Madison Metro Route Cuts Raise Riders' Hackles

[marmar]

from The Capital Times, via MassTransitMag:



Madison Metro Route Cuts Raise Riders' Hackles


By Steven Elbow, The Capital Times

Until last fall, Alta Jewel often made the bus trip to University Hospital, where she served several times a week as a volunteer chaplain.

It was an easy bus ride, a straight 15-minute shot from her west side home. But then, Madison Metro axed her route, and the 68-year-old retiree, hobbled by recent back surgeries, suddenly found the trip more than she could handle - a 45-minute journey during which she has to switch buses. And that's if she's able to transfer without too much of a wait, which can be more than an hour.

She still makes her medical appointments at the hospital, but she's cut out her volunteer work.

"The financial burden of taking a taxi to do volunteer work becomes sufficient enough to dip into income," she says. "It really precludes a lot of the things I feel I can still contribute." ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.masstransitmag.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=3&id=5017