Major Overhaul at VIA
VIA is undergoing its second major overhaul in its bus routes and service in the last two years in an attempt to address constricted local revenues due to a low transit sales tax base as well as significantly diminished revenues from that base because of the economic recession. Reorganization of transit management was addressed at the earlier effort.
*VIA prepares to get word out about massive overhaul of routes*
By Patrick Driscoll
Express-News Staff Writer, 06/12/2003
When VIA Metropolitan Transit radically modifies its route system in August in the name of efficiency, bus rider Paul Huron doesn’t know what to expect.
He’s not alone.
“I don’t know, I just hope they (buses) come by a little bit sooner than later,” he said Wednesday at Travis Park while waiting for a bus headed to the Five Points area.
In an effort to stave off mass confusion when the current route structure switches — all at once — to a new system, with buses running more frequently in the inner city but with less service in suburban fringes, VIA officials are on a mission to educate the riders.
They’ve got until Aug. 4, when the wholesale transformation takes place.
“Our goal is to educate as many of our bus patrons that we can,” VIA spokeswoman Priscilla Ingle said.
Agency workers are canvassing major bus stops and distributing trip-planning cards, which can be mailed to VIA to get instructions sent back on where and when to catch buses after the changes. The cards also are available at customer centers and at www.viainfo.net.
In addition, 10 workshops will be held at various locations in the city through July, so riders can get one-on-one help figuring out how they’ll get to their destinations under the new system. VIA bills them as “Rider Rallies.”
“Right, that’s cool,” Sam Gonzalez said as he sat at a bus stop today outside Wal-Mart at Loop 1604 and Nacogdoches Road, adding he intends to soon ask for help to chart out his future trips. “I probably will do it in July so I’ll have an idea of what I’ll be doing.”
Isaac Mitchell, an East Side resident who teaches downtown, says he has been riding the bus “religiously” for four years. But he won’t have to worry about VIA’s route conversion because he plans on buying a car, probably a Dodge, next week.
“I’m glad I really don’t have to deal with it because you have to learn your routes all over again,” he said.
The rallies will be held at VIA facilities.