The awesome power of Dependable Erection

One of my absolute favorite things to whine about the past few years has been the patch of curbside mud on Avondale Drive that serves as my nearest bus stop. Since the bus doesn't really go anywhere that i need it to, i never take it, but there's usually a couple of people waiting for a ride downtown in the morning, standing in the mud or the hot sun, or sitting on the trash can.

I've made several requests over the years to have a shelter installed there.

What a surprise to come home to from the recent road trip:

I think it's worth celebrating myself.

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My new favorite bus stop

Long time readers will note that i occasionally post photos of some of the less attractive bus stops on the DATA system. I'd really like to do more of that, but the day job keeps getting in the way.

The two stops in the 1800 block of Avondale drive have been regular features here, mostly because they're the ones closest to my house that, if i used the bus, i'd end up spending a good portion of my day at. Fortunately for me, i am not one of those many Durham residents with no other options, because those bus stops are, quite frankly, degrading.

Last Friday afternoon, i was part of a team of 5 volunteers and two city officials conduction a ComNET survey of Avondale Drive. We found a number of items (graffiti, busted storm drains) that should be pretty easy to take care of, and some code violations that the city hasn't shown a lot of interest in enforcing in the past. In the past 7 years, i've probably walked up and down this stretch of Avondale Drive 50, maybe 75 times. And i've never noticed the mid-block bus stop, between the day care center and the first private house on the west side of the street. It turns out that, as the crow flies, this bus stop is even closer to my house than the ones down the hill. But i'd have to wade through the creek and cross a couple of back yards to get there, so i'll take my chances elsewhere, thanks.


It provides a full 1 square foot of clay to stand on while you're waiting for the bus, with little or no safe pedestrian access to either get to the stop, or cross the street once you've exited the bus. And a healthy helping of poison ivy (highlighted in yellow) while you wait.

I doubt that bus riders are terribly visible while they're waiting here.


This last picture requires some explanation. On this side of the street, the bus is heading downtown. so it's destination is the new transfer station, not Durham Regional Hospital. In fact, if you board the number 9 bus thinking that you're going to Durham Regional Hospital, you're in for a surprise when you get to the transfer station: "Note: Route 9 is connected to Route 11. When the bus arrives into the Downtown Transfer Facility from Route 9, it will depart and serve Route 11, Duke University and Hillsborough Road."

So not only is this bus not heading towards DRH, you're going to have to transfer to get to DRH once you get downtown.

So while we're all patting ourselves on the back that US News & World Report thinks our greenways make us one of the top 10 places to live, spare a thought for those Durhamites who have to rely on public transportation to get to their jobs, the grocery store, or the emergency room. This is what we offer those who have no choice.

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Bus shelter update

My request for bus shelters at the stops in the 1800 block of Avondale Drive has been forwarded from Durham One-Call to DATA.

Given that it's a holiday weekend, i'm going to wait until Tuesday morning to followup with my DATA contact. Stay tuned.

Continue reading Bus shelter update

Felecia

Waiting for the bus, Hillsborough Rd.

Felecia doesn't own a car or drive, so she's got no choice but to sit on an overturned shopping cart in a pile of trash waiting for her bus.

Really, as long as DATA treats its customers like shit, what kind of support can they garner in the community?

UPDATE: For those, ummm, "readers" who need some handholding to interpret visual information, there isn't a fucking trash can anywhere within a hundred yards or so of this particular bus stop. Given the proximity to Hillsborough Road's remarkable variety of fast food restaurants, and DATA's occasionally enforced policy of no food and drink on the buses, where else would you expect the trash to end up?

And, as Mrs D has remarked on more than one occasion, Durh m is the only place we've ever lived where picking up other people's trash is such a regular part of our social calendar. Do you really expect a bus rider, on the way to or from work, to pick up other people's trash and put it in their pockets for the ride home?

Put a fucking garbage can, a bench, and maybe even a shelter there. Most of the time, if you treat people with respect, they respond respectfully. Treat us like shit, we react that way.

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Maybe you could upgrade the bus stops while you're at it?

DATA officials said that if Congress makes the money available, they could use $32.5 million to expand public transit service in the city.

The system's wish list includes $9.1 million to buy more buses, $7.5 million to pay for three years' worth of fare-free service and $4.2 million in support for a proposed downtown circulator route.

Officials also told DOT they could put $10.2 million into Durham Access, the city van service for disabled and elderly residents. Some would go to buying more vans, but the bulk of the money would subsidize expanded operations.

Seriously, isn't spending money on improving conditions that bus riders have to deal with more important than going to a fare-free system? Can't we work with employers to develop tax breaks for subsidizing bus fares, and spend capital on, you know, capital improvements?
This is a typical Durham bus stop. It practically screams "Don't take the bus unless you have absolutely no other choice." If you treat your bus riders like dirt, so what if you give them free service?

Continue reading Maybe you could upgrade the bus stops while you're at it?

DATA

Kevin has a post up indicating that the Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA) is making a high priority of going to a fare-free system. I don't have any real objections, in the long run, of doing away with fares, but in the short term, i think it's a mistake. Here's why.

Public transportation systems rarely generate enough revenue to be self-supporting, and thus almost always require taxpayer funded subsidies. A small minority of Durham residents see public transportation as a public good, and are willing to subsidize it, even if we don't use it, because we see the benefits of a decent public transportation system. A much larger number thinks "I don't use the bus, why should i pay for it?" so when DATA needs more money for things like increasing service levels, they really have to fight for that kind of support, and it's really easy for our elected leaders to bow to the public will and not find as much money as is needed. In order to reshape the political calculus making it easier to improve bus service in the city, you'll need to increase the number of stakeholders who see the system as a public good. Which means increasing ridership. By a lot.

And you'll do that by making the bus a more convenient alternative to the car, especially for trips to and around the urban center, but also for daily commutes. Dropping fares to zero doesn't increase the number of stakeholders who will support making our public transportation infrastructure more extensive. All it will do, in the short term, is give more ammunition to those in our community who will make the argument that they don't want to subsidize a system that they never use. If you need to get people on the bus who can't afford the current fare structure, then develop a subsidy system that gives folks vouchers good for X number of rides at discounted rates, or even for free. But those folks who can afford to contribute to the fare system should still do so. In fact, bus service levels need to be increased so that people will consider paying the $1.50 per ride, or $40/month a bargain that they're happy to buy. Drop fares to zero, and people will figure that they service they get will be equal to what they pay for it.

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Bus stop

I think this is the bestest bus stop ever. Nothing says "Our customers have no other choice but to use us" like a big fucking mud puddle in the middle of nowhere to stand around in waiting for the bus that only comes every half an hour.

And certainly nobody in a wheelchair better ever need to ride this bus.

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