CAC 101/ Pt 1

I HAVE to start off this series with the Meltdown of 2006.

I came down to El Paso in 2004- from Chicago- a transportation dream for the riders. You can't really compare El Paso and Chicago in some ways because Chicago is surrounded by heavily-populated suburbs for 50 miles north, south, and west (not east- there's Lake Michigan in the way!). But when I left Chicago there were around 2 million people and El Paso has now grown to almost 700,000- pretty big.

Anyway, I was quite surprised to be in such a vast area land-wise and not have decent transportation. In 2004!

It was as if the people in El Paso had given up. Meaning, I don't know HOW many years they were probably beating a dead horse trying to get decent transportation and customer service, that they finally resigned the thought of ever being treated decently and have their voice heard.

It was what it was and there were no other choices.

To get a taxi in the NE in the daytime, say from Walmart, was next to impossible, or with 1-2 hour wait times. Kinda defeated the purpose.

That left the bus.

A typical day in summer 2004 was waiting in the blistering heat and wondering if the bus would show at all. Remember, there's only like 136 bus shelters for something like 3,000+ bus stops!

In a desert!



In 2004!



Where was our city governments' head at?

As a health care aide I accompany my client to the grocery store and doctor's appointments etc. On the bus. More times than not the lift ramp on the bus never worked, it was the accordion-type back then. Sometimes the bus drivers wouldn't even attempt to put the lift down, as is required. Many times my client and I were left on the side of the road, probably 4 out of 10 rides. Wasn't really equal access for disabled riders, was it?

The trolleys downtown were a nightmare, not only for the drivers with the heat, but for disabled riders with a narrow entrance, small passenger capacity, and a helluva bumpy ride! My client suffered many a day on these when he had to go to his doctor. Sometimes we were relegated to riding an old old Blue Bird bus that had a backdoor conversion for a wheelchair- now THAT was bumpy!!! The back of the bus is always a harder ride.

Not to mention the lack of air conditioning! Nothing like a sick person on a bus and there being no air- it was NOT fun.

I remember the pivotal day in the Meltdown of 2006. I was in it, I was there!

My client and I were on the buses all day just to go to the doctor for a 15 minute visit. Roundtrip from the NE with 2 missed rides due to the ramps not working. No air conditioning on the 42 on the way down. Now we were trying to get back to the NE. Remember, we were at the 1st temporary bus stops for many routes due to the transition away from San Jacinto Plaza. NO shelters, NO benches! Sidewalks almost inaccessible for wheelchairs and people waiting in line and walking the sidewalks. Not to mention the cracks and craters in the sidewalks.

The first 42 rolled up, we all got in what almost resembled a line, it was pretty much dog-eat-dog as far as that goes, and then it pulled off further down the line. We all scrambled after it- pretty hard for my client in the wheelchair to maneuver through the people. We got to the 42 and then the driver put on his "OUT OF SERVICE" sign! So it was time to hurry up and wait again.

This was an unbearably hot day, if anyone remembers. We all waited about 40 more minutes for the next 42 to come along. He pulls up- we run to get in line and what happens? The bus driver jumps out of the bus literally crying and ranting and raving!!! He had not had a break all day, no air conditioning, no water (remember we were promised water bottles in coolers free to all the passengers and drivers when it was hot and there was no air?). The driver had literally HAD IT! He was saying over and over he quit! He ran through the crowd and disappeared! Now we had a bus but no driver! Couldn't blame him, tho.

A supervisor came by and tried to calm us down, but this was just too much! You can't treat people like animals and not expect to get bitten!

Eventually a driver was called in and we got to make it 2/3 of the way home. Remember, we're going to the NE- we have to catch yet another bus at the Northgate Terminal! We had spent almost 2 1/2 hours downtown just trying to get to this point from one bus.

We did get home, obviously. I'm surprised the City didn't get more lawsuits from that debacle. It was time for change or mass upheaval and I think our elected officials finally heard the people, or got scared enough to do something about this situation.

Meltdown 2006 was a shame for our city and I blame ALL the city reps and mayors of past who did nothing to upgrade this most-needed and important service (next to water, nothing else was more important besides maybe feeding the poor). I blame everyone at Sun Metro who didn't do anything, they were all aware of what was going on yet for whatever reason they didn't see it necessary to do anything- they might lose their job and heaven forbid then they might be stuck having to take the bus!

Meltdown 2006 was a classic example of the haves and have-nots.

Newer buses and regular maintenance for the buses was one of the keys to changing this shamelessness around. We HAD to buy new buses and I will never regret having to pay taxes to be treated as a human being. But this is just one key ingredient to a successful turnaround. Yes, it was the most important and immediate at the time.



Enter First Transit.........