Metro, mayor ignore bus-dependent, low-income poor

A letter to the editor

John Pollard

August 29, 2006


Dear Editor: Madison Metro changed the routes on Sunday, leaving people stranded and unable to get to their jobs. My sister lives on Rosenberry Road (Allied area) in the city of Madison and was one of those stranded. Her boss is only giving her this one chance to be late.

Because of Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's lack of sympathy for a bus-dependent area, she will have to come up with cab money every Saturday and Sunday so she gets to work on time. Very low wages make that impossible. She now needs to find another job, which is very hard. I have had many employers tell me that they would not hire me if I depended on the bus for transportation. It took me a long time to get a job!

Madison removed the buses from Red Arrow and Crescent, which let people wait for a bus away from the drug dealers and criminals on Allied. Metro changed the side of the street to wait for the 18 West and 18 South without telling the riders. There are no signs at each stop that says 18 West and 18 South. The drivers could not even tell my sister which buses to take and which side of the street to stand on.

I know I will not be voting for Mayor Dave because he has never done anything to improve life on Allied or in any other low-income area. Mayor Dave is only concerned with the safety of the wealthy owners of $300,000 condos in the downtown area.

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