2010-11-10 PTC MinutesPublic Transportation Committee
Minutes
11 /10 /10
Present: Elyse Link, Jim Nash, John Norton, Alex Ghiselin, David Elvin of PVPC,
Jamin Carroll of VATCO, Laura Hanson of DPW, and Leslie Stein
Public Comment: Joyce Harper, who said she uses the bus but does not live in
Northampton, said that there should be a flat bus fee or bus passes for Smith Social
Worker students in the summer. She also noted that the Route 43 is too crowded in the
summer and that there should be more service, possibly a shuttle, in downtown Amherst
to and from Amherst College.
Minutes of 10/13/10 were approved.
Snow removal: The committee discussed this issue with Dan Yacuzzo, the President of
the BID. He said that the city's Snow Committee had just recently met. They agreed that
the Parking Division would remove the snow from the brick apron on the sidewalks
downtown and will remove the snow on the bike path from Pleasant Street to the bridge
over Main Street to give Bridge Street School students a walking path to school. Dan
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thought that the DPW would be cleaning up the bus stop area at the Academy ad we
asked if the BID would consider cleaning out the shelter at the Court House and cleaning
the curb at the Calvin Theatre for bus riders. Laura Hanson said she would ask Michael
Bowles, whose community service program helped with snow removal last year, if they
could help with shelters /stops outside of downtown.
Transit Goals from Sustainability Plan: The committee agreed to break into two
subcommittees to work on these two parts of the plan and report back to the full
committee in January.
1) Develop specific language about public transit in regard to site plan permitting process
(Alex, Jamin, Jim)
2) Develop a Public Transportation Plan to include routes, use of shelters and pull offs,
and flag stops to permanent stops. (Jamin, David, John, Elysse, Leslie)
Old Business: Jamin Carroll reported that the changes to the bus stop at Main and
Masonic would not happen until next summer.
David Elvin reported on the last riders' forum, saying that many of the same issues came
up which are those that require funding, i.e., more service on Sunday, etc.
New Business: Jim Nash just wanted to point out the new Green Cab Company in the
city.
Laura Hanson said she had a call from a bus rider who was concerned about the flag stop
on Barrett Street near Jackson Street. Jamin Carroll said that they had had complaints
from the residents in the house at the corner so now stop a little further back on Barrett.
The sidewalk is on the other side of the street.
The committee also acknowledged that the flag bus stop outside of the Jackson Street
School is on a strip of grass lined by a fence, and has no sidewalk or crosswalk access,
and is impossible to use in the winter leaving riders in the street. Laura Hanson said she
would check on any funds that may fund a sidewalk and bus cut out.