm-6:00pm
Silas Bronson Library
Downstairs Hearing Room
267 Grand Street
Waterbury CT

The proposed bus and rail fare tables and proposed service reductions may be viewed at www.ct.gov/dot/farecomments<http://www.ct.gov/dot/farecomments> on the Department's website. Written comments or arguments on the proposed fare adjustments and service reductions must be delivered or postmarked by September 15, 2011 to Bureau of Public Transportation, 2800 Berlin Turnpike, P.O. Box 317546, Newington, CT 06131-7546. The caption "COMMENT ON INTENT TO ADOPT PUBLIC TRANSIT FARES & SERVICE REDUCTIONS" must appear on the envelope. E-mailed comments or arguments should be addressed to dot.farecomments at ct.gov<mailto:dot.farecomments at ct.gov> within the same time frame.
These hearings are accessible to persons with disabilities. Hearing impaired individuals, or persons speaking a language other than English wishing to attend any of these hearings and requiring an interpreter may make arrangements by contacting the Department of Transportation's Office of Communications at (860) 594-3062 (VOICE ONLY), or (860) 594-3090 (TTY) at least five working days prior to the hearing.

For More Information: http://www.ct.gov/dot/farecomments

Contact Email: dot.farecomments at ct.gov<mailto:dot.farecomments at ct.gov>