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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I toured the Silver Spring Transit Center this
morning. I know that many of you asked if there would be a tour. I
actually got the information about the tour on Friday evening. This is an
argument for going to hearings whenever you can, because I asked a WMATA planner
at Thursday night's bus hearing.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I am not sure why more people were not
invited. With us were two members of the WMATA Accessibility Advisory
Committee, a WMATA ADA staff member (Christiaan Blake), a member of the downtown
Silver Spring District (Don Scheuermann), a MetroAccess supervisor, and one of
the engineers. We were able to see a few things, but I still have
unanswered questions.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>You enter the lower level directly from the Silver
Spring rail station. The first bus bay on your right is 101, which is the
MetroAccess dropoff and pickup. Buses may also drop off there, but they
are supposed to give Metro Access priority. There is a bench. Behind
and to the left of the bench is a concrete column with a screen and a button on
the right as you face it. Pressing the button will enlarge the text and
give you an audio presentation on what bus is at that stop and the estimated
arrival time. I don't know if the layout is the same at all the
stops. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>There are no poles at the stops. I am not
sure if poles will be installed. I haven't figured out who is running the
show here. There are now colored markers at each bus stop. I have
made my opinion known that we want poles because we don't like being passed up
by buses because we are slightly off the mark. I said we like the bus
signs on Wayne, Dixon and the surround ing areas. The braille is as good
as it was when the signs were installed. It seems sensible to place
braille in a permanent structure. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>You must cross the bus lane to get to the
escalator, stairs and elevators. There are 3 elevators. The
elevators I saw had correct but not very sharp braille. The speech on one
of the elevators seemed a little distorted for a brand'new speaker.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The county managed to misspend some of our tax
dollards to install some allegedly tactile material on
the crosswalks. I can't detect it with my cane or shoe, and I don't
intend to test it barefoot. Obviously no blind people had input on
this. I think that people are usually tapping, not sliding, when crossing
a street because they are listening for echoes, and asking them to follow a
crack to detect a crosswalk is unreasonable. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The other weird blindness feature I heard
advertised but did not see was in the TRIPS store, which is a place I never go
because it isn't open when I am out and about in the mornings and
evenings. There are allegedly cane-detectable legs on the counter. I
have never had trouble finding a counter when I was close enough to touch it
with my cane. I hope this isn't a trippingg hazard or an obstruction for
wheelchairs.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The layout is on three levels. The lower
level, which adjoins the exit of the rail station, has the MetroAccess stop and,
as far as I can tell, buses going into Montgomery County (J, Y, Z). I
assume a lot of Ride-On buses are on that level. The second level has
buses going into DC and Prince Georges County (70, S, F). There is a
bridge from the second level going to the MARC station. The third level
has parking, Kiss and Ride, and cab stands. The cab stand is on the right
when you get off the elevator or escalator, and it is a little hike. The
first level is fully covered, the second level is partially covered, and the
upper level is completely open (probably hot in the summer and windy in the
winter). It is not clear if Greyhound will use the facility, but not in
the predictable future. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>This is less information then I would like to give
you, but now you know all that I know.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Debbie</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV><BR>
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