gc
10 September 2003, 09:38 PM
Lake Worth to decide on public transportation provider
By Don Chance - Special to the Star-Telegram
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/local/6739371.htm
LAKE WORTH -- The agenda for this week's regular meeting of the Lake Worth City Council listed mostly routine city business, making no mention of the hottest local issue -- "T" service.
Water and sewer questions were addressed and approved at Tuesday night's meeting, property re-platting and traffic signs were discussed, departmental reports were noted, and a proclamation declaring September 15-19 "Small Business Week 2003" was issued.
But the big topic in this northwestern suburb of Fort Worth hangs over the city like a diesel exhaust cloud. A public vote will take place Saturday on whether or not to keep the city's contract with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. Early voting ended Tuesday.
After the city council meeting, Mayor Walter Bowen said that some individuals had checked with city hall on the possibility and legality of picketing the inclusion of T service on the ballot at locations near the polling places and at bus stops along Jacksboro Highway.
"If they abide by the guidelines, there's certainly nothing wrong with it," Bowen said. "That's why we live in America, so you have the right to do that."
Bowen said that whenever people at various civic gatherings ask him about the issue, he just tells them they need to vote.
"I can't voice an opinion, because as mayor I would be seen as swaying votes," he said.
As a longtime Lake Worth resident and T customer, Allen Cole knows exactly how he's going to vote. Cole said that after the T replaced covered bench-type bus stops with uncovered 5-gallon buckets of sand, with "Bus Stop" signposts stuck in them at an angle, he's more than ready to bring in a new transportation company.
"They have not done what they said they were gonna do," he said. "They have pulled out everything that they had here -- and that's kind of a bad show. Every time you turn around, they're cutting routes and increasing the rates. They're not working with us. They're not helping us. They're doing more harm than anything else."
Like most Lake Worth T passengers, Cole, who is visually impaired, said he depended heavily on regularly scheduled bus service to get to his job in Fort Worth, until he lost his job due to what he called sloppy T service.
"They're just not working with anybody," he said. "They need to pay more attention to the people."
Lake Worth city administrator Joey Highfill said his staff has at least two bus companies ready to take over if, after the votes are counted, the town's contract with the T is to be terminated. Election results do not take effect until the City Council canvasses the votes at its regularly scheduled board meeting Sept. 18.
"All we have to do is pick one," Highfill said. "When the election is canvassed on Thursday night, on Friday morning we will have somebody lined up and ready to pick people up at their house, or at the corner, or wherever they usually catch the bus."
Highfill said service packages from the new company would be identical to present services but would hopefully be more satisfying to Lake Worth riders. "We just want to give them the best we can get," he said.
By Don Chance - Special to the Star-Telegram
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/local/6739371.htm
LAKE WORTH -- The agenda for this week's regular meeting of the Lake Worth City Council listed mostly routine city business, making no mention of the hottest local issue -- "T" service.
Water and sewer questions were addressed and approved at Tuesday night's meeting, property re-platting and traffic signs were discussed, departmental reports were noted, and a proclamation declaring September 15-19 "Small Business Week 2003" was issued.
But the big topic in this northwestern suburb of Fort Worth hangs over the city like a diesel exhaust cloud. A public vote will take place Saturday on whether or not to keep the city's contract with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. Early voting ended Tuesday.
After the city council meeting, Mayor Walter Bowen said that some individuals had checked with city hall on the possibility and legality of picketing the inclusion of T service on the ballot at locations near the polling places and at bus stops along Jacksboro Highway.
"If they abide by the guidelines, there's certainly nothing wrong with it," Bowen said. "That's why we live in America, so you have the right to do that."
Bowen said that whenever people at various civic gatherings ask him about the issue, he just tells them they need to vote.
"I can't voice an opinion, because as mayor I would be seen as swaying votes," he said.
As a longtime Lake Worth resident and T customer, Allen Cole knows exactly how he's going to vote. Cole said that after the T replaced covered bench-type bus stops with uncovered 5-gallon buckets of sand, with "Bus Stop" signposts stuck in them at an angle, he's more than ready to bring in a new transportation company.
"They have not done what they said they were gonna do," he said. "They have pulled out everything that they had here -- and that's kind of a bad show. Every time you turn around, they're cutting routes and increasing the rates. They're not working with us. They're not helping us. They're doing more harm than anything else."
Like most Lake Worth T passengers, Cole, who is visually impaired, said he depended heavily on regularly scheduled bus service to get to his job in Fort Worth, until he lost his job due to what he called sloppy T service.
"They're just not working with anybody," he said. "They need to pay more attention to the people."
Lake Worth city administrator Joey Highfill said his staff has at least two bus companies ready to take over if, after the votes are counted, the town's contract with the T is to be terminated. Election results do not take effect until the City Council canvasses the votes at its regularly scheduled board meeting Sept. 18.
"All we have to do is pick one," Highfill said. "When the election is canvassed on Thursday night, on Friday morning we will have somebody lined up and ready to pick people up at their house, or at the corner, or wherever they usually catch the bus."
Highfill said service packages from the new company would be identical to present services but would hopefully be more satisfying to Lake Worth riders. "We just want to give them the best we can get," he said.