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<div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style=""><font face="garamond, new york, times, serif" style="" size="3">Part of this plan that has always troubled me is diverting riders uphill to a new hub by Amtrak’s Union Station (basically in the middle of nowhere except the State House). </font></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style=""><font face="garamond, new york, times, serif" size="3"><br></font></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style=""><font face="garamond, new york, times, serif" size="3">This is just a pain for ordinary riders, but a real strain for everyone in bad weather, and a genuine burden even in good weather for the disabled, young children and those pushing baby strollers [prams], wheelchairs and shopping carts (as well as those carrying large packages unrelated to train travel).</font></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style=""><font face="garamond, new york, times, serif" size="3"><br></font></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style=""><font face="garamond, new york, times, serif" style="" size="3">Some developer or property owner has long had grand plans for “revitalizing” this corner, which is seen as underused. One such project drew a lot of unfavorable attention when it included clipping off part of the State House grounds.</font></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style=""><font face="garamond, new york, times, serif" style="" size="3"><br></font></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style=""><font face="garamond, new york, times, serif" style="" size="3">There was one public presentation about Kennedy Plaza a year or two ago that seemed to have real promise (joining the skating rink with Burnside Park, making Washington Street safer to cross and burying much of the moving bus traffic underground), but that was, in true RIDOT fashion, mysteriously removed from future plans.</font></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style=""><font face="garamond, new york, times, serif" style="" size="3"><br></font></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style=""><font face="garamond, new york, times, serif" size="3">I’m far more cautious than the average Rhode Islander about attributing events to suspicious causes, but the people who actually ride the busses might be fighting not only the downtown businesses (like ex-Mayor Paolino’s) but those with dreams for the foot of Smith Hill.</font></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style=""><font face="garamond, new york, times, serif" size="3"><br></font></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style=""><font face="garamond, new york, times, serif" size="3"><br></font></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style=""><font face="garamond, new york, times, serif" size="3" color="#5b8828"><b><i>Dave</i></b></font></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif;"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif;"><br></div><div style="font-size: 16px; font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif;"><br></div>
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On Wednesday, August 5, 2020, 03:01:03 PM EDT, Greg Gerritt <gerritt@mindspring.com> wrote:
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<div><div id="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948"><div><div class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948WordSection1"><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma, sans-serif;">Forwarding on behalf of colleagues. Please consider writing the governor. I did. Greg gerritt</span></p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma, sans-serif;">The RI Department of Transportation is proposing to remove most buses from Kennedy Plaza, as some downtown business interests have wanted. RI Transit Riders opposes this plan. We have written to Governor Raimondo to urge her to <b>call on RIDOT to withdraw this plan and engage transit riders and the broader public in developing a plan that benefits the many, and not just the few. </b></span></p><div><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal"> </p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma, sans-serif;">We need your support. Can you write the Governor this week to add your voice to our request? Address your message to <a href="mailto:governor@governor.ri.gov" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">governor@governor.ri.gov</a> and cc <a href="mailto:nicole.verdi@governor.ri.gov" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">nicole.verdi@governor.ri.gov</a> </span></p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal"> </p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma, sans-serif;">Thank you for your help.</span></p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal"> </p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma, sans-serif;">Patricia Raub</span></p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Tahoma, sans-serif;">Coordinator, RI Transit Riders</span></p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal"> </p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;">Here are the reasons why RI Transit Riders opposes </span>RIDOT’s<span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;"> latest “transit improvement” plan for downtown Providence, as we have opposed the previous failed attempts to remove buses from Kennedy Plaza. </span></p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:150%;"><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;">This new plan has been rolled out with little transparency and no input from passengers. By the time the public has seen the plan, its basic outline and details have been set and the implementation all but finalized. This has resulted in a plan that will make the transit experience worse for riders.</span></p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma, sans-serif;">Here's why:</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:105%;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma, sans-serif;">· </span><span style="font-family:Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;line-height:105%;"> </span><b><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;">It will be inconvenient for passengers</span></b><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;">, as it will require additional transfers for those riders changing from one bus line to another because not all lines will connect in Kennedy Plaza as they do now. Thus, this makeover is likely to have exactly the opposite impact than the State claims to achieve: it will dissuade potential new riders from taking the bus and perhaps reduce the number of current riders who have another way to get to work, etc.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;line-height:150%;"> </span><b><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;">It moves half of all bus lines from Kennedy Plaza to a remote and inappropriate location.</span></b><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;"> The proposed Dyer Street hub is surrounded by parking lots. This site is too small to accommodate any growth in the transit system and seems to have been selected simply to move passengers away from Kennedy Plaza.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;line-height:150%;"> </span><b><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;">It is a waste of money</span></b><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;">. It is only the latest iteration of the several plans to make over Kennedy Plaza. There have been problems with the previous renovations, in part because the public--especially those riders who use Kennedy Plaza daily--weren't included in the planning process. We don't think this plan will succeed, either. Things get badly done when there is no meaningful input.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;line-height:150%;"> </span><b><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;">It short-changes the rest of the state.</span></b><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;"> The 2014 Transportation Bond was passed to "fund enhancements and renovations to mass transit hub infrastructure throughout the State of Rhode Island." Other than some money that was used in Pawtucket, the State is using the rest of the money solely on a Providence plan that is not in the best interests of transit riders.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.0pt;margin-left:.5in;line-height:150%;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-size:7.0pt;line-height:150%;"> </span><b><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;">For all the reasons above, it fosters a “Worse Normal” that privileges the voices of the powerful over the less powerful yet again.</span></b><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;"> Even though the state has talked about creating a "better normal" after the pandemic, especially for Rhode Islanders who have struggled with discrimination in one form or another or whose voices frequently aren't heard over those with more money and influence, this plan makes life harder for the many who depend upon RIPTA as their basic form of transportation. This is not a "better normal."</span></p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma, sans-serif;">We think this is a bad plan. RI Transit Riders opposes it, and we urge you to add your voice to ours.</span></p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="ydp6447a543yiv7883713948MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p></div></div></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>Summit mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Summit@sna.providence.ri.us" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Summit@sna.providence.ri.us</a><br><a href="http://sna.providence.ri.us/mailman/listinfo/summit_sna.providence.ri.us" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://sna.providence.ri.us/mailman/listinfo/summit_sna.providence.ri.us</a><br>SNA Website: <a href="http://sna.providence.ri.us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://sna.providence.ri.us/</a><br></div>
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