An Excellent Response from Montgomery!

Well, I stand corrected. I just received a very nice response from mayoral candidate Bill Montgomery. Here it is:

"Thanks for contacting me regarding the transit hub. I believe that the many DART riders who use the Wilmington hub should be treated with more dignity. They should be protected from the heat of summer and the cold of winter. 

I favor the construction of a modern, well-located, in-door, downtown transit hub. It should have a comfortable waiting room, clean restrooms, a snack bar or vending area, and continuous, on-site security. The best example I've seen in our region is the hub in downtown Reading, PA

As Mayor, I will work with the State and federal transportation officials to try to build such a facility. It's time to give transit riders the respect and proper facilities that they deserve!"

This is an excellent response. I have not seen the Reading hub, but these ideas are good ones. Let's hope he is sincere about this.

I don't think the downtown hub necessarily has to be indoors, but shelter is definitely a must. People riding the bus do need to dress according to the weather, including boots and warm clothing when it snows, and umbrellas or other rain gear when it is going to rain. But shelter is still needed... from the very cold winds of winter. And also from the driving rains that can occur during thunder squalls in the summer. No umbrella will help you when the wind is blowing heavy rain sideways. Decent shelters are needed, without all the missing panes DART has allowed to accumulate,

And restrooms! Yes. I've had to wait for 45 minutes to an hour or more for transfers at Rodney Square, and if nature calls, it can really be a problem. They do need to be clean and maintained, and there needs to be continuous security. Actually, having spent many hundreds of hours waiting at Rodney Square for buses, at all hours of the day and night, I have not found security to be a problem. The police and the Downtown Visions people have done a fairly good job, in my opinion. There are the occasional crazies, of course. And I've seen quite a few loud arguments between acquaintances - the ones I've seen most often seem to involve women fighting about some guy. Ex-wife or girlfriend vs. current one. These sometimes escalate, and my guess is the rare violent stuff is usually of that nature. I could be wrong. One of my relatives tells me that there is rampant drug dealing at Rodney Square, but I haven't seen it. It's really not the best place to do that kind of stuff, because there are so many cameras and police and people watching.

Thanks to Bill Montgomery for such a nice response. I certainly agree with him down the line on this. So he's back at the top of my short list.

A Call from a Williams Campaign Worker

I had a call from a Williams mayoral campaign worker this evening. She had one of those unpleasant accents - somewhere north of here. I still can't reliably distinguish Philadelphia from New York, I'm afraid. And someone told me there is an actual Delaware accent, mostly a downstate thing. I can't imagine what it could be. If anyone knows, let me know please.

Anyway, on topic again, the caller asked whether they could "count on me," and I said I hadn't made up my mind yet. I was troubled by the financial issues reported for Williams. But... my real hot button issue was the public transport problem here in Wilmington, namely Baker's attempts to get rid of the hub at Rodney Square without planning any kind of reasonable replacement. If a candidate came out solidly against this policy, and in favor of some real, proactive planning for bus passengers in downtown Wilmington, I could overlook a lot.

"Hmmm," she said. "Well, thank you for your time. Click."

I guess she didn't know how to respond. Meaning this issue isn't anywhere on the radar for Williams.

Guess that's another one I won't be supporting, let alone voting for. That makes two, as I still have had zero response from Montgomery. Losers.

No Response from Montgomery So Far

Well, as promised I have begun making inquiries of Wilmington's mayoral candidates. I began with Bill Montgomery, because he seems to be making a very strong push at this point in the campaign. He's going to the forums, talking to the News Journal.. But he is not putting much up on his Facebook page lately. Also... I sent him a message on Facebook, stating my opinion that the Baker administration has done a very poor job of managing, let alone improving, public transportation in our city, and asking about his stance on this issue.

Result so far - nada, nothing, zero response. That surprised me, because when I've sent messages to other, busier and more high-profile elected officials here in Delaware, I've always gotten some kind of response. Usually it doesn't really quite address what I actually asked, but still... an acknowledgement.

I'm going to go on to try to question the other viable candidates on this issue. Not sure I'll ask Bovell. I've heard some not-so-nice things about him and how he operates. But he does seem to have some interesting ideas, so maybe I will after all.

This public transportation thing is just such a non-issue for most people, apparently including most of our candidates. We only hear a little when people are up in arms about another really stupid DART service plan change proposal. What we need is proactive planning from our City. Baker wasn't up to it. Montgomery probably isn't either, but I could be wrong.

Wilmington Needs a Transit Hub

The Rodney Square situation has been going on too long. Why are there transit hubs all over the state of Delaware, but in the biggest population center in this state, the City of Wilmington, there is no real hub? Here in Wilmington, for going on two years, riders have been threatened with dismantling of the Rodney Square hub, with stops to be scattered and dispersed throughout the downtown area. This summer, because of the major renovation to Rodney Square, we've had a small taste of how that would work. The result has been confusion and difficulty for many riders. Others, like me, have been able to just avoid the mess. But that has meant I've done more shopping online, and avoided shopping trips to the local malls and downtown shops. If others have done the same, this has certainly resulted in a loss of revenue to local businesses, both within the city and out in the County.

The big question is - why has designation and implementation of a transit hub for the City of Wilmington not been carried out? A good, efficient public transportation system is one of the hallmarks of a progressive, modern, well-managed city. On many levels it supports retail and other businesses. It improves air quality, reduces center city traffic, makes it possible for disabled and economically challenged folk to get to jobs and doctor appointments.

But still, the political will just is not focused on this element of good government. From what I've read, Mayor Baker has actively tried - repeatedly - to dismantle the Rodney Square transit hub, such as it is. And he has offered no viable alternatives. I find this absolutely disgraceful behavior and very poor management. I hope that those who care about the people of this city, and good public transportation, will take this matter up with the current crop of mayoral candidates.

I was looking at a brochure for Montgomery that was dropped on my doorstep last week. Lots of good ideas, and it appears he does pay his local taxes and water bills, but no mention of the public transportation mess downtown. I think I'm going to go to the Facebook pages and websites of all the candidates and ask some hard questions.

Some Random Thoughts on Being Carfree in the Summer

I have not been posting a lot lately, sorry. I'm going to just jot down a few thoughts on how being carfree makes summer a little different, which has been on my mind lately.

It probably hasn't escaped anyone's notice that we're into our... what?... third heat wave so far this summer. It was a warm spring, and we were all speculating about what that would mean for summer. Well, now we know.

Most people I know use air conditioning. I am kind of an AC Luddite. I don't think it's as healthy to stay in a climate-controlled cocoon all the time. Our ancestors did fine in the heat and were generally healthier than us. But more importantly, the large amount of fossil fuel used to refrigerate private homes is terrible for the planet. Oh yeah, being AC-free saves a lot of money that I'd much rather spend on other things. So when it's hot I get up early, walk to do my early shopping, and then come home and relax in front of a big floor fan with a tall, frosted glass of something iced. Better yet, outside in an Adirondack chair in the shade of a tree until the sun goes down and the mosquitoes come out. 


I think getting around without a car can be more challenging when it's really hot. The buses are nice, too cold sometimes. But standing and waiting can be hard, as many stops are situated without shade or seating. I find planning really helps. I try to start out early, while it's still cool. And I carry my bus schedules with me and consult them carefully, so that I can stay indoors where it's cool and not spend so much time outside waiting for the bus to go home. This would be made easier if the buses ran on time, but if you've been riding for a while, you probably know which routes are usually on schedule, and which can run way early or late (my not-so-favorites for that are routes 5, 6 and 40). You probably have your own "favorites." Sometimes you can even make a choice of which stop to use, one with a shelter, or better yet a shady tree, versus one without. Just give it some study.


It is often a little harder for folks without cars to get out of a sweltering home and to a "cooling center," which is a recommended action when the heat soars to the point you start feeling unwell. And that can happen. We had a power outage on the Fourth of July, so nobody in my neighborhood could avail themselves of AC, fans, or even ice from the freezer (unless you wanted all your food to defrost). It was pretty hot, and I was very glad when the power came back on in the evening. Of course the buses weren't running, so you needed a car to go somewhere with AC. 


I'd say those of us without cars just need to be a little more prepared, watch the weather a little more closely, and make plans accordingly. Malls, libraries, and movie theaters are good places to spend some time and get a break from the heat. Plan your travel so you keep out of the worst of the sun. Take some water with you, preferably iced. And when at home, a nice cool shower, or even just dunking your head under the cold water spigot and wetting down the front of your shirt and standing in front of a fan, can cool you down fast if you've overheated trying to do something like mow the lawn on a 95 degree afternoon (been there, done that.)

Rodney Square Renovation Begins

Renovations were to begin today at Rodney Square, and the good news is that bus stops at Rodney Square will not require relocation at this time - the bus transit hub will not experience service changes, at least not until June, when relocation of all Rodney Square bus stops has been proposed by DART. A final decision on that is still in the offing, following an overwhelmingly negative response from the public.

According to city officials, quoted in a Sunday article in The News Journal, a million dollars worth of renovations will be taking place on the King and 10th Street sides of the Rodney Square, with the main focus on new tree plantings and a reinforced soil substructure that will reduce compaction and allow trees to remain healthier.

According to the News Journal's article, "Dart First State does not anticipate the  work will cause any service changes, according to the city news release. Temporary traffic barriers will be set up to protect riders."

This portion of the project is to be completed in November. The 11th Street portion of the project has been neither scheduled nor funded at this time. The Market Street side was renovated 10 years ago, so no work will be required there.

I haven't been down to Rodney Square yet this week, but I'm hopeful that things go smoothly. Does anyone remember that Mayor Baker was quoted recently as saying, regarding DART's proposed June service change, that all the Rodney Square bus stops would have to be moved anyway, due to the renovations? Somehow that "necessity" seems to have disappeared for the moment. Hmmm.

Big Problems for DTC... and We the Riders

Today's News Journal carries a hard-hitting editorial about DelDOT and DART, written by Harry F. Themal. You can read it on the News Journal's website, if you are a subscriber or not over-limit on perusing their news.

In the editorial, Themal dives into the murky depths of DelDART's recent problems, focusing on the Delaware Transit Corp (DTC), which operates as DART. He enumerates three recent "disturbing developments," including (1) an apparent large illegal payment to a departing employee, followed by almost immediate and questionable rehire of said employee; (2) proposed cutting of bus trips to the Baylor's Women's Correction Center; and of course (3) the proposed removal of bus stops at Rodney Square.

Proposed Reduction in Trips to Baylor's 

Harry points out that for most of the women inmates at Baylor's, buses are the only form of transportation available to either them or their families. He wrote:

"Some schedules must be maintaned in the public interest, and the buses that serve the women's prison are certainly in that category. Cutting the trips from 12 to eight a day, leaving five hours without service in the middle of the day, would save a mere $7,741 a year, DART officials say. That's wrong-headed thinking because even if a bus has no passengers one day, the schedule must be available for families wanting to visit inmates,for women on work-release to travel to work and classes, and for freed prisoners to head home."

Proposed Dismantling of Rodney Square Bus Transit Hub

Themal describes as "dangerous" DART's proposed June service change plan that would reroute buses away from Rodney Square and "onto narrow downtown Wilmington streets. He wrote:

"The roundly criticized proposal to revise downtown bus routes needs to be scrapped so a more comprehensive plan can be devised. Just moving buses off Rodney Square does not address the question of whether and where so many routes should merge downtown. 

 A transit center in an accessible and safer location, perhaps near the train station, could  help alleviate some of the congestion."

Themal, and probably all the rest of us, hope that recent changes in DTC management will lead to more rational decisions about these and other matters, including addition of the transparency promised by new agency head Lauren Skiver. I'm personally surprised that Governor Markell isn't taking a stronger interest in this stuff, especially in an election year. The DelDOT and DTC problems certainly predate our current governor, but news coverage I've seen hasn't seemed to show a particularly aggressive stance on changing this stuff.

As to point (1) above, that probable overpayment to DTC manager James Woodruff would have paid for several years of continuation of trips to Baylor's. Wave bye-bye to your tax dollars, folks.

Delaware politicians, from the City of Wilmington all the way to Dover, need to stop ignoring the problems DTC is creating or trying to create. They need to insist that DTC serve the people of Wilmington, New Castle County, and all of Delaware. Not their political buddies, big businesses (including big law firms), and contributors, but the people they are supposed to serve: the tired commuters riding our buses and trains to their jobs; the little kids wanting to visit their mom at Baylor; the little old ladies trying to make their way to ShopRite to buy groceries or to Target to buy a new bedspread for their little apartment; the discouraged out-of-work dad who is taking the bus all over the county to apply for jobs because he can't afford to fix his car; the disabled vet who wants the independence of riding the bus to his therapy appointments; not to mention all the rest of us who rely on public transportation here in the Wilmington area.