This time it’s personal.

Dianne is doing better, actually much better then anticipated so well that I left her behind this morning and returned to work. Dianne was sleeping and would most likely rest away the morning. She has my cell so she could get me if I needed. I also took the van because I had a Utah Transit Authority (UTA)scheduled for this afternoon. I have not been actively involved with the Authority for over ten years and I felt good getting back to hard core transportation. Not that I was advocating as I used to: gloves off and come out fighting. We all have mellowed a bit since the old days and that is too bad. The Authority invited me to come to a presentation of the expansion of light rail into some new areas of Salt Lake County and specifically the Authority wants people with disabilities blessings on their new project. I have written in the past regarding the “mini-high blocks as a means or the only means of accessing the train. I have also confessed my part, as small as it may have been, to bringing this loading system about. I have cursed the high blocks, the packed front cars and myself every day I ride the system since.

The UTA currently,is using two different kinds cars on the train system one set of junk cars” the authority got at a steal and the better Siemens cars—both cars are “highriders” meaning these cars can only be accessed by the mini-high blocks. Now the Authority gong out to bid on a number o low-riders cars, cars which can be access by wheelchair users without the mini-high blocks. So now the authority wants to run these cars in strange configurations and basically they want our input, people with disabilities input on which configuration the authority should. Two options were set before us option one al cars would be low riders and only serve specific routes. The other option is to combine high rifer and low rider train together which would run on all the routes, of course each configuration has poitives and negatives and one configuration will cost the Authority more then the other configuration. I think answer is a no brainer: mix the cars. The people with disabilities will figure out how to get on. We always do, let us make the choice but give us a choice. The boys from the authority were really trying to stay middle of the road but I could hear them trying to sway the “kids” on which option to take. It made me nervous and what made me more nervous the people with disabilities were almost buying their argument. There were a couple of hedge sitters who wanted to be good “kid” and not offend Daddy UTA- but I think my argument was somewhat compelling. I ride the system almost every day of the week in winter and in the heat of summer—I know what the feeling of being stiffed when the train I am counting on pulls into the station and there is no where for me to board because the car is already stuffed with wheelchair riders and I have to wait for the next train. Know the angst but I am done doing my penitence. I want every train of every section of track to have at least one accessible car. This time it’s personal.