Feature Articles

•

Status of Purple Line (p. 1)

•

Nominations for ACT Board Now Being

Requested (p. 2)

•

Silver Spring Transit Center (p. 3)

•

Garth Burleyson Wins Contest by

Guessing Transit Center Opening Date

(p. 3)

ACT’s monthly meetings are held at the

ACT’s monthly meetings are held at the ACT’s monthly meetings are held at the

ACT’s monthly meetings are held at the Silver Spring

Silver Spring Silver Spring

Silver Spring

Civic Building,

Civic Building,Civic Building,

Civic Building, One Veterans Place 20910, in the

One Veterans Place 20910, in the One Veterans Place 20910, in the

One Veterans Place 20910, in the

Ellsworth Room at 7:30 PM, the second Tuesday of

Ellsworth Room at 7:30 PM, the second Tuesday of Ellsworth Room at 7:30 PM, the second Tuesday of

Ellsworth Room at 7:30 PM, the second Tuesday of

each month.

each month.each month.

each month.

The Silver Spring Civic Building is located at the

The Silver Spring Civic Building is located at the The Silver Spring Civic Building is located at the

The Silver Spring Civic Building is located at the

corner of Fenton St & Ellsworth Dr.

corner of Fenton St & Ellsworth Dr.corner of Fenton St & Ellsworth Dr.

corner of Fenton St & Ellsworth Dr.

It is an eight

It is an eight It is an eight

It is an eight

minute walk north from the Silver Spring Metro

minute walk north from the Silver Spring Metro minute walk north from the Silver Spring Metro

minute walk north from the Silver Spring Metro

Station.

Station.Station.

Station.

The nearest bus routes are: Ride

The nearest bus routes are: Ride The nearest bus routes are: Ride

The nearest bus routes are: Ride-

-On routes

On routes On routes

On routes

#9, #12, #15, #16, #17, #19 and #20; and, Metrobus

#9, #12, #15, #16, #17, #19 and #20; and, Metrobus #9, #12, #15, #16, #17, #19 and #20; and, Metrobus

#9, #12, #15, #16, #17, #19 and #20; and, Metrobus

routes Z6 and Z8.

routes Z6 and Z8.routes Z6 and Z8.

routes Z6 and Z8.

Parking is available at the Town Square Garage just

Parking is available at the Town Square Garage just Parking is available at the Town Square Garage just

Parking is available at the Town Square Garage just

across Ellsworth Dr from the Civic Building; it is free

across Ellsworth Dr from the Civic Building; it is free across Ellsworth Dr from the Civic Building; it is free

across Ellsworth Dr from the Civic Building; it is free

after 6:00pm.

after 6:00pm.after 6:00pm.

after 6:00pm.

For meeting updates check our website listed on pg 2.

For meeting updates check our website listed on pg 2.For meeting updates check our website listed on pg 2.

For meeting updates check our website listed on pg 2.

Nov 10: Speaker:

Nov 10: Speaker: Nov 10: Speaker:

Nov 10: Speaker: Ryan Westrom, D.C. Dept. of

Ryan Westrom, D.C. Dept. of Ryan Westrom, D.C. Dept. of

Ryan Westrom, D.C. Dept. of

Transportation & Chair, Council of

Transportation & Chair, Council of Transportation & Chair, Council of

Transportation & Chair, Council of

Governments Travel Forecasting

Governments Travel Forecasting Governments Travel Forecasting

Governments Travel Forecasting

Subcommittee

Subcommittee Subcommittee

Subcommittee -

- “Has car travel passed

“Has car travel passed “Has car travel passed

“Has car travel passed

its peak?”

its peak?”its peak?”

its peak?”

Dec 8:

Dec 8: Dec 8:

Dec 8: Candidate Forum, District 8 Democratic

Candidate Forum, District 8 DemocraticCandidate Forum, District 8 Democratic

Candidate Forum, District 8 Democratic

Congressional Primary; Moderator:

Congressional Primary; Moderator:Congressional Primary; Moderator:

Congressional Primary; Moderator:

Bruce Adams

Bruce Adams Bruce Adams

Bruce Adams

Jan 12: Annual Meeting & Election of Officers;

Jan 12: Annual Meeting & Election of Officers; Jan 12: Annual Meeting & Election of Officers;

Jan 12: Annual Meeting & Election of Officers;

Speaker TBD

Speaker TBDSpeaker TBD

Speaker TBD

Transit Times

The Newsletter of the Action Committee for Transit of Montgomery County, Maryland

Volume 29, Number 4, October 2015

Status of Purple Line

Quon Kwan

On June 25

, Maryland Governor Hogan

announced his approval for the Purple Line but

was willing to commit contributing only $168

million (down from $700 million). He also wanted

$215 million in cuts in project costs. In addition,

he wanted Montgomery and Prince George’s

Counties to increase their share of the capital cost.

The two counties positively responded. On

July 23

, Montgomery County Executive Isaiah

Leggett committed to add another $40 million to

the previous commitment of $177 million for the

Purple Line, as long as the money is not needed

until five to six years later. The additional $40

million would come from reprioritizing the 6-year

Capital Improvements Program, which funds new

county facilities. The reprioritization would result in

construction projects being delayed or the County

borrowing more money. Montgomery Council

President George Leventhal has “no doubt” the

Council will approve it.

•

The ACT Board Says, “Thank You” (p. 3)

•

America's Inexplicable Decision to Live

in the Past (p. 4)

•

Poetry in Motion

Can Really Transport

You (p. 5)

•

Anniversary of the Americans with

Disabilities Act (ADA) and Public Transit

(p. 7)

Join ACT Now

You can join ACT by remitting

membership dues. Your membership

dues are based on the category of

membership that you choose:

$10 [rider

(code R on mail label)

]

$25 [activist

(code A on mail label)

]

$50 [conductor

(code C on mail label)

]

$100 [engineer

(code E on mail label)

]

[the two digits after your category of

membership code indicates year paid]

Be patient for your change in code, we are

behind after converting to a new database.

You can join/renew online at our

website, or send your check for the

chosen category of membership to:

Action Committee for Transit

P.O. Box 7074

Silver Spring, MD 20907

www.actfortransit.org

www.twitter.com/actfortransit

www.facebook.com/actfortransit

You may also give your membership

dues to Treasurer Dave Anderson at

the next ACT meeting. The address

on your check will be used as the

mailing address unless otherwise

indicated.

Your dues support ACT Activities and

this newsletter.

Nominations for ACT Board Now

Being Requested

The ACT Nominations Committee is starting its

search for nominees to the ACT Board. Help

guide ACT priorities into the future. Let us know if

you are interested or if you know someone you

think would be a good candidate. Contact

admin@actfortransit.org

or Cindy at 240-308-1209.

On August 13

, a top aide to County

Executive Rushern L. Baker III said that Prince

George’s County tentatively commits an additional

$20 million for the Purple Line. The County

previously committed $100 million in cash and $10

million of in-kind contributions, such as county-

owned land. Thus, Prince George’s will provide a

total of $120 million in cash to be financed by bonds

and $10 million in in-kind contributions. In

exchange, the County wanted assurances from the

state that “significant activities,” such as

groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting — happen in the

County. Also, the agreement states the operations

control center must be built in the Glenridge

community.

The $215 million in cuts wanted by

Governor Hogan in the Purple Line will come

mostly from (1) buying fewer trains and downsizing

maintenance facilities to support a peak period

frequency of 7.5 instead of 6 minutes, (2) modifying

station architecture (e.g., downsizing canopies), (3)

using standard bridges and bridge supports in

Riverdale Park and Rock Creek, (4) scheduling

longer contractor work windows, and (5) reducing

art and landscaping.

Anticipating $900 from the Federal

government, Governor Hogan wrote on August 26th

to the State’s delegation to Congress urging them

to secure this funding. Because the cost of the

Purple Line is about $2.1 billion with only $1.415

billion accounted for, thus far, the State is counting

on the balance of $670 million to come mostly from

a federal TIFIA loan and private investments in the

public-private partnership bids, due this November.

* * * * * *

Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 4, October 2015

Opening day of the Silver Spring Transit Center, Sept. 20, 2015, with ACT VP

Ronit Dancis, ACT President Nick Brand and contest winner Garth Burleyson.

Silver Spring Transit Center

Quon Kwan

On August 20

Montgomery County

formally requested the Washington Metropolitan

Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to take over the

Paul S. Sarbanes Silver Spring Transit Center.

WMATA had 10 days to accept the facility, but no

issues arose. WMATA targeted an opening date

of Sunday, September 20

. Over the intervening

four weeks, WMATA completed final preparations

(e.g., familiarizing bus operators and notifying

riders).

The three-level facility has 32 bus bays,

22 kiss-and-ride spaces, electronic bus time-of-

arrival signs, and a TRiPS transit store. It offers

direct connectivity for 57,000 riders among

Metrorail, Metrobus, MARC, Ride-On, intercity

buses and taxis. It has points of entry for

pedestrians from three directions and bike trail

access. In the future it will also be a stop for the

Purple Line.

Unfortunately, the County mismanaged

completing the facility, resulting in being five

years behind schedule at a $50 million cost

overrun with critical structural defects that

required major repairs. This was followed by an

Inspector General’s investigation, and now a

$166 million law suit is pending.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Garth Burleyson Wins Contest by

Guessing Transit Center Opening

Date

ACT Press Release of September 20

In 2013, Garth Burleyson of Colesville,

MD, came closest to guessing the opening date

of the Silver Spring Transit Center. His guess

won a contest sponsored by ACT, and he will get

dinner for two at Silver Spring's critically

acclaimed 8407 Kitchen Bar restaurant, which

overlooks the transit center. The 88-year-old

Burleyson remembers seeing interurban

streetcars arriving from Baltimore at 11th St and

New York Avenue NW in the District, and he has

been waiting since 1986 for the Purple Line to

bring light rail back to the region. "At least one

wait is over," he said, "but we need to get

cracking on the Purple Line and keep going after

that." "At least now," he added, "we'll be able to

transfer quickly from the bus to Metro in Silver

Spring. And the buses won't have to make long

loops through downtown streets." He picked the

date of October 26 because that is the day he

was drafted into the army in 1945.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 4, October 2015

ENGINEERS

Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 689

Chevy Chase Land Company

CONDUCTORS

Nick & Carole Brand

Federal Realty Investment Trust

County Executive Ike Leggett

The JBG Companies

Landmark Realty

Ben Ross

Sanders Family

The ACT Board Says, “Thank You”

We thank our financial supporters, volunteers and

attendees – all who helped make our Gala

Fundraiser a great success!

SPONSORS

David Alpert

Bennett Frank McCarthy Architects

Councilmember Roger Berliner

Stonebridge Carras

Brian & Barbara Ditzler

Representative Donna Edwards

John Fay

Senator Brian Feldman

Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez

Delegate Sheila Hixson

Delegate Marc & Rebecca Korman

Delegate Ben Kramer

The Lerner Companies

Councilmember George Leventhal

Pamela Lindstrom

Delegate Eric Luedtke

STATIONMASTERS

Jim Clarke

Senator Susan Lee

MCGEO, UFCW Local 1994

Promark Real Estate Services

Councilmember Hans Riemer

Steve Schwartzman

Lew & Susan Winarsky

Dick McArdle

Delegate David Moon

Councilmember Nancy Navarro

Quantum Real Estate Management

Senator Jamie Raskin

Delegate Will Smith

The Tower Companies

Representative Chris Van Hollen

America's Inexplicable Decision to

Live in the Past

by Liqing Jiang

“A lot of Americans just do not realize

how far behind we are when it comes to

infrastructure,” said a companion who traveled

with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to Japan

and China recently. My friend also commented

on the LinkedIn Yale Alumni discussion group,

“traveling from JFK (New York) to Tokyo or

Shanghai really should not feel like a journey into

the future.” As a Chinese immigrant and U.S.

permanent resident, I see both sides of the story

and agree with the above comments.

I came to the U.S. in 2002 from a rural

area of Shan-Dong ( Province in northern

China. Before my first international trip, what I

heard about the U.S. was modern, advanced,

and powerful. When I stepped onto U.S. soil, I

was indeed impressed by the gleaming

infrastructure here, though it was not a paradise

as I heard. After all, the infrastructure in my

province at that time, was no comparison; long-

distance travel was by means of the “green-

skinned” [ trains [green-colored trains],

which crawled at around 50-70 km/h; a trip from

my hometown to Beijing (600 km) would take

more than 12 hours.

In just 10 years, the same trip to Beijing

from my hometown has been cut short to about

three hours due to high- speed trains cruising at

200 km/h, called “Dong Che” ( . Other

“wow” factors include the sleek bullet-shaped

locomotives, better-than-airplane interiors, and

extravagant train stations. Even the steel

reinforced heavy-duty concrete sleepers (railroad

ties) contrast sharply to the rotten wood sleepers

of the Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC)

trains. All the improvements did not stop there.

Several months ago, my father told me that they

have started building another railway system that

is even faster (300 km/h) to cross my hometown.

The new train system is called “Gao Tie” (

with a design speed of 350 km/h and maximum

test speed of 486 km/h. Today, China has one of

the largest networks of high-speed trains in the

world.

In the U.S. in the year 2015, the trains

here are basically unchanged over the past

several decades. The diesel- powered MARC is

still running as slow as before. Most MARC riders

probably know how many times MARC trains

break down, how many passengers are trapped

for hours, how many times the train had to slow

down (due to heat-expanded rails). We still have

train cars that remind people of the mid-20

century. Subways trains are not any better.

Manual drive mode makes Metrorail very

uncomfortable to ride. Decades of usage without

proper maintenance make the rails accident-

prone. The car interiors are dirty and smelly. A lot

of people wonder why this is in one of the most

advanced civilizations. However, the data show

decades of underinvestment in infrastructure. No

one should be surprised.

In recent years, the infrastructure

spending as a percentage of gross domestic

product (GDP) in the U.S. dropped from the

highest point of ~2.0% in 2009 to today’s 1.5%.

In comparison, China is spending ~9% of its GDP

on domestic and foreign infrastructure projects.

This does not consider the fact that labor and

material are much cheaper in China than in the

U.S. The sharp contrast in infrastructure

investment between two countries serves as a

reminder for the U.S. to play catch up and invest

more into infrastructure in the future. After all,

building better infrastructure is not only about

making our travel/commute easier or generating

national pride, but also about saving lives,

creating jobs to boost the economy, and

conserving the environment.

First, better infrastructure saves lives.

Most of you probably still remember the June

2009 Metrorail accident and the May 2015

Philadelphia Amtrak derailment. The two

accidents killed a total of 17 people. Both of the

accidents could have been avoided if it were not

due to aging or lack of technical safety devices.

Second, investing on infrastructure

creates badly needed blue-collar jobs that

actually cannot be outsourced abroad.

Contributing to the slow, recent economic

recovery is the fact that over 90% of the

economic gains went to the top 1% wealthiest

Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 4, October 2015

people, rather than the middle class whose

purchasing power accounts for 70% of the

economic activity. Therefore, hiring blue collar

workers to improve infrastructure is more

effective in economic recovery than bailing out

big corporations who most likely put their money

in offshore tax havens rather than trickling it

down to the middle class and the poor. In

addition to the direct stimulus to the economy,

improving infrastructure also boosts the economy

indirectly. Better infrastructure will attract more

businesses to the area. In a recent poll taken of

several mayors, Politico magazine found that

35% of the mayors cited “better infrastructure” as

the one thing that could help their city’s economy

grow the most; 31% of them said that

“deteriorating infrastructure” was the city’s

greatest challenge.

Third, high-speed trains use electricity

and thus allow potential use of alternative energy

in the future. The comparison between high-

speed trains and diesel trains is more like Tesla

Motors vs . internal-comb ustion car

manufacturers. Even Middle East countries with

the most oil reserves can only produce oil at

today’s rate for less than 100 years. Sooner or

later, fossil fuel will become prohibitively

expensive. For that reason, diesel-powered trains

will soon be phased out and alternative-energy

powered trains (including high-speed trains) will

become the public transportation of the future.

Poetry in Motion

Can Really

Transport You

Quon Kwan

While browsing at Powell’s Books in

Chicago in October 2014, I bought Poetry in

Motion from Coast to Coast by Elise Paschen and

Brett Fletcher Lauer and published in 2002.

Paschen is the former executive director of the

Poetry Society of America; she also authored the

best-seller, Poetry Speaks. Brett Fletcher Lauer is

currently the Deputy Director of the Poetry Society

of America.

Poetry in Motion from Coast to Coast is an

anthology of 120 short poems of wit or truism,

which appeared on “car cards” (placards used for

overhead advertisements on the inside of a bus or

railcar above the window) of 12 transit systems in

the U.S.: Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Baltimore, MD;

Boston, MA; Dallas, TX; Fort Collins, CO;

Houston, TX; Iowa City, IA; Los Angeles, CA;

Philadelphia, PA; Pioneer Valley, MA; and

Washington, DC. Transit systems in these

aforementioned cities sponsored Poetry in Motion

by selecting poems, printing them on car cards,

and posting the car cards on transit vehicles.

The Poetry in Motion

program originated

from a program in London called Poems on the

Underground [pun intended]. Elise Paschen on a

Poetry Society of America reading tour of England

with Native American female poets observed a

sonnet by Michael Drayton (an Elizabethan poet)

on the London Tube (subway) and dreamed about

featuring poems on buses and subway cars in

New York City. At the same time, Alan Kiepper,

then President of the Metropolitan Transportation

Authority (MTA)/New York City Transit (NYCT),

also visiting England, became inspired to publicize

poetry on New York’s buses and subway cars.

MTA/NYCT contacted the Poetry Society

of America, the nation's oldest poetry organization

(founded in 1910), whose mission is to enlarge the

audience for poetry, deepen the appreciation of

poetry, and position poetry into mainstream

American life. Thus, in 1992, MTA/NYCT and

Paschen co-founded Poetry in Motion

, which

is a

registered trademark of both MTA/NYCT and

Poetry Society of America.

Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 4, October 2015

Correction to “The New and Improved

Trolley Museum”

Ross Capon

[The prior issue of Transit Times featured an article,

“The New and Improved Trolley Museum” by Cindy

Snow. On August 6, Ross Capon wrote the following

correction:]

The trolley ride that existed prior to the InterCounty

Connector was not "a big circular track," it was end-to-

end and into the woods with reverse loops and both

ends. Part of that line (including I think the "Santa

Claus" passing siding) I think is preserved in the new

set-up. Or maybe you are recalling something that

goes way, way back before my time in Washington.

Since then, both the Poetry Society of

America and the MTA/NYCT have collaborated

on Poetry in Motion

in New York City. In 1992,

the first poem displayed in MTA/NYCT’s Poetry

in Motion

was an excerpt from Walt Whitman's

"Crossing Brooklyn Ferry." The MTA/NYCT’s

Poetry in Motion

program presented more than

200 poems to millions of transit riders, offering

to each, a timeless moment in the busy day.

In 1996, Paschen edited an earlier

version of Poetry in Motion, which contained

100 poems only from MTA/NYCT buses and

subways and which won the 1997 Best Book for

Young Adults Award. Because of the success

of Poetry in Motion

, the Poetry Society of

America expanded the program nationwide in

1996 with support from the National Endowment

for the Arts and the Lila Wallace – Reader’s

Digest Fund.

There are basically two selection criteria

for the poems in a local transit agency’s Poetry

in Motion

program. First, there is an attempt to

feature a poet from the particular region in which

the transit agency is located (submissions are

not accepted). Second, the poem or an excerpt

thereof must fit within the size of a car card.

In 1998, Metrobus and Metrorail in the

Washington, DC region, displayed the following

poems in their Poetry in Motion

program:

Roland Flint’s A Poem Called George,

Sometimes, Alicia Partnoy’s Communication*,

Robert Pinsky’s First Early Mornings Together*,

Langston Hughes’s Luck, Anthony Hecht’s

Naming the Animals*, Nan Fry’s Riddle*,

Reuben Jackson’s Sunday Brunch, E. Ethelbert

Miller’s The Door*, May Miller’s The Tree

House*, Robert Hayden’s Those Winter

Sundays, and Walt Whitman’s When I Heard the

Learn’d Astronomer*. [*indicates the poem

appears also in the book]. Among all of these, I

like Walt Whitman’s poem the best because it

calls me to yield to my soulful better half.

Unfortunately, the Poetry in Motion

program

has not been continued on Metrobus or

Metrorail in Washington, DC due to the lack of

local funding sponsors.

After a hiatus of four years (between 2008

and 2011), MTA/NYCT revived Poetry in Motion

on March 27, 2012. The revived program displays

two new poems each quarter, on car cards in

MTA/NYCT subway cars, and moreover, on square

posters at eye level of seated riders on subway

cars. While in New York on January 17, 2015, I

read one such poem on the future. Also, newly

added has been artwork to accompany the poems,

which is drawn from permanent installations from

MTA’s Arts & Design program. Poems in the

series appear also on the back sides of

MetroCards (magnetic-stripe, stored-value fare

cards), on the MTA's On-the-Go touch-screen

kiosks, and in other venues.

Furthermore, on April 26, 2012, the MTA,

New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission, and

the Poetry Society of America jointly expanded

Poetry in Motion

to the city’s yellow taxis, which

are used by 600,000 riders per day. Taxi riders

see silent 15-second animations of Poetry in

Motion

selections on a screen in a 12-minute loop,

which is refreshed every two hours. Placement of

the poetry within the loop varies.

MTA Chairman Joseph J. Lhota said, “Our

customers tell us again and again that even a small

investment in art and music underground makes a

huge difference to them. It can really improve the

entire experience of riding the subway. And the

beauty of this program — and of poetry and art in

general — is that it can really transport you."

Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 4, October 2015

When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer

By Walt Whitman

When I heard the learn’d astronomer,

When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in

columns before me,

When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to

add, divide, and measure them,

When I sitting heard the astronomer where he

lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,

How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,

Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself,

In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to

time,

Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.

Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 4, October 2015

Anniversary of the Americans

with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Public

Transit

Quon Kwan

Most people would not think of people with

disabilities as a group that has been denied civil

rights, but the fight for accessible public transit in

America has been similar to the fight of racial

minorities for equal rights. The Americans with

Disabilities Act (ADA) was prompted by the refusal

of public transit agencies to accommodate persons

with disabilities, and thus, has its greatest impact on

public transit. It has been 25 years since this

landmark law was enacted.

Precursors to the ADA started with the 1966

President’s Committee on the Employment of the

Handicapped, which called on employers to grant

disabled workers the same consideration as all other

workers. A result was passage of the Architectural

Barriers Act in 1968, which requires all new

buildings financed with Federal funds to be

accessible. This is the law that got our early

Washington, DC Metrorail system into trouble in

1973. Advocates for the disabled led by Richard

Heddinger filed a lawsuit in Federal court claiming

that Metrorail, a system being built with Federal

funds, was not accessible. Judge William Jones

ruled that Metrorail would not be allowed to open

any station lacking wheelchair access, and from

then on, every Metrorail station was either built or

retrofitted to be wheelchair-accessible.

However, it is primarily buses that take the

national limelight of advocates for the disabled.

Many people with disabilities rely on public transit

buses, much more so than rail, to get around, and

thus, accessible buses are vital to their livelihood.

Congress recognized this problem by passing the

Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1970 and Section

504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to require

public transit agencies to use lift-equipped buses to

accommodate wheelchair users and others with

mobility-related impairments.

However, in the 1980s, the transit industry in

a successful lawsuit were able to get the Federal

government to back off of its commitment to

accessibility, allowing local public transit agencies

the option of offering "separate but equal"

paratransit services instead. One of the incredulous

arguments made was as follows: “the disabled like

their paratransit service so much that nobody would

want to ride a lift-equipped bus.”

At that time, such paratransit services

typically involved woefully inadequate pick-up and

drop-off with stringent restrictions on when, where,

and how often riders could travel (e.g., riders must

make reservations six weeks in advance or had to

return home before 6 PM). Some local transit

agencies with paratransit service limited the service

to trips for certain purposes (e.g., health care).

While some cities offered paratransit with lift-

equipped buses, those buses were often limited to a

few routes or operated with non- working lifts.

Greyhound's procedures were particularly

humiliating in that they required the disabled to

travel with an "assistant" who presumably would

carry the disabled person up the steps to their seat

while their wheelchair was stowed with the luggage.

The failure of local transit agencies to offer

accessible bus service led to widespread protests by

disability activists. One of the most successful

protests occurred in Denver, CO, led by people in

the Atlantis Community, an independent living

center, who took on the name ADAPT. Building on

their Denver success (in adopting all lift-equipped

buses long before they were required), the

protestors organized what grew into a national

protest movement with chapters in many cities

across the nation. In each city, ADAPT activists led

campaigns to force their local public transit agencies

to offer fully accessible bus service, often engaging

in nonviolent civil disobedience by chaining

themselves to inaccessible buses, blocking traffic, or

disrupting meetings. ADAPT chapters also

combined to hold a sustained series of national

protests at the meetings of the American Public

Transit Association (APTA) [now, the American

Public Transportation Association]. On the other

hand, many people with disabilities were afraid to

protest out of a fear that their paratransit eligibility –

the only way they had of leaving their home – would

be revoked.

The ADAPT protests played a crucial role in

changing local policies and renewing national

commitment to accessible public transit buses,

leading to the passage of the Americans with

Disabilities Act of 1990. To Ride the Public's Buses

- The Fight That Built a Movement (Johnson and

cont. pg. 8

Editorial Remarks

Your Transit Times editor is Quon Kwan. Cutoff date

for receiving materials for the next publication is

December 13. Send your materials to Quon at:

qykwan@gmail.com or call him at:

(h) 301-460-7454.

ACT Officers/Staff for 2015:

President: Nick Brand

V. Pres

(campaigns)

: Ronit Dancis

V. Pres

(legislative)

: Jim Clarke

V. Pres

(land use)

: Dan Reed

Secretary: Tracey Johnstone

Treasurer: Dave Anderson

Board Member: Emily Shetty

Non-Voting ex officio board members:

Ralph Bennett: Purple Line Now!

Sareana Kimia: Student Rep

Wendy Leibowitz: Safe Walk to School

Ben Ross: Program Chair

Miriam Schoenbaum: Upcounty & MARC

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Transit Times

Action Committee for Transit, Inc.

P.O. Box 7074

Silver Spring, MD 20907

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Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 4, October 2015

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PERMIT # 1931

Shaw, ed. Louisville, KY; The Avocado Press, 2001)

is an 188-page book about the struggle to equip the

nation's public transit and intercity buses with

wheelchair ramps as told through ADAPT. The book

is a compilation of articles from the Disability Rag

Reader, published from 1980 – 1996, with an epilogue

from 2001.

We have come a long way since the passage

of the ADA. Today, virtually all public transit buses

are accessible to wheelchair users, unlike the

situation 25 years ago. However, we still have a ways

to go. Paratransit, the sole source of mobility for

many unable to use the regular bus system, continues

to suffer from the same delays and lengthy trip times

that fueled ADAPT's rage. The cost of a paratransit

trip has soared from $13.76 in 1999 to $32.74 in 2012

(138% compared to 82% for a fixed-route bus trip for

the same period). Many stations in the legacy

subway systems of New York, Boston, and Chicago

still lack elevators. More importantly, at bus stops

even where disabled persons can board or alight,

sidewalk issues hamper wheelchair users. It is

unclear how we can afford the staggering cost for

sidewalk repair when the estimate to repair the

sidewalks in Los Angeles alone is $1.6 billion.

cont. from pg. 7