Okay, so since January I have been using a private bus line to get into work – it gets me here in record-time, by-passes the Port Authority altogether (a place I loathe), and then at night the pickup point is RIGHT OUTSIDE MY OFFICE. I literally take 20 steps and boom – I’m at my bus stop. I also save about $50 a month since I don’t have to take another form of transit (my original commute was TWO buses, this is a one-seat ride).
So a couple weeks ago the bus company put out a notice that since ridership was less than spectacular (avg. 19 riders inbound, 8 riders outbound), the new route would be cancelled effective May 28. Those who are loyal to the route were devastated – none of us wanted to start schlepping to and from the Port Authority again. That place is just miserable.
Calls were made to the bus line honchos, and a couple times I spoke to the headest honcho himself as I put in the plea to keep the bus. He said that if ridership increased before May 28 he would definitely keep the bus a bit longer and see if it takes off.
So, I quickly went to work, and designed a brochure to be passed out at the Park’n’Ride and put on car windshields. The original “ad campaign” the bus company did was less than stellar – in fact, it was not even near professional. But it did get SOME riders, so it wasn’t completely without merit. Anyway, I gave a copy of the brochure to my night-time driver, who promptly handed it over to the head honcho, who was impressed enough to tell the driver to ask me to call him.
So today I’ll make the call to the head honcho and see what he says (according to the driver, he loved the brochure I made). As it is, last night I put about 60 flyers on cars in the Park’n’Ride, and another rider put some on cars in her Park’n’Ride lot (there are two separate parking lots at the Park’n’Ride). Then this morning I got to the Park’n’Ride about 15 minutes early and started handing them out to people as they boarded the regular NJT buses heading to Port Authority.
Today we had 19 people on our inbound bus. But I’ll tell you this – four of our regulars weren’t on this morning, and we had two new people. I don’t know if it’s a result of my flyer, or just coincidence, but if I have my way – ridership will increase, and that bus route will remain in service.
Good for you. Maybe your initiative alone will keep the route.
Good for you! You are a “go-out-and-make-a-difference” gal. Awesome!
You’ll do anything to keep the walk to just those 20 steps!
I am only a “go-out-and-make-a-difference” gal when it’s something that directly effects me. I call myself the Selfish Activist. =)
And yes, 20 steps is about all I’m willing to walk.
*lol*
I can see it now all that hard work and next month you are going to be in a “Standing Room Only” bus to and from work.
Maybe the call you make to the Head Honcho this afternoon will bring you all kinds of cash. He may ask you to make additional brochures and flyers for him. Oh yeah!
Save a bus line
If you had to trudge through Port Authority day in and day out, you too would hate it with a…