[nfb-talk] taking parratransit and public transit

[David Evans]

DEAR ERIC,
FIRST OF ALL, IAM NOT FLAMING YOU.  MY "CAPS LOCK"KEY IS STUCK IN THE ON 
POSITION.
I AM INVOLVED WITH TRANSIT IN PALM BEACH COUNTY FLORIDA.  I WORK FOR MV 
TRANSIT WHICH IS ONE OF OUR COUNTY'S PARA-TRANSIT PROVIDER COMPANIES.
I LIVE IN THE SOUTH END OF THE LARGEST COUNTY EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI AND 
WORK SOME 35 MILES AWAY.
I HAVE BASICALLY 3 WAYS TO GET TO WORK.  FIXED ROUTE BUS, FIXED ROUTE BUS 
AND TRAIN OR PARA-TRANSIT.
USING FIXED ROUTE ALONE TAKES ME AT LEAST 3.5 HOURS ONE WAY AND I AM TAKING 
3 BUSES TO DO IT.  USING FIXED ROUTE AND THE TRI-RAIL TOGETHER TAKES ME 2.5 
HOURS ONE WAY AND I HAVE TO TAKE 3 BUSES AND THE TRAIN.
PARA-TRANSIT ALONE CAN TAKE ME ANYWHERE FROM 50 MINUTES TO 2.5 HOURS 
DEPENDING ON IF I AM RIDING ALONE OR AM MULTI LOADED WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
I TRY TO RIDE TO WORK EARLY IF I CAN AS I SPEND LESS TIME ON THE VAN AND I 
COME HOME EARLIER SO AS TO DODGE THE RUSH HOUR WHEN I CAN.
I HAVE A PICK UP WINDOW BETWEEN 6:30 TO 7:00AM TO BE AT WORK BY 9:00 AM.
I DO GET TO WORK FROM HOME AS MY JOB ONLY REQUIRES ME TO USE THE PHONE, THE 
COMPUTER AND ATTEND MEETINGS AND APPOINTMENTS AS NEEDED.  I AM WORKING FROM 
HOME TODAY AS A MATTER OF FACT.
MANY PARA-TRANSIT RIDERS DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT UNDER THE ADA, PARA-TRANSIT 
IS MEANT TO BE EQUAL TO FIXED ROUTE SERVICE AND NOT SUPERIOR TO IT.
THIS IS TO LESSEN THE INCENTIVE TO TAKE THE MORE COSTLY PARA-TRANSIT 
SERVICES OVER USING THE FIXED ROUTE SERVICE.  WHEN YOU MAKE A RESERVATION ON 
PARA-TRANSIT, THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE LOOKS AT WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU ARE 
GOING AND THEN COMPARES THAT TO A MAP AND SCHEDULE FOR THE FIXED ROUTE 
SERVICES.
IT FIGURES OUT HOW MUCH TIME IT WOULD TAKE YOU TO GET THERE ON THE BUS AND 
THAT EXTRA TIME IS USED TO MULTI LOAD OTHER CLIENTS ON THE VAN WITH YOU WHO 
ARE GOING IN SOME WHAT THE SAME DIRECTION.
I HAVE SENIORS COMPLAIN TO ME ALL OF THE TIME THAT THEY HAD TO SPEND OVER AN 
HOUR ON THE VAN TO GO TO THE SAME PLACE THEIR SISTER DROVE THEM TO IN 25 
MINUTES.
TO GET BETTER PARA-TRANSIT SERVICES, YOU NEED TO HAVE BETTER FIXED ROUTE 
SERVICES.  THAT TAKES FUNDING AND ACCESSIBILITY TO THE FIXED ROUTE; I.E. BUS 
STOP SHELTERS, SIDE WALKS, CROSSABLE INTERSECTIONS AND BUSES ON REDUCED 
HEADWAYS.
I CAN NOT USE THE FIXED ROUTE TO GET TO WORK ON TIME.  IT DOESN'T START 
SERVICE IN MY AREA UNTIL 6:30 AM AND JUST TAKING IT DOESN'T GET ME THERE 
UNTIL AFTER 10:00 AM.
PARA-TRANSIT DOES GET ME THERE ON TIME AND THAT IS WHAT I MUST USE UNTIL 
THEY START THE BUS, IN MY AREA, AT 5:30 AM.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION, WRITE ME OFF LINE AT DREVANS at BELLSOUTH.NET AS I 
HAVE SOME 21 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN TRANSIT  .

DAVID EVANS, NFBF
MV TRANSIT
CONSUMER ADVOCATE

--Original Message ----- 
From: "Eric Calhoun" <eric at pmpmail.com>
To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 10:25 AM
Subject: [nfb-talk] taking parratransit and public transit


>I would like to find out your experiences with parratransit, or taking
> public buses in your communities.   What are the advantages of taking
> public transit versus parratransit from the city where you currently live,
> and transit-parratransit in a city where you've tisited?
>
> Eric
> -
>
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