AGENDA

PUBLIC SERVICE & TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2002

COUNCIL CHAMBER

Convened: 5:43 p.m.

Adjourned: 8:05 p.m.


 

Present were:      Chairperson Councillor Joseph M. Petty

                             Councillor Michael C. Perotto

                            

Also:                     Chief Development Officer Philip J. Niddrie

                             Projects Director Stephen F. O’Neil

                             Mary MacInnes, Executive Director WRTA

                             Richard Glavin, Customer Service WRTA

                             William Griffin, General Manager WRTA

                             City Clerk David J. Rushford, clerk

 

WRTA

Speakers:

1.                 Robert Howland, 5 Gilman Street, Worcester

2.                 Richard Saksa, 2 Lafayette Street, Worcester

3.                 Madeline Davenport, 105 Harrington Way, Worcester

4.                 Dorothea Simmons, 45 Briarwood Circle, Worcester

5.                 Paula Courtney, 27 Mount Vernon Street, Worcester

6.                 Arthur Kevorkian, 11 Lake Avenue, Worcester

7.                 Claudette Danielson, 11 Lake Avenue, Worcester

8.                 Richard Patel, 65 Walcott Valley, Hopkinton (Newsroom owner)

9.                 Scott Babbitt, 7 Augusta Street, Worcester

10.            Ellen Laverdure, 8 Hobson Avenue, Worcester

11.            Jo Hart, 675 Main Street, Worcester

12.            Felice Hall, 15 Houghton Street, Worcester

13.            Chris Bruce, 37 Fruit Street, Worcester

14.            Randy Ramos, 177 Belmont Street, Worcester

15.            Barbara T. White, 38 Upland Gardens Drive, Worcester

16.            Carolyn Gunther, Southwest Cutoff, Worcester

17.            Sue Lojko, 65 Harrison Street, Worcester

18.            Mary Healy, Lakeside Apartments, Worcester

19.            Alberta Williams, Lakeside Apartments, Worcester

 

Chairman’s Order request the WRTA consider repairing the broken air-conditioning equipment in their fleet before the summer of 2003.

 

Chairman’s Order request the WRTA consider reviewing the layout of bus schedules and the public notifications of scheduled changes in service.

 

Chairman’s Order request the WRTA address the concerns with Route 24 and the service for workers on the first and second shift.

 

Chairman’s Order request the WRTA report to the City Council their policies and enforcement of policies surrounding smoking tobacco in and around bus shelters and stops in their transportation system.

 

Chairman’s Order request the WRTA report to the City Council the concerns of citizens who have submitted their concerns to the transit agency.

 

Chairman’s Order request the WRTA report on adding and using a bus stop at Franklin/Front Street for all routes that pass that corner of the Worcester Common.

 

Chairman’s Order request the WRTA report to the City Council on the number of missed trips since Jan 1, 2002 and the reasons why they occurred.

 

Chairman’s Order request the City Manager obtain information from communities in Silicon Valley, California concerning alternative supplemental funding opportunities for transit authorities.

 

Chairman’s Order request the WRTA review the schedule and route of the Route 24 W bus route to determine if it might better accommodate the residents at Lakeside Apartments.

 

          Petitions

 

1.       Arthur Kevorkian request to meet with the Public Service & Transportation Committee before January 19, 2002 to prevent cuts & stopping of bus services on Sundays to Lincoln Park Towers and other areas.

          #5 CC  December 18, 2001

Recommend File

 

2.       P.A. Courtney et al request for continued WRTA busing for elderly and disabled residents.

          #7 CC  March 19, 2002

Recommend File

 

3.       Khalilah J. Atkinson request a law in Worcester that smoking inside bus stops be prohibited and penalized with a public fine.  Further, that people who smoke should have to be at least 15' away from bus stops that don't  have a seated booth and that signs be posted on all city bus stops informing the smoking public.

#15 CC  January 8, 2002

Recommend Hold

 

4.       Arthur Kevorkian & Claudette Danielson request that the route change voted by the WRTA Advisory Board on July 18, 2002 to change the #24 Belmont route and to make U-turns on Park Ave. and back onto Lovell St. not be implemented.

#23 CC August 20, 2002

Recommend File

 

5.       Mayor Timothy P. Murray and Councillor Barbara G. Haller on behalf of Nick Zwirblia request bus shelter be replaced in front of 1050 Main St.

#13 CC  January 15, 2002

Recommend Hold

 

Communications of the City Manager

 

6.       Relative to bus stop/shelter requests.

#7D CM  January 8, 2002

Recommend File

 

7.       Relative to recently asked City Council questions regarding WRTA.

#7G CM  January 29, 2002

Recommend File

 

8.       Relative to redesignation of exchange point of WRTA stops from City Hall to Union Station.

#7D CM  February 26, 2002

Recommend File

 

9.       Relative to WRTA route changes and fare increases.

#7C CM  May 14, 2002

Recommend File

 

10.     Relative to air conditioning on WRTA buses.

#7B CM  July 16, 2002

Recommend File

 

11.     Relative to WRTA - FY 2003 Budget.

#7T CM  August 20, 2002

Recommend File

 

Communication

 

12.     Roberta Schaefer, Executive Director Worcester Regional Research Bureau transmitting Worcester Regional Transit Authority: Problems and Options.

#22 CC  January 15, 2002

Recommend Hold