Skytrain needs to be more special needs friendly

I'll sign a petition about that.

what is the latest wisdom on petitions? I am not suggesting that they might be a waste of time because they hardly take any. My real question is whether signing them allows us to disengage because they allow us to feel that we have 'done our part'.

I hope participating in petitions opens the door for people to engage more consciously on issues that jump out at them. 

where is the petition for this particular idea? If there isnt one yet, you could create one here

WOW - nice to hear others feel the same way I do. Even though I don't have a wheelchair a child or a bike , I think it's time Transit needs to step up and take the initiative.  I'm not aware  if any other cities around world have anything like this in place. I'm sure it would not be an expensive proposition to implement as well.  I have copied my original post to Coast Mountain Bus, but I don't anticipate a response.
If anyone has suggestions how to get a petition started - post your ideas hear.  I'm going to write to 24 hours and maybe even the local major press as well. Michelle L.

I have an idea. Instead of a traditional petition, lets direct people to this posting and encourage them to write their comments here. Then we can direct media and Translink to this thread to show them that people are really thinking this through and want to see something come of it.

oh you want to do it the 21st century way instead of the archaic way.

i can be so dumb.

:)

great idea - But do you think people won't mind having to registered to use the site though?  I actually found this site through a piece in 24hrs. I think I'll start by contacting the columnist. Pamela Groberman does a weekly for building a happy planet.  I'll post here if I get any feedback!
Michelle L.

registering for this site is really just a matter of selecting a username and entering your email address, pretty much the same thing you'd have to do to to sign a petition. The added bonus with doing it this way is that we can continue to communicate with one another, share ideas on how to make this change happen. 

Better accessibility for everyone!

It will be a few more years before my commute begins to include new Canada Line, and I have never rode the sytrain during rush hour and STILL I can see the need for better accessibility for those with special needs. If transit wants to encourage commuting ease of accessibility for everyone must be considered.

To be honest, I think there are a multitude of factors that the transit system should look at if they truly want to increase ridership. For many people transit still isn't attractive enough for them to make the comitment.

First, it's not overly cheap to ride the bus, particularly if your family still wants to maintain a vehicle for other appointments, errands etc, which I think is common.

Second, if you ride the bus, you've also been denied access to the bus. In my opinion that's a problem. Whether it be the bus that was so full it drove right by, or the bus that filled up with all the other people in line and you find yourself standing in front of the closed door - being late for work is truly not a viable option. These things happen everyday to someone and when it happes to me, it sure doesn't feel like transit cares.

Third, what about when the bus is EARLY? I know, I know, they aren't supposed to ever be early, but they are. And particularly in rush hour, if one bus goes by early, that means that the number of people waiting for the next one increases A LOT and we all end up like stinky, sweaty sardines as we make our commute.

Finally, I don't particularly think there is enough space for bikes and strollers (particularly bikes) on public transit either. I had a friend get passed up with her bike by 3-4 buses, after waiting at least an hour she ended making the long, wet and cold ride home when she got fed up with waiting.

Despite the fact that this reply sounds like a rant, I'd rather make changes in my own life that complain. But my agreeance with the special needs comment, made me wonder if other people also agree - public transit needs to be more accessible for everyone and right off the top of my head, I could think of 4 more ways transit could try and improve their service.

Yes, these things annoy me, and sometimes it's overwhelming. I agree with the other posts that question the effectivness of petitions, and instead found that once I started writing comments here (as suggested in the other replies) I found I had a lot to say.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to changeeverything.ca for giving us a place to talk.
-gg