[Durham INC] New from the Rev-elution: Ending the cycle of poverty transp...
TheOcean1 at aol.com
TheOcean1 at aol.com
Thu Aug 16 23:51:17 EDT 2012
Thanks for pointing that out, Matt -
Folks, anything that operates in the red for any real length of time is in
a category of a whole different nature. If you think about all of them,
they all continue in the red because they must continue. Bus systems are a
fine example.
The idea of riding busses to save the environment is still relatively new.
I'm not that old, but I can remember when the guy holding the sign saying,
"The world is coming to an end." was considered crazy.
Today we all know that's the case without massive changes in our day to
day lives, probably the least of these being trading our car keys for bus
passes whenever possible.
Unlike some of the others, busses tend to operate in the red BECAUSE the
beneficiaries don't or won't contribute enough to support bus systems. I'm
not talking about the riders.
Durham is blessed to have Duke, so don't take this as a slam. But our
largest employer also pays no taxes to help support the bus system in Durham,
yet they probably benefit as much as the employees in their Linen Services
Dept, who couldn't get to work without our bus system.
That seems to be changing with our current city management. That's a
history setting figure of $350k this year, but if I recall, no long term
commitment from Duke. Still a wonderful direction to go, and I failed to hear the
applause I thought our city manager deserved for achieving it.
How much stigma do you think would still be attached to bus travel if you
routinely took the bus to Duke Medical Center? Right now even the
environmentally concerned among us would have a friend drop us off to have our
eyes dilated, and pick us up when we're done. That's four car rides vs two bus
rides.
Perhaps in the future Duke will take an even greater stance recognizing
that your medical experience with them might start and end at the bus stop
and cure their parking problems in the process. They could help ensure a bus
system that could effect that change, when they see the system transport
both their employees and their patients.
Now consider the other nonprofits in town, and you'll see that our bus
system wouldn't operate in the red, if all the major beneficiaries would
contribute what they can.
And if they did, we could afford a system that would attract many more
employees to become riders.
Until then, the stigma will remain because the system was created to serve
poor people, and you need a lot more tree huggers to get on the bus to
change that.
Bill Anderson
In a message dated 8/16/2012 10:41:39 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
matt.dudek at gmail.com writes:
I think this is exactly the problem Carl is addressing. The majority of
the people who ride the bus today don't ride it because it's easy, they ride
it because it's their only option. And it can be dehumanizing to deal with
the indignities of being let off the bus early, in the rain, because of a
service issue. And when a large chunk of white/upper or middle class people
say "I would ride the bus if it were easy" then it makes it a little more
understandable that a frustrated individual might say:
“A black man can’t make it in this country,” an animated rider declared
as the bus turned right on Dowd Street. “The white man has everything. Ain’
t nothing we can do to change things.”
Carl's point though, is that there is a well documented stigma surrounding
the bus, as well as walking and biking. The TTA has done a great job of
making things better by adding wifi to routes, and working with DATA to
improve reliability and performance of routes. The Bull City Connector is
another great way to get around Durham, and a real boon to the area. We need to
continue to reduce the stigma surrounding it.
And buses will never run with any regularity in South Durham because the
population density is not high enough to support any level of ridership that
would come close to paying for it. Even in a city like Boston, only a few
of the bus lines weren't in the red.
- Matt
On Aug 16, 2012, at 5:58 PM, Melissa Rooney wrote:
I don't ride the bus because I would have to drive to the nearest bus
stop, and then I'd have to take the bus into downtown Durham to get anywhere
useful to me, often requiring me to drive to the stop, get on the bus, go
downtown, then go back out of town.
More bus stops is tantamount and more bus routes that suit areas like
South Durham, which continue to be developed but which most people presume is
inhabited by people who don't want to leave their cars behind.
There are many who believe the bus system is unsafe, particularly after
dark.
This didn't stop me from riding the bus in LA, and it wouldn't stop me
from riding the bus here.
Perhaps a study should be published detailing the (presumably low) numbers
of crimes that occur on Durham buses/Data.
Then we should have a 'ride the bus day/week/etc.,' much like National
Night Out.
Melissa (Rooney)_
____________________________________
From: Carl Kenney <_revcwkii at hotmail.com_ (mailto:revcwkii at hotmail.com) >
To: _mmr121570 at yahoo.com_ (mailto:mmr121570 at yahoo.com) ;
_darius.m.little at alumni.unc.edu_ (mailto:darius.m.little at alumni.unc.edu) ; Intern
Neighborhood Council <_inc-list at rtpnet.org_ (mailto:inc-list at rtpnet.org) >
Sent: Thursday, 16 August 2012 11:35 AM
Subject: RE: [Durham INC] New from the Rev-elution: Ending the cycle of
poverty transportation
My piece is not about race relations, it's about the feelings of some on
the bus. The reason this is important is related to the need to change the
culture of the bus system to encourage people to ride the bus, not because
they have to, but because they want to save the globe. We can't minimize
public transportation as a system for black, brown and poor people. So, why
haven't I seen people who fight for the environment on the bus? Why aren't
they riding the bus? It's a critical question that I want to address. I'm
not done riding and writing, and I won't until I see more of you on the
bus. Our globe deserves better than this!
____________________________________
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2012 19:50:06 -0700
From: _mmr121570 at yahoo.com_ (mailto:mmr121570 at yahoo.com)
To: _Darius.M.Little at alumni.unc.edu_
(mailto:Darius.M.Little at alumni.unc.edu) ; _inc-list at rtpnet.org_ (mailto:inc-list at rtpnet.org)
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] New from the Rev-elution: Ending the cycle of
poverty transportation
Thanks for that input, Darius.
I was thinking the same thing.
We are lucky to have public transportation at all, much less the emphasis
that our local elected officials put on increasing its reach and its
quality.
Public transport was my only mode of transportation for nearly 3 years
when I lived in Melbourne, Australia. Did I have often have to wait past a
buses scheduled stop and be late for work or appointments as a result? Did I
end up taking the bus to the end of the line unknowingly and have to walk in
the rain to a distant bus stop? Yes, but like the plethora of other
ethnicities riding the bus with me, I did not associate this hardship with
anti-American, anti-Polish, anti-Lithuanian, or anti-woman sentiments.
I agree that we have a long way to go when it comes to race-relations in
Durham and in this country. But I do believe that things are much better in
Durham than a lot of places and that we are sincerely striving to get
things right.
Melissa (Rooney)
____________________________________
From: Darius Little <_Darius.M.Little at alumni.unc.edu_
(mailto:Darius.M.Little at alumni.unc.edu) >
To: Carl Kenney <_revcwkii at hotmail.com_ (mailto:revcwkii at hotmail.com) >;
_inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org_ (mailto:inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org) ;
_inc-list at DurhamINC.org_ (mailto:inc-list at DurhamINC.org)
Sent: Wednesday, 15 August 2012 8:55 AM
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] New from the Rev-elution: Ending the cycle of
poverty transportation
Carl,
I appreciate your writings, but I am going to contest this one. (Smile)
Allowing the individual to get off of that bus without educating him on
the fact that "riding the bus" isn't completely racial oppression was the
biggest failure that has occurred.
I am black and I am sick and tired of other blacks making the bus a racial
issue. There are more poor Whites in Durham County than Blacks. Why
don't you see them on the bus? Most poor Whites live in rural areas, whereas
most poor Blacks live in the City Limits.
There are too many educated, well-off Blacks in Durham for articles as
this to be allowed to be printed and published, without being called-out.
It is offensive to always see the "poor" image of Blacks being elevated.
Let's publish some articles on the young business owners in the Black
Community, such as your truly, who employ a freakin' staff, am very active in
politics, countless civic organizations in Durham, tutors/mentors youth,
volunteers, etc. Or young Black professionals, like Pierce Freelon, who are
hardworking, manage a family, is involved in the community and engages in a
lot of civic activities.
I'm tired of hearing about the White Man and how oppressed we Blacks are -
it just isn't so.
In Durham, we have poor Blacks, but the average Black in Durham is doing
pretty well. That is not to say the "Black Community" is where it needs to
be, collectively, but if we are going to encourage those at the lower tier
of socioeconomics in our community, they'd be best served reading about and
seeing the avenues for success, not enabled to rely upon the crutch of
complacency, by reading articles such as the one you just published.
If I were poor and read that article, I'd not be very encouraged to be
proactive....
- Darius
-------------------------
Darius M. Little
Executive Business Consultant and
Strategic Marketing Analyst
(web) _www.linkedin.com/in/dariuslittle_
(http://www.linkedin.com/in/dariuslittle)
Manta Business Profile/Report:
_http://www.manta.com/c/mtlwj1m/little-s-business-consulting_
(http://www.manta.com/c/mtlwj1m/little-s-business-consulting)
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall
receive." [Matt 21:22]
-----Original Message-----
From: Carl Kenney <_revcwkii at hotmail.com_ (mailto:revcwkii at hotmail.com) >
Sender: _inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org_ (mailto:inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org)
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:53:45
Subject: [Durham INC] New from the Rev-elution: Ending the cycle of poverty
transportation
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