<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">Thank you so much for sending out this announcement. This is clearly an issue most blind people have dealt with. <br><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div>On Jan 25, 2024, at 11:49 AM, Todd E. Stephens via NFBK <nfbk@nfbnet.org> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word"><div class="WordSection1"><div class="MsoNormal">The below announcement is from Avery Baggett regarding an opportunity to improve Lexington transportation.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div><div><div><div class="MsoNormal">Announcement from Avery…<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I am a part of a group in Lexington that focuses on building a bridge between fixed-route Lextran busses, rideshares, and specialty transport options like Wheels. This group is called BUILD (Building a United Inter Faith Lexington through Direct action). One of our projects this year is to push the Lexington city government to fund a Microtransit pilot program. We have several council members who support this dream; we just need to find enough support to fund the pilot program. </span><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">If you want to see this dream become a reality there is one very easy thing you can do. You can write your city council member and/or the council members at large with a personal story in which a lack of transportation has negatively impacted you. I think all of us in the blind community have faced serious transportation neglect. If you need help finding who your council member is please reply directly to me (not reply all) with your address and I will send you the contact information of your council member. Below is a blurb explaining exactly what Microtransit is and how it functions:</span><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Microtransit is an on-demand service that closes the gap between public transportation and private rideshare options like Uber, Lyft, and Taxis. Think of it like a minibus that comes when and where you want. Unlike WHEELS, a microtransit ride can be requested in as little as 30 minutes and be used by anyone.<span class="gmail-apple-converted-space"> </span>The cost is dependent on the transit authority, but typically the ride is subsidized so that riders only pay what they would for bus fare.<span class="gmail-apple-converted-space"> </span>It should also be ADA-compliant. Most microtransit companies offer a variety of methods for scheduling a ride and their apps are compatible with smartp<span style="background:white">hone<span class="gmail-apple-converted-space"> </span>accessibility<span class="gmail-apple-converted-space"> </span>fe</span>atures.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I have also attached a document including upcoming BUILD Microtransit dates and contact information for all the council members. If you wish to help our cause it would be most effective to try to get your story in by<b> February 6th</b>, as that marks the start of the legislative session in which the council disburses the city budget. If you need any help, I am happy to help in any way I can. </span><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Best of luck,</span><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Avery </span><o:p></o:p></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div></div></div></div></div></div><span id="cid:f_lrtbzvyn0"><Full committee handout 1_18 (2).docx></span>_______________________________________________<br>NFBK mailing list<br>NFBK@nfbnet.org<br>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbk_nfbnet.org<br>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBK:<br>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbk_nfbnet.org/averybaggett%40gmail.com<br></div></blockquote></div><br></body></html>