[nabs-l] transportation in your area

[Peter Donahue]

Hello Ashley and listers,

    And add such information to your affiliate and division Web sites. Stay 
tuned to the launch of the NFB of Texas San Antonio Chapter Web Site for an 
example of what can be done where available area transportation exists. 
There are transportation resources in San Antonio that most of our members 
were totally unaware of. I'm a strong advocate for including such 
information on affiliate and division Web sites and strongly urge you to do 
it.

Peter Donahue


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 3:21 PM
Subject: [nabs-l] transportation in your area


Hi all,
Let's have a more productive topic than rehashing ACB/NFB frictions.  I've 
got one.

How is the transportation in your area?  Say where you go to school as that 
makes a difference.  If you're in a metropolitian area its probably decent.
How about near your home?  If you have transportation, is it adaquate? Are 
bus drivers accomodating by calling out bus stops upon request?  Are they 
helpful in giving directions to find seats if you want it?

For me, its pretty decent at school.  I'm near DC, in northern va.  When I 
attended the large state school George Mason University, GMU was great.  The 
CUE bus came to GMU and went around the city and to the Vienna metro.  Metro 
Buses were just across the street from the college.
At Marymount in Arlington, the school shuttle bus went to Ballston metro. 
That's our subway.  From there you could take the metro, get Art(arlington) 
buses, many metro buses, or walk to many shops and restaurants.  Ruby 
Tuesday, IHOP, a pizza place, and Chevy's were just a few accessible.
At home there are not sidewalks and metro buses are not accessible to us. 
So I have not done much public transit travel.  I did some on mobility and 
when I lived at MU since I had access to them.

In my limited experience, metro is good.  Other customers are friendly and 
happily answer my questions as to what line to go on as there is no 
accessible way to know you're in front of an orange or blue train; they 
share the same track.  Drivers announce stops on buses although many now 
have talking systems announcing major stops automatically.
On a crowded bus or subway as I'm departing its helpful that most of the 
riders move out of the way so I can have a clear path and exit before the 
door closes.  Especially on metro rail, subway, you have a limited time to 
exit until the door shuts and you miss your stop.
On metro rail drivers announce stops, but if I can't hear them due to low 
voice or something, I count stops or ask fellow passengers.

Metro service is better during the day time as with all public transit 
services.  On weekends its infrequent.  Some lines do not run and others 
only run a bus once an hour.

So those are my thoughts.
Ashley

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