Transit- Meeting Agenda (12/18/1997)

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building a transit-friendly facility and are encouraging people to use the bus, -,-- --- ~ not their cars. Ms. Schaaf said she was talking about more parking for the buses. Mr. Andersen-Wyckoff said the bus parking will be on the ground level, and it is being built for the future taking into consideration the next 20-25 years. There will also be underg~ound parking fo~ cars, and that parking is being buiit by Marion County. They have proposed one level with 258 parking spaces. They predict that wili be enough parking for all the employees working in that building for the next 25 years. They also want to encourage their employees to ride the bus. If more automobile parking is added, it will be a second underground level. With regard to Ms. ShaaPs first comments, he said he agrees with her concems, and it has been discussed in the Management Meeting this moming. Mr. Pugh did understand her complaint, and presented a written report. Mr. Andersen-Wyckoff apologized for the misunderstanding when she telephoned in her complaint, but said it was a little complicated for them to understand clearly. A program is cuRentiy being worked on to deteRnine how to address whether buses arrive at a stop early or late and what to do in those instances. It is not known whether the driver in this instance actually saw Ms. Schaaf wave at him, and that is very possible when driving down a busy street. It is a difficult thing because flag stops have been discontinued. However, an effort is made to stop when it is safe to do so and it is dear the patron is in distress or needs assistance. Mr. Andersen-Wyckoff thanked Ms. Schaaf for reporting the incident, a~d apologized for a~y inconvenience. Eric Simpson 1314 Ruge Street NW Salem, Oregon Mr. Simpson said he has been a consistent user of Route #10 (Orchard Heights) for 25 years. He usually does not make a public comment unless he deems it necessary. There was a gentleman named Clem Wertz, who had said he would be speaking to the Board under Public Comment this evening with ~egard to speeding buses, but he is not present. Mr. Simpson said he and his mother attended the West Salem Neighbortiood Association meeting on Monday this week and Mr. Wertz had said he was going to be there to speak to them about buses speeding as well, but did not attend. Mr. Wertz had been the Traffic Chair for the association, but is no longer. For over two years, it seems he has had a personal vendetta against the Transit District. Mr. Simpson said he talked with Kathy Hawksford, the DistricYs Operations Superintendent, last spring regarding what in his opinion was harassment of patrons riding Route #10, and blatant harassment of drivers with regard to the speeding issue. Ms. Hawksford told him Supervisors had been sent to Gerth Street no less than nine times in response to Mr. Weriz's complaints about buses speeding. Mr. Simpson said he had lived on Gerth Street for 25 years and assured the Board that buses do not speed there. It was impossible for a bus to speed because there were patrons disembarking at every comer on Gerth. Now that the bus stops are at roughly every 3-4 blocks the bus speed has not increased. Mr. Wertz has used video cameras to record moving buses, and has used speed reader boards from the City of Salem. Mr. Wertz had said he would p~esent the tape recording at the West Salem Neighborhood Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting Salem Area Mass Transit District November 20, 1997 - Page 4