According to the article:
The proposed realignment would increase passenger safety, decrease traffic congestion, improve DART's on-time performance and move buses closer to DART route 8, which is a major urban connector between low-income areas of East Wilmington and the city, DelDOT Deputy Director of Public Relations Geoff Sundstrom said.
Certain conditions also will have to be met, which include reducing the number of transfers for riders, adding police to the affected areas and reducing the number of buses on 10th Street from 383 to 176 per day.
However, the article notes that the proposed realignment would require passengers transferring from buses at one location to walk 0.2 mile (that's nearly a quarter-mile, folks). This walk, in case you don't realize it, comprises several blocks through heavy downtown traffic. Passengers will need to stop at traffic lights, and you know many riders hurrying to catch their next bus will ignore red lights, creating a hazard and also tying up traffic.
That's the first time I've seen DART citing proximity to route 8 as a plus for the realignment. However, route 8 is NOT one of the most heavily-used by passengers. The route 8 riders are vastly outnumbered by passengers who come in on the really crowded buses, such as routes 1, 4, 5, and 6, which bring riders in from outlying parts of the city and county, many of whom will be seriously inconvenienced by having to travel several busy city blocks in order to transfer. I don't see how this can fail to increase total trip times for the majority of passengers who need to transfer. This appears to represent a step backwards... not progress.
I don't know about you, but I care a lot about increases in my trip time. A little less about on-time performance. It doesn't help to have the former in order to get the latter.
Oh, yeah. Rodney Square will be a nice, pristine showplace. None of those annoying bus people around.
No comments:
Post a Comment